Your childcare business journey
A clear next step.
Find practical support for your setting, your UK nation and your business stage.
Existing policy templates primarily support childminders in England. Check suitability for your setting and nation before adapting resources.
Hi there, what do you need today?
Ask Polly about any policy, form or activity.
Example questions
Start here
Four steps, one at a time. Do the highlighted step first.
- Up next Fill in your details once Your setting name and local contacts go into every document. Add my details
-
To do
Complete your must-have documents
0 of 6 done
Open Safeguarding policy next
- To do Send to parents and get them signed Open a form, fill it in, then tap Send to parent to sign. Or print it and sign on paper. Open the parent contract
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To do
File safely
Download everything in one ZIP, keep a copy, and note your review date.
Preparing...
Still registering with Ofsted? See Becoming a childminder. Help explains the rest.
This week's ideas
Let Polly plan your week around a timely theme.
Your week plan is saved to your account so it follows you between devices. If you switch reminders on, we email you each day's activity.
The year ahead: what is coming up each month
- OctoberHarvest, pumpkins, autumn nature
- NovemberBonfire night safety, Diwali lanterns
- DecemberWinter walks, Hanukkah
- JanuaryToddler and baby collections
- FebruaryChinese New Year
- SpringHoli, Eid, growing and planting
Common jobs
Updated for you
- Safeguarding now says allegations of harm (not only serious harm) go to Ofsted within 14 days.
- Staff conduct widens what you must tell Ofsted about, including arrests and court orders.
- EYFS framework for childminders changed. Your policies now follow the 2026 version.
Inspection tools
Check where you stand, practise the questions, and get your paperwork in order.
Ofsted Readiness QuizA 2-minute quiz that scores how ready you are and gives you a checklist.
Open
Ofsted inspection checklistSeven areas of the 2026 toolkit, every item tied to its EYFS paragraph.
Open
Ofsted Registration Policy ChecklistEvery policy Ofsted expects to see at your registration visit, in one list.
Open
Ofsted Pre-Registration Interview Practice Questions21 practice questions for your registration visit, with model answers.
Open
Ofsted Registration Form DecoderDecode each section of the Ofsted registration form and what your answers lead to.
Open
Self-evaluation form for childmindersRate your setting across the seven areas, with plain-English prompts.
Open
Documents for inspection
Policy Templates
🛡
Most DownloadedIncluded
Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
EYFS 2026 aligned. Covers DBS, LADO, referral procedures, allegations against staff. ~1,200 words.
⛑️
Included
Health & Safety Policy
Covers risk assessments, first aid, fire procedures, equipment safety, and accident recording.
🔒
Updated Sept 2026Included
GDPR & Data Protection Policy
UK GDPR compliant. Covers what data you hold, lawful basis, retention periods, parent rights, and data breaches.
🤝
Included
Behaviour Management Policy
Positive behaviour strategies, setting boundaries, managing challenging behaviour, and working with parents.
📄
Most DownloadedIncluded
Parent Contract & Terms
Full childminder contract: fees, hours, holiday pay, notice periods, late collection charges, and exclusion criteria.
🥗
Included
Food, Nutrition & Allergy Policy
Covers the 14 major allergens, emergency epi-pen procedures, healthy eating, dietary requirements, and recording.
📮
Included
Complaints Procedure
3-stage complaints process, response timelines, Ofsted escalation route, and a complaints log template.
🧩
Included
SEND & Inclusion Policy
Covers identification, SENCO role, EHCPs, reasonable adjustments, and working with specialists. Children and Families Act 2014 aligned.
💻
Online Safety Policy
Device use, photography, social media rules, online communication with parents, and responding to online incidents.
🤒
Included
Sick Child & Illness Exclusion Policy
UKHSA exclusion periods table, infection control, notifiable diseases, and parent communication guidance.
🌈
Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy
Equality Act 2010 aligned. Nine protected characteristics, British Values, inclusive practice, and anti-discrimination procedures.
🏠
Included
Settling-In Procedure
Three-phase settling-in process, key person approach, separation anxiety support, and transition to school guidance.
🧷
Intimate Care & Nappy Changing Policy
Step-by-step nappy changing procedure, dignity and respect guidelines, recording requirements, and parent consent.
🔍
Lost & Missing Child Policy
Step-by-step procedure for a missing child on outings or at the setting, police notification, parent contact, and Ofsted reporting.
📵
Mobile Phone & Photography Policy
Acceptable use of personal and work devices, photo consent rules, image storage and deletion, and social media restrictions.
🔥
Included
Fire Safety & Evacuation Policy
Evacuation procedure, fire drill records, assembly point, equipment checks, and roles during an emergency.
😴
Sleep Safety Policy
Safe sleep guidance aligned to The Lullaby Trust, monitoring procedures, sleep environment checklist, and parent communication.
👔
Staff Conduct & Disciplinary Policy
Expectations of professional conduct, disciplinary procedure stages, gross misconduct examples, and appeal process.
📣
Whistleblowing Policy
Covers what whistleblowing means, how staff raise concerns, confidentiality protections, external disclosure routes, and LADO referrals.
🔑
Key Person System Policy
Roles and responsibilities of the key person, allocation of children, handover procedures, and continuity of care when key person is absent.
🎨 Activity Plans
Included
Baby Activities Pack — 0—18 Months (10 plans)
Sensory, treasure baskets, tummy time, heuristic play, mirror activities. Each with EYFS outcomes + parent sheet.
Stay Compliant
Activity Plan Template
Blank EYFS-aligned activity plan template. Fill in your own activities with learning objectives and EYFS area mapping.
Included
Toddler Activities Pack — 18m—3 Years (10 plans)
Messy play, mark making, water play, role play, movement, sorting and more. Each with EYFS outcomes and parent take-home.
Pre-school Activities Pack — 3—5 Years (10 plans)
Phonics, counting, science, junk modelling, name writing, shapes and more. School readiness focus.
Summer Activity Pack — All Ages (15 plans)
Water wall, ice excavation, shadow drawing, nature walks, bubble play, mud kitchen and more.
Autumn Activity Pack — All Ages (15 plans)
Leaf printing, conker rolling art, welly walks, harvest sorting, bird feeders and more.
Outdoor Learning Pack — All Ages (12 plans)
Bug hunts, den building, nature journals, mud kitchen, treasure hunts, and puddle science.
Included
Doctors & Hospital Role Play Pack (5 plans)
Set up surgery, patient check-ups, bandaging, hospital ward, and pharmacy activities with full EYFS links and parent take-home notes.
Included
Growing & Planting Activity Pack (8 plans)
Planting cress heads, seed sorting, bug hunts, and more spring growing activities with EYFS links and observation prompts.
Included
Mini Beasts Discovery Pack (5 plans)
Bug hunt & tally, worm investigation, minibeast sort & count, woodlice habitat study, and snail observation. EYFS-linked with parent take-homes.
Mini Beasts Science Investigations (5 plans)
Butterfly lifecycle sequencing, spider web science & art, bee habitat design, caterpillar growth diary, and minibeast ID keys.
Mini Beasts Creative & Extended Pack (5 plans + records)
Bug hotel build, butterfly symmetry printing, minibeast stick puppets, sensory bug tray, lifecycle collage, and EYFS planning & observation records.
Stay Compliant
October Harvest & Autumn Pack (6 plans)
Harvest festival crafts, pumpkin exploration, apple printing, conker activities, and autumn nature art. EYFS-linked with parent strips.
Stay Compliant
November Bonfire & Diwali Pack (6 plans)
Safe firework art, Diwali lanterns, Remembrance Day poppies, clay hedgehogs, and autumn sensory play.
Stay Compliant
December Winter Celebrations Pack (6 plans)
Inclusive Christmas, Hanukkah, and winter activities. Wrapping exploration, carol singing science, and winter nature walks.
Stay Compliant
February Chinese New Year Pack (6 plans)
Dragon parade, red envelope making, dumpling cooking, lantern crafts, and Chinese zodiac animal activities.
Stay Compliant
Eid Celebrations Activity Pack (6 plans)
Crescent moon collage, henna printing, card making, food tasting, lantern crafts, and Eidiyah role play. Inclusive for all children.
Stay Compliant
Holi — Festival of Colours Pack (6 plans)
Colour mixing explosion, rangoli patterns, spring nature hunt, spice exploration, water balloon art, and the story of Prahlad.
Stay Compliant
Hanukkah — Festival of Lights Pack (6 plans)
Paper hanukkiah, dreidel maths game, light exploration, latke cooking, Star of David weaving, and the miracle story.
Mark-Making & Drawing Sheets (9 sheets)
EYFS-referenced printable templates for all age bands — babies' first marks, toddler feelings and day drawings, preschool self-portraits, story sequences and weekly reflection sheets. Learning journey ready.
Stay Compliant
Baby Sensory Colouring Sheets (8 sheets)
High-contrast bold outlines for 0—18 months: sun, star, heart, moon, flower, fish, house, and caterpillar. Print and colour together.
Stay Compliant
Toddler Craft & Colouring Templates (8 sheets)
Trace-and-colour, cutting guides, and animal colouring for 18m—3yrs. Fine motor and creative development.
Stay Compliant
Preschool Creative Packs — Numbers, Alphabet & Shapes (10 sheets)
Number colouring 1—10, alphabet outlines A—Z, shape pattern sheets, and symmetry activities for 3—5 years. School readiness support.
Stay Compliant
Forest School Activity Cards (12 cards)
Laminate-ready prompt cards for outdoor sessions: sensory exploration, den building, minibeast hunts, mud kitchen, land art, and more.
Stay Compliant
Transitions & New Beginnings Pack
New starter settling-in checklists, room move guides, school readiness activities, and three editable parent letter templates.
📝 Forms & Printables
Send for Signature
Send any document to a parent or client for a digital signature. They sign online — both of you get the signed PDF by email. Nothing stored on our servers.
PopularIncluded
Accident & Incident Report Form
Ofsted-ready accident form with parent signature section. Includes near-miss and incident variations.
PopularIncluded
Child Observation Template
Narrative observation with EYFS area mapping, next steps, and parent sharing section.
Developmental Observation Form
Document developmental concerns across EYFS areas, note context and frequency, identify red flags, and plan next steps. Downloadable form for your records.
Parent Communication Templates
Professional templates and guidance for talking with parents about developmental concerns. Includes email examples, conversation tips, do's and don'ts, and meeting record form.
Stay Compliant
Blank weekly planning sheet
7-day planner with space for activities, EYFS areas, children's interests, and parent notes.
Included
Medication Administration Record
Permission form and administration log for prescribed and non-prescribed medicines, with parent sign-off.
Included
Risk Assessment Templates (4 types)
General setting, outdoor play, outings, and cooking activities. Likelihood — severity scoring with pre-filled examples.
Learning Journey Template Pack
6-page child portfolio: cover, About Me, EYFS tracker, observations, parent comments, and transition summary.
EYFS Development Tracker
Track each child's progress across all 7 EYFS areas and 17 Early Learning Goals. RAG rated with age band indicators.
Parent Feedback Form
Annual parent satisfaction questionnaire covering communication, activities, meals, settling-in, and overall experience. Ofsted-ready evidence.
Staff Induction Checklist
Complete new-starter induction checklist: policies, safeguarding, DBS, first aid, EYFS, key person allocation, and probation milestones.
Ofsted Inspection Prep Checklist
70-point checklist in the order Ofsted inspects, with every item tied to its EYFS paragraph or the 2026 inspection toolkit.
Members
Branded starter pack
A door sign, a welcome pack cover, a Facebook cover and a price list, in your own colour and logo. Set your look under My branding first.
Stay Compliant
CPD & Training Log
Annual training tracker with mandatory training checklist (8 items), 20-entry log, and reflective practice section. Ofsted-ready evidence.
Stay Compliant
Monthly Compliance Checklist
33-point monthly compliance check across 6 areas: safeguarding, health & safety, documentation, staff, environment, and parent comms.
Stay Compliant
Self-Evaluation Form (SEF)
Follows the seven areas of Ofsted’s 2026 early years inspection toolkit, with the five-point grading scale, a safeguarding check and a priorities page.
Stay Compliant
EYFS Observation Statement Bank
Ready-made observation statements for all 7 EYFS areas across 3 age bands, plus 16 next-step starters and a quick reference table.
Stay Compliant
Parent Newsletter Template
Professional printable newsletter with monthly highlights, EYFS focus section, reminders, and "Did You Know?" home-learning tip.
Childminder Contract Template
Full UK childminder contract with fee table, hours, holiday & sickness terms, permissions, GDPR clause and signatures. Step-by-step filling instructions included.
Included
Child Record Form
Comprehensive child registration form: emergency contacts, GP details, medical & dietary information, consent checkboxes, fees agreement and parent signatures.
Included
Childcare Attendance Register
Two-week sign-in/sign-out register with daily time columns, parent signature, total hours, and weekly summary. Meets Ofsted record-keeping requirements.
Included
Record of Existing Injury
Safeguarding record with body diagram for marking injury location, parent account, practitioner observations, and LADO reference. Legally required.
Included
Fee Receipt Template
Professional payment receipts with amount, period, payment method (cash/bank/vouchers/TFC), balance outstanding and childminder signature. 3 per page.
Income & Expenditure Template
Self-assessment ready spreadsheet: monthly fee income, 10 expense categories, annual summary with HMRC personal allowance note. Aligned to UK April–March tax year.
Included
Ofsted Registration Readiness Checklist
Step-by-step checklist covering personal requirements, insurance, indoor & outdoor safety, all required policies, records and EYFS preparation before your registration visit.
Included
2-Year-Old Progress Check
Statutory EYFS check covering all three prime areas — PSED, Communication & Language, Physical Development — with development bands, next steps and parent input section.
Included
Garden & Outdoor Risk Assessment
Comprehensive risk assessment covering fencing, gates, surfaces, play equipment, water, plants, storage and multi-level areas. Includes review log.
Included
Weekly Menu Planner & Allergen Record
Weekly meal planner (breakfast to afternoon snack) plus a 14-allergen register for each child, covering all allergens required under UK food law.
Included
Food Hygiene Daily Record
Monthly log for fridge temperatures, food prep, handwashing, surface cleaning and allergen checks — with pass/fail columns and monthly sign-off.
Child Allergy Action Plan
Child-specific emergency allergy form — one per child with a known allergy. Allergens, severity levels, symptom chart, step-by-step emergency action, medication details, and contacts. Print, laminate, display.
🎓 Business Guides
Registering with Ofsted — Complete Guide
Who must register, who is exempt, every step of the process, DBS requirements, First Aid rules, dos and don'ts, and common mistakes to avoid.
Ofsted Form Decoder — Decision Flows & Impacts
All 10 categories of the EY2/EY3 application visualised. Decision flows for DBS, household members, premises, ratios and health — with clear impact ratings so you don't trigger refusal.
Ofsted Pre-Registration Interview Practice
60+ real-world questions on safeguarding, EYFS, child development, health & safety, and childcare law. Model answers with inspector tips and scoring guidance.
Early Years Development Statements Bank
Complete EYFS reference consolidating Development Matters, Birth to 5 Matters & ELG framework. Perfect for observations, reports, assessments & staff consistency. Printed & digital options.
Developmental Concerns Signposting Guide
Identify red flags across all EYFS areas with official UK referral pathways. Includes communication templates, Health Visitor referral process, and Ofsted documentation requirements.
Difficult Conversations — Scripts for Childminders
Word-for-word scripts for the four conversations every childminder dreads: raising fees, persistent late collection, terminating a contract, and raising a developmental concern. With pushback responses and what not to say.
Fee Review Letter Generator
Fill in your details — name, current fee, new fee, effective date, reason — and get a confident, print-ready letter in under 30 seconds. No apologising. Just a professional notice that does the job.
What should I charge?
Put in your costs, your hours and what you need to earn. Get the hourly rate your own numbers support, and see how it compares with your council’s funded rate.
Late payment letter
First reminder, second reminder and final notice. Firm, polite, and safe to send as it stands.
Notice letter
Give notice to end a place: the notice period, the last day and what happens to fees, in line with your contract.
Stay Compliant
Setting Up Your Facebook Page as a Childcare Setting
Step-by-step setup, essential privacy settings, GDPR and photo consent rules, what to post, safeguarding your online presence, and a sample weekly posting schedule.
Stay Compliant
Setting Up a Website and Blog for Your Childcare Setting
Choosing a platform, domain setup, essential pages, GDPR and photography, 30 blog post ideas, local SEO basics, and a complete pre-launch checklist.
🌐 Website Templates
Stay Compliant
Childminder Classic — Homepage Template
Clean, professional homepage with hero, about, services, daily routine, fees, and contact form. Replace [bracketed text] and publish.
Stay Compliant
Childminder Modern — Split Layout Template
Contemporary split-layout design with credentials sidebar, services grid, fee table, and bold CTA section. Modern and eye-catching.
Stay Compliant
Nursery Professional — Multi-Room Template
Full nursery website with age-group rooms, staff profiles, fees table, and book-a-visit CTA. Ideal for settings with multiple rooms or staff.
How to use your website template:
- Download — click the ? Download button on a template card above.
- Edit — open the HTML file in any text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac) and replace every
[bracketed placeholder]with your own details. - Preview — drag the saved file into Chrome or Edge to check it looks right before publishing.
- Publish free — drag the file to Netlify Drop, Tiiny.host, or push to GitHub Pages for a free live website in minutes.
Tip: set your brand colour and logo in the Branding panel above — they are applied automatically when you preview templates in this dashboard.
Nothing matches that yet.
My branding: pick a brand pack, or use your own logo and colour
Your look goes on every policy and form, and is saved to your account so it follows you to any device.
Brand packs
No logo yet? Pick a ready-made look. Each one sets your colour and makes a logo with your setting's name.
This is how the top of your documents will look.
Print your door sign, welcome cover and price list in this look
Or use your own
No logo
Membership and billing
Change your card, see invoices or stop your plan.
Need help? Email [email protected]
📱 Social Media Templates & Guides