EYFS staff:child ratios in England, explained

In a nursery or pre-school in England, the EYFS minimum ratios are one member of staff for every three children under two, one for every five two-year-olds, and one for every eight children aged three and over. The three-and-over ratio rises to 1:13 when someone with Qualified Teacher Status, Early Years Teacher Status or Early Years Professional Status is working directly with the children. Childminders work to a different rule: no more than six children under eight per adult, of whom no more than three may be young children.

Ratios are counted across the whole provision, not room by room, and each ratio comes with qualification requirements. Those are what usually catch settings out. Everything below is taken from the frameworks in force from 1 September 2026. The DfE’s summary of the 2026 changes lists none to the ratios.

EYFS ratios for nurseries and pre-schools

These come from paragraphs 3.48 to 3.54 of the framework for group and school-based providers.

Children’s age	Minimum ratio	Qualification rules
Under 2	1:3	At least one member of staff at level 3 (or approved through the experience-based route) who is suitably experienced with under-twos. At least half of all other staff at level 2. At least half of all staff trained specifically in caring for babies. Whoever is in charge of an under-twos room must have suitable experience with under-twos.
Aged 2	1:5	At least one member of staff at level 3 (or experience-based route). At least half of all other staff at level 2.
3 and over, no QTS/EYTS/EYPS working directly with children	1:8	At least one member of staff at level 3 (or experience-based route). At least half of all other staff at level 2.
3 and over, with QTS/EYTS/EYPS working directly with children	1:13	At least one other member of staff at level 3 (or experience-based route).
3 and over in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes	1:13	At least one school teacher, and at least one other member of staff at level 3.

Two rules sit above the table:

• The manager must hold an approved level 3 qualification or above, and at least half of all other staff must hold at least an approved level 2 (paragraph 3.45).
• Level 3 needs level 2 English. Staff with an Early Years Educator qualification, or approved through the experience-based route, must also hold a suitable level 2 English qualification to count at level 3 (paragraph 3.46). No more than half of the staff counted at level 3 on one site can be there through the experience-based route.

Reception classes in schools are governed by infant class size law (30 pupils per school teacher), and before and after school or holiday provision for reception-age children and older has its own lighter rule (paragraphs 3.55 to 3.58).

What changed for two-year-olds in 2023?

The ratio for two-year-olds in group settings changed from 1:4 to 1:5 on 4 September 2023. It is a minimum, not a target. You can staff at 1:4 if your children need it, and many settings with young or high-need two-year-olds do. Ofsted can also require a particular setting to work to a higher ratio.

Paediatric first aid and who counts

Staff who gained a level 2 or level 3 qualification after 30 June 2016 must get a full paediatric first aid certificate within three months of starting, or they cannot count in ratio at that level (paragraph 3.39). It must be renewed every three years to keep counting. Separately, at least one person with a current certificate must be on the premises and available at all times, and must go on outings.

When do students, volunteers and apprentices count?

Paragraph 3.57 of the group framework:

• Nobody under 17 counts in ratio, except apprentices, who can count from 16.
• Nobody under 17 may be left to care for children unsupervised, ever.
• Students and long-term volunteers aged 17 or over, and apprentices aged 16 or over, may count if you are satisfied they are suitable, competent and responsible, and they hold a valid, current paediatric first aid certificate.
• They count at the level below their level of study. Someone studying for level 3 (or levels 4 to 6) counts at level 2. Someone studying for a level 6 that leads to Early Years Teacher Status or Qualified Teacher Status counts at level 3.

The childminder framework (paragraph 3.57) uses the same ages and the same test of suitability, competence and responsibility. It does not include the “level below” or paediatric first aid clauses in that paragraph.

EYFS ratios for childminders

From paragraphs 3.49 to 3.57 of the childminder framework:

• Six children under eight per childminder at any one time, including your own children and any you foster.
• No more than three young children. A child is a young child until 31 August after their fifth birthday.
• Only one child under one. The framework says “should” here, so it is the expected position rather than an absolute bar.
• Exceptions are allowed if you can show parents and Ofsted (or your childminder agency) that every child’s needs are met. The framework’s examples are siblings, your own child, continuity of care, and children aged three to five who attend only before or after school or in holidays, who may be cared for alongside three other young children. The limit of six under-eights per adult never moves.
• Each assistant or co-childminder can care for the same number as you, subject to any conditions on your registration.
• Assistants alone: children may be left with an assistant for up to two hours in a day, and only with parents’ permission.
• Overnight care: the same ratios apply, you must always be able to hear the children, and you must tell Ofsted or your agency first.

What does “exceptionally” allow?

Paragraph 3.47 of the group framework says that, exceptionally, and where the quality of care and children’s safety and security are maintained, changes to the ratios may be made. It gives no list of examples for group settings. Read it narrowly: a genuine one-off, such as a sudden illness mid-session while cover is on its way, not a staffing plan. If you use it, write down what happened, how long it lasted and how you kept children safe, because Ofsted will ask. Ofsted’s blog on ratios says it will not be doing constant headcounts, but it will expect you to explain how you deploy staff.

Ratios at lunchtime and during staff breaks

The EYFS has no separate rule for breaks. Ratios apply at all times, across the whole provision. So:

• A member of staff on their break is not available to work directly with children and does not count.
• Because ratios are counted across the provision, a spare member of staff elsewhere can cover, as long as each room’s children are still supervised and their needs met.
• The qualification mix must hold during breaks too. If your only level 3 in the under-twos room goes to lunch, someone else suitably qualified has to be available.
• Children must always be within sight and hearing of staff while eating (paragraph 3.70 of the group framework). Lunch is usually the worst time for breaks, not the easiest.

Ratios on outings

Neither framework sets separate ratios for outings. Instead, your outing risk assessment must consider staff-to-child ratios (paragraph 3.91 for groups, 3.90 for childminders), and a paediatric first aider must go with the children. In practice, a walk to the park with two-year-olds near a road needs more adults than the room ratio. Decide how many in the risk assessment, and don’t go if you are short.

Worked example: a mixed-age room

The framework gives ratios by age band. It does not say how to combine them for a room with children of different ages. A common way, and the one inspectors will easily follow, is to work out each age group’s share of a staff member, add them up and round up.

Take a toddler room in a private nursery, with no teacher working directly with the children:

Children	Ratio	Staff needed
2 children aged 20 and 22 months	1:3	2 ÷ 3 = 0.67
7 two-year-olds	1:5	7 ÷ 5 = 1.40
4 three-year-olds	1:8	4 ÷ 8 = 0.50
Total		2.57, so 3 staff

Then check the qualification rules, not only the head count:

• Because there are under-twos, one of the three must be level 3 and suitably experienced with under-twos, and at least half of the staff need baby-care training.
• At least half of the others must hold level 2.

Now test the moments that break it:

• Lunch cover. One of the three goes on break, leaving two staff for 2.57. The room is out of ratio unless someone from elsewhere in the building comes in.
• A birthday. The 22-month-old turns two next week. The requirement falls to 0.33 + 1.60 + 0.50 = 2.43, still three staff. Ratios follow each child’s actual age, so run the sum again whenever a birthday passes.
• One more two-year-old. Eight two-year-olds make 1.60, and the total becomes 2.77. Still three, but with very little room to spare.

Keep the calculation on the room’s daily sheet. It takes a minute, and it is the quickest way to show an inspector you know your numbers.