Wed 29 Jan 2025
The Department for Education has just released new guidance on an experience-based route to Level 3 early years qualifications—and it’s already sparking debate among nursery owners and managers.
Could this be the long-awaited solution to the staffing crisis, or will it fall short in practice? Let’s explore what this means for the early years sector.
Announced yesterday, this new pathway allows experienced practitioners without formal Level 3 qualifications to demonstrate their skills through workplace assessment rather than traditional coursework and exams.
For years, nurseries have faced recruitment challenges, with many dedicated professionals unable to progress due to qualification barriers. The government’s move aims to address this by recognising experience as a legitimate pathway to qualification, a shift that could have major implications for staffing, training, and career progression in early years settings.
However, this route is not open to everyone. It is only available to settings and staff that meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Early Years Qualification Requirements and Standards document, which comes into effect on 3 March 2025.
Additionally, while early years providers can begin assessing candidates from March 3, practitioners qualifying through this route will not count towards staff:child ratios at Level 3 until at least September 2025. This delay is due to the required supervised practice period and expected EYFS statutory framework updates from September 2025.
This means that while the new route may help alleviate workforce pressures in the long term, nurseries should not expect an immediate impact on staffing levels.
Many nursery managers will welcome this change with open arms. The early years workforce has been struggling, with staff shortages affecting ratios, increasing costs, and putting pressure on existing teams.
By allowing skilled but unqualified practitioners to gain Level 3 status without needing to return to full-time study, nurseries could:
✅ Retain experienced staff who otherwise might leave for roles with fewer qualification barriers.
✅ Speed up the qualification process for team members who already meet competency standards.
✅ Improve staff morale by offering a clear progression route.
For settings that have struggled to find Level 3-qualified staff, this could significantly boost recruitment and retention efforts.
However, while the experience-based route removes some barriers, it doesn’t eliminate all challenges.
Some nursery owners and training providers are already questioning whether this approach will truly guarantee the same level of knowledge and quality as traditional qualifications.
🔹 Workplace assessment vs. structured learning: Will hands-on experience alone ensure practitioners understand the full breadth of child development theory, safeguarding, and pedagogy?
🔹 Implementation & oversight: How will assessments be standardised across different settings to ensure consistency?
🔹 Recognition by employers: Will future employers see this route as equivalent to the traditional Level 3 pathway?
🔹Salary: Will an EB (experience based) L3 earn the same rate as a qualified childcarer?
Furthermore, not all nurseries or staff will be eligible, meaning some settings may still face barriers in upskilling their workforce.
The experience-based route certainly offers a new and more flexible way for nurseries to upskill staff, which could ease workforce shortages in the long run. However, it remains to be seen whether it will be widely accepted by employers, effectively implemented, and deliver the high-quality workforce the sector needs.
For now, the best approach for nursery managers is to:
📌 Read the full guidance carefully to understand the eligibility criteria and whether their setting qualifies.
📌 Assess whether their experienced team members would benefit from this pathway.
📌 Plan ahead, keeping in mind that practitioners qualifying through this route won’t count towards ratios until at least September 2025.
This is a major shift in how early years qualifications are earned. If it works as intended, it could be one of the biggest workforce developments in years. But will it truly solve the staffing crisis, or are there still gaps to fill? Time will tell.
What do you think? Could this route work for your nursery?
Please find the publication here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6799000a9a6dc0352ab3417f/Experience-based_route_for_early_years_-_Guidance.pdf