Recruiting and retaining your school age childcare workforce

The number of staff you need depends on how many children you look after and their ages. If you provide early years or wraparound childcare for children aged 0 to 5, including those in reception class during the school day, you must have enough staff to keep children safe and well cared for.

You must follow the staff-to-child ratios set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. This applies to group settings and school-based providers.

You must also use safer recruitment practices when hiring staff. To check if someone is suitable for the role, visit the staff suitability page for guidance.

You can advertise your jobs for free through the West Sussex Jobs in Early Years and Childcare bulletin. Visit the advertise your early years and childcare jobs page to find out more.

The Department for Education (DfE) has created a workforce toolkit to help you run wraparound childcare. It includes practical tools, templates and tips to help you recruit and keep staff.