Nursery teacher bonus in disadvantaged areas opens
PA MediaNursery teachers in disadvantaged communities can apply for £4,500 bonuses under government efforts to boost standards.
The incentive scheme, designed to attract and keep more qualified staff, went live for staff in Middlesbrough, Sandwell, Tameside, Rochdale, Bolton, Hartlepool, Rotherham, Dudley, Luton and Barking and Dagenham.
It will be expanded to 30 areas later this year, chosen based on deprivation, whether they have a shortage of teachers and how many pupils are school-ready.
Director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, Sarah Ronan, said it was "right to do everything we can to close the gap" between disadvantaged children and their better-off peers.
The measures would help nurseries deliver the funded childcare that saves families up to £8,000 a year in the communities that need it most, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said.
She said: "It shouldn't matter if you're born in Sandwell or Middlesbrough, in Rochdale or Rotherham - every child deserves the best teachers, with the best tools at their disposal, to give them the very best start in life."
The education department said only one in 10 nurseries had a specialist early years teacher.
The payment is open to those with qualified teacher status, early years teacher status or early years professional status.
They can apply via an online claims service, with eligible nurseries set to receive a link from the government.
Ronan said: "When disadvantaged children start school 4.7 months behind their better-off peers, it's right that we do everything we can to close that gap as early as possible.
"Research shows us that graduate teachers can have a positive impact on child development, particularly for those at risk of being left behind," she added.
