Being inspected as a childminder or childcare provider
How and when you鈥檒l be inspected by Ofsted depends on whether you鈥檙e on the Childcare Register or the Early Years Register.
Ofsted will make sure you鈥檙e meeting the requirements for:
- safeguarding and welfare
- learning and development
If you do not meet the requirements, you鈥檒l be told what you need to do to improve and when you need to improve by.
Childcare Register
You could be inspected at any time if you鈥檙e only on the Childcare Register.
You鈥檒l get a letter to tell you whether you鈥檝e met the requirements.
The inspection letter will be for one year.
Read more about how inspections are done.
Early Years Register
You鈥檒l usually be inspected within the first 30 months of registering as a childminder or childcare provider, and at least once every 6 years after that.
You may also be inspected if someone reports concerns about the childcare you鈥檙e providing.
Getting notice of an inspection
If you鈥檙e an organisation (like a nursery or pre-school), you鈥檒l get a call on or after midday on the working day before the start of the inspection. You鈥檒l still be inspected even if the inspector has not been able to speak to anyone.
Childminders or providers that do not operate regularly will get a call up to 5 days before an inspection to check what days they work. You鈥檒l be told what time the inspection will start but not what day it will start.
You can be inspected without warning. This is normally if Ofsted are concerned about the childcare you provide.
Before the inspection
You must tell parents an inspection is going to take place.
During the inspection
The inspector will:
- observe the children at play
- talk to you and the children
- observe how you and the children interact
- check the children鈥檚 levels of understanding and if they take part in learning
- talk to you about the children鈥檚 knowledge, skills and abilities
- observe care routines and how they鈥檙e used to support children鈥檚 personal development
- evaluate your knowledge of the early years foundation stage
After the inspection
You鈥檒l be sent a report with your grade. You鈥檒l be told how to do better, if there鈥檚 anything that can be improved.
You鈥檒l be graded as one of the following:
- Grade 1 - outstanding
- Grade 2 - good
- Grade 3 - requires improvement
- Grade 4 - inadequate
Read the early years inspection handbook to find out what these grades mean.
Your inspection report will be within 10 working days of you being sent it.
You must give a copy of the report to the parents of the children you look after and to anyone else who asks for one.
If you鈥檙e graded 鈥榦utstanding鈥�
You can use the on your stationery and website.
If you鈥檙e graded 鈥榠nadequate鈥�
You鈥檒l be inspected again within 6 months.
You鈥檒l be told what you must do to remain registered, and the date by which it must be done. Your local authority will also be told, which may affect your eligibility for funding.
In some cases, you鈥檒l also get a monitoring visit before the inspection. This will happen if Ofsted has decided extra steps need to be taken (鈥榚nforcement action鈥�).
Ofsted may take further action if there鈥檚 no improvement. If you have 2 inspections in a row where you鈥檙e judged as inadequate, Ofsted can cancel your registration.
Complain about an inspection
You can make a complaint during or after an inspection.