Nursery World - 30 hours expansion 'likely to fall flat on its face' as Ofsted stats reveal a 'plummet' in childcare places

The number of early years places has fallen by 17,800 in the last year, according to the latest Ofsted data, raising further questions over how the expanded 30 hours will be successfully delivered.

The latest Ofsted figures reveal a fall in the number of early years places, just months ahead of the expansion of the funded entitlement, PHOTO: Adobe Stock

Published today, the statistics show that as of 31 August 2023, there were 1.26 million childcare and early years places, down by 17,800 (1 per cent) on the previous 12 months.

As of 31 August 2023, there were 1.09m nursery places and 166,000 childminder places.

The number of providers registered with Ofsted has also fallen. As of 31 August 2023 there were 62,300 providers, down by 3,320 (5 per cent). The decline in providers is largely due to a fall in the number of childminders, says the inspectorate, with 2,580 fewer childminders in August 2023 compared to the year prior.

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