OFSTED
The Early Years Directorate at OFSTED (Office for Standards and Education) have responsibility for regulation and inspection of all childcare settings.
The law defines childcare as any form of care for a child including education or any other supervised activity.
Ofsted register care provided for children on two registers: the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register. People can apply to join one register or both registers at the same time.
Most childcare providers caring for children aged under eight must register with Ofsted unless the law says they are not required to do so. If a childcare provider is not required to register with Ofsted, then in some circumstances they may choose to do so by joining the voluntary part of the Childcare Register.
If you are not sure whether you need to register, you can ring the Ofsted helpline on 08456 404040 for more information.