Analysis: The sector in numbers

PROVIDERS

OWNERSHIP

• Of the 14,100 full daycare providers, 66% were private and 22% voluntary, compared with 59% and 20% respectively in 2005.

• Of the daycare providers within children's centres, 21% were private and 19% voluntary.

NUMBERS

• All childcare providers registered falls in numbers except those offering full daycare (including children's centres), though more recent surveys, including Ofsted figures for 2010, have registered drops.

• Childminder numbers fell 9% between 2008 and 2009 to 51,000, while the number of registered childminders remained much higher at 63,600 (though down from 72,900 in 2003).

• The 8% fall in sessional providers in 2009 brought their total fall in numbers since 2001 to 44%.

• After rising 96% between 2003 and 2008, after-school club numbers registered the largest fall (-10%) in 2009.

IN DEPRIVED AREAS

Overall, 21% of childcare providers (18,300) were in the 30% most deprived areas, accounting for:

• 26% of all full daycare providers

• 72% of children's centres

• 15% of sessional providers

• 18% of childminders

• 31% of after-school clubs

• 28% of holiday clubs

• 68% of nursery schools

• 43% of primary schools with nursery classes

• 8% of primary schools
  
  

CHILDREN'S CENTRES

Children's centres offering full daycare remained stable at 35%, with those in the most deprived areas more likely to offer full-time provision (45% compared with 22%). Those offering sessional care dropped from 54% in 2008 to 45% in 2009.

Phase 1 children's centres had to provide full daycare on site and Phase 2 on or off site. Phase 3 centres are under no obligation to offer full daycare. When onand off-site provision is included, the figures show that 52% of centres in the 30% most deprived areas offer full daycare.

CAPACITY

The mean number of places in full daycare settings edged up again to 46 in 2009 (up from 43 in 2006). While 6% had only 10 to 19 registered places, 25% had 20 to 29 and 35% had 50 or more.

59% of sessional providers had 20-29 places and 69% of childminders had 5 to 6 places.

The number of places in maintained nursery schools rose from 58 in 2003 to 69 in 2009.

REGISTERED PLACES

In 2009 there were 2,442,100 childcare and early years places registered with Ofsted across the childcare and maintained sectors.

Since 2003, daycare places have increased by a half (50%), while sessional places have dropped by almost a third (30%).

CHILDREN ATTENDING

There was a decline in the number of children attending all childcare provider types, apart from in full daycare, which remained static and in children's centres, which saw an increase of 8%.

Between 2003 and 2009, rises in places outstripped the increases in children attending. In full daycare, places increased 50% while children numbers rose only 35%. However, the reverse is true in children's centres.

CHILD VACANCIES

The number of vacancies rose across all provider types between 2008 and 2009, except for after-school clubs and childminders. The proportion of places vacant nationally were:

• Full daycare 16%

• Children's centres 11%

• Sessional settings 11%

• Childminders 23%

• After-school clubs 21%

• Holiday clubs 27%
  
  

PROFITABILITY AND EXPANSION

Full daycare providers: 34% made a profit or surplus, up from 30% in 2007; 34% were covering costs; 13% were operating at a loss; and 18% didn't know.

Children's centres: only 10% made a profit or surplus; 37% were covering costs and 34% were operating at a loss.

For sessional providers, the figures were 28%, 51% and 15% respectively.

All categories were less likely to make a profit or surplus if located within the 30% most deprived areas.

Few providers had expanded or were planning to expand, with full daycare providers registering the highest number (15% and 13% respectively).

WORKFORCE

187,600 staff worked in full daycare in 2009 (173,200 paid and 16,100 unpaid), a rise of 5% from 2008. Sessional staff fell 9% to 60,800; children's centre staff rose 14% to 15,800.

Within full daycare, categories were senior manager (7%), supervisory (56%), other paid childcare staff (29%), students on placements (5%) and volunteers (3%).

The average number of hours worked per week by daycare staff was 34.

PAY

• Between 2008 and 2009, pay levels increased for all types of staff across all types of provider, with the exception of children's centres daycare staff, whose pay dropped by 1%. Pay for full daycare staff rose by 4%, while senior managers experienced the biggest rise at 6%.

• Graduate senior managers earned more than non-graduate managers: their average hourly rates respectively were £8.50 and £7.30 in full daycare, £11.70 and £9.00 in children's centres, and £8.10 and £7.30 in sessional provision.

QUALIFICATIONS

Holding at least level 3 qualification

• 73% of workforce (up from 65% in 2007)

• 82% of staff in full daycare

• 88% of staff in children's centres

• 68% sessional care

• 49% childminders

• 88% nursery schools

(7% of all paid childcare staff had at least level 6)

Percentage of staff holding EYPS

• 3% in full daycare

• 5% in children's centres daycare

• 3% in sessional care

• 2% in after-school and holiday clubs

Percentage of staff working towards a qualification

• 35% in daycare

• 36% in children's centres

• 16% in nursery schools

More information

Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2009