§ Guide · EYFS ratios
EYFS ratios: nursery staff-to-child ratios in England
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Ratios are the EYFS requirement most likely to slip on an ordinary day, usually because someone is off sick or a room fills up after lunch. Here are the minimums by age and qualification, worked examples, and the rules on breaks, students and apprentices.
In a hurry? Check a room with the free nursery ratio calculator.
EYFS ratio table by age and qualification
| Age group | Minimum ratio | Qualification conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | 1:3 | At least one member of staff with a full and relevant Level 3 qualification. At least half of the other staff with a full and relevant Level 2. |
| Two-year-olds | 1:5 | At least one member of staff with a full and relevant Level 3 qualification. At least half of the other staff with a full and relevant Level 2. |
| 3 and over, no Level 6 practitioner working directly with the children | 1:8 | At least one member of staff with a full and relevant Level 3 qualification. |
| 3 and over, with a qualified teacher, Early Years Teacher or other Level 6 practitioner working directly with the children | 1:13 | The Level 6 practitioner must be working directly with the children. The ratio drops back to 1:8 the moment they are not. |
These apply to group settings in England under section 3 of the EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers, in force from 1 September 2026. Childminders work to different limits: up to six children under the age of eight, of whom no more than three may be under five.
At least one person with a current paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present, and must accompany children on outings.
Worked examples
Baby room, 9 children under two. 9 divided by 3 is 3, so you need three adults, one of whom holds a full and relevant Level 3.
Toddler room, 11 two-year-olds. 11 divided by 5 is 2.2, and you always round up, so three adults.
Pre-school, 20 three and four-year-olds. With no Level 6 practitioner on the floor that is 20 divided by 8, rounded up to three adults. With a qualified teacher working directly with the children it is 20 divided by 13, rounded up to two. If that teacher is called to the office, you are back to needing three.
Mixed room, 4 two-year-olds and 12 over-threes. Work each age band out separately and add them up: one adult for the twos, two for the over-threes at 1:8, so three adults in total.
The ratio calculator does the same sums for any mix of ages.
Breaks, lunch cover and staff off the floor
Ratios apply to the staff working directly with the children. Someone on a break, in a supervision meeting, or doing paperwork in the office does not count while they are off the floor, so lunch cover has to be planned rather than assumed.
Only those aged 17 and over count towards ratios, and the EYFS expects staffing arrangements to meet the needs of all children and make sure their safety is assured. Keeping a room technically legal but with nobody free to respond is not the point of the rule.
Students, apprentices and volunteers
Students on long-term placements, volunteers and apprentices aged 17 and over may be included in ratios at the provider's discretion, where the provider is satisfied they are competent and responsible. Anyone under 17 must be supervised at all times and cannot be counted.
Record the decision. If an inspector asks why a room was at ratio on a Tuesday morning, the answer needs to be visible in your staffing records, not in someone's memory. Keeping the single central record current makes that straightforward.
How ratios come up at inspection
Inspectors see ratios in practice rather than on paper: they watch how a room is staffed at busy points, and they check that the people counted are qualified as claimed. Expired first aid certificates and unrecorded qualifications are the usual trip hazards.
For the wider picture, read the September 2026 early years inspection toolkit guide and the EYFS statutory framework guide.
Sources
- EYFS statutory framework (GOV.UK) - section 3, staff-to-child ratios and qualifications.
- How staff-to-child ratios work (Ofsted)
Frequently asked questions
What is the staff ratio for two-year-olds in England?
One adult to every five two-year-olds in group settings such as nurseries.
What is the ratio for under-twos?
One adult to every three children under two, and at least one of those staff must hold a full and relevant Level 3 qualification.
When can a nursery use a 1:13 ratio?
Only for children aged three and over, and only when a qualified teacher, Early Years Teacher or other suitably qualified Level 6 practitioner is working directly with the children. Otherwise the minimum is one adult to eight.
Do staff on their break count towards the ratio?
No. Ratios apply to staff working directly with the children, so breaks, lunch cover and off-the-floor time have to be rostered without dropping below the minimum.
Do students and apprentices count in the ratio?
Students and apprentices aged 17 and over may be counted at the provider's discretion, where the provider is satisfied they are competent and responsible. Anyone under 17 must be supervised and does not count towards the ratio.
How do I check a room quickly?
Use the free nursery ratio calculator: enter the children by age band and the staff on the floor, and it shows the minimum required and any shortfall.
Know who can count towards a ratio
DullDocs keeps qualifications, DBS checks and first aid expiry dates in one place, so a staff absence does not become a compliance problem.