A Place-based Policy Response to the Early Years Workforce Crisis in Bristol

^{Illustration by: Seekan Hui}

This evidence-driven manifesto produced by Dr. Frances Giampapa and Dr. Victoria Bowen at the School of Education, University of Bristol was developed in partnership with Early Education, the Bristol & Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, Bristol City Council. With special acknowledgement also to our collaborators: ECHO/Early Education, Early Years Alliance, Bristol City Council EYS Recruitment and Retention Forum, NAHT, City of Bristol College and Archfield House Nursery and all the EYS educators, Head Teachers and Managers who have contributed to the success of the project. It outlines a place-based policy response to the systemic challenges impacting recruitment and retention in Bristol’s early years sector and sets out the following seven pledges:

1.  Raising the bar: rebuilding the status and value of early years education & care
2.  Quality Or quantity? The recruitment dilemma in early years education & care
3.  Early years in crisis: underpaid, undervalued & overlooked
4.  Navigating the challenges: revitalising continuing professional development (CPD)
5.  Under pressure: the strain on early years education & care workers
6.  Fragmented foundations: the struggle for cohesion in early years education & childcare
7.  “Not just tinkering around the edges!”: The urgent need for a strategic overhaul

The manifesto makes the following policy recommendations:

• Develop a national workforce strategy that improves wages, working conditions & long-term career sustainability for EYEC educators.
• Establish clear career & qualification pathways to support workforce progression & attract new talent into the EYEC sector.
• Shift public & policy narratives to reflect the importance of EYEC & the value of its workforce.
• Increase investment in recruitment & training to address workforce shortages & enhance CPD.
• Prioritise quality over expansion in EYEC services, fostering collaboration among providers rather than competition.
• Strengthen relational practices & family engagement, with policy goals rebalanced to centre on child development rather than just economic outcomes.
• Elevate the status of the EYEC sector by formally recognising its societal & educational value.
• Promote cross-sector service integration & streamline funding models to reduce administrative burdens & improve access.
• Incorporate EYEC into the national education strategy, ensuring alignment with broader educational goals and standards.
• Secure long-term, targeted public investment to ensure sustainability, equity & continuous improvement in the EYEC sector.