The early years and childcare registers
Find out about the different childcare registers and which one(s) you will need to join.
Applies to England
Registering with Ofsted
If you want to look after children, you may be legally required to register with Ofsted. This registration process allows us to make sure that everyone looking after children is suitable to do so.
Whether you have to register depends on the kind of childcare you are planning to provide – in particular, what age the children will be, and when and where you plan to look after them.
If you are required to register, you must do so before you start providing childcare. It is an offence to provide childcare without registering, if you are required to do so.
If you do not have to register with us, you may still be able to choose to do so. We refer to this as being ‘exempt’ from registration.
In other cases, you cannot register, for example if you will be looking after each child for less than 2 hours a day (unless you are providing before- and/or after-school care).
There are 2 registers:
- Early Years Register
- General Childcare Register, which has a compulsory part and a voluntary part
If you are applying to register as a childminder or childcare on domestic premises provider, you may be able to register with a childminder agency instead of registering directly with Ofsted.
If you are a school providing early years or childcare provision, you may not need to register with Ofsted. Our guidance, Registering and inspecting school-based provision, sets out the criteria that a school must meet for any school-based early years provision to be exempt from registration.
Early Years Register
You should join this register if you will be caring for children at any point up to the 31 August after their fifth birthday and are not exempt from registration.
The legal standards for the learning and development, assessment, and safeguarding and welfare of children from birth to 5 years old in England are set out in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory frameworks.
There are 2 EYFS frameworks:
- EYFS statutory framework for childminders
- EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers (childcare on domestic premises providers and childcare on non-domestic premises providers)
All early years providers must follow the relevant EYFS, including providers of nurseries, pre-schools, before-/after-school provision, holiday clubs and Reception classes in schools.
To join the Early Years Register, you will need to demonstrate that you understand the relevant requirements of the relevant EYFS. When you have registered and are providing childcare, you will need to continue to meet those requirements.
If you are only providing care before or after school, or during the school holidays, for children who normally attend Reception (or older) class during the school day, you do not need to meet, or be guided by, the requirements in section 1 (Learning and development) or section 2 (Assessment) of the EYFS. You should discuss with parents, carers, teachers and anyone else responsible for looking after the children what support you plan to offer.
Compulsory part of the General Childcare Register
If you will be caring for children between 1 September after the child’s fifth birthday and their eighth birthday, and are not exempt from registration, you must register on the compulsory part of the General Childcare Register.
Once you have joined the General Childcare Register, you must continue to meet its requirements:
- Requirements for childcare organisations on the compulsory part of the General Childcare Register
- Requirements for childminders on the compulsory part of the General Childcare Register
You can find out more about the compulsory part of the General Childcare Register in the Framework for regulation of providers on the General Childcare Register.
Voluntary part of the General Childcare Register
If you are looking after children aged 8 and over, or are exempt from needing to register, you may choose to apply to register on the voluntary part of the General Childcare Register.
If you register voluntarily, you still need to meet the General Childcare Register requirements:
- Requirements for group-based childcare providers registered on the voluntary part of the General Childcare Register
- Requirements for childminders registered on the voluntary part of the General Childcare Register
- Requirements for nannies registered on the voluntary part of the General Childcare Register
You can find out more about the voluntary part of the General Childcare Register in the Framework for regulation of providers on the General Childcare Register.
Summary: which register to join
| Type of childcare | Type of register |
|---|---|
| Looking after children from birth up to the 31 August after their fifth birthday (unless registration is not required) | Early Years Register |
| Looking after children for any period between the 1 September after their fifth birthday and their eighth birthday (unless registration is not required) | Compulsory part of the General Childcare Register |
| Looking after children aged 8 and over | Voluntary part of the General Childcare Register |
| Looking after children as a nanny | Voluntary part of the General Childcare Register |
| Any other childcare that is exempt from registration with Ofsted (this can include looking after early years children) | Voluntary part of the General Childcare Register |
Joining both registers
If you are looking after children in a way that meets the requirement to register on both the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the General Childcare Register – for example, if you are looking after children aged 5 or under and children between 5 and 8 (and are not otherwise exempt) – you must join both registers.
If you register on the Early Years Register, you can also join the General Childcare Register at no extra cost. You can do this when you apply or afterwards. Please note, you cannot start to care for children unless you are registered to do so.
If you are only registered on (or have only applied to register on) the General Childcare Register, and you need to join the Early Years Register because you want to care for children in the early years age range, you must submit a new application and pay a fee. See ‘Joining another register’ below.
Please note that you cannot start to care for children unless you are registered on the appropriate register.
See more about fees.
Joining another register
If you are on either part of the General Childcare Register but need to join the Early Years Register, you must complete a full application:
- Become a childminder or nanny (England)
- Apply to register your nursery or other group-based childcare provision (EYO)
If you are on the Early Years Register and want (or need) to join either part of the General Childcare Register, or if you want to change your registration on the General Childcare Register from compulsory to voluntary (or vice versa), you must contact us:
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0300 123 1231