Do I Need to Be Ofsted Registered? A Kids' Club Provider's Guide to Taking Bookings

You’ve already got a lot on your plate — juggling schedules, communicating with parents, organising staff, and finding venues. So when you hear the words “Ofsted registration,” it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed.

But the good news? You might not need to register at all. And if you do, the process is clearly outlined in Ofsted’s official registration guidance — and it’s much simpler than the steps schools and nurseries have to follow.

In this guide, we’ll break down when registration is required, when it’s not, how it differs from school requirements, and what the process looks like if you do need to register. We’ll also cover how booking software like Eequ helps providers manage everything from daily admin, bookings, and attendance to compliance documents.

When running afterschool clubs and kids’ activities — you might need to register with Ofsted.

When You Might Be Exempt from Ofsted Registration

Let’s start with the good news: you might not need to register at all.

If you’re running a kids’ activity club, workshop, or holiday programme, you may fall outside Ofsted’s registration requirements — and that can make life much simpler. Many providers are exempt if they:

Care only for children aged 8 and over
Run sessions less than 2 hours per day
Operate fewer than 14 days a year
Offer activity-based sessions like sports, drama, or music

These exemptions apply when your provision isn’t considered “childcare” under Ofsted’s definition. You can double-check your situation using the Ofsted exemptions list.

When Ofsted Registration Is Required for Kids’ Clubs, Camps, and Wraparound Care

If you’re providing regular childcare, you may fall under Ofsted’s registration requirements — but it’s not as intense as registering a full school or early years setting. Most providers like afterschool clubs or wraparound care only need to join the Childcare Register, which has lighter requirements — like basic policies, DBS checks, and paediatric first aid, but no EYFS curriculum or inspections every few years.

You’ll typically need to register with Ofsted if all of the following apply:

You care for children under the age of 8
You look after an individual child for more than 2 hours a day
You operate on more than 14 days in a year
You receive payment for the care (including vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare)

If you meet all four of these conditions and no exemption applies, registration is required. If any one of these doesn’t apply — for example, if you only care for children over 8 — you may be exempt. Always double-check with Ofsted or a relevant authority if you’re unsure about your setup.

In general, most afterschool clubs, holiday camps, and wraparound childcare providers that operate regularly need to register.

What About Tax-Free Childcare and Vouchers?

Accepting Tax-Free Childcare and vouchers means more admin — and most providers can’t manage it manually.

Tax-Free Childcare is run by HMRC and allows eligible working parents to receive up to £2,000 per year, per child towards childcare costs. For every £8 a parent pays into their childcare account, the government adds £2.
Though now closed to new applicants, Childcare Vouchers are still widely used — and you can’t afford to ignore them. These schemes were offered by employers and provided tax and NI savings to parents. You’ll need to be set up with each individual voucher provider (e.g., Edenred) to accept these.

The admin burden can be intense: multiple logins, delayed payments, and no standard reconciliation process.

If you want to accept Tax-Free Childcare payments or Childcare Vouchers, you’ll need to be Ofsted registered. This unlocks government funding for parents and makes your sessions more accessible — but it also introduces serious admin challenges.

Many providers struggle with organising this part. Payments come in with cryptic references and don’t always match bookings — and for those accepting government funding, reconciling these against registers and reporting requirements adds another layer of stress. It’s nearly impossible to manage manually without risking errors or missed payments.

⭐️ See how the Eequ booking system smoothly handles Childcare Payments in our guide specifically for Afterschool and Holiday programmes.

If You Do Need to Register, Don’t Panic

Registering as a provider isn’t the same as opening a school or nursery — it’s much simpler. Most clubs, holiday camps, and wraparound care providers register on the Childcare Register, not the more complex Early Years Register.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Enhanced DBS checks for staff and volunteers A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check helps ensure staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children by identifying any criminal convictions or safeguarding concerns.
Public liability insurance This protects you legally and financially if someone is injured or their property is damaged while in your care.
A few simple policies (safeguarding, health & safety, complaints) You’ll need clear written documentation — not complex legal manuals, but practical procedures that explain how you keep children safe, handle emergencies, and deal with complaints or concerns.
At least one person with paediatric first aid training There must be someone on-site who is trained to respond to child-specific medical emergencies, from minor injuries to life-saving situations.

How to register:

Get Enhanced DBS checks early, as they can take time to process — each staff member or volunteer working with children needs one.
Prepare your documents: safeguarding, health & safety, and complaints policies; proof of public liability insurance; and paediatric first aid training.
Visit the Ofsted portal. Choose the Compulsory or Voluntary Childcare Register based on your setup and services offered.
Submit your application and pay the fee (currently around £114).
Wait for Ofsted to process your application and carry out necessary checks. In most cases, the whole process takes just a few weeks.

Being prepared ahead of time — especially with DBS checks — can speed things up considerably.

While You’re Setting Up, Think About Bookings and Payments

Eequ: The booking system for Afterschool, Holiday and Multi-Sports clubs and classes

Whether you’re registered or not, collecting payments can be a nightmare. Tax-Free Childcare payments often come in random chunks with confusing references. Vouchers involve multiple portals, delays, and manual reconciliation.

Here’s how it typically goes:

Parent books by email or text
Payment lands with no clear info
You chase the parent to confirm what it’s for — often trying to match names to payment references, which delays confirming attendance

Multiply that by dozens of families, and it’s not sustainable. However, there are tools that can help — especially if, up to now, you’ve been relying on WhatsApp threads and Excel spreadsheets.

Eequ’s booking system is designed to make life easier for multi-sports clubs, camps, and care providers:

Accepts bookings and Tax-Free Childcare and voucher payments
Gives parents clear instructions, reducing errors
Matches payments to bookings automatically
Sends receipts and reminders
Tracks availability, registers, and waiting lists

By reducing admin and errors, you get paid faster and look more professional.

Want to see how it works? Explore The Eequ Booking System with it's Childcare Payments Feature.

Final Checklist & Next Steps

Running an afterschool club, camp, or wraparound care programme comes with plenty of moving parts — and Ofsted registration is just one of them.

You may not need to register at all.
If you do, the process is manageable — and the payoff is big: greater trust from parents and access to funding schemes like Tax-Free Childcare.
For managing bookings, payments, registers, and reporting — that’s where Eequ comes in.

Start managing your kids’ club or camp the smart way — with trusted booking software that’s built for providers like you.

Follow the Eequ onboarding guide to get started!

Setting up your classes on Eequ is fast and simple. Why not give it a go and see if you can get everything up and running in under an hour? Become the kind of childcare provider that has all their admin handled, always. Now that’s a dream worth chasing!