Out-of-school care has fastest growth

Out-of-school provision in England almost doubled between 1998 and 2001, according to figures published last week by the Department for Education and Skills. The Childcare Workforce Survey 2001 shows out-of-school provision was the fastest-growing sector, with an 86 per cent increase from 2,640 settings in 1998 to 4,900 in 2001. During the same time there was a 42 per cent rise in the number of private day nurseries from 5,500 to 7,800. However, the number of pre-schools and playgroups fell by 10 per cent from 15,610 to 14,000, while almost one in four childminders left the profession, which saw a...