# Nursery and childcare glossary

Short, plain definitions of the terms nurseries, councils and Ofsted use, from EYFS to stretched offer.

Page: https://toddly.co.uk/glossary

- [Adjusted net income](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/adjusted-net-income.md): Your taxable income after certain deductions such as pension contributions; above £100,000 you lose working-parent hours and Tax-Free Childcare
- [Bilingual nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/bilingual-nursery.md): A nursery where children hear and use two languages every day, usually English and one other
- [Childcare code](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/childcare-code.md): The 11-digit eligibility code you get from HMRC for working-parent funded hours, which you give to your nursery
- [Childminder](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/childminder.md): A registered professional who looks after a small group of children, usually in their own home
- [Consumables charge](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/consumables-charge.md): A fee some nurseries charge alongside funded hours for things like meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and sun cream
- [Day nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/day-nursery.md): A nursery open for a full working day, typically from around 7:30am to 6pm, usually all year round
- [Deposit](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/deposit.md): Money 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 olds](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/early-learning-for-2-year-olds.md): The government's name for 15 funded hours a week for 2-year-olds in families on certain benefits or with extra needs
- [Early Years Register](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/early-years-register.md): Ofsted's register of providers who look after children from birth until the 1 September after their 5th birthday
- [EHC plan](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/ehc-plan.md): An 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
- [EYFS](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/eyfs.md): The Early Years Foundation Stage: the statutory framework every registered nursery, pre-school and childminder in England follows for children from birth to 5
- [Forest school](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/forest-school.md): A way of learning outdoors, regularly and over a long period, in a woodland or natural space
- [Funded hours](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/funded-hours.md): Childcare hours paid for by the government through your council, sometimes called free hours
- [Grace period](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/grace-period.md): The time you can keep your working-parent funded hours after you stop being eligible, for example after losing a job
- [Key person](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/key-person.md): The member of staff a nursery assigns to your child to build a close bond, plan their care and be your main contact
- [Maintained nursery school](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/maintained-nursery-school.md): A stand-alone nursery school run by the council, with its own headteacher and qualified teachers
- [Montessori](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/montessori.md): An approach to early education, developed by Maria Montessori, built around child-led learning with specially designed materials
- [Nanny](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/nanny.md): A carer who looks after your children in your home, employed by you or through an agency
- [Progress check at two](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/progress-check-at-two.md): A short written summary of your child's development that their nursery or childminder must give you when they are between 2 and 3
- [PVI](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/pvi.md): Private, voluntary and independent providers: the nurseries, pre-schools and childminders that are not run by a school or council
- [Ratio](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/ratio.md): The minimum number of staff a nursery must have for the number of children of each age
- [Reggio Emilia approach](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/reggio-emilia.md): An approach to early education from the Italian city of Reggio Emilia that treats children as capable researchers who learn through projects
- [Registration fee](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/registration-fee.md): A one-off charge some nurseries make to put your child on their waiting list or to process an application
- [Report card](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/report-card.md): Ofsted's new style of inspection result for nurseries, used since 10 November 2025, with a grade for each area instead of one overall grade
- [SENCO](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/senco.md): Special educational needs coordinator: the member of staff responsible for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities
- [SEND](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/send.md): Special educational needs and disabilities: when a child needs support that is additional to or different from what most children their age need
- [Sessional nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/sessional-nursery.md): A pre-school or playgroup that runs morning and afternoon sessions rather than a full working day
- [Settling-in sessions](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/settling-in.md): Short visits before your child starts, building up from an hour with you to a few hours on their own
- [Steiner (Waldorf)](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/steiner.md): An approach to early childhood based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, with an emphasis on imaginative play, rhythm and natural materials
- [Stretched offer](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/stretched-offer.md): Using funded hours over more than 38 weeks a year, with fewer hours each week, at a nursery open all year
- [Tax-Free Childcare](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/tax-free-childcare.md): A 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 only](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/term-time-only.md): A nursery or pre-school that opens only during school terms, usually about 38 weeks a year
- [Universal Credit childcare](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/universal-credit-childcare.md): Help with childcare costs through Universal Credit: up to 85% of what you pay, up to a monthly limit
- [URN](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/urn.md): The unique reference number Ofsted gives every registered nursery, childminder and school
- [Workplace nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/workplace-nursery.md): A nursery set up or supported by an employer for its staff, sometimes with a salary sacrifice scheme that saves tax