Take-up of the universal and disadvantaged early entitlement offers have dropped since 2024, despite a rise in overall entitlement registration, statistics published today by the Department for Education (DfE) have revealed.
According to the latest Funded early education and childcare statistics, the number of two-year-olds registered for the disadvantaged early entitlement offer is down 20,800 (18%) from around 115,800 in 2024 to 95,000, continuing a steady downward trend since the statistical series began in 2011. In addition, the number of three- and four-year-olds registered for the universal early entitlement offer is down 14,200 (1.2%) from around 1,169,500 in 2024 to 1,155,300, the lowest in the statistical series.
In contrast, the number of three- and four-year-olds registered for the working family early entitlement offer is up 17,200 (5%) from around 361,800 in 2024 to 379,000, the highest in the statistical series.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It is brilliant to see our reforms to early education delivering for so many families, with tens of thousands more funded places and staff compared with stagnating numbers just last year, and more parents than ever accessing government funded childcare.
“Through our Plan for Change we are setting up even more parents to benefit from September’s expansion to 30 funded hours, saving them up to £7,500 per year – alongside our investment in free breakfast clubs and school-based nurseries – to give parents more choice and slash costs.
“But there is more to do to make sure the system works for all families who need it, which is why, through our Best Start in Life strategy, we have committed to making it easier for every family to access support, including through our 1,000 Best Start in Life Family Hubs in every corner of the country.”
However, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, raised concerns over the fall in entitlement take-up among families receiving additional support. He said: “We know how important access to quality early education and care is, particularly for children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, so it is incredibly concerning to see that, while the demand for working family entitlements is rising, take-up of the universal and disadvantaged offers has reached record lows.
“We have long warned that a political focus on early years provision as ‘childcare’ to encourage parents to work, rather than vital early education that supports children’s learning, would exacerbate the disadvantage gaps we already see across the early education system – and it’s clear from these figures that that is exactly what is happening.
“We welcome the current government’s focus on breaking down barriers to opportunity – and its recognition of the key role that the early years plays in this – but as these statistics clearly show, there is a lot of work needed to undo the damage already done.”