Childcare and early years
Finding childcare, running a childcare business, financial support, data collection, local authority obligations.
Services
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Find free early education and childcare
Check if your council offers free early education and childcare
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Find an Ofsted inspection report
Search for Ofsted inspection reports for childminders and childcare providers, schools, colleges, further education providers, children and families services
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Find a nursery school place
Apply for a place in a nursery school for children under 5 through your local council
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Unpaid parental leave
Employer and employee guide to unpaid parental leave - eligibility, how much leave can be taken and notice periods
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Early years foundation stage
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5
Guidance and regulation
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework
- Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
- Development Matters
- Report a serious childcare incident
- Education inspection framework (EIF)
News and communications
- Schools adapt teaching to help children catch up but COVID-related absence remains a concern
- Ofsted Annual Report: We must do all we can to make sure this generation is not denied its opportunities
- Ofsted calls for stronger oversight of early years multiple providers and social care groups
- £20m to provide more early help for vulnerable families
- Children and Families Minister speech at ADCS annual conference
Research and statistics
- Education recovery in early years providers: autumn 2021
- Childcare and early years providers survey: 2018
- Childcare and early years providers survey: 2019
- Childcare and early years providers survey: 2021
- Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 August 2021
Policy papers and consultations
- Publication of statistics on childcare providers and inspections
- Early years childcare fees regulations
- Education inspection framework 2019: inspecting the substance of education
- Early years register providers inspection requirements for Ofsted
- Childminder agency (CMA) inspection requirements for Ofsted
Transparency and freedom of information releases
- Reported COVID-19 notifications by registered early years and childcare settings
- Consented addresses for childminders and domestic childcare
- Ofsted Annual Report 2020/21: education, children’s services and skills
- Ofsted Inspectors: lists
- Joiners and leavers in the childcare sector