Case study: Understanding barriers for working parents: where are childcare deserts and oases?, Ofsted

Case study details

Team name and Department

Early Years Data and Analysis Team, Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).

Situation and Action

The Early Years Data and Analysis Team collaborated with civil service analysts and external partners to innovate new granular metrics about childcare accessibility. . They worked across organisational boundaries, including with central government and academic partners, using co-design and shared learning to ensure rigorous and relevant insights. 

With the upcoming policy change entitling most working parents to 30 hours of government funded childcare by September 2025, Ofsted analysts launched a project to quantify neighbourhood-level accessibility to childcare in England. They collaborated with the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, and external experts including geospatial modellers and data visualisation specialists. 

The team developed advanced modelling techniques and partnered with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to create innovative visualisations and postcode-specific narratives, enhanced with socioeconomic findings.

Outcome / Impact / Results

The collaboration led to multiple publications, including new visualisations. They were received at the highest levels across government, leading to actionable insights for policy and operational decision-making. It supported key priorities in early years education, contributing to better outcomes for children and their parents, not only in relation to childcare but the potential influence on labour market participation.  

The project delivered hyperlocal childcare accessibility metrics across 180,000 neighbourhoods in England, enabling targeted interventions. It supported the government’s growth and opportunity missions and demonstrated cost-effective innovation by leveraging existing data and tools. 

Data from this modelling continues to inform policy makers, analysts and evaluation at the highest levels across No.10 and the Department for Education (DfE). 

Feedback and endorsement

In January 2025, “Understanding barriers for working parents: where are childcare deserts and oases?” won the Analysis in Government (AiG) Award in the Collaboration category.

“Outstanding international collaboration across other government departments, industry, academia using novel methods and techniques delivering impressive results, including innovative data visualisations and feeding into No 10 ‘delivery dashboard’.  Impressive praise from the stakeholders” – AiG Award judging panel

The project also won the 2024 Civil Service Award for Evaluation and Analysis. 

Further reading

• Winners of the 5th Analysis in Government (AiG) Awards – Collaboration Award winner 
• Case study: Analysis in Government (AiG) Rising Star Award 2025 (focusing on the award-winning contributions of team member, Rebecca Vincent)
• Childcare accessibility by neighbourhood – Office for National Statistics 
• UK article from October 2024 – Commentary: Changes in access to childcare in England 
• How childcare could be optimised across local areas – GOV.UK
• Local childcare realities: uncovering childcare deserts and oases in England Analysis in Government (AiG) Month blog 
• Learning Outcomes from Analysis in Government (AiG) Month event 
• Winners of 2024 Civil Service Award, Evaluation and Analysis category 
• Winners of the 2025 Campion Award for Excellence in Official Statistics

How this work supports the Analysis Function strategy

Ofsted’s work demonstrated behaviours which support the Analysis Function strategy by delivering impactful analysis on childcare access, using innovative geospatial modelling and visualisation, and collaborating across departments and academia.

Find out more: a strategy for analysis in government 2025 to 2028

 

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