Policy papers and consultations

We are seeking views on Department for Education proposals to support childminders and childminder agencies (CMAs) and future policy development.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 15 March 2024

Information about the 2023 Spring Budget announcement on early years entitlements and associated funding.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 22 December 2023

• Childminder start-up grants scheme update: September 2023

  Applications for the childminder start-up grants scheme are now open.…

• Childminder start-up grants scheme update: April 2023

  Following the announcement of the new start-up grant for childminders at…

• Early education entitlements and funding update: March 2023

  In the government’s spring budget, the Chancellor announced transformative…

An evaluation plan and theory of change of the Ofsted education inspection framework (EIF).

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 22 August 2023

• EIF evaluation plan and theory of change

  In the Ofsted strategy 2022–27, we committed to evaluating the education…

Information about childminder agencies (CMAs).

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 3 March 2022

DfE requirements for Ofsted when inspecting early years childcare providers.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 May 2021

DfE requirements for Ofsted when organising and undertaking childminder agency (CMA) inspections.

• From: Department for Education and 1 others
• Updated: 23 February 2021

We're seeking views on proposed changes to early years fees paid to Ofsted, and on the principles that should underpin a revised fee model.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 17 March 2020

Ofsted seeks your views on our proposals for changes to the education inspection framework from September 2019.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 29 July 2019

We are seeking views on the proposed early years assistant (level 2) criteria and their suitability for qualifications in early education and childcare.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 July 2018

We invite views on proposed changes to when childcare workers are disqualified from working in schools and non-domestic settings.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 2 July 2018

We are seeking views on the early years pupil premium and proposals on participation funding for 2-year-olds.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 23 October 2014

First published during the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government