Which types of childcare are not registered and inspected?
The following types of childcare are not registered or inspected:

Nannies (working for no more than two families)

Au pairs (in the family home). Au pairs are regulated by the Home Office but the work they do is not registered or inspected

Daycare services operating for 2 hours or less per day or under 6 days per year services, which cater only for children aged eight or over.

A new accreditation system started to operate for childcare for children over eight in April 2000.

How do I check whether services are registered?
You can ask to see their registration certificate.
You can also request to read a copy of their latest Inspection Report.
Your local Children's Information Service (CIS) will help if you need to know more about registration and inspection of services.

Education Acts
A series of Education Acts apply to state nursery schools, state nursery classes and maintained schools. They cover:

• What children are taught
• Inspection regimes
• Staff training and qualifications.
• Each local authority works to improve the quality of the childcare services provided in their area by providing training and promoting the use of Quality Assurance schemes.

What about private schools?
Independent schools with nursery classes are registered with the Department for Education and Skills. An independent school is any private school with at least five pupils of compulsory school age or at least one child of that age for whom a statement is maintained by the local education authority or who is looked after by a local authority.

Government guidance is available on staff ratios in nursery classes in independent schools.

A sample is inspected each year by the relevant HMI (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools).

Education law for three and four year olds:
Some early education and childcare services offer free part-time early or pre-school education to four year olds and three year olds. This is paid for by the Government.

Inspectors for Ofsted check all services, which provide free part-time early or pre-school education services for three year olds or four year olds.

You are the expert on your child and you are the person who knows best what kind of childcare service will suit your child. Knowing what to expect from the regulation framework can help you have confidence in the service you choose. The regulation framework sets out standards for most kinds of childcare, early education and pre-school service. The Government is developing a new system of regulation and more details on this will be made available as soon as possible.

The Children Act 1989 ? for provision for children under eight
This is the legal framework that sets quality standards in most private and voluntary sector children's services. It aims to make sure that children's interests come first.

The Children Act, as amended by the Care Standards Act, provides for Ofsted to operate a registration and inspection system for the following services:

• Day nurseries
• Playgroups
• Private nursery schools
• After school clubs and holiday play schemes
• Childminders
• Crèches open for 6 days or more per year.
• Registration and inspection

The Children Act gives Ofsted a duty to register and inspect the childcare services listed above.
This means:

People running Daycare services for children up to eight years old must register with Ofsted. This includes childminders.

It also includes nannies working for more than two families in the family home of one of the children being cared for.

Inspections must be carried out to ensure the childcare continues to be safe and suitable.

Ofsted must ensure people running childcare services are suitable to do so. Checks cover the person applying to run a childcare service, childminders and members of childminders' families who will be in contact with the children

Staff: Child ratios are laid out in the national standards for Daycare and Childminding under the Children Act people running childcare services must plan children's activities to help them enjoy learning and playing.