'People don't want to work in early years anymore'

Early years manager Lacey Douglass said more nurseries would close without more help

Nursery bosses have warned a lack of staff and funding has led to a "crisis" in early years care.

Newton Flotman Pre-School, near Norwich, has closed after it could not recruit a new manager and committee members.

Lacey Douglass, early years representative on the Norfolk Schools Forum, said: "There are not the people who want to work in early years anymore."

The Department of Education said it was investing £180m in early years education over the next three years.

Ms Douglass, who is also administration manager at Heather's Nursery in Hellesdon, said: "It’s not just management positions, it’s apprenticeships, it’s practitioners, it's graduates.

"It is a real crisis."

As well as staffing issues, there are also problems with funding, which have led to nurseries closing and others close to shutting, she said.

Ms Douglass said: "It's a perfect storm of individual crises.

"I think we all need to work together, providers, local authorities, industry bodies, the government, but we all have to recognise the industry is in crisis."

'Leaving the profession in droves'

Nursery committee chairman Trevor Shurmer said he was unable to recruit anyone with the right qualification to the manager posistion

Newton Flotman Pre-School had to take extra children after a pre-school in neighbouring Tasburgh closed in May when it had failed to find a new manager.

But now Newton Flotman has shut as it was unable to find someone with the right qualifications to fill the £19,000-a-year manager's post.

Trevor Shurmer, chairman of the nursery's committee, said: "We don't pay enough money for the amount of qualifications that are needed.

"I think people are leaving the profession in droves."

He said the nursery pay as much as it can but it was not enough compared to other jobs such as retail.

Mr Shurmer added "the funding is really poor" from government.

The Department of Education said it would be providing up to £180m over the next three years to "help to address existing recruitment and retention challenges".

Kelly Tolhurst, Minister for Schools and Childhood, said: "Raising the status of this important sector is key to its growth."