The watchdog's latest quarterly statistics show that the number of childminders registered in England had fallen to 60,915 at the end of March - a drop of over a thousand since December last year.
But the accuracy of the figures have been brought into question as the number of childcare places appears to have increased by over 30,000 in the same time period.
"The latest figures from Ofsted show a confusing discrepancy in the number of providers in relation to the number of places since the last quarter," said a spokesman for the National Childminding Association. "Registered childminders are able to care for six children under eight years of age and according to Ofsted's figures, the mean is five and a half places per childminder. NCMA's membership survey from 2008 shows that this mean is around 5.1 places," he added.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
