Reporting year 2024

Childcare and early years provider survey

Data guidance

Published 12 December 2024

Description

These tables are derived from data collected on the 2024 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers (SCEYP).  Where data for 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and / or 2023 are shown alongside 2024 data, these have been taken from the respective years' surveys.  There was no SCEYP in 2020.

Fieldwork for the 2024 SCEYP was carried out between May and July 2024.

Three different types of childcare provider are covered by the survey:

Childminders: Ofsted-registered childminders providing early years childcare and operating on domestic settings.  The sample of childminders was drawn from Ofsted's Early Years Register.  Childminders registered with a childminder agency were not included in the survey.

School-based childcare providers. The sample of school-based childcare providers was drawn from the School Census.  The two types of school-based provider covered by the survey are:

• Maintained nursery schools: These are purpose-built maintained schools specifically for children in their early years and with a qualified teacher present.
• Nursery class childcare settings: These are other maintained schools, and non-maintained schools, offering nursery provision.

Group-based providers These are other childcare providers (such as playgroups and day nurseries) operating on non-domestic premises.  The sample of group-based childcare providers was drawn from Ofsted's Early Years Register. The two main types of group-based providers covered by the survey are:

• Private group-based providers: These are private companies and include employer-run childcare for employees.
• Voluntary group-based providers: These are voluntary organisations, including community groups, charities, churches, or religious groups.

There are a smaller number of “other group-based providers” (run by, for instance, colleges, local authorities, “private not-for-profit” organisations etc.)  

A full description of SCEYP methodology, and the different providers covered, is provided in the Technical Report available in the  methodology section and available for download from the “supporting files” section of the release.

In addition to the tables shown here, further tables are available.  In some cases, these provide a more detailed breakdown of the data published in this report.  In other cases, they cover additional topics to those covered by the report.  These tables can be found in the “supporting files” section of this release.

Coverage

All figures refer to England

File formats and conventions

Figures that are based on an “unweighted base” (i.e. sample size) of less than 10 are not shown in the files.

Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

Number of providers

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_providers.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number of providers, broken down by provider type

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number	Number of providers
provider_type	Provider type

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. See "Further information" for an explanation of the difference between the numbers in this chart, and the number of group-based providers and childminders on the Ofsted register.

Number of providers by region

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_providers_by_region.csv
• Geographic levels: Regional
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A breakdown of the number of providers by region and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number	Number of providers
proportion	Proportion of providers
provider_type	Provider type

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. [u] Statistics based on an "unweighted base" (sample size) of less than 10 are not shown. Statistics based on an "unweighted base" of 10 or greater but less than 30 should be treated with caution and are only indicative.

Number of providers by deprivation level

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_providers_by_deprivation_level.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A breakdown of the number of providers by the level of deprivation in the area that the provider is located in and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
dep_level	Deprivation level
number	Number of providers
proportion	Proportion of providers
provider_type	Provider type

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.

Proportion of providers that are part of a chain

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_providers_that_are_part_of_a_chain.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2023 to 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of group-based providers that are part of a chain of providers.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Proportion of providers open both term-time and holidays

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_providers_open_both_termtime_and_holidays.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of providers open during both term time and school holidays, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
both_termtime_and_holidays	Percentage of providers open during both term-time and school holidays
provider_type	Provider type

Mean provider opening hours per day

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_provider_opening_hours_per_day.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Mean provider opening hours, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean	Mean number of hours
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Childminders employing an assistant

• Filename: sceyp24_childminders_employing_an_assistant2.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of childminders that employ an assistant.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percent_assistant	Percentage employing an assistant
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Due to a change in methodology, figures for 2022 and 2023 have been revised and updated.

Childminder booking own children

• Filename: sceyp24_childminder_bookings_for_their_own_children.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of childminders that care for one, two or more than two of their own children, as well as providing care to other children.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_children	Number of own children
percent_cms	Percentage of childminders
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Number of paid childcare staff

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_paid_childcare_staff.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number of paid provider staff, broken down by provider type. Temporary staff are included but volunteer staff and apprentices are excluded.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_staff	Number of staff
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
3. "Childminding staff" refers to childminders and childminding assistants.  Due to a change in methodology, figures for 2022 and 2023 have been revised and updated

Mean number of staff per provider

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_staff_per_provider1.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the mean number of paid staff per provider, broken down by provider type. Temporary staff are included but volunteer staff and apprentices are excluded.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_staff	Number of staff
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Mean figures for 2022, 2023 and 2024 are reported to the nearest 0.1 to aid comparisons between the years. Figures prior to 2022 are only available rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.

Providers employing temporary staff

• Filename: sceyp24_providers_employing_temporary_staff.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of providers that employ temporary staff, and the number of temporary staff that they employ.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_staff	Number of temporary staff
percent_employing	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.

Providers employing volunteer staff

• Filename: sceyp24_providers_employing_volunteer_staff.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of providers that employ volunteer staff, and the number of volunteer staff that they employ.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_vol_staff	Number of voluntary staff
percent_employing	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Only includes volunteer staff working directly with children.  Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are excluded.

Providers employing apprentices

• Filename: sceyp24_providers_employing_apprentices.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of providers that employ apprentices, and the number of apprentices that they employ.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_apprentices	Number of apprentices
percent_employing	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Only includes apprentices working directly with children.  Apprentices that do not work directly with children, such as apprentice administrators, are excluded.

Proportion of apprentices employed by level

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_apprentices_employed_by_level.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of apprentices employed at different levels.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percent_L2	Percentage at Level 2
percent_L3	Percentage at Level 3
percent_L5	Percentage at Level 5
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. [u] Statistics based on an "unweighted base" (sample size) of less than 10 are not shown. Statistics based on an "unweighted base" of 10 or greater but less than 30 should be treated with caution and are only indicative.
2. X - Information on Level 5 apprentices began to be collected in 2023

Staff joining and leaving providers

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_joining_and_leaving_providers.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The number of staff recruited and leaving providers in the last 12 months. This refers to the number recruited to and leaving a particular provider, not necessarily the number recruited to and leaving the childcare sector as a whole.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
provider_type	Provider type
staff_leaving	Number of staff leaving providers
staff_recruited	Number of staff recruited to providers

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Refers to staff joining and leaving the provider that was surveyed - not necessarily the childcare sector as a whole
3. Temporary staff employed directly by providers are included but agency staff and any staff going on or returning from extended leave, such as maternity leave, are excluded.

Staff turnover

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_turnover.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of staff turnover rates, broken down by provider type. Staff turnover rates are the number of staff who left employment during the period expressed as a percentage of the total number of staff employed at the start of the period.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
provider_type	Provider type
staff_turnover	Staff turnover
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Staff turnover rates are the number of paid childcare staff who left employment during the period expressed as a percentage of the total number of paid childcare staff employed at the start of the period.
2. These turnover rates are not directly comparable with those for previous years.  In the 2024 Survey, for instance, providers were told to exclude staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrators, and staff going on extended leave, such as maternity leave, from the number of staff leaving them in the last 12 months.  This will have slightly reduced estimates of turnover rates.

Destination of staff leaving

• Filename: sceyp24_destination_of_staff_leaving.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of staff leaving childcare providers in the previous 12 months: to join another childcare provider; to work in a school (with children of school age); to work outside of childcare; to retire; and to go to an "other" destination, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
destination	Destination
proportion	Proportion of staff
provider_type	Provider type

Qualification level of staff leaving

• Filename: sceyp24_qual_level_of_staff_leaving.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of staff leaving childcare providers in the last 12 months, broken down by their highest level of qualification and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
proportion	Proportion of staff
provider_type	Provider type
qual_level	Qualification level

Headline Statistics

• Filename: sceyp24_headline_statistics.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The total number of childcare providers, registered places and paid staff. Mean parent-paid fees charged by providers for children aged under 2, children aged 2 and children aged 3 and 4.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
2_Fees	Mean hourly parent-paid fee charged by providers for children aged 2
3-4_Fees	Mean hourly parent-paid fee charged by providers for preschool children aged 3 and 4
Total_Providers	Total estimated number of childcare providers in England with at least one child aged 0-4 registered with them
Total_Registered_Places	Total estimated number of registered childcare places in England
Total_Workforce	Total estimated number of paid childcare staff
Under2_Fees	Mean hourly parent-paid fee charged by providers for children aged under 2

Proportion of Level 6 staff holding different qualifications

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_L6_staff_hold_different_qualifications.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of staff qualified to Level 6 who hold different Level 6 qualifications.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Proportion of staff who hold different Level 6 qualifications
provider_type	Provider Type
qual	Qualification
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Proportion of staff qualified to different levels

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_staff_qualified_to_different_levels.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of paid staff qualified to different levels. Temporary staff are included but volunteer staff and apprentices are excluded.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percent	Proportion of staff qualified to this level
provider_type	Provider type
qual_level	Highest level of qualification

Footnotes

1. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
2. Figures show the highest level of qualification held in early years and teaching-related subjects.
3. A very small proportion of staff have an overseas qualification as their highest level of qualification.  These staff are included in "no UK early years qualification".
4. [u] Staff qualifications data for school-based provider staff in 2023 are not shown because insufficient data were collected about the qualifications held by Early Years Co-ordinators.

Proportion of staff by age

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_by_age.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A breakdown of childcare staff by age and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
percentage	Percentage of staff
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
2. "All childminders" includes childminders and childminding assistants

Proportion of staff by ethnicity

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_by_ethnicity.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A breakdown of childcare staff by ethnicity and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
ethnicity	Ethnicity
percentage	Percentage of staff
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
2. Due to the small number of non-"White British" staff reported on the survey as working in maintained nursery schools, figures for "all school-based providers" are grouped together.
3. Excludes staff with "other" ethnicity who make up an estimated 0.2 per cent of paid school-based provider staff, 0.3 per cent of paid group-based provider staff and 0.6 per cent of childminders.

Proportion of staff by gender

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_by_gender.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A breakdown of childcare staff by gender and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
gender	Gender
percentage	Percentage of staff
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
2. Due to the small number of males reported on the survey as working in maintained nursery schools and voluntary group-based providers, figures for these provider types are not shown in the tables.  Instead, figures for "all school-based providers" and for "all group-based providers" are grouped together.

Proportion of children with SEND

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_children_with_SEND.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of children registered with providers with SEND, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of children with SEND
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. The proportion is defined as the number of children with SEND divided by the number of registered places.

Providers caring for children with SEND

• Filename: sceyp24_providers_caring_for_SEND_children.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of providers caring for at least one child with SEND, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Providers with access to SENCO

• Filename: sceyp24_providers_with_access_to_senco.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of providers that employ and / or have access to a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
senco_category	Access to SENCO
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. [u] Statistics based on an "unweighted base" (sample size) of less than 10 are not shown. Statistics based on an "unweighted base" of 10 or greater but less than 30 should be treated with caution and are only indicative.
2. The sum of the proportions for a provider type may be higher than 100%, as it is possible for a provider to have a colleague formally designated as a SENCO and also have access to an external SENCO.

15 hour entitlement 2 year olds

• Filename: sceyp24_15_hour_entitlement_2yos.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number and proportion of providers providing childcare to one or more 2 year olds funded through the 15-hour entitlement. See Section 8 of the release for more details of the different entitlements.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Excludes providers that do not look after any 2 year old children.

15 hour entitlement 3 and 4 year olds

• Filename: sceyp24_15_hour_entitlement_3_and_4yos.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number and proportion of providers providing childcare to one or more 3 and 4 year olds funded through the 15-hour entitlement. See Section 8 of the release for more details of the different entitlements.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Excludes providers that do not look after any 3 or 4 year old children.

30 hour entitlement 3 and 4 year olds

• Filename: sceyp24_30_hour_entitlement_3_and_4yos.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number and proportion of providers providing childcare to one or more 3 and 4 year olds funded through the 30-hour entitlement. See Section 8 of the release for more details of the different entitlements.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Excludes providers that do not look after any 3 or 4 year old children.

Breakdown of total provider costs

• Filename: sceyp24_breakdown_of_total_provider_costs.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A breakdown of childcare providers' total costs into different categories

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
business_rates	Business rates
energy	Energy bills
food	Food costs
materials	Materials such as books, toys or equipment
other	Other costs
provider_type	Provider type
recruiting_staff	Recruiting staff
rent_mortage	Rent or mortgage payments
staff	Staffing costs
training	Training costs

Footnotes

1. Childminder costs are not directly comparable with group-based provider and school-based provider costs. Childminders were not asked about their rent / mortgage or energy bills, because they work from their own home and would have to pay at least some of these costs, even if they didn't run a childminding business. Childminder "staffing costs" are the sum of the amount that they pay their assistant(s) (if they have one) and the amount that they pay themselves in the form of a salary.
2. Childminders do not have to pay business rates.
3. "Nursery class childcare settings" often deliver classes to school-age children alongside their nursery provision. For these providers, it is difficult to identify how much of the providers' overhead costs - such as energy bills and business rates - are accounted for by nursery classes and how much are accounted for by other parts of the school. Therefore, unlike group-based providers, who were asked to report them separately, school-based providers were asked to estimate these costs and include them in "other costs".

Percentage of staff earning below the National Living Wage by provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_earning_below_nlw.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of staff paid below the National Living Wage, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage earning below NLW
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
2. In the 2024 Survey, changes were made to the way that information about staff salaries were collected and validated.  This has significantly reduced the proportion of paid staff estimated to be paid below the National Living Wage and figures in this table cannot be compared with earlier years.  See "further details" for more information.
3. Refers to the percentage of "eligible" staff i.e. those aged 21 or above paid below the National Living Wage (£11.44 per hour from 1 April 2024)

Parents using tax-free childcare

• Filename: sceyp24_parents_paying_using_tfc.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion and average number of children with parents paying fees using Tax-Free Childcare, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number	Mean number of parents paying using TFC
percentage	Proportion of parents paying using TFC
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Providers signed up to receive tax-free childcare payments

• Filename: sceyp24_providers_signed_up_to_receive_tfc.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of providers that are signed up to receive Tax-Free Childcare payments, broken down by provider type. See Section 8 of the release for more details of Tax-Free Childcare.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Proportion of providers where parents can use funded entitlements throughout the year

• Filename: sceyp24_parents_use_funded_hours_throughout_year.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of providers that provide entitlements throughout the year. See Section 8 of the release for more details of the different entitlements.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
entitlement_type	Entitlement type
provider_type	Provider type
term_time_only	Parents can use funded hours during school term-time only
throughout_year	Parents can use funded hours throughout the year
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. As a proportion of providers offering the respective entitlement.

Proportion of providers where parents can use funded entitlements throughout the day

• Filename: sceyp24_parents_use_funded_hours_throughout_day.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of providers that provide entitlements without any restrictions. See Section 8 of the release for more details of the different entitlements.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
entitlement_type	Entitlement type
no_restrictions	Percentage of providers with no funding restrictions
provider_type	Provider type
restricted	Percentage of providers that restrict funding in some way
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. As a proportion of providers offering the respective entitlement.

Fee and funding rate differences by region

• Filename: sceyp24_difference_between_mean_fee_and_funding_rate_by_region.csv
• Geographic levels: Regional
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the difference between mean fees charged by childcare providers to parents and funding rates paid by the government to childcare providers, broken down by region and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
difference	Difference between mean funding rate and mean fee
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Values are less than zero where average funding rates are higher than average fees and greater than zero where average fees are higher than average funding rates.

Fees by child age and region

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_by_child_age_and_region.csv
• Geographic levels: Regional
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A time series of mean and median fees charged by childcare providers to parents broken down by age, region and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Fees for under 2s by provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_for_children_under_2_by_provider_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of mean and median hourly fees charged by childcare providers to parents for children under 2, broken down by provider type. Only a very small proportion of children aged under 2 are enrolled at school-based providers so figures for fees for under 2s enrolled at school-based providers are based on small sample sizes.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. [u] Statistics based on an "unweighted base" (sample size) of less than 10 are not shown. Statistics based on an "unweighted base" of 10 or greater but less than 30 should be treated with caution and are only indicative.

Fees for 2 year olds by provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_for_children_aged_2_by_provider_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of mean and median hourly fees charged by childcare providers to parents for children aged 2, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Fees for 3 and 4 year olds by provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_for_children_aged_3_and_4_by_provider_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of mean and median hourly fees charged by childcare providers to parents for children aged 3 and 4, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Fees for 2 year olds by LA

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_for_children_aged_2_by_LA.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Mean and median parent-paid fees for children aged 2 broken down by local authority. In order to help interpret the mean, the table shows 95% confidence intervals. Based on the responses we received to the survey, we can be 95% confident that the mean for all providers in the local authority lies between the lower and upper values. Figures for some local authorities are based on small sample sizes (less than 30).

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
lower_ci	Lower 95% CI
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
unweighted_base	Unweighted base
upper_ci	Upper 95% CI

Footnotes

1. For some local authorities sample sizes were too small to be able to estimate average fees.  These are shown as "*" in the table and shaded grey on the map

Fees for 3 and 4 year olds by LA

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_for_children_aged_3_and_4_by_LA.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Mean and median parent-paid fees for children aged 3 and 4 broken down by local authority. In order to help interpret the mean, the table shows 95% confidence intervals. Based on the responses we received to the survey, we can be 95% confident that the mean for all providers in the local authority lies between the lower and upper values. Figures for some local authorities are based on small sample sizes (less than 30).

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
lower_ci	Lower 95% CI
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
unweighted_base	Unweighted base
upper_ci	Upper 95% CI

Footnotes

1. For some local authorities sample sizes were too small to be able to estimate average fees.  These are shown as "*" in the table and shaded grey on the map

Funding rates for 2 year olds by provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_funding_rate_for_children_aged_2_by_provider_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the mean and median funding rates paid by the government to childcare providers for children aged 2, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_rate	Mean hourly funding rate
median_hourly_rate	Median hourly funding rate
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Funding rates for 3 and 4 year olds by provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_funding_rate_for_children_aged_3_and_4_by_provider_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the mean and median funding rates paid by the government to childcare providers for children aged 3 and 4, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_rate	Mean hourly funding rate
median_hourly_rate	Median hourly funding rate
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Funding rates for 2 year olds by region

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_funding_rate_for_children_aged_2_by_region.csv
• Geographic levels: Regional
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the mean and median funding rates paid by the government to childcare providers for children aged 2, broken down by region and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_rate	Mean hourly funding rate
median_hourly_rate	Median hourly funding rate
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Funding rates for 3 and 4 year olds by region

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_funding_rate_for_children_aged_3_and_4_by_region.csv
• Geographic levels: Regional
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the mean and median funding rates paid by the government to childcare providers for children aged 3 and 4, broken down by region and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_rate	Mean hourly funding rate
median_hourly_rate	Median hourly funding rate
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Proportion of providers increasing fees

• Filename: sceyp24_proportion_of_providers_increasing_fees.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2019 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the proportion of providers who reported increasing fees charged to parents in the previous 12 months, broken down by child age and by provider type. Only a very small proportion of children aged under 2 are enrolled at school-based providers so figures for fees for under 2s enrolled at school-based providers are based on small sample sizes.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
percent_increase_fee	Percentage of providers increasing fees
provider_type	Provider type

Fees by child age and provider type

• Filename: sceyp24_mean_and_median_fee_by_child_age_and_provider_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Mean and median hourly fees charged by childcare providers to parents, broken down by child age and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
mean_hourly_fee	Mean hourly fee
median_hourly_fee	Median hourly fee
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. [u] Statistics based on an "unweighted base" (sample size) of less than 10 are not shown. Statistics based on an "unweighted base" of 10 or greater but less than 30 should be treated with caution and are only indicative.

Staff to child ratios for children aged under 2

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_to_child_ratios_under2s.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the ratio of staff to children aged under 2 in group-based providers.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
ratio	Staff : child ratio
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. A ratio of less than 1:3 is more generous than the statutory minimum as there are fewer children per member of staff
2. Staff to child ratios for 2022 and 2023 have been slightly revised and updated to remove outliers

Staff to child ratios for 2 year old children

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_to_child_ratios_2yos.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2022 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the ratio of staff to children aged 2 in group-based providers.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
ratio	Staff : child ratio
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. A ratio of less than 1:5 is more generous than the statutory minimum as there are fewer children per member of staff
2. Staff to child ratios for 2022 and 2023 have been slightly revised and updated to remove outliers
3. Since September 2023, providers have been required to have at least one member of staff for every five children aged 2.  At the time of the 2023 and earlier surveys, the maximum ratio was one member of staff for every four children.

Staff to child ratios for children aged 3 and 4

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_to_child_ratios_3to4yos.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2021 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the ratio of staff to children aged 3 and 4 in group-based and school-based providers.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
ratio	Staff : child ratio
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Staff to child ratios for 2022 and 2023 have been slightly revised and updated to remove outliers
2. Due to small sample sizes for maintained nursery schools, staff to child ratios are only shown for "all school-based providers"

Proportion of providers that are aware of and have used the exceptional circumstances allowance regarding staff to child ratios

• Filename: sceyp24_staff_child_ratios_exceptional_circumstance.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The proportion of providers that are aware of and have used the exceptional circumstances allowance regarding staff to child ratios, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
aware_allowance	Awareness of allowance
percent_providers	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Number of booked places

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_booked_places.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2019 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number of booked places, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number	Number of bookings
provider_type	Provider and session type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. [u] Number of booked full-day places in school-based providers in 2023 unavailable.

Number of registered places

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_registered_places.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number of registered places, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number	Number of places
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Figures refer to registered nursery places - registered places in before-school and after-school childcare are excluded.
3. The number of registered childminder places in 2023 is not directly comparable with figures for 2022 and 2024.  In the 2023 Survey, childminders were asked "How many children are you allowed to look after at one time?"  In 2022 and 2024, childminders were asked "How many places for children under the age of 8 have you personally got registered with Ofsted?"  This reduces estimates of the number of registered childminder places compared with figures for 2023, because it limits them to children under the age of 8.

Number of registered places by age

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_registered_places_by_age.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number of children registered with childcare providers, broken down by age and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
percent	Proportion of children
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Number of registered places by region

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_registered_places_by_region.csv
• Geographic levels: Regional
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  The number of registered places, broken down by region and provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number	Number of places
percent	Proportion of places
provider_type	Provider type

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.
2. Figures refer to registered nursery places - registered places in before-school and after-school childcare are excluded.

Number of registered places per provider

• Filename: sceyp24_number_of_registered_places_per_provider.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2018 to 2024
• Content:
  A time series of the number of registered places per provider, broken down by provider type.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
average_places	Mean number of places
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Footnotes

1. Figures refer to registered nursery places - registered places in before-school and after-school childcare are excluded.
2. The number of registered childminder places in 2023 is not directly comparable with figures for 2022 and 2024.  In the 2023 Survey, childminders were asked "How many children are you allowed to look after at one time?"  In 2022 and 2024, childminders were asked "How many places for children under the age of 8 have you personally got registered with Ofsted?"  This reduces estimates of the number of registered childminder places compared with figures for 2023, because it limits them to children under the age of 8.

All entitlements

• Filename: sceyp24_all_entitlements.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  A summary of entitlements trends

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
entitlement_type	Entitlement type
percentage	Percentage of providers
provider_type	Provider type
unweighted_base	Unweighted base

Spare places

• Filename: sceyp24_spare_places.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Proportion of spare places at childcare providers

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
ave_places	Mean spare places per provider
percent_places	Percentage of places that are surplus
percent_providers	Percentage of providers with one or more surplus place
provider_type	Provider and session type
total_per_day	Total spare places per day

Footnotes

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. They may not add up to totals due to rounding.

Total spare places per day and average spare places per provider

• Filename: sceyp24_total_and_mean_spare_places.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Number of spare places on an average day and average spare places per provider

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
ave_places	Mean spare places per provider
provider_type	Provider and session type
total_per_day	Total spare places per day

Hourly staff pay

• Filename: sceyp24_hourly_staff_pay.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2024
• Content:
  Mean and median hourly staff pay

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
mean_hourly_pay	Mean hourly pay
median_hourly_pay	Median hourly pay
provider_type	Provider type

Footnotes

1. Includes temporary staff but excludes volunteer staff and apprentices. Staff that do not work directly with children, such as administrative staff, are also excluded.
2. Mean hourly wages paid to childcare staff are higher than median hourly wages.  This is because, unlike medians, means are skewed by senior managers and early years co-ordinators being paid a much higher hourly wage, on average, than other staff.