Childcare

An independent review of the City of London’s Child and Family Centre Services took place in the summer of 2023. The independent review was completed by Place Group, who were appointed following a competitive tendering process. The purpose of the independent review was to evaluate the current services provided by the Children’s Centre services and to identify future options for delivery in the context of the national move to a Family Hub model. A comprehensive report outlining the findings of the review was presented to the Head of Service - Education & Early Years at the City of London Corporation in September 2023.

A copy of the review is available here: Children's Centre's Service Independent Review 2023

Or the review is available in the downloads section at the bottom of the Childcare page.

• Early years childcare: nurseries and pre-schools for children under five years old.
• Home-based childcare: registered childminders and nannies.
• Out-of-school childcare: breakfast clubs, after school clubs and holiday play schemes for children of school age (usually 5-14).

To support you with finding childcare within the City of London we have compiled some information below to help you make an informed decision about the benefits of the different childcare providers. For further information about a particular childcare provider, please contact them directly.

Name of setting: City of London Child and Family Centre
Website: https://www.thealdgateschool.org/about-us-2/cass-child-and-family-centre
Email address: office@aldgateschool.org
Phone number: 020 7283 1147

Name of setting: Hatching Dragons Nursery
Website: https://www.hatching-dragons.com/
Email address: equiries@hatching-dragons.com
Phone number: 020 3912 2902

Name of setting: Smithfield House Nursery
Website: http://www.smithfieldnursery.co.uk/
Email address: office@smithfieldnursery.co.uk
Phone number: 020 7236 1000

Name of setting: Newpark Childcare Centre
Website: http://www.newparkchildcare.co.uk/
Email address: barbican@newparkchildcare.co.uk
Phone number: 020 7638 5550

Name of setting: Barbican Playgroup
Email address: maryroseclackson@yahoo.co.uk
Phone number: 020 7638 2718

Name of setting: City Child Bright Horizons
Website: https://www.brighthorizons.co.uk/our-nurseries/city-child-nursery-and-preschool
Email address: citychild@brighthorizons.com
Phone number: 020 7374 0939

The Childcare and Family Services Finder is a free service to help you find registered childcare and family services in your local area. It covers all the Ofsted registered childcare providers across England, with results provided by local authorities. It's the only website that has all this information in one place.

Visit the Childcare Choices website for a breakdown of the support available to you to help with the cost of childcare. 

For more information on the free entitlement for children from 9 months old, please see the below tabs.

Tax-free childcare:

• For working families, including the self-employed, in the UK
• Earning under £100k and an average of £167 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage) each over three months
• Who aren't receiving Tax Credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
• With children aged 0-11 (or 0-16 if disabled)
• For every £8 you pay into an online account, the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child per year

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

15 hours free childcare (Age 2):

• For families in England, receiving some forms of support
• With 2-year-old children
• 15 hours of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks
• To be able to take up 15 hours of free childcare for your two-year-old you or your child must meet the eligibility criteria. Please visit GOV.UK for further information.
• A total of 570 hours per year, that you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider
• Some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

15 hours free childcare (Age 3 and 4):

• For all families in England
• With 3 and 4-year-old children
• 15 hours of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks
• A total of 570 hours per year, that you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider
• Some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

30 hours free childcare (Age 3 and 4):

• For working families in England
• With 3 and 4-year-old children
• 30 hours of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks
• A total of 1,140 hours per year, that you can use flexibly with one or more
  childcare provider
• Some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

Tax credits for childcare (Age 0 - 15):

• For working families, in the UK
• With children under 16 (or under 17 if disabled)
• 70% of childcare costs, up to a cap
• If you cannot make a new claim for Tax Credits, you may be able to apply for Universal Credit instead.

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

Universal Credit for childcare:

• For working families claiming Universal Credit, in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
• With children under 17*
• Up to 85% of eligible childcare costs
• Who aren't receiving Tax-Free Childcare

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

Support while you study:

• Weekly payments from Care to Learn if you’re at school or sixth-form college
• Help through your college if you’re in further education
• A weekly grant if you’re in full-time higher education

For more information, visit: Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK

HELP FOR HOUSEHOLDS

The government is offering help for households.
Check what cost of living support you could be eligible for at: Welcome to GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You may be able to get 15 hours free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time) for your two year old if:

• you live in England
• your child’s second birthday is the term before you want them to start in a childcare setting
• both you and your partner work (see more details below)

The childcare must be with an approved childcare provider

You may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.

You will first need to apply online for a childcare account on the HMRC website to get an Eligibility Code to give to your provider. You will need to obtain this code the term before your child is due to start in a childcare setting.

Your eligibility depends on:

• if you are in work (employed, self-employed, or both), on sick leave or annual leave, on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
• your child’s age and circumstances
• your immigration status

You can get free childcare at the same time as claiming Universal Credit, tax credits, childcare vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare.

If you are not currently working, you may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you get Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Limited Capability for Work Benefit or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance. 

If you are eligible, funding will be available from the term after your child turns 2 years old. Please see the ‘When to apply’ section, below.

Please also speak to your childcare setting to see whether they are planning to accept funded places for 2 year olds.

Your income
Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:

• £2,167 if you’re aged 23 or over
• £2,117 if you’re aged 21 or 22
• £1,557 if you’re aged 18 to 20
• £1,098 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice

This is the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average.

You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if:

• you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly
• you’re self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months

If you or your partner have an expected ‘adjusted net income’ over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible.

Your child
You will not be eligible if your child does not usually live with you.

If you foster your child, you cannot use the online application to get 30 hours free childcare. Speak to your social worker and your local authority if you want to apply.

Your immigration status
To be eligible for 15 hours free childcare for your 2 year old, you must have a National Insurance number and at least one of the following:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you’re waiting for a decision
• permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this

If you have a partner, they must have a National Insurance number too.

When to apply
You can apply from when your child is 1 years and 36 weeks old.

You can apply outside of these recommended dates but you might not receive your code in time. You must have a valid code by the end of the month before a new term starts.

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your 15 hours free childcare starts.

You have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you’ll have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.

More information

• How to claim 15 hours free childcare including how to get your code - The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk): This guidance answers some common questions from parents.
• For queries on education entitlements: earlyyears.entitlements@education.gov.uk
• For queries on tax-free childcare: taxfreechildcareteam@hmrc.gov.uk

For further information, visit the Childcare Choices website the government website: Apply for free childcare if you're working - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), or contact us at EEYservice@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

You may be able to get 15 hours free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time) for your nine-month-old if:

• you live in England
• your child turns nine-months-old the term before you want them to start in a childcare setting
• both you and your partner work (see more details below)

The childcare must be with an approved childcare provider

You may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.

You will first need to apply online for a childcare account on the HMRC website to get an Eligibility Code to give to your provider. You will need to obtain this code the term before your child is due to start in a childcare setting.

Your eligibility depends on:

• if you are in work (employed, self-employed, or both), on sick leave or annual leave, on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
• your child’s age and circumstances
• your immigration status

You can get free childcare at the same time as claiming Universal Credit, tax credits, childcare vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare.

If you are not currently working, you may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you get Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Limited Capability for Work Benefit or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance. 

If you are eligible, funding will be available from the term after your child turns nine-months-old. Please see the ‘When to apply’ section, below.

Please also speak to your childcare setting to see whether they are planning to accept funded places for nine-month-old babies.

Your income
Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:

• £2,167 if you’re aged 23 or over
• £2,117 if you’re aged 21 or 22
• £1,557 if you’re aged 18 to 20
• £1,098 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice

This is the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average.

You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if:

• you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly
• you’re self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months

If you or your partner have an expected ‘adjusted net income’ over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible.

Your child
You will not be eligible if your child does not usually live with you.

If you foster your child, you cannot use the online application to get 30 hours free childcare. Speak to your social worker and your local authority if you want to apply.

Your immigration status
To be eligible for 15 hours free childcare for your nine-month-old, you must have a National Insurance number and at least one of the following:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you’re waiting for a decision
• permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this

If you have a partner, they must have a National Insurance number too.

When to apply
You can apply from when your child is 1 years and 36 weeks old.

You can apply outside of these recommended dates but you might not receive your code in time. You must have a valid code by the end of the month before a new term starts.

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your 15 hours free childcare starts.

You have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you’ll have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.

More information

• How to claim 15 hours free childcare including how to get your code - The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk): This guidance answers some common questions from parents.
• For queries on education entitlements: earlyyears.entitlements@education.gov.uk
• For queries on tax-free childcare: taxfreechildcareteam@hmrc.gov.uk

For further information, visit the Childcare Choices website, the government website: Apply for free childcare if you're working - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), or contact us at EEYservice@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Are you a resident of the City of London?
Do you have a child under five attending a childcare setting?

You might qualify for financial support with childcare cost under the Childcare Accessibility Scheme.

The scheme aims to support resident families to access early education and childcare. The purpose of the early education place is to support the child’s early development and empower parents to make positive changes to their lives through work, training or family support.

Please download the leaflet at the end of the page for more details.

For more information, please contact the Family Information Service.

Providing high quality care and education for young children can be very rewarding.

It provides a much-needed service for local communities and, most importantly, makes a huge difference to the development and well-being of children.

What you need to do:

1. Research the need

Before starting up your childcare business it is important to assess what the demand for a new childcare provision is likely to be. Remember that the City of London is a very small area.

You will need to take various steps, such as:

• creating opportunities to talk to parents informally, for instance, in the City Child and Family Centre, our community libraries or through surveys;
• finding out what’s already available through our childcare sufficiency audit;
• viewing details on parents’ use of childcare and their views and experiences through the Early Years Alliance Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents;
• looking at our directory of early years providers in the Square Mile

2. Financial viability

You can register with the City of London to claim funding to provide part-time early years education places for three and four-year-old children, and eligible two-year-old children.

Some three and four-year-olds will also be eligible for a 30 hours funded place. You can register to provide for this at Childcare Choices

3. Ofsted registration

If you will be looking after children under the age of eight years for more than two hours a day you will need to register with The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).

If you are a childminder, you can choose either to register with Ofsted or with a Childminder Agency.

Ofsted inspects and regulates the quality and standards of care and education in childcare provision. Find Ofsted's guidance on setting up a childcare service here

4. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage is a mandatory framework for all Ofsted registered childcare providers caring for children from birth to five years. It was developed to ensure that all childcare services provide a safe and secure environment for children and support children’s learning through carefully planned play activities that are fun and appropriate to their needs.

Contact the Education and Early Years Team for support, guidance and training: EEYService@cityoflondon.gov.uk

5. Premises

Childcare may be provided on domestic premises (for example, in the home of a childminder) or on non-domestic premises (such as a pre-school in a community hall or nursery on a school site).

The premises that you operate from must comply with the EYFS requirements. In choosing premises you will also need to consider whether the building is in a good state of repair, if it is safe and secure for the children, whether appropriate toilet and kitchen facilities are available, whether the premises are easy for families to get to and whether they are accessible to children and adults with disabilities.

6. Health and safety

The safety of the children and adults in the provision is a central theme throughout the EYFS. You will have a duty to develop effective procedures for ensuring that the provision is secure and that any risks are identified and managed through regular risk assessments; safeguarding and protecting children from harm or abuse; maintaining high standards of hygiene; regularly checking fire procedures and equipment.

7. Data Protection

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) you will need to put systems in place to ensure any personal data you collect is securely processed, stored and destroyed. You will also need to issue those whose personal data you collect, such as parents, employees and volunteers with a privacy notice.

8. Insurance

Childcare providers must have adequate insurance cover. Some forms of insurance are required by law or for Ofsted registration, such as public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance (where applicable).

Others are not legally required, but are still necessary because they provide protection for the provision and for those that use and are responsible for it.

9. Safeguarding and child protection

Every provider in the City of London is required to have and implement a safeguarding children policy and procedures which follows the guidance and procedures of the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership

10. Employer responsibilities

As an employer, you will need to take steps to ensure that your employees, job applicants, service users and volunteers are treated in a fair and consistent manner. Everyone has certain legal rights, including the right not to be discriminated against or harassed on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, or sex

11. Inclusion and diversity

For the benefit of all staff and families, equality and inclusion must be embraced throughout your provision. The Equality Act 2010 requires childcare providers to ensure that their policies, procedures and practices promote equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination against children and adults in the provision.

Providers also have a duty to regard the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (DfE 2015) when meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities and developing a special educational needs policy.

The Early Years Alliance has a useful free mini guide to Setting up a Childcare Provision which advises on key choices and responsibilities to consider before you start.

Please note: This information is also available in the Early Years Hub, which offers guidance to EY practitioners and settings 

The Childcare Act 2006  establishes Ofsted as the authority for the regulation of childminding and childcare on domestic and non-domestic premises in England. It gives HMCI responsibility for the registration and inspection of providers who are registered on the Childcare Register and the responsibility for enforcement where it appears that legal requirements are not being met.

There are three aspects to the regulation of providers on the Childcare Register. These are:

• registration of applicants
• inspecting providers to check that they continue to meet legal requirements for registration
• taking enforcement action where requirements for registration are not met or where provision that should be registered is operating without registration

The law requires anyone providing childcare professionally for children under eight for a period of more than two hours at a time to register their business with Ofsted. There are two registers: the Early Years Register and the Compulsory Childcare Register. Providers on this register are inspected regularly by Ofsted and the inspection reports are published on Ofsted’s website. 

Following the inspection Ofsted will rate the quality of the childcare being provided and judge it as either "Outstanding", "Good", "Requires improvement" or "Inadequate". When provision is judged to be less than "Good", Ofsted will take steps to work with the provider to improve the quality of their childcare. In extreme cases provision found to be inadequate may be forced to close.

Currently all registered childcare providers in the City of London are rated "Good" or "Outstanding".

Some types of childcare are exempt from compulsory registration. Nannies, for example, are employed by a family to work in that family’s home, and are not classed as a childcare business in the same way as childminders who operate from their own homes. Other exempt provision includes those where children stay for less than two hours, such as crèches, or groups like Rainbows and Scouts. Exempt providers can opt to join the Voluntary Childcare Register and can also be inspected.

Benefits of Ofsted registration:

The law requires anyone providing childcare professionally for children under eight for a period of more than two hours at a time to register their business with Ofsted.

Ofsted registration can provide peace of mind to parents, and reading Ofsted reports can help when choosing a provider. It also enables parents to claim certain types of financial support towards the cost of the childcare.

Please see the government website for information on why Ofsted inspects daycare providers; how often inspections take place; how long inspections last, and what inspections look like.

How Ofsted inspects nurseries and other types of daycare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)