CREC

What CREC does

CREC (Centre for Research in Early Childhood), trading through Amber Publications & Training Ltd, is a Birmingham-based private research and education organisation that has operated in the early childhood sector for over 25 years. Its core purpose is to improve the quality of early childhood provision through five interlocking service lines: research projects, learning partnerships and consultancy/evaluation, accredited postgraduate education (MA in Education and PhD supervision), initial teacher training (SCITT via Teach First), and continuing professional development (notably the proprietary EEL 10 Dimensions of Quality and BEEL programmes). Delivery depends on academic partnerships with Birmingham City University and the University of Wolverhampton, which provide degree-awarding and doctoral supervision infrastructure that CREC itself does not own.

The company serves three primary customer segments: early years practitioners working in nurseries, preschools, and PVI groups; aspiring and serving teachers seeking QTS via SCITT; and academic researchers pursuing postgraduate qualifications. Secondary customers include local authorities, maintained nursery schools, and primary schools. Other revenue and engagement streams include the BECERA annual conference (founded by CREC in 2010), strategic partnership with EECERA since 2009, the CREC Learning Circle community of practice, the Student Research Archive, the Moonbeams music programme, and the Thriving Lives Toolkit (launched September 2025 for children of Armed Forces Families). Pricing is highly granular: CPD events are £30-36, the EEL programme is £180 per setting annually, and postgraduate programmes are priced at Birmingham City University prevailing rates.

The business operates with a very small team (1-10 employees) under three directors — Prof. Chris Pascal, Prof. Tony Bertram, and Sean Delaney — whose personal academic credibility (including Pascal's Extraordinary Professorship at North-West University South Africa) underpins the firm's positioning. Distribution is regional, concentrated in Birmingham and the West Midlands for in-person delivery, supplemented by online/virtual sessions via Zoom and a small number of international research collaborations (South Africa, Indonesia). The group comprises several wholly-owned entities including Amber Publications & Training Ltd, Amber Publications & Training LLP, the Centre for Research in Early Childhood in Birmingham Charitable Trust, and BECERA. No external investors, funding rounds, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

CREC

Legal name

Amber Publications & Training Ltd

Website

https://crec.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CREC is a Birmingham-based private research and education firm that, for over 25 years, has delivered early childhood research, consultancy, accredited postgraduate degrees, initial teacher training, and CPD programmes to nursery practitioners, teachers, and academics across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pre-Service ECE Credential Programs (Certificates/Diplomas/Degrees) (EDACAIAA), Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education (BPADAKAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood research
• Education consultancy
• Teacher training
• Curriculum evaluation
• Early years services

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Projects & Consultancy: CREC provides research, evaluation and consultancy services to inform, develop and improve quality of early childhood provision with applications for policy and practice.
2. MA in Education: Three-year part-time postgraduate degree in Education (Early Years) delivered in partnership with Birmingham City University, designed to develop reflective early years practitioner researchers.
3. Initial Teacher Training (SCITT): School-centred initial teacher training programme in partnership with Teach First, offering Early Years (3-7 yrs) specialist route into teaching with QTS qualification.
4. CPD Courses & Conferences: Continuous professional development courses, conferences, and events including BECERA annual conference, CPD days on topics like Early Years Maths and Expressive Arts & Design.
5. PhD Supervision: Doctoral research supervision in conjunction with Birmingham City University and University of Wolverhampton.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CREC conducts applied research, evaluation, and consultancy in early childhood education, and delivers accredited academic and professional development programmes for the early-years workforce. Offerings include MA and PhD pathways, CPD short courses, the branded EEL and ACE programmes, and SCITT teacher training delivered in partnership with UK universities. Its customers are schools, local authorities, universities, and individual early-years practitioners primarily in the United Kingdom.

Product overview

CREC operates as a unified portfolio of educational research and training services rather than a technology product. The core offerings include research projects, consultancy and evaluations, an annual conference (BECERA), postgraduate education (MA in Education and PhD supervision), and Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) through a Teach First partnership. Supporting services include the EEL 10 Dimensions of Quality CPD programme, various CPD courses (Maths, Expressive Arts), the Student Research Archive, Learning Circle community of practice, Moonbeams music programme, and a Student Support Fund. All programmes are delivered in partnership with Birmingham City University and University of Wolverhampton.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Research and Evaluation Services Applied research, evaluation, and evidence reviews for schools, local authorities, and other organisations working in early childhood education.
• Early Childhood Education Consultancy Bespoke consultancy, policy support, and quality-improvement advice for early-years settings, schools, and local authorities.
• MA in Early Childhood Studies Postgraduate academic programme for practitioners and researchers, delivered with partner universities.
• PhD Supervision in Early Childhood Education Doctoral supervision for researchers conducting studies in early childhood education.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Courses Short accredited and non-accredited CPD courses for early-years practitioners and teachers.
• Effective Early Learning (EEL) Programme A recognised evidence-based quality-improvement programme for early-years settings, used as a structured self-evaluation and improvement framework.
• Assessing Communities of Enquiry (ACE) Framework A framework supporting reflective, enquiry-based practice in early-years settings, used by schools and local authorities.
• School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) School-based initial teacher training delivered through SCITT partnerships, including with Teach First, for aspiring early-years and primary teachers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ PhD students successfully completed doctoral research under CREC directors' supervision over 20 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Teach FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to offer SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) with Early Years specialism in the West Midlands from September 2024. Programme focuses on 3-7 years age range.
• UIN Surakarta (Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta), IndonesiasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2024 to explore future research opportunities with Indonesian university.
• Birmingham City University (BCU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Academic Collaboration Agreement renewed in 2020 for delivery of MA in Education (Early Years), PG Cert in Teaching & Learning, QTS programme for ITT students, and joint PhD supervision. CREC also supports BCU's ChiFCo research centre.
• University of WolverhamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for PhD supervision alongside Birmingham City University. Offers full-time and part-time routes for doctoral research in early childhood studies.
• EECERA (European Early Childhood Education Research Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREC is a founding member and has been strategic partner supporting delivery of EECERA annual conference since 2009. CREC directors Prof. Chris Pascal and Prof. Tony Bertram actively participate in EECERA activities.
• BECERA (British Early Childhood Education Research Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREC launched and has hosted the BECERA Conference annually since 2010. The conference stimulates, supports, creates and disseminates rigorous knowledge about early childhood services.
• North-West University, South AfricasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for research collaboration. Prof. Chris Pascal appointed Extraordinary Professor by North-West University in 2024.
• The Froebel PartnershipsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Froebel Partnership for practitioner-led professional development and Froebelian approaches to early years education.
• Birmingham Early Years Networks (BEYN)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Birmingham Early Years Networks for supporting early years sector development in Birmingham region.
• Early Education and Childcare CoalitionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREC is a member organisation of the Early Education & Childcare Coalition, joining diverse organisations calling for action to rescue, reform and secure the early years sector's future.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Early Years Alliance: UK sector membership body supporting early years providers with training, resources and policy advocacy. CREC is a member of the related Early Education and Childcare Coalition; comparable as a sector-supporting organisation for PVI and maintained settings.
• Teach First: Major UK ITT provider and CREC's SCITT partner. Comparable as a delivery partner for initial teacher training, particularly in the West Midlands where CREC's SCITT specialism operates.
• National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA): UK membership association for day nurseries providing training, quality assurance and policy voice. Comparable to CREC as an adjacent sector-supporting organisation serving the same early years settings.

Direct peers

• Montessori Centre International: UK-based early years training organisation delivering accredited Montessori practitioner qualifications and CPD. Comparable to CREC in delivering specialist early years teacher training and CPD to settings across the UK.
• Pen Green Research Base: UK early years research-and-practice centre operating from a children's centre in Corby. Highly comparable to CREC in combining early childhood research, practitioner training and family/setting support under a single specialist organisation.
• Froebel Partnership: UK network promoting Froebelian principles in early childhood education through practitioner CPD, research and partnerships. Directly comparable to CREC's research-informed, practitioner-development approach to early years quality improvement.

Broad incumbents

• Norland College: Established UK higher-education institution specialising in early years and childcare practitioner training, including degree pathways. Comparable to CREC as a specialist early-years training provider, but with a much larger, degree-granting footprint.
• University of Reading (Institute of Education): Major UK university with a long-established Institute of Education conducting early childhood research and teacher training. Comparable as an academic institution delivering early years research, ITT and postgraduate programmes alongside partners like CREC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CRECBirm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-research-in-early-childhood
• Xx.com/CREC_SCITT

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CREC