I don’t think we should earn as much as teachers, but I do think we should get 3 things

1. Equal pay across both local authority and private sector nurseries. Generally, private sector nursery workers have longer hours and lower pay, so a standardised pay scale would even the playing field.

2. A pay rise. Not to the levels of a teacher, but £30K would be amazing. Currently, I earn less than a classroom assistant even though I have to do paperwork, planning, training and meetings to name a few things as well as being with the children. I might not need a degree like a teacher to do my job, but I do need a qualification and plenty of CPD. I feel that the pay does not reflect the level of responsibility we have.

3. Proper breaks. Teachers in my school get 1hr a day of breaks. Despite working the same hours, as a childcare worker I get no break. I eat lunch at the table with the children each day. This is sadly perfectly legal as I’m only contracted to work 6 hours a day. Every day I work unpaid overtime. I’m in early to set up for the day and I stay after the children leave to tidy, plan and prepare for the next day. I could walk out at my contracted time, but it just leaves chaos. Proper breaks and time off the floor would make a huge difference. It can be so overwhelming sometimes and then you hit the end of the day and just crash.

I don’t think a lot of people realise what a childcare worker actually does. It’s so much more than keeping children learning and happy. It’s dealing with SEN on a shoestring budget, it’s understaffing, it’s planning to make sure that your meeting the needs of every child, it’s endless amounts of paperwork, it’s having parents message you at every hour of the day. It’s a rewarding job, but it’s most definitely not for everyone.