What is the ratio for childminders in the UK?

The statutory EYFS ratio for an independent childminder in England is 1:6 for children under eight, with sub-caps of 1:3 for children under five and 1:1 for babies under one. Each assistant adds capacity in the same ratios, up to four adults, subject to indoor floor space limits.

What is the legal ratio limit for a solo childminder in the UK?

In England, a solo childminder can care for a maximum of 6 children under eight years old at any one time. Within this cap, a maximum of 3 children may be under five, and no more than 1 child may be under one year old. Your own children under eight count toward these ratios.

What is the Rising Fives rule for childminder ratios?

The EYFS childminder framework has no separate Rising Fives rule: a child counts as a young child until the 31 August after their fifth birthday. Children aged three to five who only attend before or after school, or in the holidays, may be cared for at the same time as three other young children.

Can childminders ever make an exception to standard ratios?

Yes, Ofsted allows exceptions to maintain continuity of care (e.g. caring for a sibling or accommodating changing work patterns of an existing family), provided the childminder can show parents and Ofsted that the safety and individual needs of every child are met.

Compliance

Childminder Ratios UK: How Many Children Can You Look After? (2026 Guide)

Q: How many children can a childminder have in the UK?

A solo registered childminder in England can care for a maximum of 6 children under eight years old at any one time. Of these six, no more than 3 may be under five years old, and strictly only 1 may be under one year old. Your own children under eight count toward these numbers.

Q: What are Ofsted indoor space requirements for childminders?

EYFS requires 3.5 m² of clear floor space per child under two years old, 2.5 m² per child for two-year-olds, and 2.3 m² per child for children aged three to five years. Only rooms regularly used for play and learning count toward the calculation.

Childminder ratios UK 2026: how many children can a childminder have? Learn the statutory 6:3:1 EYFS rule, the wraparound exception, assistant ratios, and indoor floor space requirements.

Keep your observations, register and records ready for Ofsted, Care Inspectorate Wales or the Care Inspectorate. Try it free for 7 days.

Start free trial

Written byDaniel Broadhurst (Founder)|Published: 22 June 2026

Ofsted Ratios for Childminders: Early Years Ratios & Space Guide (2026)

As a solo childminder in England, you can care for up to 6 children under 8, of whom no more than 3 may be young children (under 5) and normally only 1 may be under 1 year old. Exceeding these ratios risks your Ofsted registration under the Childcare Act 2006.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets strict age-bracket limits and floor-space standards. Getting them right protects your registration and ensures compliance with the Ofsted early years inspection toolkit.

TL;DR

Maximum Legal Capacity: Solo childminders in England can care for up to 6 children under eight years old simultaneously.

Under-5 Sub-Limit: No more than 3 may be young children. A child counts as young until the 31 August after their fifth birthday.

Baby Sub-Limit: Maximum 1 baby under one year old at any given time.

Wraparound Exception: Children aged three to five who only attend before and after school, or in the school holidays, can be cared for alongside three other young children, within the cap of six.

Indoor Space Mandate: Minimum clear floor space is 3.5 m² per baby, 2.5 m² for 2-year-olds, and 2.3 m² for 3–5-year-olds.

Exceptions Rule: Ratio exceptions (for example siblings, your own child or continuity of care) are allowed only where you can show parents and Ofsted that every child's needs are met.

Is your home Ofsted ready?

Our Room-by-Room Audit tool helps you spot hidden hazards and generates your risk assessments automatically.

Start Your Audit→

How Many Children Can a Childminder Have in the UK? (The 6:3:1 Ratio Rule)

A solo Ofsted-registered childminder in England can care for a maximum of six children under eight years old at any one time. Within this statutory six-child cap, strict age-band limits apply: a maximum of three young children under five, and strictly one baby under one year old. Any of the childminder's own children under eight count directly towards these numbers.

The EYFS Statutory Framework for Childminders establishes the fundamental 6:3:1 ratio formula:

Total Capacity (Under Eight Years): Maximum of 6 children per adult.
Young Children (until the 31 August after their fifth birthday): Maximum of 3 children per adult.
Babies (Under One Year): Maximum of 1 baby per adult (exceptions can be made, for example for siblings, your own child, or continuity of care).
Children Aged Five to Seven Years: Up to 3 children, filling the remainder of the 6-child cap.
Own Children: Any childminder's own children, or children for whom they are responsible, aged under eight must be included in these headcount caps.

When operating with assistants on domestic premises, up to four adults (the childminder plus up to three other childminders or assistants) may work together under a childminder registration. Ratios scale proportionally (up to 12 children for 2 adults; up to 18 for 3 adults; up to 24 for 4 adults), provided indoor floor space mandates are met. If more than four people work together, the setting must register as childcare on domestic premises (Childcare Act 2006, section 96).

How Does the 'Rising Fives' Rule Increase Childminder Capacity?

The EYFS childminder framework does not count reception-age children as over five: a child is a young child until the 31 August after their fifth birthday. What it does allow is a wraparound exception: children aged three to five who only attend before and/or after a normal school day, and/or during the school holidays, may be cared for at the same time as three other young children.

This means you can keep three full-time young children and still offer before- and after-school care to reception-age children. The total must never exceed six children under eight per adult.

What Are Ofsted's Minimum Indoor Space Requirements per Child?

Ofsted requires 3.5 m² of clear indoor floor space per child under two years old, 2.5 m² per child for two-year-olds, and 2.3 m² per child for children aged three to five. Hallways, bathrooms, and storage areas are strictly excluded from floor space calculations.

Verify your space before accepting any child.

EYFS space requirements are measured in square metres of clear floor space per child:

Under 2 years: 3.5 m² per child
Two-year-olds: 2.5 m² per child
Three to five-year-olds: 2.3 m² per child

Count only rooms regularly used for children's play and learning — your living room, dining room, or a dedicated playroom. Exclude hallways, bathrooms, and small kitchens. A 15 m² living room gives you physical capacity for four toddlers (4 × 2.5 m² = 10 m²), but your ratio cap still limits you to three.

What Are the Early Years Ratios in 2026?

Early years ratios in 2026 in England are set by the Department for Education's EYFS statutory framework and enforced by Ofsted. Childminders operate on a 1:6 ratio (maximum three under five), while group early years settings require 1:3 for under-twos, 1:5 for two-year-olds, and 1:8 or 1:13 for children aged three and over.

Ofsted inspects compliance against the statutory ratios set out in Section 3 of the EYFS framework. The following table contrasts statutory early years ratios across provider types:

Provider Type & Age Band	Statutory 2026 Ratio	Minimum Staff Qualifications & Conditions
Childminder: Under 8s (Total Cap)	1:6 per adult	Maximum 6 children under eight; own children under eight count in ratio.
Childminder: Under 5s (Young Children)	1:3 per adult	Maximum 3 young children (until the 31 August after their fifth birthday); wraparound exception for 3–5s.
Childminder: Under 1 year	1:1 per adult	Normally 1 baby; exceptions possible, for example for siblings or continuity of care.
Childminder with Assistants	1:6 per adult (Up to 24 max)	Up to 4 adults on domestic premises (max 6 under 5 for 2 adults; max 9 for 3 adults; max 12 for 4 adults).
Group Setting: Children Under 2	1:3	At least one member of staff must hold an approved Level 3 qualification; at least half of other staff Level 2.
Group Setting: Two-Year-Olds	1:5	At least one member of staff must hold an approved Level 3 qualification; at least half of other staff Level 2.
Group Setting: Age 3+ (Without QTS/EYTS)	1:8	At least one member of staff must hold an approved Level 3 qualification; at least half of other staff Level 2.
Group Setting: Age 3+ (With QTS/EYTS)	1:13	Qualified Teacher or Early Years Teacher working directly with children, plus one Level 3 staff member.

Full statutory requirements for group settings are defined in the EYFS Statutory Framework for Group and School-based Providers and the DfE Early Years Qualifications List.

Track Your Progress

Don't get lost in the paperwork. Use our free interactive checklist to tick off each step as you complete it.

Start Checklist→View Features

When Does Ofsted Permit Exceptions to Childminder Ratios?

The EYFS permits childminders to exceed the usual ratios only where they can show parents and Ofsted that the individual needs of all children are being met. Examples include caring for siblings, caring for your own child, maintaining continuity of care, and before- and after-school care for children aged three to five. The total must never exceed six children under eight per adult.

Demonstrate that you meet the individual needs of all children in your care. Base any exception on the needs of the children in your care, not on filling a space. If you're unsure, ask Ofsted or your childminder agency first.

How Can Childminders Automate Ratio Tracking and Avoid Breaches?

Childcare software like KinderStart checks every booked day against your ratios using each child's date of birth. If a booking takes a day over an age cap, the Occupancy report flags that day before it arrives, while there's still time to change the booking.

Occupancy Report

Monitor your setting's capacity and vacancy levels with automated reporting

Managing interlocking rules — birthdays, school start dates, and floor space — creates a significant administrative burden on paper.

Your dashboard also shows a Live Ratio of children currently signed in to adults working.

Focus on providing exceptional care with confidence that your compliance is covered.

Understanding your capacity is the first step toward building a successful business. Explore related guides on scaling your setting and career:

From Classroom to Living Room: Why teachers are switching to childminding in 2026
Hiring an Assistant: The strategic guide to doubling your revenue
Calculating Capacity With Staff: How assistant ratios work and what it does to your numbers

Master your ratios and plan for growth to build a setting that is professionally rewarding and financially sustainable.

Is your home Ofsted ready?

Our Room-by-Room Audit tool helps you spot hidden hazards and generates your risk assessments automatically.

Start Your Audit→

Check your ratios instantly

Our free Ratio Checker tool validates your numbers against EYFS rules in seconds.

Start 7-day free trial Try the Ratio Checker

Cancel in the app before day 7 and you pay nothing.

Where we mention other providers, check each provider's own website for its current features and prices. Product names are trademarks of their owners.

We’d like to use analytics and ad cookies. Learn more