EYFS staff:child ratios sit at 1:3 for babies under two, 1:5 for two-year-olds, and 1:8 or 1:13 for three-year-olds and over depending on Level 6 qualifications. The 1 September 2025 framework added the reference template requirement. Get the ratios wrong and the room shuts; staff your nursery accurately to keep it open.

Key Takeaways

• The EYFS statutory minimum ratios for group settings are 1:3 (under 2), 1:5 (2-year-olds), 1:8 (3+ without a Level 6 practitioner working directly with children), and 1:13 (3+ with a Level 6 practitioner working directly with children).
• The 1 September 2025 EYFS framework introduced the early years employment reference template, formalising the reference process for current and former staff and raising vetting overhead per hire.
• The Experience-Based Route lets providers count specific staff in Level 3 ratios without a full Level 3 qualification; assessments started 3 March 2025, ratio counting from September 2025.
• Newly appointed managers (since 1 January 2024) must hold a Level 2 Maths qualification or achieve one within two years of starting.
• All Level 2 and Level 3 practitioners must obtain Paediatric First Aid within three months of starting; PFA expires every three years and lapsed PFA strips the practitioner from the ratio count instantly.

The EYFS Statutory Ratios in 2026

The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework sets the minimum staff:child ratio every English group setting must meet during operating hours. Updated frameworks for group and school-based providers and for childminders came into force on 1 September 2025. Settings can operate at tighter ratios than the minimum, but never below them outside the limited exceptions in the framework.

What are the EYFS staff to child ratios in 2026?

For group and school-based providers, 1:3 applies to children under 2, 1:5 to two-year-olds, and 1:8 or 1:13 to children aged three and over. The 1:13 figure applies only where a Qualified Teacher, Early Years Teacher, Early Years Professional, or other Level 6 practitioner is working directly with the group. Reception classes in maintained schools sit under infant class size legislation at a maximum of 30 children per qualified teacher.

Do the EYFS ratios apply to childminders?

Childminders operate under a separate EYFS framework with different ratio rules. A childminder may care for up to six children under the age of 8, no more than three young children under five, and usually only one child under one year old. Siblings of children already in the setting and the childminder's own children sit outside the standard cap, and "childminders without domestic premises" became a registered category from 1 November 2024.

Can a nursery use the older 1:4 ratio for two-year-olds?

Yes. The 1:5 ratio introduced in September 2023 raised the statutory minimum, but settings can choose to keep the historic 1:4 if they prefer. Many group settings have moved to 1:5 to expand capacity against the 30 hours funded childcare entitlement, while others hold 1:4 as a quality marker for Ofsted and parent-facing positioning.

What qualifications count at Level 2, 3, and 6?

Level 2 qualifications include relevant childcare or early years awards on the Department for Education's Early Years Qualifications List. Level 3 covers the Early Years Educator and equivalent awards with the suitable Level 2 English requirement. Level 6 covers QTS, EYTS, and EYPS holders working directly with the children to unlock the 1:13 ratio for three-year-olds and over.

What Changed in the 1 September 2025 Framework

The new framework versions added a formal reference requirement, locked in the Experience-Based Route for Level 3 ratio counting, and confirmed the Level 2 Maths requirement for newly appointed managers. The qualification requirements document published 1 January 2026 carried forward the changes with minor clarifications on the Experience-Based Route section.

What is the early years employment reference template?

A DfE-published template that early years providers use to give references for current or former staff. The reference template formalises information that previously varied between settings. Hiring nurseries should now expect to give and receive references on the template; ad-hoc letters from former employers carry less weight under the new framework. Practitioners themselves often spot signs of thin staffing before a manager does, and reference quality matters when the hire is filling a critical gap.

What is the Experience-Based Route?

A pathway that lets providers approve specific staff to count in Level 3 staff:child ratios without holding the full Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification. Assessment of staff for the route started 3 March 2025; staff can be counted in Level 3 ratios from September 2025 onwards. The route does not replace the full Level 3 EYE qualification and approval does not automatically transfer between providers.

Do newly appointed managers need a Level 2 Maths qualification?

Yes, since 1 January 2024. Every setting manager appointed after that date must hold a Level 2 Maths qualification or achieve one within two years of starting. The requirement shifted from junior staff to managers under the September 2023 changes; junior Level 3 staff no longer need Level 2 Maths to count in the ratio.

The Hiring Impact: Why Ratios Tighten the Recruitment Window

EYFS ratios convert directly into staff headcount and skill-mix targets. A 60-place nursery covering babies, twos, and preschool needs around 18-22 practitioners on the floor at peak, with a defined Level 3 quota per room and Level 6 cover if running 1:13 in preschool. Lose one Level 3 to sickness and an entire room can fall under-ratio inside an hour.

How do EYFS ratios affect nursery hiring decisions?

Ratios set the minimum headcount per room and the qualification mix inside that headcount. Hiring decisions track sickness rates, turnover, and the room-level Level 2/3/6 split. Sustained ratio pressure feeds practitioner burnout, and the practitioners most likely to leave first are the Level 3s carrying room-lead responsibility. Replacing a Level 3 takes longer than replacing a Level 2, so settings build a Level 3 surplus into baseline staffing.

What happens to a room when a ratio is breached?

The room must close or merge with another room of compatible age range until the ratio is restored. Ofsted inspections review ratio compliance over the full operating day, and parents picking up children typically notice the room move on the same afternoon. Repeat ratio breaches feed into the next Ofsted judgement and can trigger an enforcement notice.

How do funded hours expansions affect ratio pressure?

The 30 hours expansion of funded childcare for working parents has lifted occupancy across most settings, which directly raises staff headcount requirements at peak hours. Settings that have not raised baseline staffing alongside the entitlement uptake face daily ratio fragility. Demand for Level 3 cover staff has lifted alongside the entitlement rollout.

How to Staff a Nursery Against Current EYFS Ratios

The compliant staffing build sits across seven operational steps, from age-band headcount through to PFA tracking. Most settings run this as a weekly forecast; the larger group operators automate it through their workforce management system.

Step 1: Calculate the minimum headcount by age band
Map the room registration against the EYFS minimums: 1:3 under 2, 1:5 two-year-olds, 1:8 or 1:13 three-year-olds and over. Build the headcount from the registration cap downwards, not from the staff roster upwards, so the room cap drives staffing rather than the other way round.

Step 2: Lock in the qualification mix per room
Under 2s rooms need a Level 3 with suitable experience working with under-twos. Every other room needs at least one Level 3, with at least half of remaining staff holding Level 2. Confirm the room manager designation before opening the room each day.

Step 3: Track Paediatric First Aid certification
Every Level 2 and Level 3 practitioner counted in ratios must hold valid PFA within three months of starting. PFA expires every three years. Maintain a live PFA expiry tracker; a lapsed certificate strips the practitioner from the ratio count and can close a room.

Step 4: Plan around the 17+ age rule
Staff must be aged 17 or over to count in ratios. Apprentices aged 16 may count where the provider judges them competent and responsible, with documentation. Under-17s never count in the ratio; build the roster on counted staff only.

Step 5: Cover the manager and Level 2 Maths requirement
Managers appointed since 1 January 2024 need a Level 2 Maths qualification or must achieve one within two years. Track the start date on the manager's record and put the Maths qualification on the personal development plan from week one if needed.

Step 6: Build a ratio-flex bench
Hold a list of pre-vetted Level 2 and Level 3 cover practitioners alongside permanent staff. Operations directors covering five-plus nurseries often run their sourcing through a specialist early years recruitment partner who keeps a pre-vetted file with reference packs, DBS, and PFA already verified.

Step 7: Forecast against funded hours uptake
Update the staffing model every term against the funded hours bookings and the under-2 vs. two-year-old vs. preschool split. The same room running at full capacity in autumn term may sit below ratio threshold in spring if a single Level 3 leaves.

Common Ratio-Breaking Scenarios and How to Plan Around Them

Ratio breaches almost always trace back to one of three recurring scenarios: a Level 3 leaving without a replacement, a sickness wave inside a single age band, or a PFA expiry that nobody flagged in time. Each is preventable with the right tracking.

What happens when a Level 3 practitioner is off sick?

The room must replace the Level 3 with another Level 3 from elsewhere in the setting or a cover Level 3 booked in from a specialist agency. A Level 2 cannot lead a room or be the suitably experienced practitioner in an under-2s room. Settings that hold a pre-vetted cover file fill the gap within hours; settings without typically lose a session or merge the room with another age band.

How should a nursery cover a PFA-only gap?

If the gap is the loss of the PFA-certified practitioner on shift, another PFA-certified staff member must arrive before children eat unsupervised by a PFA holder. PFA is required during mealtimes specifically. Apprentices completing the route to becoming a nursery nurse often achieve PFA early in their training, but until certified they cannot fill the slot.

Why does the 17+ minimum age matter for ratio planning?

Apprentices aged 16 may count in ratios only where the provider judges them competent and is willing to evidence that judgement to Ofsted. Many settings choose not to count 16-year-old apprentices in ratios as a policy decision to keep the audit position simple. The 17+ rule applies regardless of qualification level.

FAQ

What are the current EYFS staff to child ratios for nurseries?

For group settings in England the minimum ratios are 1:3 for children under 2, 1:5 for two-year-olds, 1:8 for three-year-olds and over without a Level 6 practitioner, and 1:13 for three-year-olds and over with a Level 6 practitioner (QTS, EYTS, or EYPS) working directly with the group.

Do I have to apply the 1:5 ratio for two-year-olds?

No. The 1:5 ratio is the statutory minimum but settings can choose to operate at the older 1:4. Most group providers moved to 1:5 in 2023 to expand capacity against the 30 hours funded entitlement, but a significant minority hold 1:4 as a quality marker for parent-facing positioning and Ofsted differentiation.

What happens if my nursery breaches a ratio?

The room must close or merge with another compatible age range until ratio is restored. Repeat breaches feed into Ofsted judgements and can trigger enforcement notices. Parents typically notice room moves on the same day. Settings that hold a pre-vetted cover file restore ratios within hours rather than losing the session.

Can apprentices count in EYFS ratios?

Apprentices aged 17 or over may count in the ratio if the provider judges them competent and responsible. Apprentices aged 16 may also count if the provider documents the same judgement and is willing to evidence it to Ofsted. Many settings choose not to count 16-year-old apprentices to keep the audit position straightforward.

How quickly can a temporary practitioner cover a ratio gap?

A pre-vetted Level 2 or Level 3 cover practitioner with current DBS, PFA, and references on file can be in the room the same day a gap opens. Without pre-vetting the lead time stretches to several days while DBS, PFA verification, and reference checks complete. The September 2025 reference template has lengthened the vetting cycle for new starters.

About the Author

Katie Barker is Associate Director for our Social Care, Education and Early Years Temporaries Division at Charles Hunter Associates. She manages a team of passionate and dedicated Recruiters who provide Temporary and Temporary-Permanent staffing solutions across the UK.

Need ratio-compliant cover for a nursery room before the next session? Charles Hunter Associates holds a pre-vetted file of Level 2, Level 3, and Level 6 early years practitioners with PFA, DBS, and reference template packs already verified. Call the early years recruitment team for same-day cover quotes or a permanent shortlist within five working days.