Am I over ratio? Check instantly. Enter your children's ages and get regulator-compliant capacity results in seconds — including assistant ratios and exceptions.
You must both be present.
For sibling babies or continuity of care.
Include your own children if they are under 8.
Babies (1:1 standard)
Early years age group
School-aged children
You are compliant with standard ratio limits for your selected staffing levels.
Track ratios, attendance, and occupancy in real-time. Manage Ofsted & Care Inspectorate registers, logs, and billing in one secure app.
Start Your 7-Day Free TrialUpdated for 2026 Regulations
Calculated against the EYFS 2026 Statutory Framework. Standard limits: Max 6 <8y, Max 3 <5y, Max 1 <1y per adult.
Adding an assistant can double your capacity to 6 children under 5. Our app handles the staff payroll too.
How to Hire & FundAs a registered childminder in England, adhering to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework is mandatory. One of the most critical aspects of compliance is maintaining the correct adult-to-child ratios to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children in your care.
The standard rule for a single childminder working alone is often referred to as the 6:3:1 rule:
Crucially, your own children aged under 8 count towards these ratios if they are present in your home during childminding hours.
Expanded Teams: You can now work with up to 3 assistants (4 people total) under a single registration.
Key Person Status: Assistants can now hold "Key Person" status, tailoring care and building direct relationships with parents.
Sole Care: With parent permission, children can be left in the sole care of an assistant for up to 2 hours per day.
The EYFS framework allows for exceptions to the ratio rules in specific circumstances, provided you can demonstrate that the safety and welfare of the children are maintained:
The total number of children under 8 must not exceed 6 per adult. Any variation must be risk-assessed and documented.
In addition to staff ratios, your premises must offer sufficient indoor space for each child as per the EYFS stipulations:
| Age Group | Space Required |
|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 3.5 m² per child |
| 2 years old | 2.5 m² per child |
| 3 to 5 years | 2.3 m² per child |
2026 Booster: You can now include safely usable kitchen space in these calculations. Hallways and bathrooms remain excluded.
Our app automatically calculates ratios based on who is signed in, so you never have to guess.
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KinderStart strives for accuracy. Competitor features and pricing comparisons are based on publicly available information as of May 2026. Details are subject to change by respective providers.