Tapestry Survey 2023: Community of Practice, Wellbeing & Workload
by Anna Pedroza on June 23
4 min read
Tapestry Survey 2023 – five things we learnt
The results of Tapestry’s 2023 survey provided fascinating insights about a range of themes. We asked questions about workload, ratios, professional support and community, and the perception of early years. With kind support from Early Education, Nursery World, Dingley’s Promise, Teacher Development Trust and a host of other organisations, the survey was completed by 1500 early years educators.
This year we want to really open up further discussion, so please share on social media using #TapestrySurvey23. We’d also love to invite you to get involved in our discussion about the results on The Foundation Stage Forum (FSF). The FSF is celebrating its 20th anniversary and, to coincide with this milestone, we’ve made membership of The FSF free!
Here are five highlights from the survey which we thought were particularly interesting.
1/ Increased workload and frequent stress
More than a third (39%) feel their workload has increased in the past year and we found that half (49%) of early years educators reported that their workload had caused them frequent stress in the past year. Worryingly, for a further 11% work caused constant stress.
Workload was something that impacted on stress, with over a fifth (22%) reporting that they frequently found they had too much work. One respondent said: “The workload is massive and just keeps increasing due to low staffing issues, children’s needs and parents’ expectations”. Another revealed that: “Since the pandemic we have been struggling constantly with funding and finance challenges, supporting staff wellbeing and morale along with all employment law/HR issues.”
Staffing impacts other areas as a respondent explained: “Due to lack of staffing, which is a major issue, there is no time to learn new practices, do our daily priorities and the pressure from Ofsted is now becoming harder.”
2/ Concerns continue over ratios
In September the government is changing child to adult ratios for 2 year olds from 1:4 to an optional limit of 1:5. The survey asked respondents how they felt about this change. Half of respondents (51%) felt 1:5 ratios would not be workable at all.
When asked whether more information, training or extra help might make 1:5 ratios theoretically more workable, extra help ranked highest with 52% but was closely followed by half of respondents wanting more information and 47% wanting more training.
We asked Peter Farrant, Head of Operations at Dolphins Pre-School, to give his perspective which underlines why the sector has such concerns: “Relaxing ratios risks worsening the already dire early years staffing crisis and reducing the quality of care and education that young children so desperately need now more than ever given the impact of the pandemic. It is likely to have very little impact on costs for parents and carers contrary to government claims.
Sector research by the Early Years Alliance found only 2% of nurseries and pre-schools believed that parental fees at their setting are likely to lower as a result of changes to ratio rules. 75% of early educators who work in nursery and pre-schools settings, but would not be responsible for any ratio change decisions, said that they would be likely to leave their setting if ratios were relaxed.
As a setting that has been in existence since 1960, we feel strongly that relaxing ratios is not workable. It risks children’s safety, places unreasonable demands upon already stretched educators, and will result in lowering of standards.”
3/ Supporting each other
Despite the substantial challenges the sector faces with workload, the research also highlights how early years educators continue to support and help each other, with 85% reaching out, at least termly, beyond their setting or school to provide advice and help to others in the sector. Of these, half reached out at least weekly.
Many would like to develop links with educators beyond their setting or school with more than half (57%) providing this feedback, but half (51%) also acknowledge it is hard to find time to speak to other early years educators.
Dr Helen Edwards, co-founder of Tapestry, said: “It is no surprise that early years educators are so active in supporting each other. We have seen this in action on the Foundation Stage Forum, a community of 54,000 educators, which we also founded. Newly updated to celebrate its 20th anniversary, we hope the Forum will continue to be a place for early years professionals to share ideas, advice and join in conversations.
4/ Value of early years
We asked respondents about how they felt the sector was perceived. Almost three fifths (59%) believe there is poor recognition about the value of early years education. The phrase ‘free childcare’ (commonly used by politicians) was felt by over half (54%) to devalue early years education. Related to this, a further 58% felt that describing early education as ‘just play’ ignored the importance of play in child development.
More than half of respondents (58%) feel that how we describe ourselves is important for the profession and a similar number (56%) feel the term ‘early childhood education’ would help to raise the status of their work.
5/ Impact of workload on NPQEYL
The impact of workload and available time came up a lot in the survey responses and also seems to be impacting the take up of the government’s flagship National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) with half of survey respondents worried they wouldn’t have enough time to study for the NPQEYL. Just over a third (38%) of respondents said they were participating in the NPQEYL but awareness of the NPQEYL is still worryingly low, with two fifths (43%) reporting they had not heard of the training programme, and half (53%) wanting more information before making a decision to sign up.
We asked Annie Richardson, Senior Lecturer in Early Years at the University of Brighton to reflect on this and she said: “It’s concerning that educators are worried about having enough time for professional development, even when it’s government funded. We also need a whole-setting approach to early years educators’ professional growth, leadership development is important but it’s not the full picture.”
Tell us what you think
We’d love to know what you think about the findings. Do you agree? Are there other things you think we should investigate? Please do get in touch!
About 2023 Tapestry survey
Survey responses were received between 2nd May and 9th June 2023 and the survey was promoted by Tapestry, the Foundation Stage Forum, Early Education and Nursery World. There were 1536 respondents working in the early years. Percentages have been rounded to nearest whole number.