Latest Ofsted statistics show a continued drop in early years providers across England
by Jess Gibson and Shannon Pite
The number of early years providers in England has fallen by over 1,000 over the past year, new data released by Ofsted has revealed.
According to the latest Ofsted statistics, between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024, the number of early years providers that were registered with Ofsted fell from 62,030 to 61,200, a decline of 2% since 31 August 2023.
This continues the trends seen in sector data between 2019 and 2023, which show an overall pattern of more providers leaving the sector than joining. This is primarily due to a sustained decrease in the number of childminders, with numbers dropping by 1,060 (4%) in this period.
Nevertheless, the report did note that “the decrease in the number of providers has slowed each year since 2021/22, mostly because fewer providers are leaving the sector”.
The statistics also revealed that, as of August 2024, there were 1.28 million early years places offered by providers registered on the Early Years Register, up by 1% from the previous year –something Ofsted attributes to the fact that much of the fall in provider numbers is the result of a fall in childminders.
However, Alliance analytics of the Ofsted statistics reveals that 65 local authorities saw an overall decline in places compared to the previous year.
Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: "These Ofsted figures are further proof that the early years sector is in need of urgent and significant support if we are to have any hope of successfully delivering the final phase of early entitlement expansion. 
"While the findings show a slight increase in the number of early years places, the fact that more than four in 10 local authorities reported a drop in places clearly shows that longstanding sector challenges – namely, funding and staffing – must be addressed as a matter of urgency to build the additional capacity the sector so desperately needs. 
"What’s more, the continued trend of plummeting childminder numbers, which accounts for the vast majority of the decline of overall providers, remains deeply concerning. Childminding professionals are an incredibly important source of quality, flexible home-based care and education, and it has never been more important to ensure that this critical part of the sector receives the support it needs – both now and in the long-term – to reverse this worrying trend.  
"Now, with less than a year to go until the final phase of the entitlement expansion, it is absolutely vital that the government takes swift and decisive action to ensure that providers are supported not just to remain open, but to increase capacity to meet rapidly growing demand. The harsh reality is that if nothing changes, not only will providers continue to struggle but more and more families will find it difficult – if not impossible – to find a place that meets their needs."