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<p>For the period between 6 April 2020 and 9 December 2021, the department published
information relative to attendance in education and early years providers during the
COVID-19 outbreak. On 9 December 2021 there were a reported 81% of early years providers
open compared to 5% closed. This included 54,000 open early years settings, 3,000
closed early years settings, and 9,000 early years settings whose status was unknown.
The data does not distinguish between nurseries versus other types of early years
provider. You can access data over previous months here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/2021-week-50"
target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/2021-week-50</a>.</p><p>The
department is also collecting data on the operating status of nurseries and other
early years providers (and schools and colleges) as part of a weekly Pulse survey
through January 2022 and high-level findings will be published on Tuesday 25 January
and fortnightly thereafter. These findings will be reported here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak"
target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>As
set out in the response I gave on 5 January 2022 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-12-14/92992"
target="_blank">92992</a>, all nurseries and other early years providers on the Ofsted
register must report to Ofsted any confirmed cases of COVID-19. Reporting is a legal
requirement as set out in paragraph 3.52 of the early years foundation stage statutory
framework. The notification data is published on a fortnightly basis here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-coronavirus-covid-19-cases-by-registered-early-years-and-childcare-settings"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-coronavirus-covid-19-cases-by-registered-early-years-and-childcare-settings</a>.
The department will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 notifications in line
with the trajectory of cases in the wider population.</p><p>Early years providers,
including nurseries, should have contingency plans (sometimes called outbreak management
plans) outlining what they would do if children or staff test positive for COVID-19,
or how they would operate if advised to take extra measures to help break chains of
transmission. Given the detrimental impact that restrictions on education can have
on children, any measures providers take should only ever be considered as a last
resort, kept to the minimum number of providers or groups possible, and for the shortest
amount of time possible. Central government may offer local areas of particular concern
an enhanced response package to help limit increases in transmission. For most nurseries
and other early years providers, it will make sense to think about taking extra action
if the number of positive cases substantially increases. Information on what circumstances
might lead providers to consider taking additional action, and the steps they should
work through, can be found in the contingency framework for education and childcare
settings which is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings</a>.
The contingency framework describes the principles of managing local outbreaks of
COVID-19 in education and childcare. Local authorities, directors of public health
and UK Health Security Agency health protection teams can recommend measures described
in the contingency framework in individual education and childcare providers or a
small cluster of providers as part of their outbreak management responsibilities.</p><p>Department
officials also continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places and delivery
of the entitlements with all local authority early years teams in England on a regular
basis.</p>
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