Staffing and Recruitment
Succession planning
Across the early years sector, many settings are facing increasing workforce challenges - succession planning being one of them. Recruitment remains difficult, staff retention can be unpredictable, and experienced leaders are often carrying...
National Careers Week
National Careers Week (NCW) is a brilliant annual opportunity to spotlight careers, inspire ambition and make careers guidance part of everyday conversations in schools, colleges and workplaces across the UK. This year NCW runs from 2nd to 7th...
EDI In Hiring Matters: Building Inclusive Teams
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies have been in the news recently after US President Donald Trump cast doubt on their relevance and efficacy in his vision for 21st-century America. This is still being hotly debated across the pond,...
Hidden Prejudice In Early Years: The Shocking Truth You Need To Know
As all good early years practitioners know, every action, decision, and reaction we make is watched carefully by the young people in our care. What we do and say shapes their development, learning and ultimately, their view of the world. We are...
10 Essential New Years Tips To Kickstart 2025 In Your Early Years Setting
A new year represents a new start for many people – a chance to reflect on the last 12 months and to look forward to the next year. So, how can you best cash in on this new beginning to make 2025 the best year ever in your early years setting?...
Off-The-Job Training: Essential Information
We know that in our world of early years education, apprenticeships provide a crucial pathway for developing skilled, knowledgeable childcare professionals. The wonderful thing about apprenticeships is that they blend hands-on experience with...
Coaching: The Game-Changer To Early Years Success!
The term ‘coaching’ might seem like a modern buzzword, but it actually dates to the 1830s at Oxford University, where it was used to describe tutors helping students pass exams. Over time, it has evolved into a powerful process of guiding and...
Leadership Secrets For Success In Early Years
Leadership in the early years sector is such an important element that can significantly influence both children's learning and development and staff morale. High-quality leadership creates an environment that fosters growth, learning, and...
Well-Being: How Staff Happiness Drives Business Success
Businesses are evolving beyond just focusing on profits; they are increasingly aware of their impact on the planet and their employees. Sustainability now includes not only environmental practices but also the personal well-being of staff. A...
Early Years Funding: Parenta Secures Access To £28 Million To Support The Sector
Parenta Training, the UK’s largest early years training provider, has once again demonstrated its persistent commitment to the early years sector by securing access to a £28 million levy funding pot. This achievement will allow employers to...
Parenta’s Solution To The Early Years Staffing Crisis? A New Fast-Track Level 3 EYE Apprenticeship
The early years sector is facing a significant challenge; an additional 40,000 Level 3 qualified staff will be needed in the next three years to meet the increased demand from the Government's latest "free" offering. While this initiative is a...
Your Path To Success: Thriving In Early Years Education
In a world where career choices are plentiful, the early years sector must be one of the most rewarding, for many reasons. Contrary to common belief, the industry offers much more than just modest salaries – and, in many cases, competitive...
Why Apprenticeships Are The Secret Path To A Rewarding Career
Do you have an effective plan in place for the recruitment, training and retention of your staff, or does the thought of a resignation letter landing on your desk fill you with dread? There are many challenges facing early years leaders today,...
The Benefits Of Having An Apprentice
Given the growing demand for childcare places, particularly with the increased Government-funded hours, now presents the perfect moment to explore the advantages of bringing an apprentice on board. The potential benefits of such a partnership...
Unlocking a Bright Future: The Power of a Level 3 Childcare Apprenticeship
Embarking on a Level 3 Childcare Apprenticeship isn't just a career choice; it's a transformative journey that brings so many benefits to both you and the early years sector as a whole! Let’s dive into the compelling reasons why opting for this...
Unlock Your Future: Level 2 Childcare Apprenticeship Success
When you choose to kickstart your career in childcare and embark on a Level 2 Childcare Apprenticeship, it's more than “just a job” and more than “just a childcare course” – it's a transformative adventure that brings so many benefits to both...
Apprenticeship Success: Ways to Lead in Childcare
In the ever-changing world of early years education, continuous professional development is key to staying ahead and making a lasting impact. If you already hold a position such as practitioner, deputy, or manager in a childcare setting, taking...
Work Life Balance National Week Guide
Are you struggling with your recruitment like many early years settings and other businesses? Would you love to know how to recruit more and better-trained employees into your business? Did you know… 8 in 10 parents would apply for a job with...
Become An Expert In Early Years Management & Leadership
How do the best managers in Early Years Management get to be the best managers? What is it that they do that makes them the best? Were they born that way, or did they learn through trial and error? And how can we emulate this if we have only...
Celebrate National Careers Week (NCW)
It’s that time of year when young people across the country start turning their attention to revision, exams and what they will do when they leave school, either after completing their GCSEs or higher exams such as A Levels and T Levels....
Bereavement – Dealing with the death of a staff member
Addressing the delicate subject of bereavement, this article centers on effective strategies for managing the aftermath of a colleague's death. It emphasises how, as managers and leaders, we play a pivotal role in navigating this sad scenario...
Celebrate National Apprenticeship Week!
Updated: January 2025 National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is coming, and this year, it is worth spending a little more time than usual looking into apprenticeships since the government recently announced several changes to the scheme that could...
Encouraging male apprentices into early years
Fostering Gender Balance: Empowering Male Apprentices in the Early Years Workforce If you have been reading our magazine for a while now, you will know that we occasionally revisit the problem of the gender imbalance in the early years...
Changing Nursery Staffing Ratio Poses Disaster
Unveiling Risks: Government Caution on Childcare Savings and Staffing Ratio A government study warns that attempts to find saving to help parents by childcare fees, by loosening the rules around the nursery staffing ratio could only trigger an...
National Apprenticeship Week
This month sees the return of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), and this year will be the 15th week-long celebration of everything to do with apprenticeships.
Employers to receive £3,000 cash incentive for all apprentices
Rishi Sunak's Budget Boost until September 2021- employer's cash incentive for all apprentices. In his spring budget, Rishi Sunak announced that the employer’s cash incentive for all apprentices will double to £3,000 as of 1st April 2021 and is...
Celebrate ‘all things apprenticeships’ during National Apprenticeship Week
The annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW2021) is upon us, 8-14th February, and with it, comes a great opportunity to celebrate ‘all things apprenticeships’. Apprenticeships allow individuals to earn while they learn and can lead to new and...
How young early years workers can cut the cost of motoring
How Early Years Workers Can Tackle the Costs of Motoring More than a quarter of all early years workers are aged under 30 - and the number of people who have learned to drive within that age group is dwindling. Whilst in many ways that could be...
National Apprenticeship Week 2020
We love to celebrate our apprentices and their achievements here at Parenta. There’s no better time than National Apprenticeship Week to share with our readers what it means to our learners to complete a childcare course with Parenta Training....
National Apprenticeship Week is here!
This week-long celebration, organised every year by the National Apprenticeship Service, aims to unite everyone who is passionate about apprenticeships, to encourage more young people to choose this path as a first step (and often fast-track) to...
