Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide additional Ofsted funding to increase the frequency of (a) inspections and (b) unannounced inspections of early years settings.

Giving young children the best start in life is the foundation of the government’s opportunity mission.

From April, the department is funding Ofsted to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and moving towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years, compared to the current six-year window. This means standards will be reviewed more regularly and parents will have more up-to-date information to help them choose the right setting for their child.

While Ofsted typically provides notice before an inspection, they can and do conduct inspections without prior notification, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1,400 unannounced inspections (16%). We recognise the importance of unannounced inspections and they will continue.