Gezabel Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Just wondering if anyone else has noticed that the OFSTED online site seems to be closed quite regularly for 'essential maintenance'. I know the site was 'down' last Thursday for this reason and now there is a message saying this will be the case tomorrow between 8-9pm. Rumour has it that OFSTED 'freeze' online SEFs when an inspection is about to take place and therefore many practitioners are checking their online SEF with great regularity. My suspicious mind is wondering (if this is the case) whether OFSTED have got wise to this practice ( no pun intended!) and are doing 'essential maintenance' and not 'freezing' SEFs. Does this garbled message make any sense and does anyone agree/disagree Quote
Cait Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Hmm, it's a possibility - unless so many of us are checking them that we keep breaking their site! Quote
Gezabel Posted May 11, 2009 Author Posted May 11, 2009 Ohhh Cait Does that mean we could be 'partners in crime' I am under instructions to check every night Quote
HappyMaz Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 I am under instructions to check every night ...and sometimes if I forget to do it before I go to bed I've been known to check before I leave for work in the morning! Honestly I think it was better when I didn't know about 'frozen SEF syndrome'! Maz Quote
Guest Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 My local early years team sent us the following email last week. Maybe something to do with this!! Dear Colleague Ofsted are revising their commitment to handling complaints about childminders and daycare providers. Full details will be published on the Ofsted website in May (and circulated via these email alerts), but in the meantime I have outlined the main changes below. From May 2009 Ofsted are revising their complaints commitment. This is because Ofsted want to ensure parents and carers have the most up to date information about those who they choose to provide care for their child. The revised commitment means that Ofsted will: * publish new complaints information on their website, separate from inspection reports as soon as they have completed an investigation * continue to publish information relating to complaints, made against childminders or childcare providers, only in circumstances where Ofsted, or the provider, take action to meet the legal requirements of registration * publish historic information about complaints received since a provider’s last inspection where Ofsted, or the provider, took action to meet legal requirements * remove complaints information from the website five years after the closure of the complaint investigation. Information about complaints received prior to a provider’s last inspection will remain accessible in the last inspection report. This is to ensure that parents and carers can access a full history of complaint information. Ofsted will make complaints information available on request to people who are unable to access our website either in writing or over the telephone. The first commitment in particular is a major change in managing complaint information as complaints (where actions have been required) will not only be published separately to the main report (and hence more accessible to parents) but they will also be published on completion of an investigation i.e. Ofsted will no longer wait to include the complaint on the provider's next inspection report but will report it as and when - information to parents will therefore be much more up-to-date. Quote
Cait Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 So I may be being a bit thick here, but my head is turning into EYQISP! I just went onto SEF online to amend my SEF that I submitted last week, and I can't open it. How do I do that? I get this far... then what do I do? I can't click on the saved one to open it - do I go to 'complete new SEF' and 'populate from last saved' Quote
Upsy Daisy Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Please tell me they can't just disappear into the ether. Have you got a saved copy? I have downloaded the form and completed it but not yet submitted it. Did you do that or have you done yours online? Quote
Guest Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Hi Cait. Not being this far on I don't know but I do remember reading someone's post which explained you edit it in an illogical way (well to me anyway). So don't panic! I'm sure someone will post who knows what to click. Quote
Cait Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 I did it in word first and did a cut and paste job to get it online. I'm just wondering if this is what is meant by 'frozen'? Quote
HappyMaz Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 I did it in word first and did a cut and paste job to get it online. I'm just wondering if this is what is meant by 'frozen'? I haven't done it yet but I imagine if you want to amend a previously submitted SEF you'd need to create a new SEF and then re-submit. Perhaps that's what it means by 'complete new SEF' and 'populate from last saved'. Why not try it and see? If it was 'locked' because you're about to get a visit from Mrs O then you wouldn't be able to do anything to it! Let us know what happens won't you? Maz Quote
Guest Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 I think Maz might have the answer there. I know when I read it I mentally filed it under "remember this seems odd" so that might be the way it goes but do let us know. Quote
Upsy Daisy Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Let us know what happens won't you? Maz Yes please do. I haven't been brave enough to try submitting mine yet. I'm sure it will all go wrong. Good luck! Quote
Cait Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Ok, well if I go in that way I can get at it to make changes, so it's not frozen that way - it just seems odd that the screen says 'you can access your online sef' or some such above the box that says when it was submitted, but you can't do it from there Quote
Buttercup Posted May 13, 2009 Posted May 13, 2009 I am trying to get online to ammend my sef. I do not seem to be able to get into the site at all. Have tried ofsted online and through government gateway. Is there still a problem angela Quote
Cait Posted May 13, 2009 Posted May 13, 2009 I am trying to get online to ammend my sef. I do not seem to be able to get into the site at all. Have tried ofsted online and through government gateway. Is there still a problem angela Just tried it myself before coming in here! Ho, I can't either - we've broken it by looking at our SEFs too much! hahahaha Quote
Guest Posted May 13, 2009 Posted May 13, 2009 In desperation have just phoned ofsted and been told the SEF bit of the website is down !!!!!!! Fancy that. Quote
Cait Posted May 13, 2009 Posted May 13, 2009 In desperation have just phoned ofsted and been told the SEF bit of the website is down !!!!!!! Fancy that. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Quote
purplewednesday1 Posted May 13, 2009 Posted May 13, 2009 It's back up now --- just checked mine! still 'active' (unlike me) pw Quote
Gezabel Posted May 13, 2009 Author Posted May 13, 2009 I haven't done it yet but I imagine if you want to amend a previously submitted SEF you'd need to create a new SEF and then re-submit. Perhaps that's what it means by 'complete new SEF' and 'populate from last saved'. Maz From my experience I would say this is spot on Maz I have submitted my SEF online and the only way I can get 'at it' is by doing the 'new SEF' routine you detail. I thought it was possible to submit it and also have a saved copy but if that's possible I haven't worked out how to do it. I suppose it makes sense that if you are amending it you will be resubmitting it and they only 'keep' one. My question of the day is has anyone submitted, amended and re-submitted?? and if so do you have to go through the lengthy questionnaire again??!!! Quote
purplewednesday1 Posted May 13, 2009 Posted May 13, 2009 I beg to differ!! Click submit .... scroll through the questionnaire, leave it blank and at the bottom is another sumbit button - click .... job done! pw Quote
Cait Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 It's online today - and there's a bit where you can 'edit' now, so done that! woo - much better Quote
purplewednesday1 Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 SEF site's gone rubbish again ... system error ... been told by helpline it's down until tomorrow .... not just me pw Quote
sunnyday Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 Beginning to think that when I finally get round to 'doing' mine - I might just send them a hard copy. Are there advantages to doing online that I haven't thought of? The only thing is that will be able to see when they 'freeze' it and so have a warning that they are on their way - not sure I want to know!!! Sunnyday Quote
Carol Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 Hi Had surprise Ofsted visit today, online SEF was not locked!!! all well will let you all know the outcome when we are allowed to. Carol Quote
Beau Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 Hi Had surprise Ofsted visit today, online SEF was not locked!!! all well will let you all know the outcome when we are allowed to. Carol Well, that blows that theory out of the water! Everyone can stop checking every day now then. Glad it all went well for you and at least it is out of the way. Enjoy your weekend. Quote
sunnyday Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 Hi Had surprise Ofsted visit today, online SEF was not locked!!! all well will let you all know the outcome when we are allowed to. Carol Hi Carol - glad it went well for you, were you 'due' to be inspected around this time? How interesting that your online SEF wasn't frozen/locked. Sunnyday Quote
Guest Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 Hope the Ofsted all turns out fine, Carol. Just a thought for you all, copied and pasted from the Ofsted site: "Alternatively, if you wish to, you can complete the SEF by hand." Personally I'm of the opinion that if Ofsted want me to do it one way (quote: 'we encourage you to do this', i.e. to do it online) then I will do the exact opposite! Quote
sunnyday Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 Hope the Ofsted all turns out fine, Carol. Just a thought for you all, copied and pasted from the Ofsted site: "Alternatively, if you wish to, you can complete the SEF by hand." Personally I'm of the opinion that if Ofsted want me to do it one way (quote: 'we encourage you to do this', i.e. to do it online) then I will do the exact opposite! A fellow rebel - hooray!!! Do you know........at our last Ofsted (pre EYFS) the inspector said to me "you know you just don't fit into a box" My reply "I'll take that as a compliment"! Sunnyday Quote
Guest Posted May 16, 2009 Posted May 16, 2009 There's a book called 'teaching is a subversive activity', never read it but I love the sentiment. Keep pushing outside that box. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.