Nursery World - Doubts over accuracy as Ofsted figures show slump in providers but rise in places

The number of nurseries, childminders and out-of-school providers has fallen again, according to new Ofsted figures which also show a sharp rise in the number of childcare places.

But early years organisations have criticised the quarterly statistics, which were published two weeks late, for being 'unreliable' and 'confusing'.

Ofsted changed the way the figures were published after the EYFS was introduced. It is now possible to directly compare data for December 2008 with March 2009.

At 31 March there were 232 fewer full daycare, sessional providers, out-of-school clubs and creches - now categorised as 'childcare on non-domestic premises' - than there were at 31 December, but the number of places appears to have risen dramatically by 135,430.

The number of providers on domestic premises has increased, from 66 to 72, but the number of places has almost doubled, from 671 to 1,241.

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