Does my setting have to register with Ofsted?
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) are responsible for inspecting and regulating care for children and young people, and inspecting education and training for learners of all ages.
Settings looking after children aged under eight years for more than two hours a day, are required to register as childcare provision with Ofsted. There are certain exemptions to Ofsted registration that apply to crèches and other temporary childcare. Ofsted will advise providers further on this when they make an application.
Ofsted maintains two compulsory registers of childcare provision that it inspects and regulates:
- the Early Years Register of childminders and early years provision for children under formal school age (i.e. before the 1st September following their fifth birthday), and;
- the Childcare Register of childminders and provision of out of school care for children of formal school age up to eight years.
Depending on the services that a provision offers, Ofsted may register the setting on both the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register.
The Childcare Register also has a voluntary part, should providers that are exempt from compulsory registration or offering services for children over eight years wish to register.
Further information is given in the Ofsted guidance Guide to Registration on the Early Years Register and Guide to Registration on the Childcare Register, which is available to download from the Ofsted website
After registration Ofsted will inspect the setting at least once every three years, looking at the extent to which providers help children to stay safe and healthy, to enjoy themselves and achieve during their time in your setting. At the end of the inspection, the Inspection report will assess whether a provider is outstanding, good, satisfactory or inadequate.
For further information visit the Ofsted website.
If you would like further information on this topic, please contact the Information Service team who will be happy to help.
Email: Information Services
Tel: 020 7697 2595
Last updated: 17/09/2008