Sef

[Guest]

i saved the link to the webpage on ofsted site for SEF and a guide to completing it but now when i click on it it says the link no longer exists and i can not find it anywhere, can some one please help me to find it? many thanks xx

 

p.s. i need link for a playgroup (sessional) SEF thanks

Edited September 2, 2008 by Guest

[Guest]

I've just received this e-mail from Ofsted, could this be why?

 

quote

We’ve upgraded our website - www.ofsted.gov.uk. It doesn’t look very different, but it’s faster with a better search facility and simplified page addresses (Unique Resource Locators or URL). If you have a website with links to your Ofsted inspection report or any other part of our website, they may need updating.

 

We’ve already updated the most frequently used pages (for example www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports), but those to individual inspection reports and some pages and publications will need updating. You’ll be directed to an information page telling you how to find it. Then, simply copy the new URL and update your link.

 

We’ve alerted many stakeholders to this, but if a link from your site no longer works, please forward this message your web manager and they’ll be able to fix it quickly and easily.

 

We do apologise for any inconvenience, but are confident that you and your website users will benefit from the improvements. If you need any further assistance, please do not reply to this email, but contact OfstedISSservicedesk@ofsted.gov.uk

unquote

[Inge]

I was just about to come on and tell everyone about it.. beat me to it LJW

 

took me ages to find out inspection report to change link on our web site...

 

seems we now come under Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises , ( no longer a nursery or pre-school) and the conditions of registration are different.. but that could be because of our variation and not EYFS.. anyone else checked to see if theirs is different?

 

Inge

[Inge]

SEF this is the new link

 

 

Inge

[Guest]

^^^^You are a lifesaver!

[Guest]

I tried to save the link to my 'favourites' and it said its too long. Anyone know a quick solution as its definitely one I want to save!

[Inge]

saves Ok on Firefox 3... not a problem.. sorry but that really doesn't help does it....

 

Inge

[Guest]

thank you thank you thank you xx

[Guest]

Has anyone filled it in and submitted yet?

[lynned55]

LJW,

had the same problem but you canchange the name when you save it. I just called mine Ofasted sef & it allowed me to save.

assume you are using IE? If you notice, the name of the link you are saving comes up highlited anyway.

[Guest]

Hi all

Can follow the above link to get an early years sef but when you go on OFSTED website and search there isnt one for early years but for all types of schools. the only one I can see applicable for pre-schools is

SELF-EVALUATION FORM FOR NURSERY

SCHOOLS

Name of school:

Unique Reference Number (URN):

Not Submitted

 

Which one should we be using?

Thanks

[Inge]

As far as I am the link above is the one to the early years SEF on the Ofsted website.. along with the guidance notes.. Its the one we are using.,. got afternoon of training on it tomorrow so will be able to confirm after that.

 

Inge

[Gezabel]

HI

I just went to the OFSTED website, clicked on 'publications' and then typed SEF early years foundation stage and this page came up

 

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms...anguage)/eng-GB

 

You can complete online from a link on this page or download the form and the guidance

Edited September 22, 2008 by Geraldine

[Guest]

HI

I just went to the OFSTED website, clicked on 'publications' and then typed SEF early years foundation stage and this page came up

 

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms...anguage)/eng-GB

 

You can complete online from a link on this page or download the form and the guidance

 

 

Hi

Thanks all! Have got a committee member (they have their uses) to print a copy off as supervisor does not have internet access. Also getting them to print off the guidance notes with it (i have run out of ink doing pre-school stuff!)

Are they a nightmare to fill out? We had our new PVI teacher in visiting today and she told us about it (mind you had been reading on here bits). Could superviosr fill it out and then I copy it and do it online maybe? Although we have no idea what or whre the password etc to get and do it online is. Will it have been sent to the chair?

[Inge]

Unsure about the on line bit.. yet to investigate that.. we have decided to keep it paper based and not do it online!

 

Our training today threw up a few things on completing it

 

How can you complete it in view of EYFS when this is so new and you are just beginning to work within it?

 

You need time to complete it,if it is to be effective and worth while.. do not rush, do a bit at a time and explain why ,

 

It needs to be done as a team, not just one person

 

Perhaps comment that staff have decided that to be effective it will take time to complete and needs to be done slowly, as this is the way children and staff will benefit most.

 

They have produced a useful folder for us to use when doing this.. it is like a mini accreditation style.. nothing too arduous but will help in SEF.

 

So we will be starting this and having it as ongoing for a while.. slowly completing each area .. and we will keep it paper based for now...

 

I also ask how does SEF give us less paperwork! And more time to do our work with the children.. not detract from us doing our day to day care just to reach the outcomes set upon us..

 

Inge

 

That all said.. we do regular evaluation and have done for years, so we are at the moment able to use that..

Edited September 23, 2008 by Inge

[Guest]

Thanks Inge!

Some good advice there. I think the supevisor will be asking our opinions etc as she is hopeless at filling out forms

Think its best that we too keep it paper based especially as she is not good IT wise either.

[Buttercup]

i got a paper copy from ofsted i hate reading pages and pages on the internet. if like you say it needs to be done as a team then you need the paper copy. it came with guidence notes as well.

 

not looked at it properly yet my aim is october half term. another holiday gone

 

angela

[ATurner]

We completed the SEF this weekend for todays inspection, probably took 8.5 hours to compete. I had trouble printing the whole report off but managed some how to do it for the inspector first thing this morning. He asked for the SEF but did say its not compulsory even though he was impressed with it. The inspector took the paper copy away as i had not submitted it on line.

Alison

[Guest]

We completed the SEF this weekend for todays inspection, probably took 8.5 hours to compete. I had trouble printing the whole report off but managed some how to do it for the inspector first thing this morning. He asked for the SEF but did say its not compulsory even though he was impressed with it. The inspector took the paper copy away as i had not submitted it on line.

Alison

 

Hi, Just read about how you managed to present your SEF for inspections. I am doing mine at the moment and would appreciate some fresh ideas and experiences. First time I will be doing the EYFS SEF any tips you can shar? We expecting Ofsted in 14 days... Please Help!

 

 

Chali Bear

[ATurner]

Our inspector thought that we were too self critical on the SEF. I thought that it would look good to have something on the areas of improvement but he said otherwise. When grading yourself remember he/she will ask for your reasons behind the judgements i.e. i thought our practice was outstanding on parents and partnerships but then added areas of improvement. The inspector thought that if you had good relationships with parents their should not have been areas of improvement but i tried to justify that some things were ongoing. He said it was contradictory. So he chose to ignore it. We will see as i should see a factual copy with 5 days.

Good luck when filling it and be prepared to put aside many hours

Alison

[Guest]

We had an SEF staff meeting yestrerday afternoon and it continued (after an hours break) all evening - total time 8+ hours and we are still nowhere near answering all the sections, Just trying to get our heads round the SEF in line with the EYFS and 5 outcomes. Very demoralising as we know we regularly review and evaluate. Just how much do we need to include on this form? Are they looking for a few sentences in each section or are they looking for pages and pages of stuff? HELP!!! We have not got the finance behind us to keep paying the whole staff team to meet together like this, and the staff are eating into their days off which is not going down well at all. We are sessional and all work part time hours. We have no office or computer, so are reliant on someone submitting it for us when we have agereed what to put, I am going to call Ofsted today and ask just exactly what amount of detail they expect - written guidance was totally unclear as far as I'm concerned. Just letting off steam - sorry - but hate to see my staff so demoralised. Any advice???

[Guest]

Has Anyone completed the Ofsted SEF? It is horrendously long and repetitive, you are asked for the same information about 6 times. Not to mention the appalling spelling, punctuation and grammar in the form and help section itself.

We are due for an inspection and I know it goes in our favour if we have done it but unless you have completed the whole form you cant submit just a part of it, and Ofsted wont have it on their records. Are we supposed to do the whole thing then quickly then? In which case it becomes meaningless.

This form could have been about a quarter of its length. What do other people think? Help please!

[Guest]

I have completed mine online. Firstly i gave all my staff the weblink and put a paper copy at the setting, i asked staff to look through it and make notes, we then had a staff meeting and compiled all our ideas onto the paper copy, i then went online and completed it in 2 and a half hours.... where the answer was in another section i just put cross ref to and said whcih section it was.......... hope this helps....

[Masha]

I was told at my inspection last week that we can and should part complete it, and file it online, is this not the case then?

[Guest]

Has Anyone completed the Ofsted SEF? It is horrendously long and repetitive, you are asked for the same information about 6 times. Not to mention the appalling spelling, punctuation and grammar in the form and help section itself.

We are due for an inspection and I know it goes in our favour if we have done it but unless you have completed the whole form you cant submit just a part of it, and Ofsted wont have it on their records. Are we supposed to do the whole thing then quickly then? In which case it becomes meaningless.

This form could have been about a quarter of its length. What do other people think? Help please!

 

 

You can save it as you go along so you don't have to complete it all in one go, when you have finished you can print it off so you have one for your file at the setting

[Guest]

I did mine over about five nights on line, saving each time.

It took me ( with notes from the team) about 8 hours to fill in

Then printed a hard copy off for us and submited it to Ofsted

[Andreamay]

may be a daft question but do we all have to submit it to ofsted? even if we are not due an inspection?

Andrea

[Guest]

Okay, Thanks everyone for all your help.

- You can save the SEF online part done but not submit it partly done, so Ofsted won't receive the parts you have done..if you know what I mean ! I would have to give them a paper copy of where I've got up to.

I'll have to try cross referencing then, cant bear to write out the same things any more times!

[Guest]

I have just got back from a course on completing the SEF and feel more confused than ever.

I was told that you can link to your current prospectus and policies, so you don't have to write full paragraphs every time, so long as you explain where in the setting it can be found. For example: partnership with parents could link to page ? of current prospectus. Is this what everyone else has been told?

I was also told that most settings put themselves down in their SEF and that you must celebrate what you do. However do not put anything in that you don't do as you will be picked up on it during your inspection.

Another important thing was that you complete it as a team, not just one member of staff.

 

Hope this is of some help

[lynned55]

Completing it as a team is my biggest issue with this (along with numerous others) we have no internet accss at work, so someone (me!) will have to do it at home- in their own time or be paid money that the group can ill afford. Even if we did have access to internet or if we do it together on paper then transfer when do we do it? In our time?, whilst we are with the children or where do we find the money to pay staff to do this. In real life what will hapeen is I will spend hours of my own time doing this pointless exercise as there isn't really an alternitive. I suspect that 100's of other preschool supervisors/managers will be doing the same- as we are not due an inspection for another 3 years I am assuming there is no urgency to do this. I was told last night that if your sef freezes or disappears it's because an inspection is imminant