Demand for Childcare
Department for Education
Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents in England, 2018 and comparison to East Riding
A national survey of parents’ use and attitudes towards childcare is conducted annually by the Department for Education via face-to-face interviews, conducted between January and August each year, with a nationally representative sample of 5,922 parents with children aged 0 to 14 in England. In the absence of local survey data for East Riding, this can provide a valuable understanding of general patterns of use.
Percentage of families using childcare providers
England, most recent term-time week, 2010-11 to 2018
NB: Formal childcare = Ofsted registered / paid for. Informal = grandparents, relatives / unpaid
| Use of childcare during school holidays | Survey year | |||||||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2014-15 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Base: All families with school-age children | 5,798 | 5,797 | 5,639 | 5,289 | 5,439 | 5,300 | 4,794 | 4,952 |
| Any childcare | 50 | 51 | 45 | 48 | 46 | 47 | 44 | 38 |
| Formal childcare | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 |
| Informal childcare | 35 | 37 | 30 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 27 |
| No childcare used | 50 | 49 | 55 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 56 | 62 |
Source: DfE Childcare and early years survey of parents 2018
NB: The likelihood of a child using formal childcare falls if they are living in one of the most deprived areas, and rises in the least deprived areas. Also children are more likely to use formal childcare in households where both parents work, and much less likely where no adults work.
| Use of childcare | Age of child (pre-school) | Age of child (school aged) | ||||||
| 0-2 | 3-4 | All | 5-7 | 8-11 | 12-14 | All | All | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Base: All children | 1,075 | 1,649 | 2,724 | 1,078 | 1,217 | 903 | 3,198 | 5,922 |
| Any childcare | 58 | 91 | 73 | 74 | 63 | 47 | 62 | 65 |
| Formal providers | 40 | 88 | 62 | 64 | 48 | 28 | 47 | 52 |
| Nursery school | 9 | 27 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | 5 |
| Nursery class attached to a primary or infants' school | 1 | 18 | 9 | * | 0 | 0 | * | 3 |
| Reception class | 0 | 14 | 7 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Day nursery | 18 | 19 | 19 | * | 0 | 0 | * | 6 |
| Playgroup or pre-school | 4 | 9 | 6 | * | 0 | 0 | * | 2 |
| Breakfast club | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 10 | * | 8 | 6 |
| After-school club or activity | 1 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 41 | 26 | 35 | 26 |
| Childminder | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 | * | 3 | 4 |
| Nanny or au pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | 1 |
| Informal providers | 33 | 30 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 28 |
| Ex-partner | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Grandparent | 28 | 22 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 18 |
| Older sibling | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Another relative | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Friend or neighbour | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| No childcare used | 42 | 9 | 27 | 26 | 37 | 53 | 38 | 35 |
Source: Childcare and early years survey of parents
Notes: The use of an asterisk in a table denotes a percentage value of less than 0.5% but more than 0.
Deprivation in Children’s Centre Areas
East Riding is generally an affluent area and is ranked amongst the least socially deprived areas in England. The patterns of childcare use may therefore be higher than the national picture as above. However, East Riding also includes some of the most deprived areas in the country, where patterns of usage will be considerably less. Children’s Centre areas in the least (Green)/most deprived (Red) areas are as follows:
| CSA sub-area | % neighbourhoods in 10% MOST deprived | % neighbourhoods in 10% LEAST deprived | % neighbourhoods in 20% MOST deprived | % neighbourhoods in 20% LEAST deprived |
| East Riding | 6% | 20% | 8% | 31% |
| Beverley 1&2 | 0% | 51% | 8% | 51% |
| Hornsea & Beeford | 0% | 6% | 0% | 6% |
| Withernsea & Hedon | 17% | 0% | 17% | 4% |
| Bridlington 1&2 | 37% | 0% | 41% | 0% |
| Driffield | 0% | 8% | 0% | 8% |
| Pocklington & Market Weighton | 0% | 10% | 0% | 45% |
| Haltemprice, Anlaby, Cottingham & Hessle | 0% | 34% | 0% | 51% |
| Brough & Howden | 0% | 35% | 0% | 55% |
| Kingsway & Marshlands | 5% | 0% | 12% | 16% |
Source: 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation, based on neighbourhoods of LSOA’s (lower super output areas).
Interactive map: Tick different layers on and off in the legend. Click on areas on the map to see data in detail.
Population estimates
Population and economic characteristics affecting demand for childcare
The overall trend for East Riding shows a continued growth in total population to 338,900 in 2018, up from 335,901 in 2012.
Past trends from mid-year population estimates show a broadly stable child population for school-age children, with 3,500 children in each age cohort. There has been a gradual decline in the 0-4 yr old child population in recent years.
The proportion of children aged 0-15 yrs old remains lower than the regional or national averages, and the percentage of people over retirement age is higher than average . Although the population in East Riding is predicted to grow at a higher than average rate by 2041, this is mainly in the retired age groups.
| 0-15yrs | 0-4 yrs (%) | 5-10yrs (%) | 11-15yrs (%) | |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 55,268 | 15,748 (28.5%) | 21,850 (39.5%) | 17,670 (32.0%) |
| Beverley | 8445 | 2285 (27.1%) | 3368 (39.9%) | 2792 (33.1%) |
| Hornsea & Beeford | 5117 | 1370 (26.8%) | 2055 (40.2%) | 1692 (33.1%) |
| Hedon & Withernsea | 5254 | 1519 (28.9%) | 2026 (38.1%) | 1709 (32.5%) |
| Bridlington | 6731 | 2086 (31.0%) | 2531 (37.6%) | 2114 (31.4%) |
| Pocklington & Market Weighton | 4659 | 1290 (27.7%) | 1890 (40.6%) | 1479 (31.7%) |
| Driffield | 2236 | 646 (28.9%) | 925 (41.4%) | 665 (29.7%) |
| Haltemprice, Anlaby, Cottingham & Hessle | 10298 | 2873 (27.9%) | 4164 (40.4%) | 3261 (31.7%) |
| Brough & Howden | 7398 | 1997 (27.0%) | 2957 (40.0%) | 2444 (33.0%) |
| Kingsway & Marshlands | 5130 | 1682 (32.8%) | 1934 (37.7%) | 1514 (29.5%) |
Source: ONS (2017 mid-year estimate)
The population is spread over a large area. East Riding of Yorkshire Council covers approximately 930 square miles, making it one of the largest unitary authorities in the country, and has 333 settlements, ranging from large towns to small, isolated hamlets and farmsteads. It is a relatively rural local authority (93% by area), with 44% of the population living in villages or hamlets, and 39% of children, aged 0-15 yrs, living in dispersed rural communities.
Access to childcare may therefore be an issue in the more rural areas of East Riding, where a dependency on cars, good public transport or access to very local childcare in the village or hamlet is vital for working parents here.
To see a map of East Riding’s rurality please click here.
Economic Factors affecting demand for childcare
East Riding has a very active labour market with 77% of people of working age in employment or actively seeking work in the 12 months to March 2019. The unemployment rate was 3.5% for the same period, and has consistently remained below the regional and national averages over the past three years. The majority of working people are full-time, (72.1% of all people of working age), although when looking at males and females separately 86.7% of men of working age are full-time and 56.7% of women. This suggests that demand for childcare may be equally for part-time provision as much as on a full-time basis. However, this data relates to all working people, not just parents. It may be that the relative proportions of parents working full and part-time is different.
|
2016 Children in Out-of-work households |
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| % children aged 0-4 years in out of work benefits households | % children aged 5-10 years in out of work benefits households | % children aged 11-15 years in out of work benefits households | % children aged 16-18 years in out of work benefits households | |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 12.7% | 9.3% | 7.9% | 6.4% |
| Beverley | 12.1% | 8.6% | 9.3% | 4.0% |
| Hornsea & Beeford | 10.1% | 11.8% | 18.0% | 7.5% |
| Hedon & Withernsea | 16.7% | 16.1% | 17.5% | 10.3% |
| Bridlington | 26.2% | 26.0% | 29.3% | 15.9% |
| Driffield | 10.8% | 8.4% | 7.0% | 7.0% |
| Pocklington & Market Weighton | 6.6% | 5.6% | 7.3% | 2.5% |
| Haltemprice, Anlaby, Cottingham & Hessle | 8.2% | 7.8% | 9.7% | 4.0% |
| Brough & Howden | 3.8% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 3.7% |
| Kingsway & Marshlands | 17.3% | 16.1% | 17.6% | 7.7% |
Overall 10% of children in East Riding live in households claiming out-of-work benefits, which is a similar level to the national average. This proportion has declined gradually over recent years, both nationally and in East Riding and suggests there is a small gradual increase in parents’ returning to work.
Commuting within and out of the East Riding for work is a strong feature of the labour market due to its rural nature and proximity to Hull and other large urban areas such as York and Scarborough. The greatest concentrations of jobs are found in the Haltemprice, Beverley, Goole and Bridlington areas and in specific locations along the M62/A63 corridor, with the vast majority of workers using a car rather than public transport. 61% of East Riding residents live and work in the local authority area, and the most significant commuter flow is into Hull, with 24% of East Riding residents working there.
However, this movement out of the area is not mirrored in the childcare market, where 97% of two, three and four year old children living in East Riding, and taking funded early education, use an East Riding childcare provider.
For more information on the East Riding please visit the East Riding profile.