Let Us Start the Conversation
On Tuesday 5th December, the Childcare & Education Expo Advisory Board came together for the first time, marking the commencement of a collaborative effort to elevate early years education.
This dream team, made up of highly regarded experts within the early years sector, engaged in an exchange of thoughts, expertise and ideas, centred around addressing the latest challenges and trends within early years.
Probing the Big Questions
Thought-provoking questions took centre stage during the session, with each board member delivering insightful and robust contributions to every point of discussion. The collaborative atmosphere saw board members building upon one another’s ideas, igniting a broader conversation. The conversation began with the pivotal question: ‘What do you believe are the most pressing challenges or trends in childcare & education today?’.
Paul Moore, CPD Manager at Busy Bees, initiated the conversation by highlighting staffing availability as a key concern, stating:
“Staffing availability, lots of people have been leaving the industry since Covid. The lack of staff that are available in certain areas makes it difficult to upskill and train staff”
This factor was again highlighted when Neil Leitch OBE, CEO at Early Years Alliance, emphasised, “There is no question, the two challenges are recruitment, retention and training”. As the conversation continued, other key themes emerged within the discussion, with SEND being one of them, as Cheryl Warren, Director at Aperion Training noted:
“There are more and more children coming through with more needs. Settings are having to fund 1-2-1 support for children themselves due to no funding – this leads to burnout. They don’t have adequate training, support and funding”.
Courteney Donaldson, Managing Director – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, added “DfE announced dedicated SEND providers but are now reducing the SEND budget & funding. Funding pool is becoming tighter and won’t be changing anytime soon”.
Paving the Way for the Future
Ensuring a sustainable future for the early years sector is imperative. The ideas exchanged among Advisory Board members in this meeting shed light on what needs to be done within the sector to elevate early education, paving the way for Childcare & Education Expo to make a meaningful difference.
Making a Difference at Childcare & Education Expo
Considering the points put forward in this meeting, Childcare & Education Expo London will be introducing two new features for 2024. These NEW features, the ‘Share & Support Sessions’ and ‘Inspiration Wall’ aim to create space for an encourage members to share inspiration and feel supported within their work.
Stay tuned for further updates from the Advisory Board as they continue to champion their ideas and give the early years sector a powerful voice. To view the full list of Childcare & Education Expo Advisory Board members, click here.
