Common core skills and knowledge
A childcare fact sheet
The Childcare Act 2006 says childcare is ‘any form of care for a child including
education or any other supervised activity’.
Most childcare providers caring for children under eight years old must register with
Ofsted unless the law says they do not need to.
We register childcare providers on the following two registers.
 The Early Years Register
 The Childcare Register
Introductory reading is in Registering childcare providers from September 2008,
which is on our website (www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080043).
Introduction
This factsheet explains the common core skills and knowledge.
To join the voluntary part of the Childcare Register at least one person must have
had training in the common core skills and knowledge or hold a relevant level 2
qualification.
What are the common core skills and knowledge?
The common core of skills and knowledge for the Children's Workforce is a set of
principles and values.1 It sets out what basic skills and knowledge are needed by
people whose work brings them into regular contact with children, young people and
families. This includes volunteers.
The aim of the document is to help people work together more effectively in the
interests of children by supporting and improving practice and most importantly
creating a shared language and understanding.
One of the first steps in achieving effective working is to introduce the expectation
that anyone who provides childcare will have the basic common core skills. Over
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For more reading and a copy of the document, visit;
www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfES%201189%202005
time, we expect that everyone working with children, young people and families will
be able to show they have, at the very least, a basic level of skills in the six areas of
the common core.
For the future, it is hoped that the common core skills and knowledge will be built
into the framework of qualifications for working with children, young people and
families. The framework will also act as a foundation for training programmes.
At the moment, the framework is only guidance for most providers. However, it is a
legal requirement for those on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register to have at
least one person who has had training either in the common core skills and
knowledge or who holds a relevant level 2 qualification.
The common core skills and knowledge have the following six main areas:
 Communication
 Development
 Protecting and promoting the welfare of the child
 Supporting transitions by helping children to move from one setting to
another or from one phase of development to another
 Working with many different agencies
 Sharing information.
Each area comes with information about the skills and knowledge that are needed.
These are basic requirements that providers need so they can do their jobs well and
will need to demonstrate.
The common core defines skills and knowledge as follows.
 A skill is the ability to do something, usually through training or experience.
 Knowledge is awareness or understanding gained through learning or
experience.
It also sets out that providers should apply these skills and knowledge in their work
and take account of the background and circumstances relevant to a situation.
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Training and the common core
The Government, and those who have approved the common core as the foundation
for basic skills and knowledge, are looking to local authorities and others to use the
common core when developing appropriate training.
We have agreed for a temporary period, until training service providers have
effectively included the common core into qualifications, to accept the following as
meeting the common core knowledge and skills.
 All qualifications on the Early Years and Playwork Qualifications Database.2
People can check if any qualification they hold is on this database by visiting
www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/common-core, or by contacting the Children’s
Workforce Development Council helpline on 0113 390 7743.
 Training based on the Championing Children resource book3 and the
Children’s Workforce Development Council induction standards.
 Training based on these Children’s Workforce Development Council
endorsed programmes:
 revised learning mentor initial training programme;
 early years professional status;
 early years sector-endorsed foundation degree; and
 foundation degree in working with young people and young people’s
services.
 Any other training or qualification where you can prove that it meets the
common core requirements.
Qualifications for the voluntary part of the Childcare
Register
At least one person working in a setting must have had training in the common core
skills and knowledge or hold a relevant level 2 qualification. (They do not need to
have both.)
The Department for Education added the option for a level 2 qualification in the
amended General Childcare Register Regulations 2008 to offer providers on the
voluntary part of the Childcare Register more choice in meeting the qualification
requirement.4 This requirement includes childminders who must have had training,
but do not have to hold qualifications, for the Early Years Register.
http://eypquals.cwdcouncil.org.uk/public/
To read about the Championing Children framework and for a copy of the resource book, visit
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringservices/championingchildren/.
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www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080975_en_1
2
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Childminders and the common core
New childminders who apply to a combination of registers
The Early Years Foundation Stage and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register
are consistent with each other in the level of training needed and the timescale
childminders have to complete the training. They both give childminders six months
from registration to have local-authority-approved training. There is no qualification
level attached to this training.
If you are applying to be on a combination of registers, you should check that your
training covers the requirements for whatever combination of registers you are
applying to join.
 If you want to join the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the course
you take should cover the common core knowledge and skills or you should
hold a level 2 qualification. If you are applying for the voluntary part of the
Childcare Register, you must hold this training or the qualification before we
can grant registration.
 This is different to the Early Years Register and
 compulsory part of the Childcare Register, where you have up to six months
after we register you to complete your training.
If you are already a childminder and on a combination of
registers
Firstly we would advise you to read the common core guidance as it outlines the
skills and knowledge you need. You may be able to prove that you have the common
core skills and knowledge as a result of your experience as a childcarer or any
previous training you have carried out.
If you are not able to do so and you want to stay on the voluntary part of the
Childcare Register, you must either get a level 2 qualification or training in the
common core skills. (You must decide which is the best option for you.)
Frequently asked questions
What is considered as training in the common core skills and knowledge?
Do the Introduction to Childcare (ICP) or Childminder Introductory
Practice (ChiP) courses for childminders cover this or meet this?
Are these training sessions for childminders considered to be level 2
qualifications?
We will accept all of the qualifications set out above or any other training or
qualification where you can show that you have the common core skills needed. You
will also need to prove that you have the knowledge and skills set out in the common
core document.
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October 2011, No. 080288
If you are on a combination of registers and completing childminder training (there is
no level attached to this training), you should be able to prove that this meets the
requirements for common core skills.
If you are on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, you can hold either a
level 2 qualification or training in the common core.
If you are new to childminding or have recently registered, you must make sure,
with your training provider, that any training includes the common core.
If you are on a combination of registers and are meeting the requirements of Early
Years Foundation Stage, you should be able to show that you have the common core
skills and knowledge because Early Years Foundation Stage includes the principles of
the common core knowledge and skills. For qualifications received before this,
inspectors may discuss with you your previous training and experience and you will
need to provide evidence that you have the common core skills.
What will inspectors need to see to make sure I have the common core
skills?
We will accept any of the listed qualifications above as meeting the common core.
If you do not hold a listed qualification, you should be able to demonstrate your skills
and knowledge for each of the six common core areas to the inspector through your
experience or other training courses or qualifications you already hold. Inspectors
will expect you to demonstrate you have the skills and knowledge and will expect to
see evidence of appropriate training.
Having mixed qualifications is confusing for providers on both registers.
Isn’t this just a way of bringing in a level 2 qualification through the ‘back
door’?
All childminders do not have to hold a level 2 qualification and it is not our aim to
impose this.
Qualification requirements are set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage
framework document5 and the General Childcare Register Regulations 20086 and we
are not trying to change this.
5
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www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/site/resource/pdfs.htm
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080975_en_1
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October 2011, No. 080288
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Where can I find out more about the common core and relevant childcare
qualifications?
The Every Child Matters website has introductory reading and The common core of
skills and knowledge for the Children's Workforce at
www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfES%201189
%202005
The Children’s Workforce Development Council has information about relevant
childcare qualifications. Go to www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/qualifications.
More information from Ofsted
There is more information about registration on our website
(www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms-and-guidance/Browse-all-by/Care-andlocal-services/Childcare). If you are not sure whether you have to register for
childcare on domestic premises, please contact us on 0300 123 1231.
There is more information on the requirements for registration on the Early Years
Register in the Guide to registration on the Early Years Register: childcare providers
on non-domestic or domestic premises (www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080017)
and on the Childcare Register in the Guide to registration on the Childcare Register
(www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080032).
Some childcare providers don’t need to register their services and you can find out
about the circumstances where providers do not have to register in our childcare
factsheet: Registration not required (www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080134). This
is also part of the Guide to registration on the Childcare Register
(www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080032).
The law that sets out our responsibilities is the Childcare Act 2006 and linked
regulations. The specific order setting out exemptions from compulsory registration is
the Childcare (Exemptions from Registration) Order 2008 (2008 No. 979)
(www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080979_en_1). The references to regulations
and our policy on registration and inspection are included in our Framework for the
regulation of those on the Early Years and Childcare Registers
(www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080024).
More information
Your local family information service (FIS) will help you. You can get their contact
details from
www.familyinformationservices.org.uk/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=use
rslist&listid=7&Itemid=72, or from your telephone directory.
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October 2011, No. 080288
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to
achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of
all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and
Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based
learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and
other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked
after children, safeguarding and child protection.
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