Interesting Inspection Laugh Or Cry

[Guest]

Hi All,

 

Though we did not have an ofsted inspection, we were selected for a random inspection by our local authority - a lady came today and walked around with her clip board all morning - worse than ofsted I must say.......

 

Anway, morning OK ish - until it was just about 10 mins before tidy up time - our role play is currently set up as a hospital with books about ie going into hospital having a baby et etc. Anyhow, one of my lovley little girls went to the book area laid down on a cushion, another girl pretending to be the midwife came over and rubbed her neck, then the midwife went and found a doll and stuck it under the little girls dress - all of a sudden we had a baby about to be born, I came over and spoke about what was happening and the things they may need - I asked the little girl if the baby was going to come out soon, "not ready yet" she said, after around 5 mins still no sign of baby coming and I was aware that tidy up time was soon upon us (we have to put away every day so timing is critical) - I suggested that I find a blanket to wrap the baby in when it comes (all the time the lady from the local authrity is stanidng with her clipboard) - anyhow after much coaxing the baby appeared and the birth was successful, we wrapped the baby in the blanket, and mother and baby were fine - then a little boy also wearing a dress came around the corner promptly stuffed a baby under his dress and we then went through the process again of giving birth.

 

After the session had ended the lady from the local authority gave feedback that our book area should be just for reading books, - but I said under EYFS surely by intervening and senidng their play elsewhere I would of damaged their theme of play - I did extend by talking about the roles of professionals in health ie midwife, and we discussed how the baby would be fed ie milk or breast feeding - feel that this goes against EYFS - I know the book area should be a cozy place to read books - but should I of intervened and moved them somewhere else - it does go against my grain - please let me know would you of done the same as me and left them to it or would you of moved them elsewhere.................... Dot

Edited March 24, 2009 by Guest

[Cait]

I wouldn't have moved them, no. I would have let them do as EYFS suggests and did just as you did - tell her so!!!!

[Guest]

Hi Cait - thanks for reply - made me feel so much better and I did tell her that under EYFS I felt it would of been wrong to of moved them - it was only hours later that i really started to feel rather cross about her comments. Thanks for reply Cait

[sunnyday]

Good heavens - that's not really what I want to say - I would like to swear but know I mustn't!!!

 

Of course you should not have moved their play - I think you handled the whole situation beautifully - extending their play and ideas.

 

Goodness me - my book corner gets used for all sorts of things - if I was more technically minded I would upload some pics!

 

What's with 'random inspections' anyway this is news to me - who was she and what were her qualifications?

 

Oh dear - feeling awfully stroppy on your behalf!!!

 

Sunnyday

[Guest]

Just to give some background - our authority inspects around 20 settings once a year and of course we were unlucky to get selected in the whole of our authority - she is an early years advisor - will not say where I am, but from the information gained this forms a basis of how Early Years is being conducted within our authority - we are a large authority..... From her prospective she obviously had a huge remit and I expect one of the questions was "is the book area cozy" - and in all honesty our book area is quite large and we could make it smaller, but when you are a hall based setting and put away sometimes things are not always easy - I have taken on board what she said about it being cozy though, but I do feel that even if I had a cozy book area and a child created their own play I would still leave them to it though....... and yes I am cross - got up at 5 this morning at work at 6 usually start at 7.30am just so all staff when they arrived could have a coffee and relax and not feel stressed - I do not know of any other professiona where this would happen - it felt that every move was being monitored - and staff felt totally uneasy - felt really sorry for staff actually - would of been nice if the advisor had said something positive to them to of made them relax.........Dot

[HappyMaz]

From her prospective she obviously had a huge remit and I expect one of the questions was "is the book area cozy"

Of course your book area is cosy - no-one would choose to give birth there if it wasn't comfortable. From my perspective, your little vignette shows me a couple of things. Firstly, uour children are confident to move their play around various settings within your group and can rely on practitioners to support their play to extend their learning. The other is that sometimes our 'highers and betters' need as much support to do their jobs as we do, and, like us, can't always expect to get it right!

 

Stand by your guns: be confident in your knowledge and experience and try to fight your corner as assertively as you can. You know what you're doing and why, so try not to let a difference of professional viewpoint undermine your confidence!

 

Maz

[Guest]

Hi Happy Max - agree totally with you - believe me I was assertive when she was there - she did ask me how last years remit had impacted on us (from authority) - I said that EYFS had impacted on us more - which should be right - anyway - it was one of those moments in Early Years when kids do what kids do - so lovely on a equal opp view to see a boy in a dress and give birth as well .......... so much can happen in 10 mins when you are 4 ...... love my job..... Dot

[valp59]

I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I ALSO AGREE TOTALLY WITH YOUR DECISION - APART FROM ANYTHING ELSE I AM NOT SURE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WISE FROM A MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW TO MOVE THE MUM-TO- BE AT SUCH A CRUCIAL STAGE IN THE BIRTH PROCESS!!

 

SERIOUSLY - WELL DONE YOU FOR FIGHTING YOUR (AND THE CHILDREN'S) CORNER!

[blondie]

i agree - i would not have moved their play from the book corner and well done you for fighting your corner - its all so easy for these people who come in with a clip board / papers and walk around for a few hours and think they then know better than you what works at your setting and with your children - well done again

[Guest]

You were in the right.

 

Entirely

 

Totally.

 

Sometimes (often!!) I feel those inspecting have forgotten the joy of actually working with the children and the excitement they can bring to any area of your setting!!!!!

 

did she not read about children leading their learning??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Have a good scream!!!

 

And know you are in the right.

[Guest]

Had to join in and say that I totally agree with you. I have children who use the book corner to play. I have two little boys who like to go and get the box of wild animals and play with them behind the bean bags. Its lovely to watch, its like their little den. Keep up the good work Dot, don't let the lady with the clip-board get you down. mrsW.

[Guest]

What a lovely scenario

Just curious to know where in your setting is the labour ward????? Thankfully mum to be didn't ask for a birthing pool, otherwise the lady with clipboard would have fed back that the water tray is only to be used for sinking and floating activities. :wacko:

 

So, does this also mean that books are only to be read in the 'book area'?

 

Agree with Happy Maz (and others) you did the right thing. Children do not percieve the environment as adults do, so they use their environment as they percieve it is for, play occurs anywhere. Thank goodness your children are not compartmentalised in their thinking, unlike lady with clipboard.

 

Love valp59 comment.

 

Was this one of those occasions when you think, after the event, of all the things you could have said at the time but were too flabbergasted to think of them?

 

Hope mother and baby are fine, and when is the christening in the water tray planned for??

 

Peggy

[dublinbay]

Well done dot..............you did exactly the right thing and I agree with all the other replies.

 

During our last Ofsted inspection some children took all the cushions off our sofas (child size) in the book corner and lined them up to make a train! Our lovely inspector was asked to be the driver and she joined in with gusto. Wish I had taken a photo of her holding the steering wheel and shouting "ready now, whoo whoo!!!"

[Alison]

that sounded a great session those moments are wonderful to treasure,

 

I heard of another group who had their LA do a mock inspection and they where told the children needed to wash hands when changing activities and comming in from outside.... why?

 

 

ok I am begining to see a pattern that the LA's either dont know what theyre are talking about or they are playing devils advocate to make you think?

[Guest]

Hi everyone - thanks for the comments - you have all made me laugh - felt so so tired at work this morning............. anyway the mum who gave birth was not in today, but is back tomorrow - one of my little boys was pregnant all morning, so I do expect more birthing in the morning - I will keep you posted..........................Dot

[sunnyday]

Hi everyone - thanks for the comments - you have all made me laugh - felt so so tired at work this morning............. anyway the mum who gave birth was not in today, but is back tomorrow - one of my little boys was pregnant all morning, so I do expect more birthing in the morning - I will keep you posted..........................Dot

Brilliant!

 

Sunnyday

[Deb]

I would have done exactly as you Dot, no question. Our book corner is used for role play because it is cosy.

 

Your clipboard bearer should have tried to engage with staff and try to encourage and support them. Seems to me you have been misdirected, makes you wonder what else they'll come up with!

[wellerkaren]

I feel you did the right thing. Most day within my setting my book corner may have a picnic and party, a chit chat area , they may bring the animals that link to the books we have out and sometimes it is a BOOK AREA shocks of shocks but the children are leading their own learning

[mundia]

We had a mum give birth very unexpectedly in the loos in my previous school. I wonder f OFSTED would have said 'thats not what the loos are for'

[Guest]

Hi - sadly no more births have occurred since Tuesday - the two children mainly involved in the play have not been in together since then and they have not re-created indep or wiith others - my pregnant little boy will be back in tomorrow - and gues what we have our ecers next week - so another person to walk around with a clipboard for two mornings - as we have two horrible sheds and our gazeebo blew away in the wind this week, she/he really won't want to spend the mornings outside - had tidied it all up over half term, but now it looks like a bomb again - Dot

[dottyp]

Hi Dot - I'm surprised after our posts regarding gloves and tongs earlier this evening they were not mentioned in your

'birthing area'

 

Don't worry too much about Ecers visit - after just calming down from some of the comments made at my feed back yesterday my advise would be - recognise the areas that need developing and congratulate yourselves on all the high scores.

 

I would like to know how EYFS frown at tick lists but how everyone who comes in to inspect/audit/observe our setttings arrive with a clipboard, pen and TICK LIST

 

dottyp