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More than 400 nurseries closed over last two years, research finds

1 min read Early Years
Over the last two academic years 415 nurseries have been forced to close, impacting places for more than 20,000 children, research has revealed.
Thousands of settings have closed in a year, Ofsted finds. Picture: AdobeStock
Issues are funding are a key reason nurseries are being forced to close, researchers warn

It found that in the 12 months to September this year 199 nurseries closed, and a further 216 closed their doors the previous year.

Nurseries in areas of deprivation are among the most likely to be forced to cease operating, warns the research by the National Day Nurseries Association.

Just under four in 10 closures this year took place in the most deprived areas of the country, including in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds.

“Chronic underfunding” for free hours for three- to four-year-olds is a major factor in nurseries going bust, NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said.

“Earlier this year providers told us that their staffing costs alone were increasing by around 15% but the rate paid for places only went up by 4.6%," she said.

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