Nursery World - A third of nurseries fear closure

Children that have returned to early years settings after the national lockdown are continuing to make progress, but fewer children are expected to take up childcare places, according to a survey by Ofsted.

Most nurseries surveyed by Ofsted reported fewer children had returned after the national lockdown

The inspectorate’s final report in a series of briefings on the impact of Covid-19 on early years settings finds that a third of providers are worried that their business will have to close.

Most continue to operate with fewer children on roll and lower demand for places compared with last year.

More providers in London and in the most deprived areas than others reported having far fewer children on roll than before the pandemic. Many are struggling to provide consistent staffing due to periods of staff illness or self- isolation.

They told Ofsted they were worried about cases of infection in the setting and the impact this would have on the bubble system if staff were absent.

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