No children on roll

The Childcare Act 2006 grants Ofsted the power to cancel the registration of a childminder who has not provided a childminding service for a continuous period of more than three years during which they were registered. This power applies to the registration of childminders on the Early Years and/or Childcare Registers.

 

If a childminder has had no children on roll for a continuous period of three years, Ofsted will remove them from the register. This makes them a "disqualified person" and if they should decide to apply to register in the future they will need to apply for a waiver.

 

If you are in this position and plan to childmind again in the future, consider resigning your registration, as if you are disqualified through this process, becoming registered again is more difficult.

 

There is more information about when Ofsted will inspect childminders not currently caring for children in their factsheet, "The process and guidance for inspecting childminders and childcare settings with no children on roll or no children present at the time of the inspection."

 

At the point of inspection, the inspector will prefer to see your setting with children there. If the inspection is on a day when you don't have children with you, it is unlikely you will get a top grade, as the inspector takes into account the views and experience of the children and their families. You can speak to the inspector to rearrange the inspection for a day when you will have children in your setting.

 

NCMA membership

If you are an NCMA member and resign or have your Ofsted registration cancelled, please contact us on 0845 880 0044 as soon as possible to inform us. If your Ofsted registration is cancelled or resigned, your NCMA membership and public liability insurance automatically becomes invalid. Please refer to the NCMA Conditions of Membership for more information.