Childcare and early years | Facts and stats

A variety of early years settings care for children before they start school. This article highlights the latest facts and stats about nurseries and childcare settings in the UK.

How many early years settings are there in the UK?

There are over 14,800 early years settings registered in the UK. These include nurseries, pre-schools and nursery schools.

Here is a breakdown of the number of settings across the UK:

England: 13,550
Wales: 380
Scotland: 712
Northern Ireland: 223

UK total: 14,193

Figures correct as of 31 March 2025. Data gathered from daynurseries.co.uk which lists all day nursery providers registered with their country’s regulatory body. This excludes nurseries in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. 

How many nurseries are there in the UK?

In the UK there are over 11,739 day nurseries.

England – 10,574
Wales – 380
Scotland – 611
Northern Ireland – 170

UK total – 11,739

Figures correct as of 31 March 2025. Data gathered from daynurseries.co.uk which lists all day nursery providers registered with their country’s regulatory body. This excludes nurseries in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. 

Day nurseries provide day care to children up to 5 years old. They are similar to nursery schools, however, day nurseries do not require a trained headteacher or teacher to run the service. This doesn’t mean that the staff aren’t qualified. Many day nurseries require their managers and deputy managers to hold a foundation degree or a degree in child development or a related subject. Some also ask for managers to have Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

How many nursery schools are there in the UK?

There are over 3,100 nursery schools operating in the UK. 

England – 2975
Wales – 24
Scotland – 101 
Northern Ireland – 53 

UK total – 3155

Figures correct as of 31 March 2025. Data is gathered from daynurseries.co.uk which lists all day nursery providers registered with their country’s regulatory body. This excludes nurseries in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. 

Nursery schools are usually run by a trained teacher or a headteacher. They focus on preparing children for their transition to primary school through structured activities. 

There are a range of different types of nursery schools including:

• State-funded nursery schools
• Private nursery schools
• Independent nursery schools

What is a pre-school?

Pre-schools are usually run by voluntary parent-led committees and charities and provide care and educate children from the age of two up to the age of five. 

Many pre-schools are attached to primary schools. They tend to follow school term-times and so are not open in the school holidays. Pre-schools often ask for parents’ involvement. This can include fundraising for equipment, volunteering and contributing things, such as fruit for the children’s snacks.

What is a children’s centre?

Originally introduced in 1998, Children’s Centres aim to support children and their families in disadvantaged areas. They offer a range of support to families of children under the age of five. As well as childcare, they can offer parenting courses, ante-natal and post-natal support, stay and play and breastfeeding support.

As of 2021, there were 2,773 Children’s Centres in England.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions but all aim to achieve a similar goal. Visit the Government website to find a Sure Start Children’s centre local to you.

What do nurseries teach?

Nurseries in the UK offer a range of different experiences and opportunities for children to play and learn.

Under the Childcare Act 2006, all nurseries have to follow a statutory framework for early years education which is different in each country. For example, nurseries in England follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Within this framework they can adopt their own approach to learning. 

Some examples of teaching approaches include:

• Forest schools
• Montessori nurseries 
• Steiner nurseries 
• Froebelian nurseries 
• Bilingual nurseries

See our guide to find out more about what children learn and do at nursery.

Who regulates nurseries?

All early years settings are registered and regulated by their country’s regulatory body.

• England – Ofsted 
• Scotland – Care Inspectorate
• Wales – Care Inspectorate (Wales)
• Northern Ireland – Early Years Teams

Ofsted

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting and regulating services that care for children and young people to make sure they are suitable. It also report its findings with the aim to improve the quality of the service. 

All Ofsted inspections are publicly available. Using the website, you can carry out a search to find the inspection reports for each registered setting in England.

Care Inspectorate 

The Care Inspectorate, like Ofsted, is responsible for regulating and inspecting care services across Scotland. It makes sure it is meeting the required standards. It also works directly with services to help them to improve its service. 

The Care Inspectorate also make the results of its inspections publicly available on its website.

Care Inspectorate (Wales)

The Care Inspectorate Wales registers, inspects and reports on the quality and safety of services in Wales. It also responds to any concerns raised about services, and drives improvement across the country.

Local authority inspection and review reports can be found here.

Early Years Teams

In Northern Ireland, there are five Early Years Teams. They each have the responsibility for registering, monitoring and inspecting day care facilities for children under 12 years old, including day nurseries. 

The five Early Years Teams are:

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust 
• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
• Southern Health and Social Care Trust
• Western Health and Social Care Trust

Each of the Early Years Teams are focused on improving the quality and accessibility of day care provision for children.

Early Years Workforce: Facts and Stats

In 2021, it was estimated that there were almost 330,000 paid staff working in childcare and early years provision. In England, this includes almost 24,000 temporary staff. Around 80% of this workforce is estimated to be qualified to at least Level 3, with the target being 100%.

In Scotland, it’s estimated that there are around 37,000 people working in day care for children as of 2019, an increase from previous years.

In Wales, this number was estimated to be just over 17,000 in 2018, where as in Northern Ireland this number sits at 25,000. Across the UK, the amount of women working in the early years sector is much higher than men. Only around 1% of the workforce are male in Northern Ireland.

In each nursery, there will be a range of staff members each responsible for ensuring the nursery is running effectively and that children are safe and happy. 

Staff in a nursery are usually made up of:

• A manager
• A deputy manager
• Room leaders
• Practitioners

What does a nursery manager do?

Nursery managers are responsible for running the nursery. Generally speaking, nursery managers need a foundation degree or a degree in child development or a related subject. This could include early years education or childhood studies, for example. Many nurseries will also ask for nursery managers to have Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

In the UK, the average salary for a nursery manager is just over £32,000. This does vary between countries, with the average in Wales being just over £27,000, compared to just over £31,000 in Northern Ireland. Individual nurseries also play a part in the salary expectations of managers.

Being a nursery manager is a demanding role with a wide range of responsibilities. 

Day-to-day duties include:

• Managing the nursery budget
• Recruiting staff
• Building relationships with parents, staff and other professionals
• Managing records
• Working with colleagues to create a safe and successful environment
• Making sure the premises is safe and secure
• Safeguarding children

The above list is not exhaustive. The duties of a nursery manager are vast, and will differ depending on things like the location and size of the nursery, the children attending, and the current staff.  

What does a deputy nursery manager do?

The role of a deputy nursery manager is to support the nursery manager across all aspects of their work. They will also be expected to fill in when the nursery manager is away or unable to work. In most settings, a deputy nursery manager will possess a minimum NVQ Level 3 qualification. Some nurseries may ask for additional qualifications.  

The average salary of a deputy nursery manager in the UK is £25,000. This again varies across different parts of the UK.

What does a room leader do?

Working as part of the nursery management team, room leaders are responsible for supervising their assigned room in the nursery. This includes delivering care as well as supervising other nursery staff and helping them to carry out their roles. As well as establishing and maintaining effective relationships with staff members, room leaders are expected to build positive relationships with parents. They keep parents up to date with their child’s progress through their time at the nursery.

To be a room leader most nurseries request a Level 3 Qualification in Childcare, as well as proven experience in the role. 

The average salary for a nursery room leader is £23,000 in the UK, with higher salaries generally seen in Wales and Northern Ireland. 

What do early years practitioners do?

Nursery practitioners are responsible for giving care and support for children during their time at the nursery. This includes supporting children through activities, observing children’s progress, maintaining basic records, and responding to the needs of each child, including eating, nappy changing and toileting. As they gain experience, practitioners may be involved in planning activities as well as delivering them, especially if they are looking to progress their career. 

Nursery practitioners will require either a Level 2 or Level 3 Childcare Qualification, depending on their experience and the specific role they are applying for. On average, nursery practitioners receive a salary of £23,500 in the UK, depending on experience and their location.

What do apprentices do?

Many nurseries offer apprenticeship schemes. This gives people who want a career in childcare the chance to become a qualified practitioner by working in the nursery, alongside studying for the required qualifications. Apprentices will be responsible for providing general care to children in the nursery. They will be supported by qualified practitioners and the management team. 

How much apprentices are paid depends on their age and the length of the apprenticeship. 

How much does an apprentice nursery worker earn?

The National Minimum Wage rate for an apprentice is £7.55 per hour in 2025.

This applies to those aged 16-18, as well as those aged 19 or over during the first year of the apprenticeship.

An apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £12.21.

Over 19s who have completed their first year are then entitled to National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage rate for their age. 

Once they finish their apprenticeship, apprentices will become qualified practitioners.

What are the required ratios for nurseries: Facts and stats

Nurseries are required to follow government guidelines for staff to child ratios. These ratios are set as a minimum. In certain circumstances, such as SEND, they may need to be exceeded to ensure children have the support they need.  

England

Children under two: One adult for every three children (1:3)

Two year-olds: One adult for every five children (1:5)

Three year-olds and over: One adult for every 13 children (1:13)

Children aged three and over, where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is not working directly with the children: One adult for every eight children (1:8)

Three year-olds in independent schools (including in nursery classes in free schools and academies),where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is working directly with the children:

• One adult for every 30 children (1:30) in classes where the majority of children will reach the age of five or older within the school year
• One adult for every 13 children (1:13) for all other classes

Children aged three in independent schools (including in nursery classes in free schools and academies) where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is not working directly with the children:

• One adult for every eight children (1:8)

Wales

Children aged under two: One adult for every three children (1:3)

Two year-olds: One adult for every four children (1:4)

Children aged three to seven: One adult for every eight children (1:8)

Eight to 12 years: One adult for every 10 children (1:10)

Scotland 

Children under two: One adult for every three children (1:3)

Two-year-olds: One adult for every five children (1:5)

Children aged three to eight:

• One adult for every eight children (1:8)
• In settings where children attend for fewer than four hours in any one day, the adult to child ratio can be one adult for every 10 children (1:10).

Children aged 8+: One adult for every 10 children (1:10)

Northern Ireland

0 to 2 years: One adult to every three children (1:3)

Two year-olds: One adult to every four children (1:4)

3 to 12: One adult to every eight children (1:8)

Nurseries forecast

Nurseries across the UK have faced financial difficulties for some time. A lack of government funding and the Covid pandemic meant many were forced to close their doors for good. For the nurseries continuing to operate, they continue to face multiple hardships.

Staffing 

One of these struggles is to recruit and retrain staff. In a report published in 2020, it was found there are major concerns in terms of the declining workforce for early years education. This is down to the positions being low paid, the roles being demanding, and a lack of career prospects. This report was published pre-pandemic, and the situation has seen little improvement since. 

The workforce crisis exists across the UK, with each country implementing strategies to improve the staffing situation, aiming to attract people to the industry and improve early childcare services across the UK. 

Cost of living

With the cost of living crisis, nurseries are struggling to make profit. Reflecting on the situation, the National Day Nurseries Association suggests the only way for nurseries to operate is to continue to increase their fees, otherwise they face permanent closure. 

As the government provides most of the funding for early years through funded places, nurseries are dependent on the government to increase this funding price to allow for rising costs.