Ofsted
There are some situations when you cannot or may not need to register with Ofsted.
What to register as
You can register either as an individual or as an organisation. In either case, once you have registered you are the registered person.
The registered person includes all partners, directors, company secretaries, trustees, the board of governors and all committee members.
Organisations can be formal or informal partnerships, a body corporate such as a limited company or an unincorporated association, such as a registered charity or a school governing body.
Registering more than one setting
If you provide childcare from multiple premises, you need to include all the settings under a single registration. However, you need to pay separate fees for each setting. You can apply for approval to add more settings at any time.
Outdoor childcare
You can register outdoor settings like woodlands in the same way as any other premises. If you offer childcare from a play bus, you only need to register this once, not at each location where the bus goes. However, if you also use other premises as well as the bus, you need to include this as a separate setting.
Who should apply to Ofsted
| Type | Who needs to apply |
|---|---|
| Individual owner | As the only owner of the provision, you are solely responsible and you must apply. |
| Organisations set up solely or mainly to provide childcare | The organisation is accountable for the registration. A member of the organisations governing body must apply. |
| Organisations set up for a different purpose than providing childcare | The organisation is accountable for the registration. The most senior person in the organisation with direct responsibility for childcare in the organisation must apply. |
The nominated individual
If you register as an organisation, you must appoint a nominated individual. The nominated individual will be responsible for everything about the registration and will liaise with Ofsted.
The person applying to register can also be the nominated individual if they are either:
- a member of the governing body
- the most senior person in the organisation with direct responsibility for childcare
They cannot be the appointed manager, unless the manager is also a member of the governing body.
A member of an organisations governing body is responsible and accountable for the governance of that organisation. This does not apply to members who only have voting or attendance rights (such as shareholders).
What you need to do
You need to make sure that the place where youll be looking after children is suitable. If youre joining the Early Years Register this must follow all requirements in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework. You must also follow all legal requirements (for example, from your local authority environmental health department and local fire authority).
You will need to:
- appoint an appropriate and suitable manager who will manage the daycare they should have a minimum level 3 childcare qualification
- get an enhanced check with barred lists from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
- show that at least one person looking after children has an appropriate first aid qualification
- know which register(s) you need to join
We may need extra documentation if you have lived abroad in the last 5 years.
Other people in your organisation may need to get an enhanced check with barred lists from DBS and complete an EY2. For more information see People connected with an Ofsted registration. When you start looking after children youll need to have public liability insurance.