Guest Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Hi. Are you a packaway setting that has achieved an outstanding Ofsted? I am trying to visit one but my lea teacher says there isn't one due to the limitations. If you achieved good but thought you may get outstanding did you feel being a packaway did put you at a disadvantage? My last inspection was last year and wé got good but the main issue was resources! Just wondered how other packaway settings feel about the pressure for childr3nschoice, freeflow, mud kitchens when our rental terms mean everything including displays have to be put away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 No! but shall watch this thread with interest marley! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 One near us got outstanding recently. To be honest I am both shocked and pleased at the same time! I am hoping to visit soon. :1b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Marley I love this post :1b Your recommendations seem very much like mine and they are all constraints of a packaway setting and I'm not giving excuses I have spoken to 2 of our Advisors and both of them feel that the recommendations are extrememly harsh and can give no idea to how we are going to approach them. We do have an Outstanding setting about 5 miles away but having visited they pack away once a week and have sole use to an amazing outside area which theyve totally 'Early yearsd' it - I wouldn't call it a true packaway. My inspector also wanted to know where our mud kitchen was - everything we do to get round the fact that we can't dig in the garden apparently wasn't enough to persuade her. We did get a 'good' but having scan read the new inspection document don't think we'll get it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Marley I love this post :1b We did get a 'good' but having scan read the new inspection document don't think we'll get it again I really don't want to read that do I? We also got 'good' at our last, and our advisor felt we should have got outstanding due to the fact a really awful setting got an outstanding a month earlier. We are due from September onwards- to be honest I'm already dreading it- our setting has become so rundown in the last year or so due to a total lack of interest from the owner. We used to be so proud of our daily set-up. The staff try so hard, but it's now becoming so demoralising and hard work- and we get not one word of thanks for all our unpaid efforts- so everyone goodwill is running out now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 We have just been "done" and our inspector said that under the new framework it was "virtually impossible" to get an outstanding and that a good judgement is the equivalent of the previous framework outstanding. We got a good. Our inspector was very complementary about our premises and made no negative comments about our church hall or our packaway status. I have googled her setting and it is Fabulous - purpose built with fields, a forest school etc - the pictures look fab. Her setting has an outstanding from 2012 (so I shall be watching periodically ). A couple of full day care purpose builts have also been inspected near me (different inspectors) and they got an outstanding whereas another previously outstanding has just been given a good. As always there is an element of perception in any judgement - I trained as an inspector but have not pursued inspecting as you have to do 24 inspections a year - what with working and all I didn't feel that this was for me as it would mean being away from my own setting too frequently - in all honesty if I was inspecting my setting I think I would have given us a good. Any setting will be judged on its weakest links and as good as my staff our I don't think that I could honestly say that they are all outstanding practitioners all of the time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Louby Loo, sorry its probably me my 1st reaction is always OMG! However, I honestly feel like it's getting tougher for us so that parents will start to look towards school provision. But then many have fought for us to be inspected the same as schools and we've got it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 We got a 'good' last July and one of the actions was to look at the way we offer choice and access to the resources. As they all have to be packed away in the Aladdin's Cave at the end of each session, there's no possible way to give the children free access to everything all of the time! We can only get a certain amount out for obvious reasons and when we do get a trolley out with several boxes to choose from, for example, it all just gets slung around the floor, no matter how much we try to prevent it! Not read the new framework yet, but I doubt we'd ever get near an outstanding, and my committee is happy with 'good'. They just want to know the children are happy, well cared for and enjoying themselves, which they are I'd love to know how a true packaway has managed it though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 We got a 'good' last July and one of the actions was to look at the way we offer choice and access to the resources. As they all have to be packed away in the Aladdin's Cave at the end of each session, there's no possible way to give the children free access to everything all of the time! We can only get a certain amount out for obvious reasons and when we do get a trolley out with several boxes to choose from, for example, it all just gets slung around the floor, no matter how much we try to prevent it!... This is obviously one of Ofsteds 'things' then this time - last time the inspector praised us For everything we offer and said purpose built places could learn a thing or two from us! The cynical in me says that was before the allowing schools to have 2 yr olds without re-registering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Yep, our inspector actioned - offering a 'choice'. I said: All our children know they can say 'Can I have....etc But she rightly pointed out 2yr olds with little knowledge or language wouldnt be able to do that - so she recommended a photo book - so they could choose! I have made one....with 2 photos in - ha ha! Could imagine 'I want dat, I want dat...all morning........ Actually I did already have one for sen children - But was on the spot and FORGOT!! Grrrr (anyway it wasnt out) But like Sue J said - also possibly not all outstanding practitioners - so still going round in circles! Could packaways not get another judgement - for Service in the Face of Adversity?! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macvicar1 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 We are a pack away everything setting, every day in a shared hall - we got outstanding last month - so happy after all the hard work ! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 We are a pack away everything setting, every day in a shared hall - we got outstanding last month - so happy after all the hard work ! Congratulations - expand please, resources, planning, and what did She LOVE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macvicar1 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Liked challenging, exciting activities/resources. She also looked at planning - we really go with interests and she liked our focus groups split according to age/stage. She spoke to all staff and chatted to children and parents and tracked 2 children looking at their progress since starting with us including one child with delayed speech. She spent lots of time in room observing and asking about resources/activities why we do something etc. - she did 2 joint obs with me and I fed back what I thought and why about the activity. Once we got over the shock of the knock on the door I tried to be really enthusiastic about why we do things to meet the needs of our children aged 2-4 in one room and how we differentiate. Also really important to have self evaluation that reflects what she sees on her visit - so proud of my staff as I said lets do what we do every day ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Yep, our inspector actioned - offering a 'choice'. I said: All our children know they can say 'Can I have....etc But she rightly pointed out 2yr olds with little knowledge or language wouldnt be able to do that - so she recommended a photo book - so they could choose! I have made one....with 2 photos in - ha ha! Could imagine 'I want dat, I want dat...all morning........ I have one of those photo albums but it wasn't enough I do agree with the staffing statement in as much none of us are anymore than level 3 or equivalent and none of us are looking to train to degree level, which she did say would hold us back 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I suggested a photo book to my EY advisor and was met with a stony silence... Never did do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I suggested a photo book to my EY advisor and was met with a stony silence... Never did do it! The inspector did like it and said she can see we try to work hard to overcome our problems but it's not enough, just as the inspector Rafa had mine also said the younger and quieter children wouldn't want to ask and no children actually looked at it whilst she was there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 We keep our cupboard doors open so the children can see in and most of them know to ask if there's something they want that's not out, but probably would't do that until they were confident/able to. EY lady seemed happy with that. We rotate what we have out pretty much daily, unless there's a lot of interest in a particular resource, so the children do get to know what there is in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 No cupboards inside the hall; all our resources are in a Health & Safety nightmare shed in the garden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne123 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 We were inspected a couple of years ago, pack away setting and although we got good we did have 2 outstanding elements, one of which was related to resources! However, although we have added to resources I would be very surprised if we got the same results at next ofsted due to changes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Actually Mcvicar1, out of interest DO you have higher level qualified staff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macvicar1 Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Hi Rafa We are a large team of staff one EYPS, two level 5, majority level 3, 2 level 2 - or working towards - committee run community pre-school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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