Inspections

[narnia]

Latest?? The inspector called this morning to ask if we are ok. That was really kind, and I discussed the 'incident' with her. I told her about the guy's qualifications...........in fact, i didn't realise that the Policeman is also a safeguarding officer for vulnerable adults.......told her that, and she said in that case, they should definately have known better! I also explained that he didn't climb over the back wall, but walked around the garden so she said that was still just as bad. She added that as our mud kitchen is up against an outside wall.........................guess what???............'an estranged parent COULD, if they were upset or determined, pull their child over the wall and run off with them'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. So, she has said that we must put in place an assessment for 'unauthorised people on site'..............i said they weren't unauthorised, they were on site with our.....and their....full knowledge,they were known to us and we had signed them in but she ain't having it. Her final comment?? You are champing at the bit, knocking on the door to have an Outstanding result, i hope you get it at re-inspection.ARGGHHHHHHHHH

[sunnyday]

Oh narnia - I am seething on your behalf :angry:

[sunnyday]

I'm back - did you talk about an 'appeal'?

I'm wondering if she was 'covering her back' and 'testing the water'.......particularly as she's 'adding bits' now (mud kitchen)

[Pimms o'clock?]

I agreed with Sunnyday, definitely 'covering her back'. I know you have had the conversation and that can't be undone but I would have been inclined to say 'thank you for your concern' and put the phone down.

When you appeal make sure you recall this phonecall as I don't think she should be doing that, as far as I am aware inspectors should only make a follow up phone call to clarify something factual they realise they are not sure of like 'I recorded the location of your public liability insurance but forgot to record the expiry date could you tell me when it expires please' AND they have to record all contact made after the inspection in their toolkit. Not adding insult to injury and telling you how close to o/s you came and that I hope you are inspected soon!! And I don't know how she could record the conversation she had with you and not get a kick up the a*r* for not following procedure.

I bet you could have done without that call today, so sorry to hear of the additional stress they have put you under.

[Cait]

That sounds very strange. I once had an inspector call me afterwards to chat about something she had forgotten to say on the day. She wasn't happy with my response and said that if I was refusing to comply she would shut us down. I was shaking after the call, and really felt that if she had remembered on the day then it could have been more rationally discussed

[Guest sn0wdr0p]

This is ridiculous!!! After providing her with the extra information she should have reconsidered her result - mmm are they allowed to do that after the end of inspection meeting?. It all seems a little petty to me. I know quite a few pre schools in my area who have outdoor areas which are only enclosed by 3ft picket fencing. It's taking things a little to the extreme if she is talking about a child being grabbed and I suppose she is of the opinion that we should never go on outings then - just in case an estranged parents grabbed a child. (oh well that's the visit to the farm, zoo, cinema, seaside and park cancelled during the summer holidays -shame when that's what the inspector praised us on during our last inspection)

[Panders]

That does smack of being very odd to ring today - were you distraught, totally shocked to the point of not being able to talk during feedback which would have led her to call you?

 

This all sounds so wrong. Was she being observed by the other inspector, or were they both doing your inspection? I had a rougher ride than expected a few years back when I agreed to allow our inspector to be observed by their line manager.

 

I can't imagine how your weekend has been Narnia, but you must hang on to the thought that this is not right, that you have done the correct things and have a great preschool. what she is suggesting regarding disgruntled parent/lunatic is nigh on impossible to guard against, anyone determined enough makes hell. We do our best to minimise those risks but we are not perfect, nobody is.

 

So many of us work within quirky buildings and grounds, we would put ourselves into an early grave worrying about all the what ifs.

[hopeytg]

I made a complaint against Prospectus following our 'inadequate' and the wording on the report was changed but not the outcome. However one of the Managers from Prospectus rang me and said 'I assume you will be dropping the complaint now'.

On the positive side we were re-inspected today by a lovely inspector and we are pleased with the outcome. We can now enjoy the holidays.

[Masha]

I have to say it's all pretty alarming. One of our play areas is located next to our car park, and people walk across the car park to get to our door, so I suppose any children playing out are at risk of being 'snatched' even though there are always practitioners present.

 

But are they really? I don't really think that somebody snatching a child over the fence of a playground is a real and present danger.

 

Doesn't risk assessment tell us to look at the likelihood of an occurrence when assessing the riskiness of something? I could equally assume that all my children are at risk from one of the numerous planes that fly over us crashing into the playground, but it's not really likely to happen.

 

I know of a local nursery that was downgraded after a parent held the door open for the inspector. She was horrified and pointed out that she could have been an axe murderer! It's nonsense, it really is. What kinds of worlds do the inspectors live in? If you were an axe murder and came to my nursery, you would ring the doorbell, and I would open the door, same as I do for anyone who rings the doorbell (unless you also had a big sign saying 'don't open the door, I'm an axe murderer').

 

Sorry, probably rambling a bit, but I don't think any children are at risk as long as they are being well supervised by their practitioners.

[sunnyday]

 

On the positive side we were re-inspected today by a lovely inspector and we are pleased with the outcome. We can now enjoy the holidays.

Brilliant news - I am really pleased for you! :1b

[SueJ]

Truly Narnia my flabber is ghasted - if your inspector did not mention her concerns regarding your mud kitchen during feedback I'm not sure that she can now bring the siting of it into the equation. As for the rubbing of salt into the wounds it rather sounds as though she could do with brushing up on her tact and diplomacy.

For what it's worth I was a school governor at the time of the Dunblane shooting - there was much discussion on school governing bodies about how we could protect children from the acts of random madmen/women - the upshot was that a really determined maniac will not be stopped by high fences, locked doors etc. and CCTV cameras won't stop them they will just record what happens - if we all tried to run our setting's using the "what if" scenario then I suspect we'd all have the children cryogenically frozen and stacked up in nuclear bunkers. :mellow:

[narnia]

Ladies, thank you again. You really are a tonic xx Had a father stop by after work...................his wife told him about our result, ( he is a deputy head teacher).........................and he made a detour to come and tell us that this is all C**p as we are wonderful, caring, great people and he has seen a real change for the better in his son's behaviour since he's been coming to us. Then he gave me a big hug. People are wonderful. Why aren't inspectors people too?............

[SueJ]

At least the people who really matter have taken the time to let you know the positive impact that you have on their children

[dreamgirl]

Ladies, thank you again. You really are a tonic xx Had a father stop by after work...................his wife told him about our result, ( he is a deputy head teacher).........................and he made a detour to come and tell us that this is all C**p as we are wonderful, caring, great people and he has seen a real change for the better in his son's behaviour since he's been coming to us. Then he gave me a big hug. People are wonderful. Why aren't inspectors people too?............

Ask him to contact ofsted and tell them what he has told you.

[sunnyday]

Ask him to contact ofsted and tell them what he has told you.

Absolutely! :1b

[eyfs1966]

Well, I have felt for a long time now that the quality of inspections is dubious at best, but this case totally takes the biscuit. I most definately would complain, and complain loudly. The point that is being made about "estranged parents" is outrageous, and I would be copying in Mr Wilshire on the complaint as well. He himself has expressed concern about the quality of insections, and the possibility of early years being brought back inhouse at the end of the current cycle. If ever there was a reason to bring them back inhouse, this is it. Barking, bonkers and absolutely bl***y awful for you.

[Froglet]

Narnia, I've not really known what to say before except that I feel for you. I am so glad that dad came and said what he did.

[HappyMaz]

On the positive side we were re-inspected today by a lovely inspector and we are pleased with the outcome. We can now enjoy the holidays.

Oh that's great news! You must be very happy!

[narnia]

She also said that we had to consider our child with ASD.........................'he is the most likely to vault over the fence and run off. You also have a child who is new and unsettled, what if he sees someone on the park who looks like his mum.......he could try to run off too'...................the more I think about it all, the more I despair, really i do.

 

Congratulations, hopey

[HappyMaz]

Oh narnia.

[louby loo]

Re Narnia's last post -( sorry I can't quote anymore for some reason)

To be honest the whole thing sounds like a complete joke! :angry:

Why were there to inspectors anyway? Was one training? Is she just being overzealous?

I dread to think what these two 'inspectors' would make of our place.... I'm kinda thinking we'd be shut down on the spot :blink:

.... and we're considered one of the better settings in our area.

[sunnyday]

 

I dread to think what these two 'inspectors' would make of our place.... I'm kinda thinking we'd be shut down on the spot :blink:

.... and we're considered one of the better settings in our area.

I know - I have been thinking the same thing louby

Our SIP visits ceased a while ago and my parting shot was - well I'll see you again when we get a 'requires improvement' - my SIP's answer was "if you ever got a 'requires improvement' I would be launching an appeal myself"..........

That was very reassuring at the time - but beginning to have some serious doubts now........

[sunnyday]

She also said that we had to consider our child with ASD.........................'he is the most likely to vault over the fence and run off. You also have a child who is new and unsettled, what if he sees someone on the park who looks like his mum.......he could try to run off too'...................the more I think about it all, the more I despair, really i do.

 

These are RIDICULOUS statements what the heck does she think you do - I am despairing with you

[caffinefreak]

Narnia, I am so sorry that you are in the position, we are also currently inadequate and it's broken my heart and destroyed my confidence. I hope reinspection is kind to you xx

[MarshaD]

Oh dear!

It's so frustrating that all your hard work could be undone by people who with all due respect are nothing to do with you! Head up and good luck with your appeal.

M

[narnia]

I have just been reading recent inspections in my area. Another local group which was graded 'good' last time has been downgraded to 'requires improvement'..................oneof the reasons? staff didn't ask children what happened to water they poured onto the grass....

[woodlands1997]

Ah yes of course, I for one ask children that all the time - ridiculous!!!!

[narnia]

so.......................today we had one of our 'old' children, a very grown up 5 year old, turn up at the door ( is that an ;unauthorised visitor'??), with a birthday card and cake for my deputy. He marched in with a very stern little face and said' mum told me about the horrid lady who said you were no good. I think it's nonsense and you should tear up her letter when it comes'....................why do I think he'd make a great ofsted inspector one day??? Really made me smile though

and then...................an email from a parent, telling us that we do a wonderful job; that her child is the most precious thing in her life and if she doubted us for even a second, he wouldn't be with us.

Life eh??

so, tell me this.........................why am I considering packing it all in? Because I sopke to our lead teacher today and her advice is' probably best not to contest it you know, they can only judge you on what they see on the day'...............maybe so..............

[hopeytg]

Don't give up, we had our 're-inspection' on Monday and it was a totally different experience. Totally restored my faith in my own abilities. I contested our inspection, the grade didn't change but they did concede to reword some of it. I was told by our improvement advisor it wasn't worth it - but I was determined not to be intimidated and it certainly didn't effect our latest inspection.

[jocrow]

Please don't pack it in and please contest it!!