Business advice for childcare settings

Opening a childcare setting

All reception, nursery classes, day nurseries, childminders, playgroups, pre-schools and after school clubs that accept children within the age range birth to five years old have to follow the early year’s foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework. The EYFS ensures children’s safety and that they learn through play.

Information on starting up a business becoming self-employed and can also be found via www.gov.uk website

Ofsted

You can find out what you must do to register as a childcare provider on Gov.UK website there is also information on providing childcare

Closing your childcare setting

If you are thinking of closing or selling your business, speak to your accountant to get advice.

You can find out information about your responsibilities when closing your business on the gov.uk website.

• Selling your business your responsibilities – sole trader
• Selling your business your responsibilities – partnership
• Selling your business your responsibilities – Limited Company

Acas have advice about employment law, HR processes and good practice for you to consider if redundancies or TUP arrangements need to be put in place.

If you are a charity run preschool, you will need to follow the process outlined in your constitution. You can find out more information on the Early Years Alliance website

You will need to inform these organisations: 

• Ofsted

 by emailing enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk from the email address that you used for your application/registration.

•  Education Funding Team

If you claim funding for your setting, please give at least one month’s notice to the Education Funding Team so they can reconcile your funding account. Please email to: Education.funding@n-somerset.gov.uk

• Early Years Team

By emailing early.years@n-somerset.gov.uk  . The Early Years Team can offer support for parents struggling to find alternative provision

• Family Information Service

You can do this by deleting your page on the North Somerset online directory or emailing is FIS@n-somerset.gov.uk

• insurance company
• suppliers/utilities - for example, your milkman, gas and electricity supplier, educational resource suppliers
• bank and building society account - This should be left until all outstanding receipts and payments have been cleared and your group has finally dissolved. A month is often enough for this.

You will also need to inform these organisations where relevant:

• Estates, providers that have a lease with North Somerset Council
• your landlord if you rent/lease land/premises
• membership organisation – contact the Pre-school Learning alliance and any other membership organisations
• magazine subscriptions