Leadership, Management and Business

Before you register with Ofsted to become a childcare provider, you should make sure you’re ready by:

• contacting the Early Years Advisory Team
• checking all documentation, policy and procedures and EYFS requirements are in place
• checking that you have adequate staffing levels and suitably qualified staff are in place
• ensuring that you are ready to receive children the day after your inspection
• making sure adequate resources are available and that your environment suitable for the age range of children you are caring for

After you've applied for registration the council will be informed by Ofsted of your proposal to register as a childcare provision.

You may also wish to view the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA). A Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) is an assessment of existing childcare provision in the borough, mapping supply of, demand for and gaps in the childcare market

Useful guidance:

Apply to register your nursery or other daycare organisation: Find out when you must apply to register if you want to set up a daycare organisation for children.

Providing childcare services in England: Find out what you must do to register as a childcare provider with Ofsted, as well as how you must run certain parts of your service. This collection of guidance is applicable for childminders, nurseries and other daycare providers as well as nannies.

Childcare and children's social care health declaration forms: Health declaration forms for childminders and people who work in childcare or children's social care.

The registration visit

If you apply to join the Early Years Register, we will arrange a registration visit. This will normally take place once all your checks are complete, but could happen earlier. We do not routinely carry out a registration visit for providers on the Childcare Register only.

You can find further information on the webpage Childminders and childcare providers: register with Ofsted.

Useful guidance 

Early years inspection: toolkit, operating guide and information: Guidance for inspectors and providers on inspecting registered early years settings in England under the renewed education inspection framework.

Early years practitioner wellbeing support: How to support mental health and wellbeing of you and your team in an early years setting.

Register as a childminder without domestic premises: Application guidance for childminders who provide care solely from somewhere other than a home.

Childminders: report new people in the setting: If you are a childminder, you must tell Ofsted within 14 days about new people aged 16 or over who live or work in the home where you look after children. This includes children who turn 16. If you are a childminder without domestic premises, you must tell Ofsted about new people aged 16 or over who help to provide care on the non-domestic premises.

People connected with Ofsted-registered childcare: Guidance on checks we will carry out on anyone associated with Ofsted-registered childcare.