What the EYFS says you must share with parents
Short answer: the EYFS lists eight things every provider must share with parents: how you deliver the EYFS, your activities and routine, SEND support, food and drinks, your policies, how staffing works, each child’s key person, and an emergency phone number. You must also tell parents how to contact Ofsted, tell them about inspections, and share the report afterwards.
Updated 31 October 2026, checked against both EYFS frameworks in force from 1 September 2026. For England. A guide, not legal advice.
The eight things, and where they go on a website
Group framework paragraph 3.100, childminder framework 3.99. The wording is almost identical in both.
| The EYFS says share | How a website covers it |
|---|---|
| How you deliver the EYFS, and how parents can find out more | A short “How we teach” or “Our approach” page, with a link to the EYFS on GOV.UK |
| The activities and experiences you offer, your daily routine, and how parents can share learning at home | “A day with us”: a timetable for each room or age group, plus a few ideas for home |
| How you support children with special educational needs and disabilities | A SEND paragraph naming your SENCo’s role (not their personal details) and how parents raise a concern |
| The food and drinks you provide | A sample weekly menu, and how you handle allergies and dietary needs |
| Your policies and procedures, including what happens if a child isn’t collected or goes missing | A policies page with each policy as a dated PDF. Group settings must make copies available on request |
| How your staffing is organised | Your team: roles, qualifications and how rooms are staffed. Childminders: whether you have an assistant |
| The name of each child’s key person and their role | Explain the key person system on the site. Tell each family their key person’s name directly, not online |
| A phone number for emergencies | Your number on every page, tap-to-call on mobile |
Childminders without domestic premises must also tell parents they can’t provide any childcare under that registration from domestic premises, including drop-off and collection.
Four more things to tell parents
- How to contact Ofsted (or your childminder agency) if they think you aren’t meeting the EYFS. A line and a link on your contact or policies page does it.
- Your complaints process. Group providers need a written procedure. Everyone must investigate written complaints about the EYFS and reply within 28 days.
- That an inspection is coming, once you know.
- Your inspection report. Give a copy to parents of children who attend regularly. Linking to it from your website helps prospective parents too: see showing your Ofsted report card.
Your certificate of registration
The two frameworks differ here. Childminders’ certificates can be displayed digitally, for example on their website. Group settings must display the certificate at the setting and show it to parents on request.
What not to put online
- Children’s names or photos without written parental consent
- Staff home addresses or personal phone numbers
- Which key person each child has. Tell families directly
Questions
What information must an early years provider share with parents?
The EYFS lists eight things: how you deliver the EYFS, your activities and daily routine, how you support children with SEND, the food and drinks you provide, your policies and procedures, how staffing is organised, each child’s key person, and an emergency phone number. It’s paragraph 3.100 of the group framework and 3.99 of the childminder framework.
Does the EYFS say I must have a website?
No. The EYFS says what you must share, not where. A website is simply the easiest way to share most of it with every family, and with parents choosing a setting, at once.
Must I publish my policies online?
The EYFS requires you to share details of your policies and procedures with parents, and group providers must make copies available on request. Putting them on your website does both, but it isn’t a separate legal requirement.
Do I have to tell parents about an Ofsted inspection?
Yes. Once you know an inspection is coming you must tell parents, and afterwards you must give a copy of the report to parents of children who attend regularly.
Do I need a complaints procedure?
Group and school-based providers must have a written procedure. Childminders don’t need one written down, but every provider must investigate written complaints about the EYFS, reply within 28 days and keep a record for Ofsted or their childminder agency.
Can my Ofsted certificate go on my website?
Childminders: yes, the childminder framework says the certificate of registration can be displayed digitally, for example on a website. Group settings must display it at the setting and show it to parents on request.
Sources
- EYFS framework for group and school-based providers, dated 13 July 2026, paragraphs 3.100–3.104
- EYFS framework for childminders, dated 13 July 2026, paragraphs 3.99–3.103
- EYFS statutory framework, DfE, GOV.UK
Related: the EYFS framework 2026 in plain English, what a nursery website must include, and websites for childminders. Or browse all our guides.
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