What is the maximum number of children one childminder on their own can have?

[toccatanfudge]

including their own?

and do the numbers differ according to the ages of the children? If so by how much....

Generally it's 6 under 8, of which 3 can be under 5 and 1 under 1 (including own children) - though CMs can apply for variations to that.

and do children older than 8 count? or is there no maximum on them (presuming you're full up on the 6 under 8?)

It's just there's a childminder I see regularly who often has up to 11 or 12 children with her (including her own). Aging from pre-school up to 11/12yrs old.

The numbers of children set out below represent the maximum number of children who may be cared for by a childminder at any one time. Not all childminders will be registered to care for the maximum number of children. Ofsted will always make a judgement at the tiem if registration. This judgment will be based on factors such as the amount of space available.

Each childminder may care for:

• a maximum of six children under the age of 8;
• of these six children, a maximum of three may be young children, however where 4- and 5-year-old children only attend the childminding setting before and/or after a normal school day, they may be classed as children over the age of 5 for the purposes of the adult:child ratio;
• normally, no more than one child may be under the age of 1, however a childminder may be registered to care for two children under the age of 1 where they are able to demonstrate that they can meet and reconcile the individual needs of all the children being cared for.

Exceptions to these ratios can be made for siblings and to provide continuity of care in certain circumstances, provided that the total number of children under the age of 8 being cared for does not exceed six. If you want to care for more children than you are registered to care for - to care for more than one baby, for example, you will need to apply to Ofsted for what's called a "variance". You should tell Ofsted how you plan to care for the extra child, what impact taking on another child will have on the care of the others, and the practical arrangements you have in place - how many car seats or high-chairs you have, for example.

If a childminder either employs an assistant or works with another childminder, the above numbers apply to each of these individuals in addition to the childminder.

from www.ncma.org.uk/childminders/become_a_childminder/childminding_ratios/ratios_in_england.aspx

Children over 8 aren't governed by Ofsted, but there may be a limit depending on her insurance.

The NCMA insurance seems to cover a total of 12 children, so the CM could have 6 under 8s and 5 or 6 over 8s?

ok thanks - can't think off hand how many are over 8 and how many are under.

Just seems an awful lot of them for one person to look after I (and a few others that know her) had been talking about it yesterday and we were wondering if it was actually be allowed.

But I guess if the insurance covers up to 12, and she's got 5 over 8 she's ok.

Thanks

(told my friends that MN would know the answer )

If she looks after or has her own older kids they might well have friends walking along with them who aren't "in her care" iyswim. I would be more concerned if there were lots of preschool age.

no they're definitely all under her care.

She brings them all to our after school service once a month as well (which is lovely in that it increases the numbers drastically lol) but they're definitely all "with" her.