Further rise in high-performing early years providers

Childcare settings receiving the top two Ofsted ratings in their most recent inspections rose from 78 per cent in March 2014 to 85 per cent at March 2015, according to the quarterly data.

The inspectorate says the latest figures show an “acceleration of an ongoing trend” of improvement among childcare settings.

The percentage of providers that received the "requires improvement" judgment dropped to 14 per cent in 2014/15, almost half the 26 per cent in 2012/13.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the the Pre-school Learning Alliance, says the Ofsted figures are “a direct result of the hard work and dedication of early years practitioners”.

He said: “Despite underfunding and diminishing local authority support, providers continue to deliver high-quality care and education to children and families and for this, the sector is to be congratulated.

“It is vital that going forward, providers are given the support they need – both financial and practical – to continue delivering quality services, and so adequate investment into the sector will be crucial to ensuring that this positive trend continues in the long term.”

The figures also show a seven per cent decrease in the number of childminders, which Ofsted says is another continuing trend.