Greenwich Childcare Provision Deemed Sufficient
Greenwich has sufficient early years and childcare provision across the borough, according to a report presented to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The assessment, which forms part of the council's statutory duty to ensure adequate childcare for working parents of children aged 0-14 (or up to 18 for children with disabilities), found that 51% of providers are experiencing increasing demand, while 49% report vacancies.
The Early Years and Childcare Sufficiency Report 2025-26
¹ was informed by provider feedback, demographic data, and consultations with parents, carers, and children. Specifically, 201 early years and childcare providers were interviewed, and 225 children aged 1-14 years were consulted. This comprehensive approach led to the conclusion that sufficient provision is currently available.
The report also highlighted that the estimated population of children aged 0-4 is projected to decline by 2.8% by 2025, with a 2% decrease in older age cohorts compared to May 2024. This demographic shift, coupled with the expansion of funded childcare hours, has contributed to the current sufficiency of places. By 2030, the 0-4 population is projected to decline by a further 4.1%, which may lead to a small over-supply of places, though the report notes that spare capacity enables parental confidence in a competitive market.
The report noted a trend towards flexible daycare models for three and four-year-olds, with 59% accessing provision in the private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) sector, including childminders. As a direct impact of the expansion of early years entitlements, 75% of all funded places are now taken up in the PVI sector, a figure expected to continue rising due to the flexible hours and patterns of care offered by this sector.
Parents and carers who are not currently using formal childcare cited choosing family and friends or waiting for funded entitlement eligibility as primary reasons. For the extended 30 hours entitlement, families must meet income eligibility criteria of no greater than £100,000 and earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage. Additionally, Together for Twos in Greenwich
provides support for eligible two-year-olds whose families receive qualifying benefits, including low-income families in receipt of in-work benefits.
Key challenges identified within the sector include the recruitment and retention of a high-quality workforce, particularly those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) qualifications. In late 2025, 52% of PVI sector early years childcare providers reported difficulties with recruitment, and 11% experienced challenges with retention. The report notes that Royal Greenwich will continue to advise its family of childcare providers to the best of its ability - on recruitment challenges, which is again a national theme.
SEND-themed training, focusing on managing behaviour, Social Emotional and Mental Health, Makaton, and speech and language challenges, is identified as a frequent need.
Ofsted registration and inspections under a renewed framework also present ongoing considerations. From November 2025, Ofsted reports will use a colour-coded report card with a 5-point scale for key areas and 'Met/Not Met' for safeguarding, moving away from single overall grades. The report does not detail specific support being offered to help providers adapt to this new framework.
As of Autumn Term 2025, a total of 6,211 funded places were taken up across various provisions. The report also detailed the types of providers offering funded entitlement, with childminders, PVI groupcare nurseries, and schools all playing a significant role. The council plans to continue monitoring the uptake of expanded funded entitlements and promote the offer to eligible families through community outreach.