152 councils

How childcare is changing, council by council

Councils with at least twenty registered providers. Change is measured from the earliest Ofsted release we hold for that council to the latest, counting registered places at nurseries, pre-schools and clubs.

Biggest fall in placesBiggest rise Most closures Best rated Most providers

Council	Providers	Places	Places change	Childminders	Childminder change	Closed	Good or better
Not RecordedNot Recorded	25	88	↓ 82.5%	3	0.0%	37	33.3%
MiddlesbroughNorth East	87	1,898	↓ 15.7%	46	↓ 28.1%	79	59.5%
WirralNorth West	255	5,433	↓ 11.7%	120	↓ 22.1%	148	59.3%
SolihullWest Midlands	222	3,828	↓ 11.6%	93	↓ 35.9%	137	50.0%
Isle of WightSouth East	81	2,061	↓ 11.5%	29	↓ 29.3%	53	70.0%
TamesideNorth West	246	5,229	↓ 10.5%	136	↓ 32.0%	158	58.7%
BoltonNorth West	248	5,691	↓ 9.7%	111	↓ 5.1%	124	55.0%
BuryNorth West	173	3,956	↓ 9.5%	81	↓ 10.0%	88	53.6%
WokinghamSouth East	281	5,714	↓ 8.0%	128	↓ 26.4%	196	42.2%
Kingston upon HullYorkshire and The Humber	119	3,148	↓ 6.9%	46	↓ 23.3%	66	77.6%
DurhamNorth East	298	5,814	↓ 6.6%	168	↓ 31.7%	185	72.8%
LutonEast of England	196	3,873	↓ 6.6%	74	↓ 33.3%	146	65.3%
OldhamNorth West	302	5,357	↓ 6.2%	114	↓ 27.8%	159	45.7%
HerefordshireWest Midlands	133	2,955	↓ 5.7%	55	↓ 6.8%	63	68.6%
CoventryWest Midlands	290	4,772	↓ 5.5%	152	↓ 32.7%	159	66.3%
ManchesterNorth West	577	8,645	↓ 5.4%	275	↓ 25.1%	296	46.8%
CalderdaleYorkshire and The Humber	196	4,324	↓ 5.2%	86	↓ 21.1%	102	61.8%
PlymouthSouth West	162	3,983	↓ 5.1%	65	↓ 35.6%	117	61.8%
Stoke-on-TrentWest Midlands	141	4,230	↓ 5.1%	49	↓ 31.0%	86	64.3%
St HelensNorth West	98	3,192	↓ 4.3%	40	↓ 21.6%	55	66.7%
BradfordYorkshire and The Humber	460	8,217	↓ 3.7%	217	↓ 35.2%	272	53.8%
WorcestershireWest Midlands	465	10,619	↓ 3.1%	191	↓ 26.3%	331	63.4%
SunderlandNorth East	118	2,393	↓ 3.0%	66	↓ 34.0%	80	70.8%
Stockton-on-TeesNorth East	153	2,911	↓ 2.6%	89	↓ 30.5%	77	75.4%
CamdenLondon	244	4,337	↓ 2.5%	70	↓ 39.7%	192	53.4%
DudleyWest Midlands	197	4,292	↓ 2.1%	83	↓ 24.5%	118	60.6%
MertonLondon	399	5,050	↓ 1.8%	168	↓ 26.0%	286	44.6%
BirminghamWest Midlands	969	22,329	↓ 1.3%	319	↓ 26.5%	548	51.1%
Milton KeynesSouth East	388	6,702	↓ 1.2%	159	↓ 19.3%	243	51.5%
Bournemouth, Christchurch & PooleSouth West	347	6,963	↓ 1.1%	131	↓ 27.6%	211	58.3%
HartlepoolNorth East	61	953	↓ 0.9%	42	↓ 19.2%	34	66.7%
StaffordshireWest Midlands	721	16,586	↓ 0.8%	316	↓ 19.0%	387	59.2%
SeftonNorth West	165	4,258	↓ 0.8%	61	↓ 9.0%	85	52.1%
SomersetSouth West	468	7,742	↓ 0.6%	182	↓ 21.6%	301	61.8%
WarringtonNorth West	213	5,510	↓ 0.6%	89	↓ 35.5%	147	55.2%
GloucestershireSouth West	653	14,190	↓ 0.6%	224	↓ 25.8%	383	58.0%
Blackburn with DarwenNorth West	123	3,620	↓ 0.5%	57	↓ 24.0%	66	66.2%
LincolnshireEast Midlands	625	14,878	↓ 0.2%	268	↓ 27.2%	382	58.0%
North LincolnshireYorkshire and The Humber	140	2,564	↓ 0.1%	70	↓ 13.6%	84	66.7%
LambethLondon	513	7,333	↓ 0.1%	183	↓ 14.5%	345	46.6%
LancashireNorth West	1,043	27,988	↑ 0.1%	431	↓ 23.9%	524	59.9%
ReadingSouth East	198	3,853	↑ 0.1%	82	↓ 17.2%	112	38.1%
HounslowLondon	361	5,267	↑ 0.2%	118	↓ 28.9%	249	51.0%
BlackpoolNorth West	74	2,095	↑ 0.2%	33	↓ 37.7%	43	79.5%
DarlingtonNorth East	86	1,607	↑ 0.2%	42	↓ 32.3%	53	71.1%
TorbaySouth West	103	1,278	↑ 0.3%	58	↓ 10.8%	42	59.0%
PeterboroughEast of England	254	4,999	↑ 0.4%	121	↓ 14.2%	127	62.6%
PortsmouthSouth East	180	4,332	↑ 0.7%	58	↓ 32.6%	124	50.5%
DerbyshireEast Midlands	662	14,125	↑ 0.8%	278	↓ 24.7%	403	52.4%
WiganNorth West	256	7,150	↑ 1.0%	109	↓ 22.7%	121	63.2%
Cheshire EastNorth West	309	8,536	↑ 1.1%	113	↓ 24.2%	192	67.8%
RutlandEast Midlands	30	863	↑ 1.1%	8	↓ 27.3%	29	70.0%
ShropshireWest Midlands	221	5,114	↑ 1.1%	93	↓ 20.5%	110	76.5%
NorfolkEast of England	627	12,536	↑ 1.2%	271	↓ 23.0%	352	71.6%
North TynesideNorth East	165	3,425	↑ 1.3%	80	↓ 31.0%	103	60.0%
SouthamptonSouth East	228	5,333	↑ 1.3%	86	↓ 32.8%	170	53.2%
DorsetSouth West	297	5,571	↑ 1.3%	115	↓ 18.4%	157	63.3%
LeicesterEast Midlands	243	5,282	↑ 1.3%	61	↓ 31.5%	153	62.4%
SandwellWest Midlands	242	5,707	↑ 1.4%	81	↓ 21.4%	123	56.9%
Telford and WrekinWest Midlands	144	3,481	↑ 1.4%	72	↓ 26.5%	92	70.8%
CornwallSouth West	408	7,650	↑ 1.5%	159	↓ 25.4%	244	76.5%
LeicestershireEast Midlands	743	15,851	↑ 1.6%	346	↓ 23.1%	425	62.1%
South GloucestershireSouth West	352	8,253	↑ 1.9%	113	↓ 28.5%	221	57.2%
IslingtonLondon	314	4,792	↑ 2.0%	109	↓ 28.8%	207	55.1%
North East LincolnshireYorkshire and The Humber	109	2,010	↑ 2.3%	59	↓ 7.8%	46	70.8%
LeedsYorkshire and The Humber	847	15,479	↑ 2.5%	484	↓ 24.4%	461	58.3%
West NorthamptonshireEast Midlands	478	9,193	↑ 3.1%	196	↓ 25.5%	266	55.2%
RedbridgeLondon	420	7,359	↑ 3.3%	109	↓ 31.4%	244	42.6%
SalfordNorth West	305	6,588	↑ 3.4%	141	↓ 16.1%	134	57.8%
RochdaleNorth West	262	4,860	↑ 3.6%	126	↓ 18.2%	106	66.0%
KnowsleyNorth West	111	2,787	↑ 3.9%	54	↓ 6.9%	59	51.9%
West BerkshireSouth East	208	4,188	↑ 3.9%	92	↓ 30.3%	154	46.7%
CumberlandNorth West	138	3,145	↑ 4.0%	57	↓ 14.9%	46	77.6%
BexleyLondon	486	5,550	↑ 4.0%	266	↓ 20.4%	274	48.6%
WiltshireSouth West	628	11,768	↑ 4.1%	286	↓ 22.1%	393	62.0%
EalingLondon	466	7,672	↑ 4.2%	121	↓ 35.6%	363	42.1%
East Riding of YorkshireYorkshire and The Humber	274	5,788	↑ 4.6%	136	↓ 23.2%	173	64.7%
DerbyEast Midlands	224	4,651	↑ 4.7%	92	↓ 24.6%	127	43.2%
SuffolkEast of England	604	12,107	↑ 4.7%	229	↓ 18.8%	352	66.6%
CroydonLondon	677	9,275	↑ 4.9%	287	↓ 19.8%	398	48.4%
Redcar and ClevelandNorth East	116	1,480	↑ 5.0%	81	↓ 20.6%	63	52.9%
TraffordNorth West	316	7,259	↑ 5.2%	121	↓ 37.0%	179	40.2%
North YorkshireYorkshire and The Humber	543	12,429	↑ 5.6%	205	↓ 28.3%	343	62.5%
Westmorland and FurnessNorth West	118	2,678	↑ 5.8%	51	↑ 18.6%	33	61.5%
MedwaySouth East	346	5,075	↑ 6.0%	172	↓ 11.3%	174	57.5%
HaltonNorth West	112	2,694	↑ 6.0%	52	↓ 18.8%	46	63.8%
Southend on SeaEast of England	178	3,260	↑ 6.9%	97	↓ 22.4%	131	60.9%
HillingdonLondon	381	6,754	↑ 7.3%	169	↓ 29.9%	255	44.4%
Kensington and ChelseaLondon	133	3,006	↑ 7.5%	15	↓ 42.3%	97	55.4%
NottinghamshireEast Midlands	801	17,339	↑ 7.6%	381	↓ 21.1%	435	50.6%
LiverpoolNorth West	323	9,055	↑ 7.8%	114	↓ 32.1%	145	65.7%
SwindonSouth West	244	4,176	↑ 8.2%	139	↓ 22.3%	150	48.0%
EnfieldLondon	648	6,033	↑ 8.6%	163	↓ 23.5%	380	51.4%
North NorthamptonshireEast Midlands	401	6,626	↑ 8.9%	218	↓ 17.4%	228	55.5%
OxfordshireSouth East	841	15,671	↑ 9.0%	332	↓ 18.6%	589	48.5%
SurreySouth East	1,896	33,030	↑ 9.1%	867	↓ 24.3%	1,395	46.7%
Brighton and HoveSouth East	264	7,225	↑ 9.1%	50	↓ 46.2%	176	46.6%
Cheshire West and ChesterNorth West	306	8,584	↑ 9.5%	109	↓ 19.9%	161	63.4%
KirkleesYorkshire and The Humber	411	10,013	↑ 9.5%	164	↓ 26.8%	216	61.5%
HarrowLondon	301	5,813	↑ 10.0%	76	↓ 37.7%	188	52.3%
HampshireSouth East	1,885	37,221	↑ 10.0%	721	↓ 26.7%	1,305	47.7%
Waltham ForestLondon	426	6,185	↑ 10.6%	148	↓ 25.6%	264	49.7%
GatesheadNorth East	146	3,789	↑ 10.8%	54	↓ 33.3%	71	54.4%
DevonSouth West	761	11,982	↑ 10.9%	328	↓ 19.8%	463	55.5%
NottinghamEast Midlands	245	5,303	↑ 10.9%	106	↓ 29.8%	123	50.4%
WolverhamptonWest Midlands	159	3,487	↑ 11.2%	63	↓ 18.2%	95	54.2%
KentSouth East	1,806	33,084	↑ 11.4%	757	↓ 17.9%	1,128	61.4%
CambridgeshireEast of England	888	16,798	↑ 12.1%	387	↓ 22.6%	574	50.7%
Richmond upon ThamesLondon	373	8,048	↑ 12.2%	112	↓ 23.8%	279	39.7%
BromleyLondon	627	10,909	↑ 12.4%	298	↓ 33.2%	451	50.2%
Windsor and MaidenheadSouth East	215	4,358	↑ 12.4%	73	↓ 38.1%	190	46.6%
North SomersetSouth West	269	4,474	↑ 12.5%	121	↓ 5.5%	140	57.5%
HackneyLondon	476	6,832	↑ 12.8%	178	↑ 7.2%	248	50.9%
East SussexSouth East	429	8,722	↑ 13.1%	150	↓ 15.7%	257	59.8%
WestminsterLondon	168	4,040	↑ 13.1%	44	↓ 20.0%	120	49.5%
EssexEast of England	1,712	34,572	↑ 13.7%	666	↓ 14.9%	981	59.1%
WakefieldYorkshire and The Humber	306	4,632	↑ 13.7%	190	↓ 13.2%	165	61.2%
ThurrockEast of England	278	2,947	↑ 13.8%	140	↓ 2.8%	113	49.4%
SheffieldYorkshire and The Humber	418	10,209	↑ 13.8%	171	↓ 36.2%	281	50.2%
YorkYorkshire and The Humber	205	4,360	↑ 13.8%	93	↓ 19.8%	125	58.8%
Newcastle upon TyneNorth East	207	5,446	↑ 14.2%	69	↓ 45.2%	130	54.3%
Bath and North East SomersetSouth West	231	3,970	↑ 14.4%	84	↓ 11.6%	130	45.9%
WarwickshireWest Midlands	583	13,332	↑ 14.5%	232	↓ 24.4%	355	53.4%
South TynesideNorth East	89	2,154	↑ 14.7%	46	↓ 35.2%	43	74.4%
GreenwichLondon	656	8,173	↑ 16.0%	304	↓ 17.4%	316	46.7%
Bracknell ForestSouth East	227	3,338	↑ 16.2%	124	↓ 20.0%	173	35.3%
Tower HamletsLondon	261	5,226	↑ 16.9%	69	↓ 27.4%	167	51.5%
West SussexSouth East	1,040	22,008	↑ 17.1%	389	↓ 26.0%	715	49.3%
SloughSouth East	142	2,336	↑ 17.3%	62	↓ 32.6%	105	42.9%
BedfordEast of England	202	4,157	↑ 17.3%	95	↓ 20.8%	112	50.0%
BarnetLondon	548	9,981	↑ 17.4%	167	↓ 33.7%	382	39.9%
StockportNorth West	348	7,408	↑ 17.4%	173	↓ 35.4%	232	50.3%
HertfordshireEast of England	1,937	35,664	↑ 17.6%	845	↓ 21.3%	1,338	45.6%
SuttonLondon	350	4,857	↑ 18.3%	165	↓ 15.8%	219	52.7%
HaveringLondon	396	7,524	↑ 19.2%	138	↓ 29.6%	217	56.8%
BristolSouth West	567	10,154	↑ 19.4%	253	↓ 20.2%	386	47.3%
NorthumberlandNorth East	210	4,942	↑ 19.5%	92	↓ 34.3%	169	67.9%
WandsworthLondon	472	10,620	↑ 19.6%	122	↓ 30.7%	373	50.4%
NewhamLondon	451	6,245	↑ 20.2%	109	↓ 34.3%	244	42.6%
Barking and DagenhamLondon	479	4,926	↑ 20.7%	103	↓ 26.4%	194	40.7%
Hammersmith and FulhamLondon	221	4,969	↑ 21.3%	46	↓ 45.2%	191	45.3%
LewishamLondon	634	9,223	↑ 22.4%	252	↓ 25.0%	423	44.8%
BarnsleyYorkshire and The Humber	255	4,041	↑ 22.5%	147	↑ 4.3%	92	55.4%
DoncasterYorkshire and The Humber	311	4,352	↑ 23.0%	202	↓ 16.2%	169	54.7%
BuckinghamshireSouth East	869	17,115	↑ 23.3%	322	↓ 27.6%	611	39.6%
WalsallWest Midlands	169	3,392	↑ 23.4%	69	↓ 17.9%	98	52.1%
Central BedfordshireEast of England	475	5,859	↑ 25.7%	281	↓ 7.9%	307	45.1%
BrentLondon	391	6,417	↑ 26.0%	97	↓ 31.7%	264	46.9%
SouthwarkLondon	540	7,638	↑ 28.8%	216	↓ 28.0%	355	42.1%
HaringeyLondon	458	5,939	↑ 32.2%	105	↓ 29.5%	293	41.7%
RotherhamYorkshire and The Humber	228	4,048	↑ 33.8%	133	↓ 26.9%	111	52.1%
Kingston upon ThamesLondon	249	4,975	↑ 34.9%	115	↓ 27.7%	212	45.2%

Cumbria was replaced by Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness in April 2023. One council cannot be split across two successors row by row, so its series stops there rather than being stitched onto either of them.