ofsted consultation on inspection changes for sep 2013

[Guest tinkerbell]

Ofsted is planning to change its judgements for Early years settings in September and you can put your opinion forward to the proposal.

Basically it wants to get rid of the satisfactory judgement and change it to needs improvement and then there are actions that will follow if settings get that judgement.I don't know how everyone feels about this.Take a look at the Ofsted web page under consultations.I will try and find the link.

Tinkerbell

[Guest tinkerbell]

Here is the link www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/good-early-years-provision-for-all

[Rea]

Thanks for the link to the consultation

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22184434

This is a view from others.

[catma]

It does bring Early Years Ofsted inspections in line with everyone else though. If schools and children's centres will be judged as requires improvement if they are not good why not nurseries? Wouldn't we want good to be the standard we expect for children??

 

Controversial maybe but isn't this the reverse side of having equal status with other parts of the sector??? :ph34r:

 

Cx

[hali]

I agree Catma

[Miacat3]

Maybe we would have equal status if we were also able to have notice before an inspection by Ofsted as enjoyed by school, child minders etc!

[catma]

It is an argument often raised, but unlike schools and CCs there is no requirement for the nursery being inspected to formally gather LA representatives, parents groups, service providers, governing bodies etc. together for the purposes of the inspection who all have to have some advance notice to change their schedules. Schools get half a day notice to be able to do this. Our team are for ever having to drop our plans at the last minute to meet the requirements of an Ofsted inspection, and when we get more than 1 at a time in the LA it can be quite a logistical nightmare.

Childminders are contacted to ensure the inspector will not waste time and money by turning up and finding no-one there. They may know the time frame but not the day.

 

Different legislation so different frameworks, different structures but I'd want the outcomes to be all about good or better provision for children and families.

 

Cx

Edited April 27, 2013 by catma

[zigzag]

I always thought that the judgement of satisfactory was a horrible term. We had this many moons ago, and I really felt it was neither here or there!! I actually agree with the proposed term needs improvement. As for having notice, I would rather not know, personally I think it results in a far fairer inspection.

[catma]

Having said that of course with comittee run settings or where the provider is not the manager etc etc they would have to be told there was an inspection and inspectors would want to speak with them, but they aren't external agencies who have to be contacted in the same way I don't think.

[Inge]

Having said that of course with comittee run settings or where the provider is not the manager etc etc they would have to be told there was an inspection and inspectors would want to speak with them, but they aren't external agencies who have to be contacted in the same way I don't think.

 

They may not be classed as 'outside agencies' but they still have to rearrange things and sort out if they can be there.. not always possible at no notice..

 

We often had a chairperson who worked or was not available for any inspection day.. one year they wanted to speak to our chairperson, but with no notice it was not possible, she got quite irate when I refused to call her and ask her to come it when I knew she was at work in a school as a TA.. so unable to come... she had to make do with speaking to the parents on arrival to collect.. none of which were committee members,

 

So if there is no notice they have to realise that they may not see any committee...

[catma]

Fair point Inge. To get round this inspectors I've worked with would hold a telephone conversation if the person couldn't come in.

[Mouseketeer]

What is the difference between 'needs improvement' and ' inadequate' ? Surely if something needs improving its inadequate as it is

 

Our recent inspection asked for chair to come in, was on her way back from somewhere and had to arrange childcare to come in, inspector spoke to her for an hour, chair was rung out by end of it and felt responsible for us not getting outstanding as she said that even though committee have acceptable knowledge of their roles and responsibilities they hadn't stepped up to the monitoring and supervision of staff not just annual appraisal, and couldnt leave to manager - (though i thought that was now part of my job) as required in revised eyfs, this was the point to improve on our report, though a setting close to us and inspected a few weeks later was only asked to read a list of names and confirm they were current committee, didn't ask to speak to any committee members........really wished I'd said the chair was unavailable (though she is a brilliant chair and takes it all very seriously, and is very supportive...unlike last years chair who would of probably had to ask the inspector what ofsted was ! )

[catma]

I can only speak from a schools inspection framework perspective.

 

Inadequate is an out and out failure. Typically children are not getting an adequate education.

In schools this then means termly monitoring visits by HMI. It often means a HT, or senior leaders lose their jobs. Now it can mean the governing body is removed and the school is forced to become an academy or federate with another school.

Requires improvement means that children are getting an adequate education but there are significant weaknesses which are preventing it from providing a good education for children, e.g. the profile of teaching is not consistently good over time. In schools this would mean a re-inspection within a year.

 

Cx

[playgroup1]

With regard to no notice inspections, has anyone had experience of an inspector turning up on the same day there are important meetings involving the leader? For instance, we have two children going through the statement process which reqires visits from ed.psychs, early years support team physios, slt, teachers from school, often needing to speak to me and observe the children.

These people come on different days usually. How would it work if an ofsted inspector turned up on the same day?

[Cait]

I had an EYQUISP and Ofsted turned up - the County team left and returned another day. I think it would very much depend on the Inspector and the other visitor. Sometimes a child's needs come first!!