Ofsted & EYFS compliance — straight answers.

Yes. From 1 September 2026 the DBS supervision exemption for volunteers is removed, so any volunteer or parent-helper role that previously relied on "supervision" instead of a full check needs re-auditing for an enhanced DBS check.

From 1 September 2026, the EYFS statutory framework requires babies to be settled to sleep on their backs, in their own sleep space, on a firm, flat surface; children under 12 months must sleep in a cot or equivalent; and sleeping children must be checked regularly.

Under the report-card inspection model in force since November 2025, Ofsted's operating guide directs inspectors to review DBS records and paediatric first-aid arrangements early in the visit — your staff file is typically the first thing on the table.

The EYFS statutory framework (paragraphs 3.18–3.20) requires identity checks, qualification checks, a DBS check, and references obtained before a person starts. Since the September 2025 framework update, a reference must be obtained before recruitment for every member of staff, including students and volunteers.

With a timestamped record of the children, staff and age band actually present in a room at the moment it's checked — not a rota, which shows who's scheduled rather than who's in the room right now. A 15-second check per room can log this and state plainly whether the room met or fell short of the ratio calculation at that check.

The inspection model introduced from November 2025, which grades settings across separate categories and judges safeguarding as a binary "met" or "not met," published setting-by-setting.

The EYFS doesn't use the phrase "single central record" the way schools do, but it requires the equivalent under paragraph 3.18: one place holding every staff member's identity, qualification, reference and DBS checks, producible as one dated document when asked.

Since the September 2025 EYFS framework update, a reference must be obtained for every member of staff — including students and volunteers — before they are recruited, not after they start.

Every two years, under the EYFS framework's safeguarding training requirements.

Every three years. The certificate is issued by a face-to-face training provider — tracking software can hold the certificate and daily cover, but cannot deliver the course itself.

No. A DBS certificate has no official expiry date — it's a snapshot at the date of issue. Re-check cadence is a policy decision each setting makes, not a legal deadline.

Failing to comply with a welfare requirements notice is a criminal offence under the Childcare Act 2006. Employing a disqualified person can mean imprisonment, and cancellation of registration applies to every setting a provider runs, not just the one inspected.

No. Those apps run your day — registers, parents, billing. NurseryGuard is a compliance-evidence layer alongside them: the DBS recorded in the right place, training and first-aid renewal dates, and a timestamped ratio record.

You upload your menu, or let NurseryGuard read the one on your website; AI drafts a 14-allergen matrix dish by dish against a library of 750+ ratified UK dishes. Your cook confirms every row against your own recipes — nothing is auto-certified. This supports the EYFS 3.64–3.65 duty to obtain and act on every child's dietary needs and allergies.

No. NurseryGuard provides compliance tools and content to support and evidence your EYFS compliance. It is not Ofsted, does not provide legal advice, and does not replace a provider's own legal responsibility for children's safety.

A snapshot at the moment it's logged, not continuous monitoring. It records the children and staff physically in a room at that check against the EYFS ratio for that age band, and states plainly whether the room met or fell short of the ratio calculation at that check.