What it takes and what it is like to work in early years and childcare

Early years and childcare describes:

early years provision, which offers education and care for children under the age of 5 years
out of school childcare for school aged children around the school day which includes before school breakfast clubs and after school clubs, as well as Holiday playschemes and clubs, which provide childcare for school aged children too, but during school holidays

If you are thinking that working with young children is rewarding and fun, you would be right of course, but the early years are more important than many people think!

Did you know that children’s brains develop connections faster in the first 5 years than at any other time in their lives? By the time a child is 3 years old, their brain has already grown to 80% of an adult’s brain size. That is a lot of development!

This critical early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and succeed - not just in school, but in life too.

What a young child experiences in this time develops the brain connections that will last their lifetime. The quality of the experiences, how they are cared for, their interactions with adults and other children and other early learning opportunities are very important.

We know that high quality early years experiences improve children’s long-term wellbeing and life chances. However, not all experiences are positive and poor-quality experiences can mean those important brain connections are not formed. It is much harder for these connections to be made in later life, so poor early years experiences really can have a negative impact on long-term wellbeing and success.

This means that the early years workforce has a direct impact on the lives of the young children that they are working with. By working in early years and childcare, you could influence the life chances of even our most vulnerable young children.

The early years and childcare workforce shape children’s futures. Some academics have described us as ‘brain architects’ and ‘brain engineers’. In West Sussex, we think this should be celebrated!

The reasons why we in West Sussex think a career in early years and childcare is a smart move are:

working with children is one of the most rewarding careers you can consider - it is so much more than just a job
you will be enabling and supporting children to learn skills they will use for life, impacting on their future happiness and life chances - important work, we hope you agree
creativity and imagination are valued across all early years and childcare careers - inspiring awe and wonder in young children, while developing new and exciting opportunities to interact with and learn about the world, is all part of the job
it is hard to get bored when you are engaging children in exciting learning adventures, whether inside or outside, at a forest school or beach school - no two days will ever be the same
a career in early years and childcare offers job security - parents will always need childcare and children will always need high quality early years experiences
it is a career for people of all abilities, ages, ethnicities and genders, so you will be sure to find a pathway that works for you
career progression is varied and there are some excellent opportunities - these include:

opportunities to progress into management roles, from room supervisor through to area manager for nursery chains
using your expertise in further education or training companies to teach and assess the practitioners of tomorrow
upskilling and working in an advisory capacity, supporting settings within a local authority team or Ofsted
using your expertise in child development to move your career into complementary areas, including teaching, early help and social work

it is a flexible profession with a range of roles and opportunities available that provide different working patterns, for example, whether you want a full-time role, term time only or other options, there will be something to suit you
there are lots of professional bodies and organisations committed to ensuring high quality practice in early years and childcare which offer information and advice for early years and childcare practitioners, so you will never feel alone or struggle to find support
if you are an aspiring business owner there are lots of opportunities - from becoming a childminder to starting your own nursery, out of school club or holiday playscheme and, for those who want to be their own boss or have an entrepreneurial spirit, will find they have the chance to become all that they want to be in the early years and childcare sector

With the government roll out of funded early years and childcare, much of your income could come from the Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) scheme.

These are some of the qualities that we in West Sussex think make great early years and childcare practitioners.

See how many of these attributes you recognise in yourself.

Enjoy being with children and have an interest in how children learn and grow

Children need early years and childcare practitioners who like to spend time and interact with them and provide opportunities for them to flourish.

Be a good communicator

You will need to be able to communicate with children of different ages and at different stages of development. Being able to communicate in an age-appropriate way is a key skill. You will also be communicating with parents and carers about children’s skills, abilities and achievements.

You will need to communicate with your team to plan activities and learning opportunities. A good level of spoken and written English to record children’s development and a sensitive and empathetic approach is a must.

Be a great listener

Listening to young children is not just about hearing what they say. It is about understanding what their body language tells us and what they are trying to communicate through behaviour.

You will have to listen effectively to parents and carers too. They are experts on their children, so getting it right from the start means developing strong parental partnerships.

A positive, upbeat personality and a good sense of humour

Children respond well to adults who have a joyful and playful side. You will also need to model behaviour that will help build resilience in children when they are faced with challenges and setbacks. Learning should always be fun and laughter will help children stay positive about learning every day.

Genuinely caring, respectful and empathetic

Children (just like adults) need to feel safe, secure and cared for in order to learn and grow. It is important to recognise that every child and family is unique. Understanding the challenges they face will allow you to build on the strengths of each child, supporting them to learn in their own way.

Imaginative, creative and passionate about learning

Early years and childcare practitioners with a love of learning bring imagination, creativity and energy to the learning experiences they offer. They also recognise the value of learning and continually developing themselves, personally and professionally. They will use that learning to continually improve the experiences they offer children.

Friendly, trustworthy, flexible and a team player

In a group setting, teamwork is fundamental to delivering an effective and supportive early years’ experience. Your team members need to trust you to carry out your role with diligence, to support them when they need it and to be flexible to meet the needs of all the children in your care.

Hardworking, punctual and organised

While working in early years and childcare is fun, it is not just playing all day - you will be an educator, not a babysitter! You’ll need to have high energy levels and be committed to working hard to ensure you provide the best and most positive experiences for children.

Punctuality is important too - you are providing childcare for parents and carers who need to get to work. Early years and childcare settings are run on staff numbers. Not being where you should be and at the right time can mean the setting is non-compliant and could get into trouble.

Organisation skills will help you plan effectively and provide the secure routines that children need to thrive.

An understanding of maths

You will need to understand mathematical concepts to provide high quality learning opportunities for children. This is not just about counting, it is about things like size, space, shape, measure and volume.

If you have career aspirations to manage or even own your own business one day, maths will come in handy too - budgeting, paying your staff, purchasing supplies and charging fees all require an understanding of maths! West Sussex Adult Learning can help you upskill if maths is an area you struggle with.

Early years practitioners work with children from birth to 5 years old in Ofsted registered settings such as:

nurseries
pre-schools
playgroups
private nursery schools
maintained and independent nursery schools

Job roles include everything from nursery assistants to early years teachers and everything in-between!
No matter what the setting, your role will involve providing early education in a safe, fun, engaging environment and supporting children with their learning and development.

Things to consider about working in a day nursery include:

day nurseries can care for children from birth to 5 years and are often open from 8.00am until 6.00pm
many day nurseries run shifts to cover the opening hours which might involve early starts or late finishes
working in a day nursery is a year-round role, so gives a guaranteed year-round salary
you will get the opportunity to work with a wide range of age groups
you could become an expert in an age group, for example, babies or toddlers

Here is what some West Sussex early years educators say about working in a day nursery:

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Things to consider about working in a pre-school, playgroup, or nursery school are:

pre-schools, playgroups and nursery schools generally take children aged 2 or 3 to 5 years
they tend to open school hours, so operate shorter days and will be open term-time only - this means your salary, although paid across the full year, will also be term-time only
they often offer sessional childcare, so you may have different groups of children in the morning and in the afternoon
sometimes pre-schools and playgroups are pack-away, meaning they share the space they operate in and need to get everything out at the beginning of the day and pack everything away at the end of the session

Here’s what a West Sussex early years educator says about working in a pre-school: