Thousands of nurseries have shut their doors amid a staffing crisis, leaving Jeremy Hunt’s flagship Budget pledge to expand free childcare for British families “doomed to failure”, The Independent has been told.
New figures from school inspectors Ofsted show that 3,320 of the 62,300 nurseries and childminders for under-fives in England have shut their doors in the past year alone, leaving 17,800 fewer childcare places available.
