GovWire

This glossary is for use with Ofsteds official and national statistical releases. The main purpose is to help those accessing our statistics understand the terms used. It is split by type of release and is intended to give an overview of the terms, rather than a full technical description.

Area SEND

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Ofsted and CQC jointly inspect local areas to see how well they fulfil their responsibilities for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Clinical commissioning groups

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were created following the Health and Social Care Act in 2012. These are clinically-led statutory NHS bodies responsible for the planning and commissioning of health care services for their local area. A CCGs geographical boundaries may be different to that of the local authority. As of 1 April 2021, there are 106 CCGs in England.

Education, health and care plan

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is a legal document for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special education needs (SEN) support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs. EHC plans are issued and maintained by the local authority following a formal needs assessment.

Local area

The local area is the geographical area of the local authority. This includes the local authority, CCGs, public health, NHS England for specialist services, early years settings, schools and further education providers. The responsibility of the local area for children and young people who have SEND extends to those who are residents of the local area but attend educational establishments or receive services outside the local authoritys boundaries.

Local area leaders

The term leaders refers to those responsible for the strategic planning, commissioning, management, delivery and evaluation of services to children and young people with SEND.

SEN support

SEN support is extra or different help given to a pupil/student from that which is routinely provided as part of the schools usual curriculum. This may include the education setting receiving advice or support from outside specialists.

Childcare providers and inspections

Childcare providers

Childcare providers care for at least one individual child for a total of more than 2 hours in any one day. This is not necessarily a continuous period. They must register on the CCR to care for children under the age of 8, although there may be some exceptions to this. They can register on the VCR to care for older children.

Childcare providers on domestic and non-domestic premises

If 4 or more people look after children at any one time in someones home, they are providing childcare on domestic premises, not childminding.

Childcare providers on non-domestic premises are people or organisations providing care for individual children in premises that are not someones home. These premises can range from converted houses to purpose-built nurseries.

Childcare Register (CR)

The CR is for providers that care for children from birth to 18 years. It has 2 parts:

• the compulsory part of the Childcare Register (CCR) for providers caring for children from 1 September after the childs fifth birthday up until their eighth birthday
• the voluntary part of the Childcare Register (VCR) for providers for whom registration is not compulsory, for example nannies, or providers that care for children aged 8 and over

Providers that are registered on either part of the Childcare Register do not need to submit their places information to Ofsted.

For providers registered on the Childcare Register, Ofsted inspects a sample of 10% of active providers per year.

Childminders

A childminder is a person who is registered to look after one or more children, to whom they are not related, for reward. Childminders work on domestic premises alongside no more than 2 other childminders or assistants. They must register if they care for children under the age of 8 and can choose to register if they care for older children. They care for:

• children on domestic premises that are not usually the home of one of the children unless they care for children from more than 2 families, wholly or mainly in the homes of the families
• at least one individual child for a total of more than 2 hours in any day (not necessarily a continuous period)

Childminder agencies

Childminder agencies were introduced in September 2014 as an alternative registration option for childminders. Childminders who register with an agency no longer need to register or be inspected by Ofsted, although the agency itself will receive an inspection.

Childminder agencies are only eligible for inspection by Ofsted when they have childminders on roll. Childminder agencies have the responsibility of inspecting the childminders who are registered with them.

Early years foundation stage (EYFS)

The EYFS is the statutory framework for the early education and care of children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday.

Early Years Register (EYR)

The EYR is for providers that care for children in the early years age group, from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday. Registration is compulsory for these providers and they must meet the requirements of the EYFS.

Home childcarers

Home childcarers are usually nannies who care for children of any age up to their 18th birthday wholly or mainly in the childs own home, and care for children from no more than 2 families. They are not required to register with Ofsted, though they may choose to do so on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register.

Inspection windows

Until recently, we inspected childcare providers on a 4-year inspection cycle. The most recent inspection cycle ran from 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2020. However, due to the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus), we paused our routine inspections in mid-March 2020.

As we resume full EYR inspections from May 2021, we will no longer be inspecting providers on a 4-year cycle. All early years providers will have their own inspection window based on the date and judgement of their last inspection. We will look to inspect all providers within a 6-year window. However, we will continue to re-inspect providers judged requires improvement and inadequate within 12 and 6 months respectively. We will still aim to inspect all new childcare providers within 30 months of their registration date.

Joiners and leavers

Joiners are childcare providers that have registered with Ofsted during this reporting period. Most of these are new registrations, but Tables 3 and 4 and Chart 1 within the Childcare providers and inspections charts and tables document also include providers with re-activated registrations and those that have changed provider type or register. At local authority or regional level, this may also include providers that have relocated into a new geographical area.

Leavers are mostly childcare providers that have left Ofsted during the reporting period. Most of these are resignations, but some are also provid

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