The issue extends far beyond individual settings and reflects national concerns about workforce sustainability and professional recognition.
The Early Years Workforce in England Report 2025 highlights the mounting strain on the sector. With the expansion of funded childcare hours, demand for early years professionals has risen sharply. An estimated 35,000 additional practitioners are needed to meet increased entitlement. Although there has been modest progress in growing the workforce, the attractiveness of the sector remains a critical challenge – particularly in recruiting and retaining highly qualified, passionate staff.
Turnover in the early years sector now sits at 16%, compared with 8% in school-based nurseries. Behind these figures lie familiar themes: practitioners who enter the field out of genuine passion for children’s development often end up feeling overworked, overlooked, and undervalued. The gap between their purpose and their experience continues to push talented people away.
Understanding the workforce
To better support franchisees in attracting and retaining skilled practitioners, Canopy Nurseries recently undertook a deep exploration of its existing workforce. A network-wide talent survey conducted over the summer provided valuable insight into what early years professionals truly want and need.
Demographically, the workforce reflected national patterns, ie predominantly female and younger than the wider UK workforce. Their motivations were clear and consistent: staff sought strong but fair leadership, well-resourced nurseries, and a healthy, values-led culture. They emphasised the importance of personal growth and highlighted the need for funded, recognised opportunities for training and development.
The survey also reinforced a major sector-wide issue: low pay. Salaries for early years professionals remain significantly lower than in many other fields, and even qualified practitioners are not always paid the real living wage. For a sector so essential to children’s development and family wellbeing, this highlights a pressing need for systemic change.
The Canopy talent model: Cultivating growth from within
In response to these insights, Canopy created a comprehensive framework to strengthen recruitment and retention—rooted in the belief that people thrive where they feel purpose, belonging, and opportunity. The framework centres on four pillars: Choices, Careers, Rewards, and Culture.
1. Choices
Flexibility remains one of the most valued aspects of modern employment. Canopy recognises that giving staff more control – through flexible hours, adaptable shifts, and dedicated planning time – reduces burnout and enhances wellbeing. This flexibility helps practitioners bring their best selves to both their work and their personal lives.
2. Careers
Clear progression pathways are essential for long-term motivation. Canopy’s career model enables staff to see and pursue meaningful advancement, from apprentice to management roles. Each career step links to transparent salary progression, reinforcing that development is both possible and supported.
The Canopy Academy enriches this journey with tailored training and bespoke Canopy Code modules through the Canopy Apprenticeship scheme – planting the seeds for lifelong careers in early years education.
3. Rewards
Beyond pay, Canopy is building a rewards framework that celebrates commitment, performance, and wellbeing. The benefits package includes wellness initiatives, mental health support, and meaningful tokens of appreciation, providing clear reminders that every team member is seen, valued, and essential to nursery life.
4. Culture
The most vital pillar, and the one that binds the whole model together, is culture.
At Canopy, culture is a lived experience shaped by shared purpose and passion. It is the belief that when adults feel nurtured, appreciated, and inspired, they create nurturing environments for children. Canopy strives to build workplaces where people feel safe, respected, and connected to something greater than themselves.
Strong communication, consistent recognition, and leadership that listens form the foundation of this ethos. The aim is simple yet profound: to cultivate a community where people are not just employed, but truly rooted—where their purpose is nourished and their passion celebrated.
Growing together as a sector
The insights from Canopy’s survey and talent model show that sustainable recruitment and retention require more than short-term fixes; a motivated workforce grows from trust, transparency, and meaningful investment in people.
Lasting change cannot be achieved alone. Nursery leaders, training providers, local authorities, and policymakers must collaborate to advocate for fair pay, improved funding, and stronger professional recognition.
Ultimately, the future of early years education depends on the wellbeing of the people delivering it. Practitioners remain where they feel valued, supported, and connected to a shared purpose. By listening to staff, recognising expertise, and fostering a culture of genuine care, nurseries can begin to reverse the cycle of turnover and instability.
With thoughtful leadership and a commitment to wellbeing, the early years sector can grow deeper, stronger roots – ensuring that practitioners, and the children they nurture, thrive side by side.
This article comes courtesy of Canopy Children’s Nurseries, the award winning nursery franchise which nurtures better beginnings.
