The government has updated the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework to confirm nurseries and pre-schools in England can operate at a ratio of one staff member to five two-year-olds from September.

Under the updated EYFS, which was published this week and comes into force from September 2023, there must be at least one member of staff for every five children aged two in a nursery room. Under the current framework there must be at least one member of staff for every four children aged two.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed the government would press ahead with increasing the number of two-year-olds nursery staff in England could care for in the last Budget. This was despite the fact that a government consultation found most early years settings, parents and sector organisations were against the plans.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “At the Alliance we believe that changes to ratios will only serve to harm quality and compromise safety, and given the level of opposition to the policy, the fact that the government has pushed ahead with these plans is nothing less than shameful.”

Rob Fox, owner and manager of Happy Bunnies Nursery School, said he would not be adopting the new ratios. “Our practitioners only have one pair of hands,” he said. “I think there will be accidents that happen off the back of this. There are already pressures on us as providers, and it is about safeguarding staff as well as children. I want to deliver quality childcare.”

The updated EYFS document also clarifies that children must be within sight and hearing of an adult when they are eating.

“The changes come into force in September; it is important that providers use the time between now and then to think about how they will implement these changes and make any necessary changes to practice, particularly when it comes to ensuring supervision when children are eating,” said Angela Gamble, information, advice and guidance manager at the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY).