Ofsted

[Guest]

Hi all, as a Reception teacher thinking that we will be due an Ofsted soonish, can anyone who has recently had this experience (large glass of wine, big pat on the back and a long holiday for you) could give advice on the kind of things they wanted to look at i.e policies or general bug bears etc?

A big thanks to anyone who replies as I'm feeling on my own at the mo x

[HappyMaz]

I'm not in school but our three years is up this term, so I'm getting all my paperwork in order over the holidays (which is a surefire way of making sure Ofsted don't come any time soon! I'm sure someone knowledgeable will be along to answer your queries, but in the meantime I've moved your post out of the SEF forum area and into school inspections.

 

Maz

[Marion]

We had Ofsted the final full week of term I haven't been teaching reception since January so only involved on the sidelines as management.

The inspection process begins online with the information supplied and really the team were looking for confirmation of the information there. We had three inspectors arrive the first day and they began by having a walk around the school at 7.30 &looking at all the school paperwork. One inspector spent the first morning in the FSU observing and talking to the coordinator then left. The other two remained for both days and were joined on the final day by a fourth for work scrutiny.

Safeguarding remains a big issue - managing risk sensibly how we did it etc

Child Initiated Learning how children's interests were followed

No more than ten minutes on the carpet ?? although I think this was a personal opinion

cooperation with other settings especially the child care in the CC

I felt the team were very knowledgeable (it's probably the first time in around 10 years we had an inspector that knew anything about early years) and it made the process less painful because they knew what they were looking at and we didn't have to keep justifying practice.

I'm sure others will have more details but hope that helps a little. good luck

[KST]

We had ofsted just before Christmas. Again safeguarding was the big thing! With regard to foundation stage, I was lucky that we had an inspector who knew EYFS well. She was more interested in my provision inside and outside than the adult led task that I was doing. She was interested in how children's interests were developed. She took my learning stories away to look at and told my head that she was interested to read the next steps I had writen next to observations and how they inform planning (although didnt look at planning). At the end of the day we were graded based on our results. Although teaching and learning were good, results for the last 3 years have been in line with national average, so therefore satisfactory and that was what she gave. So make sure you can justify your results, have good baselines so show starting points etc because that was what let us down. Good luck!

[sienna]

We had ofsted just before Christmas. Again safeguarding was the big thing! With regard to foundation stage, I was lucky that we had an inspector who knew EYFS well. She was more interested in my provision inside and outside than the adult led task that I was doing. She was interested in how children's interests were developed. She took my learning stories away to look at and told my head that she was interested to read the next steps I had writen next to observations and how they inform planning (although didnt look at planning). At the end of the day we were graded based on our results. Although teaching and learning were good, results for the last 3 years have been in line with national average, so therefore satisfactory and that was what she gave. So make sure you can justify your results, have good baselines so show starting points etc because that was what let us down. Good luck!

 

Same with us as well when inspected in January. Gender equality was another thing our inspector had an issue with, he saw only boys dressing up as astronauts! We told the inspector that girls did also and then felt the need to show him photographs we had taken earlier in the week with a mix of boys and girls dressed up as astronauts. We got good in the end, but it did feel like we had to fight for it.

[Guest]

Hi we too have just been done and I have to say it was not a bad experience at all.They were very thorough and spent some time in FS .They referred to our SEF quite a lot and checked that what was in there was actually happenning.I put together a EYFS file which outlined in detail routines(why we have them)Timetables,order of the day,stafing ratios and safeguarding policies.I also put in the on entry data analysis for the last 3 years and a statement saying how we used it asa basis for moving the children on and improving practise.Our standards are below NA when children leave foundation stage but (and this is what they were interested in )progress is v good.They looked closely at on entry to nursery and end of nursery.They also talked a lot with the children.I made sure that areas were saturated with photos of stuff we had done over the last term.They spent a long time looking at these and they asked the children questions about them.

Good luck just know your stuff when they come -I bet you know your children inside out.Make sure you celebrate what you do-If there is something you want to show them then do because they may not ask . Again good luck.

[Marion]

Same with us as well when inspected in January. Gender equality was another thing our inspector had an issue with, he saw only boys dressing up as astronauts! We told the inspector that girls did also and then felt the need to show him photographs we had taken earlier in the week with a mix of boys and girls dressed up as astronauts. We got good in the end, but it did feel like we had to fight for it.

 

As Inco I was interviewed about gender equality across the whole school so this is obviously another current "issue". They also asked for photographs of multi cultural awareness across the school.

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm due OFSTED very soon as well - and it's my first year as FS co-ordinator, so stressing quite a bit at the moment. I was just wondering what people have shown for baseline information and evidence - e.g if you have said you're below expecatation in a certain area - what have you shown to prove that??

 

[Guest]

Hi, we are due an inspection any minute, will probably not get any notice! Last OFSTED had issues with FS before I went into the unit. Was wondering what else may need to go in a file for evidence to show, need to be organised in case they just drop in! Hope it won't happen tomorrow!! :

[Cait]

Welcome and congratulations on your first post! I'm Preschool but from what everyone seems to be saying at the moment, it's safeguarding that's the new 'hottie'

[Susan]

In schools Cait, safeguarding is BIG but they will also want the sort of evidence that larmitage is asking about.

[pinkslc]

We had them in recently, they really really focussed on progress made over Yr R for the last 3 cohorts and evidence of that progress. They wanted learning journeys of average children and children below age related expectations.

[Guest jenpercy]

Can I ask if OFSTED asks schools about gathering information from other settings? This is such a big deal for us with OFSTEd and yet the schools we deal with aren't really interested.