Applying to register with Ofsted: common mistakes and how to avoid them

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Text reads: Applying to register with Ofsted: common mistakes and how to avoid them. A women wearing blue is concentrating on writing something down on paper, with a laptop open in front of her.

When you apply to register with Ofsted as a childcare provider you will need to fill out an application form. The form asks about the childcare you plan to provide as well as information about you, and people you will …

Renewed inspection framework for holiday providers: what you need to know

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Early years
Renewed inspection framework for holiday providers: what you need to know. A toddler smiles and laughs at someone who is off-camera. They are kneeling on the floor with toys scattered around.

In this blog, we explain how we inspect holiday provision. When designing our renewed inspection framework and the early years toolkit, we wanted to ensure that they worked for all setting types, including holiday provision, and would recognise each setting’s …

Registering a childminder assistant: what you need to know

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Early years, Registration
Text reads: registering a childminder assistant: what you need to know. A woman smiles while two babies either side of her look offscreen, absorbed in something.

Childminders and childminder assistants play a vital role in childcare. At the end of 2025 there were nearly 25,000 childminders in England, with the vast majority providing education and care for early years children. Of these, 41% have an assistant listed on their registration – including the current …

Flexibilities for childminders and childcare on domestic premises providers

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On 1 November 2024, the Department for Education made changes to give the early years sector (in particular childminders) more flexibility.  These changes introduced a new type of childminder and give existing childminders and childcare on domestic premises providers more scope in terms …

What to know before applying to register with Ofsted: choosing names for your childcare setting and legal entity

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Childminder registration, Early years, Nannies, Registration
Text reads: What to know before applying to register with Ofsted: choosing names for your childcare setting and legal entity

Selecting a name for your childcare business is an important early decision. Getting this right from the outset helps us process your application more quickly and limits the need for follow-up questions.  In this blog, we explain what your legal entity name …

Early years inspections: frequently asked questions

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Since we published the renewed inspection framework on 9 September 2025, we’ve put on lots of online and face-to-face engagement with early years settings to answer your questions. We’re publishing the most frequently asked questions below, so you can see all the …