The DfE has published its annual early years provider survey which shows a fall in the numbers of providers and also in qualified staff.
Overall statistics are showing a 4% increase in early years professionals across all types of providers but this could be partly accounted for by an increase in apprentices. While more apprentices can help build a qualified future workforce, the actual number of Level 3 apprentices has fallen.
The data on SEND shows that more settings across the board now have children with additional needs attending.
The provider survey 2023 details a huge range of data including workforce, costs and fees, funding and places.
