Day Nurseries are regulated by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and have to comply with the OFSTED National Standards.

The OFSTED National Standards monitor areas such as :
Fitness of Management and Staff
Children to Adult Ratios
Training
Physical Environment
Equipment – toys, furniture etc.
Health and Safety
Document Keeping
Education
The full document can be assessed at http://www.surestart.gov.uk
Environmental Standards
Play Area and Classroom Space
Under 2’s = 3.5 m2 per child
2- 3’s = 2.5 m2 per child
4-7’s = 2.3 m2 per child
Minimum Class size is 26
Each room should have separate quiet, noisy and messy play areas.
Separate sleeping room required for babies.
1 toilet and washbasin required for every 10 children.
Separate staff facilities must be provided.
Staffing Standards
Ratios of staff to child
Babies (under 2’s) = 1 : 3
2-3’s = 1 : 4
3 years plus = 1 : 8
For groups of 20 children plus 1 supernumerary is rebullit_ball_grnuired.
Manager to hold suitable qualification (NVQ level 3 in Childcare and 2 years Childcare experience).
50% of remaining staff must be qualified to NVQ level 2.
All staff to provide references and a Criminal Records Bureau check.