Ofsted registration fees

Ofsted says it needs to increase the application fee and annual fee paid by childcare providers on the Early Years Register to help it recover more of the costs associated with childcare inspection and regulation.

The consultation proposes increasing fees by £8 for childminders and sessional settings, bringing the cost of registration to £43 from next year.

For full daycare settings, it proposes increasing the cost by £49, bringing the cost of registration to £269. Settings’ registration must be renewed annually.

Existing providers will not be required to pay the increased annual fee until the next anniversary of the date on which they became registered on the Early Years Register.

Ofsted says the rise is being applied equally to all registered childcare providers as a percentage increase equalling the sum of inflation since 2010.

The consultation also seeks views on the categories used to determine the level of fee payable by providers.

Any proposals to amend the categories will be subject to further public consultation and will not come into force until April 2021.

• Consultation documents are available here
• Consultation closes on 9 October