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Staff-to-child ratio calculator

How many staff does your setting need today? Pick your nation and setting type, enter the children in each age band, and get the answer under the framework your regulator actually inspects against — EYFS, Care Inspectorate, CIW, HSCB or Tusla.

Age bandRatioChildrenStaff needed
Under 2 years
EYFS babies
1:30
2 year olds
EYFS toddlers
1:40
3-5 years
EYFS pre-school
1:80
Total00
Staff per band are rounded up — children can’t share a fraction of an adult, and one adult can’t be counted in two bands at once. Framework shown: Childcare Register standards (Ofsted). England’s statutory minimum for 2-year-olds moved to 1:5 in September 2023; the 1:4 shown is the tighter default many settings kept. Ratios are minimums under each regulator’s published framework — your local authority or your own risk assessment may require more staff. Always confirm against the current statutory guidance for your nation.
BEYOND THE SNAPSHOT

A ratio is only right until the next sign-in

This calculator answers a planning question. On the floor, the answer changes every time a child arrives, leaves, or moves room — which is why ParentLink recomputes room-by-room ratios live from the register, flags the moment a room goes out of ratio, and keeps the history inspectors ask to see.

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COMMON QUESTIONS

Ratios, nation by nation

What are the staff:child ratios for nurseries in England?
Under the EYFS statutory framework: 1 adult to 3 children under 2; 1 adult to 5 two-year-olds (the statutory minimum moved from 1:4 to 1:5 in September 2023 — many settings choose to stay at 1:4); and 1 adult to 8 children aged 3 and over (1:13 where a suitably qualified teacher is working directly with the group). Local authorities can require stricter ratios than the national minimum.
What ratio does an after-school or holiday club need?
For children under 8 on the Childcare Register in England, 1:8 is the expected standard. For children of Reception age and older, England sets no fixed statutory ratio — providers must have "sufficient, suitable staff" based on risk assessment, and 1:8 remains the widely used good-practice figure. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland out-of-school guidance is 1:8; Ireland (Tusla) school-age guidance is around 1:12.
Do ratios differ between the UK nations and Ireland?
Yes — each nation has its own regulator and framework: Ofsted/EYFS in England, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, CIW National Minimum Standards in Wales, HSCB minimum standards in Northern Ireland, and Tusla in Ireland (which splits the youngest band at under-1 rather than under-2). This calculator applies the right bands for the nation you pick.
How is the number of staff calculated?
For each age band we divide the number of children by the ratio and round UP — 9 three-year-olds at 1:8 needs 2 adults, not 1.125. The total is the sum across bands, since a member of staff counted in one band cannot simultaneously cover another.
Can software track this automatically through the day?
Yes — ParentLink recalculates room-by-room ratios live from the register as children sign in and out, flags a room the moment it goes out of ratio, and keeps the evidence trail inspectors ask for.