The Government is investing in stronger safeguarding for early years settings, funding 3,000 more unannounced nursery inspections alongside tougher entry checks and faster intervention
where risks are identified.
Parents will be given greater reassurance that nurseries are safe and properly monitored, as increased surprise inspections and strengthened regulatory checks help identify concerns earlier and drive faster action to protect children.
An additional £8 million per year will enable Ofsted to expand its capacity, including 3,000 extra unannounced visits to early years providers. This represents a significant increase on current levels and is designed to ensure potential safeguarding issues are detected quickly and addressed without delay.
The funding will also support stronger pre-registration checks, including more face-to-face engagement where appropriate before nurseries open, helping ensure providers meet safeguarding requirements from the outset.
Alongside this, Ofsted will upgrade its digital systems, improving risk assessment capability and giving inspectors more timely information to support rapid intervention when concerns arise.
Together, these measures strengthen oversight across the full lifecycle of a provider—from registration through to ongoing inspection—so that safeguarding standards are consistently upheld.
Education Secretary statement
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Nothing matters more than keeping children safe. Parents should be able to trust that when they leave their child at a nursery, they are in safe hands. This investment means more surprise Ofsted visits, stronger checks, and faster action where there are concerns – so risks are spotted early and dealt with quickly. Early education gives children the best start in life, and we are making sure it is backed by the high standards of care and protection families expect.”
These reforms build on wider government action to strengthen safeguarding in early years settings, including improved whistleblowing protections so staff and parents can raise concerns safely and confidently, with clear expectations that issues are acted on promptly.
An independent expert panel is also reviewing the use of digital devices and CCTV in childcare settings, with findings due to be published and considered by ministers.
The Government is additionally working with Ofsted to review the regulation of nursery chains, with the aim of improving oversight of larger provider groups and identifying risks more effectively across settings.
These changes sit alongside broader early years investment, including expanded childcare support for working families and measures to strengthen the early years workforce, supporting a safe and high-quality start for every child. Photo by Lars Plougmann from London, United Kingdom, Wikimedia commons.
