Nursery World - Government to launch consultation on childcare ratio changes before summer

The children and families minister Will Quince has confirmed today that the Department for Education will consult 'before the summer' on plans to raise the number of two-year-olds that one member of staff can care for in early years settings in England from four to five.

The Government is planning to increase the number of two-year-olds that early years staff can care for PHOTO Adobe Stock

The plan was revealed by Will Quince, minister for children and families, who seems to have taken inspiration from the regulations in Scotland.

In a series of tweets Quince said, ‘I’ve considered the childcare ratio carefully and put safety and quality first. We will be consulting on mirroring the Scottish model before the summer, which means a maximum ratio of 1 to 5 instead of 1 to 4 for two-year-olds.

‘This proposal is about giving providers greater flexibility. Some were pushing me to go further on ratio reform but I’ve been clear from the start that I would not compromise on safety or quality.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included