Nursery and childcare glossary
Short, plain definitions of the terms nurseries, councils and Ofsted use, from EYFS to stretched offer.
- Adjusted net incomeYour taxable income after certain deductions such as pension contributions; above £100,000 you lose working-parent hours and Tax-Free Childcare
- Bilingual nurseryA nursery where children hear and use two languages every day, usually English and one other
- Childcare codeThe 11-digit eligibility code you get from HMRC for working-parent funded hours, which you give to your nursery
- ChildminderA registered professional who looks after a small group of children, usually in their own home
- Consumables chargeA fee some nurseries charge alongside funded hours for things like meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and sun cream
- Day nurseryA nursery open for a full working day, typically from around 7:30am to 6pm, usually all year round
- DepositMoney a nursery asks you to pay to secure a place, often equal to some weeks' or a month's fees
- Early Learning for 2 year oldsThe government's name for 15 funded hours a week for 2-year-olds in families on certain benefits or with extra needs
- Early Years RegisterOfsted's register of providers who look after children from birth until the 1 September after their 5th birthday
- EHC planAn education, health and care plan: a legal document from the council setting out a child's special educational needs and the support they must get
- EYFSThe Early Years Foundation Stage: the statutory framework every registered nursery, pre-school and childminder in England follows for children from birth to 5
- Forest schoolA way of learning outdoors, regularly and over a long period, in a woodland or natural space
- Funded hoursChildcare hours paid for by the government through your council, sometimes called free hours
- Grace periodThe time you can keep your working-parent funded hours after you stop being eligible, for example after losing a job
- Key personThe member of staff a nursery assigns to your child to build a close bond, plan their care and be your main contact
- Maintained nursery schoolA stand-alone nursery school run by the council, with its own headteacher and qualified teachers
- MontessoriAn approach to early education, developed by Maria Montessori, built around child-led learning with specially designed materials
- NannyA carer who looks after your children in your home, employed by you or through an agency
- Progress check at twoA short written summary of your child's development that their nursery or childminder must give you when they are between 2 and 3
- PVIPrivate, voluntary and independent providers: the nurseries, pre-schools and childminders that are not run by a school or council
- RatioThe minimum number of staff a nursery must have for the number of children of each age
- Reggio Emilia approachAn approach to early education from the Italian city of Reggio Emilia that treats children as capable researchers who learn through projects
- Registration feeA one-off charge some nurseries make to put your child on their waiting list or to process an application
- Report cardOfsted's new style of inspection result for nurseries, used since 10 November 2025, with a grade for each area instead of one overall grade
- SENCOSpecial educational needs coordinator: the member of staff responsible for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities
- SENDSpecial educational needs and disabilities: when a child needs support that is additional to or different from what most children their age need
- Sessional nurseryA pre-school or playgroup that runs morning and afternoon sessions rather than a full working day
- Settling-in sessionsShort visits before your child starts, building up from an hour with you to a few hours on their own
- Steiner (Waldorf)An approach to early childhood based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, with an emphasis on imaginative play, rhythm and natural materials
- Stretched offerUsing funded hours over more than 38 weeks a year, with fewer hours each week, at a nursery open all year
- Tax-Free ChildcareA government scheme that adds £2 for every £8 you pay into an online childcare account, up to £500 every 3 months per child
- Term-time onlyA nursery or pre-school that opens only during school terms, usually about 38 weeks a year
- Universal Credit childcareHelp with childcare costs through Universal Credit: up to 85% of what you pay, up to a monthly limit
- URNThe unique reference number Ofsted gives every registered nursery, childminder and school
- Workplace nurseryA nursery set up or supported by an employer for its staff, sometimes with a salary sacrifice scheme that saves tax