Here you will find links to a wide range of additional, helpful business resources.
Coming soon: email support, a discussion forum, FAQs and details of upcoming webinars.
Management & Organisation
Lewisham Education Arts Network
Governance and Organisational Structures (PDF)
Teach Early Years:
Setting a vision (Link)
A4e Team Steps for Success:
Planning for Business Success (PDF)
A Guide to Incorporation:
Surrey County Council (Link)
Market Research
Surrey County Council:
Advice for your Childcare Business
Market Research (PDF)
Family and Childcare Trust:
Information on the need for childcare in your area and access to your local authorities Childcare Sufficiency Assessment can be found here:
Find your local Family Information Service (Link)
Business Planning
West Sussex County Council:
SWOT template (Word File)
Child Centred Practice:
7S Analysis (Link)
Foundation Years:
Business Sustainability (Link)
Foundation Years:
Developing a Business Plan (Link)
Family and Childcare Trust :
30 Hour Mixed Model Partnership (Link)
Family and Childcare Trust :
Resources for Professionals (Link)
Suffolk County Council:
PESTLE analysis for childcare settings (Word File)
Childcare Works:
Workbook for PVI Settings (Link)
Childcare Works:
Workbook for Schools (Link)
A4e Team Steps for Success:
Managing Your Childcare Business (PDF)
A4e Team Steps for Success:
Planning for Business Success (PDF)
Surrey County Council:
Advice for your Childcare Business:
Business Planning Advice (PDF)
Foundation Years
Childcare places development toolkits
Childcare needs(PDF)
Childcare Hubs(PDF)
Business Plan Template:
For those who have confidence and experience in business planning.
Business Plan Template (Word File)
Business Plan Template:
For those who have yet to write a business plan.
Business Plan Template (Word File)
Financial Planning
A4e Team Steps to Success:
Pricing Your Childcare Service (PDF)
A4e Team Steps to Success:
Pricing Your Childcare Service (PDF)
Family and Childcare Trust :
Delivering Extended and Flexible Hours in School Nurseries (Link)
Surrey County Council Advice for Your Childcare Business:
Financial Management (PDF)
Early Years Business Zone:
Financial Management Tool (Link)
Connect Childcare:
Staff Cost Calculator (Link)
Childcare Works:
Workbook for PVI Settings (Link)
Hampshire County Council:
Guide to Cash Flow Forecasting (PDF)
Funding and Fundraising
Childcare Choices website:
Advice on tax-free childcare for providers (Link)
Childcare Works website:
Briefings, case studies and other resources (Link)
Department for Education:
Sources of Income for Early Years Providers (Link)
NDNA:
Briefing sheet on funded childcare places (Link)
HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs:
Advice to childcare providers on tax-free childcare (Link)
HM Government Childcare Choices website:
Information on support with childcare costs (Link)
Family and Childcare Trust :
Delivering Extended and Flexible Hours in School Nurseries (Link)
Department for Education:
30 Hours free childcare local authority and early years provider guide (Link)
Financial Management
A4e Team Steps to Success:
Knowing your Business (PDF)
A4e Team Steps for Success:
Managing Finance (PDF)
Surrey County Council:
Advice for Your Childcare Business:
Financial Management (PDF)
A4e Team Steps to Success:
Pricing Your Childcare Service (PDF)
Premises
Statutory framework:
Early years foundation stage (particularly pages 29 – 30) (PDF)
Hampshire County Council:
Advice on leasing premises (Link)
Department for Education:
Guidance for schools and early years settings on responding to emergencies and severe weather events (Link)
Employment
Statutory framework:
Early years foundation stage (particularly section 3) (Link)
The ACAS website:
Information and advice on the essential rights and responsibilities for employers (Link)
Recruitment
Early Years Careers website:
Advice and information on recruitment (Link)
Early Years Careers website:
Advice on safer recruitment (Link)
Early Years Careers website:
Advice and information on supporting new employees (Link)
Early Years Careers website:
Advice and information on in-house training and induction (Link)
Early Years Careers website:
Guidance on effective ways to manage a team (Link)
Pensions Advisory Service:
Pensions Advice (Link)
The Pensions Regulator:
Check your duties on enrolling staff in a pensions scheme (Link)
Gov.uk qualifications finder:
Registration
Foundation Years:
Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (PDF)
Foundations Years:
Advice on early years foundation stage (Link)
Common Inspection Framework:
Education, skills and early years from September 2015 (Link)
Gov.uk:
Early Years Self Evaluation Form (Link)
Gov.uk:
Inspections of services on Childcare Register (Link)
Gov.uk:
Inspecting registered early years providers:
Guidance for inspectors (Link)
Gov.uk:
Inspecting safeguarding in early years education and skills from September 2015 (Link)
Gov.uk:
Find an Ofsted inspection report (Link)
Ofsted:
Website (Link)
Gov.uk:
Documents relating to Ofsted’s inspection of early years and childcare providers (Link)
Health and Safety Executive:
Website (Link)
Statutory Guidance:
Working together to safeguard children (Link)
Example of policies and procedures:
Surrey County Council (Link)
Quality Assurance
Teach Early Years:
Responding to an Ofsted inspection (Link)
NDNA:
Quality Improvement Scheme
Foundation Years:
Quality Improvement (Link)
Hampshire Services for Young People:
Information on quality assurance schemes (Link)
Foundation Years:
Early Years Quality Improvement Support Programme (EYQISP) (Link)
Marketing
A4e Team Steps for Success:
Marketing Your Childcare Business (PDF)
Surrey County Council:
Advice for your Childcare Business: Marketing (PDF)
Foundation Years:
Marketing (Link)
Early Years Careers:
Advice on marketing (Link)
Additional Websites Resources
National Children’s Bureau (NCB):
Website (Link)
PACEY Business Smart:
Website (Link)
Foundation Years
Childcare places development toolkits
Childcare needs(PDF)
Childcare Hubs(PDF)
