Some childminders 'know little' about the EYFS

A survey of 580 childminders found that while 80 per cent said they 'know it very well' or a 'fair amount', 18 per cent said they did not know much about it, with some admitting that although they had heard of the EYFS, they knew nothing about it.

The study, Childminding in Practice, by the NCB Research Centre, aimed to put the role of childminders in context with the childcare market. Prior to the study, childminder numbers had been falling, although numbers did increase in 2011.

Report co-author Becky Fauth said, 'Overall, most childminders felt favourably about the EYFS. They said it put them on a par with other providers, but some felt that they weren't given respect by other practitioners.'

Ryan Shorthouse of the Social Market Foundation said, 'Childminders are a critical part of the childcare market, offering high-quality and often more flexible care. However, misconceptions of being lower in quality and less safe than nurseries, and the fact that only a small proportion of childminders deliver the free entitlement, means that parental demand has shifted significantly towards daycare.'

Mr Shorthouse said the DfE proposal, currently out for consultation, to drop the requirement for childminders to be in an approved network to deliver the free entitlement could lead to an increase in demand.

'This was a real barrier before, since fewer than half of local authorities funded networks,' he said. 'This is a real opportunity for local authorities to level the playing field and allow any childminder with at least a good Ofsted to offer the free entitlement.'