The statistics show that while 712 nurseries opened, 902 nurseries shut between 30 June and 30 September, leading to 190 fewer nurseries overall. This is higher than the previous quarter when there was an overall loss of 134 nurseries.
However, the number of childcare places fell by just 1,072 during the same time period. The total number of childcare places across all early years settings now stands at 1,302,476, down from 1,303,547.
The number of childminders also fell, but the drop was less than the previous quarter, suggesting that the rate that childminders are leaving the profession appears to have levelled off.
There are now 487 fewer childminders than at the end of June. The number of childminders who left their jobs between March and June was 528.
Ofsted has also published the latest reports showing the latest inspection outcomes for early years providers and actions issued at inspection.
The figures show that just two per cent of early years settings inspected between 1 September 2008 and 30 September 2010 were judged inadequate.
For overall effectiveness in the EYFS, Ofsted found 11 per cent of nurseries and nine per cent of childminders outstanding, while 61 per cent of nurseries and 58 per cent of childminders were graded good.
Catherine Farrell, joint chief executive of the National Childminding Association, said, ‘It is encouraging to see that 98 per cent of registered childminders are achieving and exceeding inspection standards, proving that the quality of home-based childcare continues to be high.
‘In these challenging economic times, it is vital that investment in childminding is sustained to ensure that families can continue to access high-quality, flexible childcare.’
