In comparison, the research by Victoria University finds that Scotland has some of the best accessibility, with only 10 per cent classified as living in a childcare desert. A childcare desert is when there are more than three children vying for every childcare place.
Published following the rollout of the second phase of the expanded entitlement earlier this month, the research maps childcare access for 10 million children across nine countries – England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia, France, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.
It claims to be the first study to track how and why countries are delivering childcare and the impact it has. The research is based upon data on ‘centre-based’ childcare and nurseries, down to postcode level. Childminder data has also been used for analysis of the UK.
Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute measured supply and demand of childcare places (day care centres and nurseries internationally, with the inclusion of childminders for the UK nations). According to researchers, in England there are about 1.06 million ‘places’ (supply) and 3 million children aged under 5 years (demand).
Key findings include:
- About half (45 per cent) of England is classified as a childcare desert, excluding childminders. It says this equates to 1.4 million children and their families with poor childcare accessibility.
- Compared to other nations, England ranks 8th of the nine nations in the study for childcare accessibility. Norway, Sweden and Scotland make up the top three. Childminders were excluded from the international analysis because the data isn’t always available, but even with the data, accessibility in England is still lower than most other countries.
- There are huge disparities in childcare access across regions of England. The North-West, London and the South-East rank best for accessibility with the smallest number of people living in a childcare desert. In comparison, the West Midlands, Yorkshire & The Humber and the North-East have the greatest number of people living in a childcare desert.
- There are greater divides with childcare accessibility within regions, even within local authority areas. For example, Cambridge is the local authority with the best accessibility, with more than twice the accessibility of local authorities like Torridge, South Staffordshire and Walsall, which have the lowest.
- Childcare accessibility is better in the wealthiest parts of the country in England. Childcare accessibility in the top 10 per cent of advantaged neighbourhoods in England is 16 per cent greater than in the 10 per cent most deprived areas of England.
- In areas of London, it is the most advantaged parts of the capital, like Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Wandsworth, that have the best childcare accessibility and also the highest fees.
- Scotland has some of the highest levels of accessibility. However, there were still differences within the country. As the map below shows, some local authority districts have better accessibility than others. More research is needed to understand why.
Associate Professor Peter Hurley said, ‘The disparity within the early learning sector across England tells a story of inequality, with affluent families living in wealthier parts of the country having access to a greater quantity of early year care. It is often the best parts of town that have the highest childcare accessibility.
‘Our research shows that providers are incentivised to operate in the wealthiest parts of nations populated by families that can afford to pay higher fees for their children’s care.’
He added, ‘Policy impacts accessibility to childcare. The Victoria University research shows that when government approaches childcare more like school, such as the France pre-school model, or where there is government support for universal childcare such as in Norway, Sweden and Scotland, there is broadly more access and smaller childcare deserts. This model is also more likely to benefit lower socio-economic areas.’
Both the National Day Nurseries (NDNA) and the Early Years Alliance called the findings ‘concerning’.
NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, ‘The findings from this report are a real concern and demonstrate the amount of work that needs to be done, particularly in England.
‘NDNA has been tracking nursery closures for the past few years and have evidence to show that settings are more likely to close in areas of deprivation.
‘Nurseries in disadvantaged areas tend to have more government-funded children and fewer parent-paid hours, so there is less chance for these settings to make up the shortfall between the funding rate and the delivery costs.
‘To tackle this issue head on, the Government must review funding rates especially for three and four-year-old places to make sure these meet providers’ costs. We also strongly recommend boosting Early Years Pupil Premium to match the much higher school Pupil Premium. The Government must work closely with the sector to make sure that any new provision is not duplicating what already exists, and that providers particularly in deprived areas are better supported to thrive.’
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented, ‘At a time when more children than ever are eligible for early entitlement hours, it has never been more important to ensure that there are enough early years places to meet demand. But as today's findings show, this couldn't be further from reality – a direct consequence of the sustained lack of support given to the sector over recent years.
‘Let’s be clear, the only way that every child – regardless of where they live – will be able to easily access high-quality early education is if the sector is properly supported to increase capacity. This means long-term funding that reflects the true cost of delivering places, and a staffing strategy that addresses both recruitment and retention. Anything less, and those set to gain the most from early education will continue to lose out.’
