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New Housing Developments
Explore how new housing developments are expected to increase demand for childcare places across wards and the local authority.
Birth Trends
Analyse birth rate trends and how they influence future demand for early years childcare provision.
Funded Places Forecast
View projected take-up of funded childcare places across Autumn, Spring, and Summer terms.
Early Years Childcare Sufficiency Forecast
See whether there will be a surplus or shortage of childcare places for ages 0-4 over the forecast period.
Provider & 2025 IMD Map
Map of childcare providers and places, aligned with deprivation levels to highlight areas of need.
School-Age Wraparound Childcare Sufficiency Forecast
Forecast demand and supply of wraparound childcare (ages 5–14), showing potential gaps or surpluses.
GP Registration Impact
Understand how new GP registrations may signal increased demand for childcare places locally.
Demand Redistribution
Identify how childcare demand shifts geographically based on where families live.
Employment Sites
Overview of major employment hubs and their potential impact on local childcare demand.
SEND Demand
Insights into the level of childcare demand from children with SEND/EHCPs across wards.
Priority Wards (RAG)
Highlight priority areas using a RAG rating system based on childcare supply and demand balance.
Population Comparator
Compare forecast child population levels (ages 0–4 and 5–14) across future years at ward level.
Opening Times
View childcare provider opening times and childminder availability to help understand options that fit around family schedules.
Fees
Compare average childcare fees and pricing ranges by ward to better understand local childcare costs.
Ofsted Ratings
Explore childcare provider Ofsted ratings and inspection outcomes to understand local quality standards.
New Housing Developments
The effects of new housing development on the need for new childcare places - at ward and LA level.
New housing developments can affect the demand for and need for childcare places at a particular location. This factor is often a more accurate predictor of a need for additional childcare places in forthcoming years, than is the factor of population forecasts - as it focuses on a tangible development, once a new housing programme is designated as approved by a planning authority.
This function enables the CSA Serve user to understand how the factor of new housing developments - and the likelihood of families occupying new dwellings - can influence a need for new childcare places over forthcoming years at ward level or local authority level.
Birth Trends
The effects of new births on the need for new childcare places at ward and LA level – through a trend analysis.
New births can indicate a trend that is demand-themed – particularly at a specific geographic (ward) level. Childcare sufficiency planners will be interested in identify localised spikes and/or decreases in live birth rates, including from a seasonal variation perspective (for example, ‘baby booms’ in certain months). Fundamentally, live birth rates can act as a predictor for a potential take-up of funded entitlement places. They also reflect an actual tangible metric, as opposed to a projection.
Funded Places Forecast
The forecast increase over a three-term period (Autumn, Spring and Summer) of probable take-up of funded entitlement places.
This is a fundamental forecast tool. It uses the autumn term census/headcount data as a baseline.
That baseline autumn term headcount data aligns to the three types of funded childcare:
- Funded Entitlement for 2 year olds experiencing disadvantage
- Universal Funded Entitlement for 3 & 4 year olds at 15 hours/week
- Funded Entitlement for 9 months – 4 years for eligible working families – up to 30 hours/week
A proxy growth pattern (metric) is then identified with the following percentage increases in take-up applied as follows:
- 7% increase – Autumn Term – Spring Term
- 4% increase – Spring Term – Summer Term
Early Years Childcare Sufficiency
The forecast surplus/deficit supply of 0-4 years places.
The following function intends to support an ability for the user to forecast deficit or surplus places at a specific geographic level for: early years childcare places (for 0-4 year olds – and included for funded entitlement places for 9 months – 4 year olds).
A position of a ward[s] (or Local Authority area) having surplus places or deficit places for a specific cohort is derived - for this function - through the incidence of localised early years childcare providers having/reporting known: (a) a waiting list for the forthcoming term and/or: (b) vacant places – both aligned to specific age cohorts.
From a timescale perspective - the function incorporates responses about waiting lists and vacant places reported to the CSA Serve team as part of an annual (the most recent) Childcare Sufficiency Assessment.
Provider & 2025 IMD Map
A presentation of where childcare providers (and places) are located - aligned to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025.
Childcare planners must retain an awareness of demand for types of childcare places in specific geographical which experience income-themed disadvantage. This supports with the planning of a commensurate metric - the offer of funded childcare places for resident 2 year olds, who families experience relative disadvantage. The factor of ‘disadvantage’ is, for this function, perceived as Income Deprivation identified via the government’s 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation.
School-Age Wraparound Childcare Sufficiency Forecast
The forecast surplus/deficit supply of 5-14 years places.
The following function intends to support an ability for the user to forecast deficit or surplus places at a specific geographic level for: wraparound out of school childcare places for 5-14 year olds – and included for: (a) before school wraparound childcare, aka: breakfast club and; (b) after school wraparound childcare, aka: after school club.
A position of a ward (or Local Authority area) having surplus places or deficit places for a specific type of wraparound childcare is derived - for this function - through the incidence of localised early years childcare providers having/reporting known: (a) a waiting list insert periodic factor explanation and/or: (b) vacant places – both aligned to specific age cohorts.
From a timescale perspective - the function incorporates responses about waiting lists and vacant places provided to the CSA Serve team as part of an annual (the most recent) Childcare Sufficiency Assessment.
GP Registration Impact
New GP registration for 0-14 year olds
New GP registrations of 0-14 year olds can indicate a trend that is demand-themed – particularly at a specific geographic (ward) level. Childcare sufficiency planners will be interested in identify localised spikes in such new GP registrations of children and young people, including from a perspective of the opening for occupation of a phased new housing development – i.e. net population inflows. Fundamentally, new GP registrations can act as a predictor for a potential (spike in the) take-up of funded entitlement places, within specific ward.
They also reflect an actual tangible metric, as opposed to a projection.
Demand Redistribution
Geographical redistribution of demand - aligned to where a family live using LA early years census data.
Employment Sites
Incidence of major employment sites (250> employees) at ward level.
The incidence of major – large employers within a particular geographical area is a constant consideration for childcare planners. Since the advent of Covid-19 there has been an increase in parents/families working more flexible hours and routines - however the factor of working from home has gradually been declining from its 2020-2022 peak. This has had a particular influence on demand for wraparound out of school childcare, both for term-times and holiday times.
The following function enables the user to see the number of large and medium-size employers that are situated in specific ward(s) - and compare that to the incidence of childcare places accessible for working parents/families – including commuting parents who may travel-in from outside of the ward. This function is particularly relevant to wards which comprise a commercial/town centre type location.
SEND Demand
Incidence of children with SEND/EHCPs requiring childcare at ward level.
The incidence of children and young people with SEND – and those requiring EHCPs is on an upward and challenging trajectory for all Local Authorities. The following function enables the user to understand/view the number of children/pupils who have an EHCP in each of the Local Authority wards. It also enables the user to view:
- Numbers of children by age group with specific SEND designations that have an EHCP and are resident in each ward
- Number of children with specific SEND designations who were attending childcare provisions at the time of the most recent Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
- Identity of childcare settings who stated that they were struggling to recruit experienced staff with SEND experience of qualifications
Priority Wards (RAG)
A RAG weighting system for Priority wards – aligned to Surplus & Deficit
Population Comparator
Forecast populations of 0-4 year olds & 5-14 year olds
This is a pivotal function which guides the user to understand existing population levels and ward level populations. It offers an alternative to the numbers of new pupils that may be derived via approved new housing developments.
Opening Times
View childcare provider opening times and childminder availability.
Have oversight of the opening times of setting-based childcare providers – and the start and finish time of registered childminders – a vital source of information for working parents and families, for whom drop-off and pick-up times are a vital consideration.
Fees
Compare average childcare fees and pricing ranges by ward.
Understand ward-aligned average hourly and sessional fees charged by setting-based childcare providers and registered childminders - and fee ranges charged by such stakeholders.
Ofted Ratings
Explore childcare provider Ofsted ratings and inspection outcomes.
Check the prevailing Ofsted grade of specific childcare providers - including, where relevant, aligned to the new inspection classifications.