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The short answer
Your club may need to register with Ofsted. Check the children’s ages, how long they attend, the venue and what you will provide. Some clubs are exempt, meaning they do not have to register. Being a charity, running for one holiday or receiving HAF funding does not by itself make your club exempt.
Scope: England · School-age holiday clubs and daytime activities · Check the rules for your club
Start with the children and the care you offer
Most providers caring for children under eight must register with Ofsted unless an exemption applies. For a club on non-domestic premises, such as a hall, one part of the test is whether any child attends for more than two hours a day. Different rules apply to childminders working from a home. A club in a hall should not assume it is exempt because it is free.
The Early Years Register covers the early years age range, ending on 31 August after the child’s fifth birthday. The compulsory Childcare Register covers care that must be registered for older children who are still under eight. A mixed-age club may need both. Check the rules for your type of club as well as the children’s ages. [1]
Two exemptions that need careful checking
Activity-based provision: This exemption covers tutoring or coaching in one or two of the categories listed by Ofsted for children aged three and over. Categories include sport, performing arts, arts and crafts, and religious, cultural or language studies. The activity must be the main purpose, developing particular skills. A general mix of games and crafts does not automatically qualify. If an under-five attends, the total care, including the activity, must last no more than four hours that day.
Temporary provision: the relevant exemption covers care for under-eights at one place for no more than 14 days in a year, with written notification to Ofsted at least 14 days before it starts. Count all the days you provide care at that location during the year. This route does not apply to childminders with domestic premises. [1]
Record the decision before advertising places
Keep a one-page record of your decision. Include who runs the club, the venue, ages, session lengths, total days of care and activities. State which register or exemption you think applies, the guidance used, who checked it and when to review it.
An exemption must cover the whole club and every child. You cannot apply it just to selected children or to part of care that is already registered. Hiring a school hall does not automatically make your club school-run provision. If the facts are unclear, resolve them with Ofsted and your council’s childcare team before operating. [1]
Registration brings ongoing duties
Some clubs that do not have to register can choose to join the voluntary register. If you do, you must follow its rules. Read the requirements for the register you actually join, including safeguarding, suitable people and first aid. Receiving HAF funding does not decide whether you need Ofsted registration. [2][3]
Next, use the staffing chapter to separate register requirements from general supervision recommendations.
Evidence behind this page
Sources and further reading
Fact-checked against these sources on . We check sources each month. This is our editorial review, not an independent legal or medical assessment.
The numbers in the text link to the sources below. Follow the original guidance for full details and later changes. How we check this guide.
- Ofsted. Registration exemptions↩1 ↩2 ↩3Updated 1 November 2024.Registration duties; activity-based and temporary provision exemptions.
- Ofsted. Daycare providers on the voluntary Childcare Register: requirements↩Current online guidance.Child welfare, qualifications and training.
- Ofsted. Daycare providers on the compulsory Childcare Register: requirements↩Updated 1 September 2026.Child welfare, safeguarding, records and organising childcare.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, where applicable. Specialist sources are attributed to their respective publishers.