Nursery World - Positive relationships: Let's talk about ... Ofsted inspections

An inspector calls, but do all early years settings react - or prepare - the same way? Annette Rawstrone spoke to nursery managers who have recently had inspections.

Q: How are staff affected by Ofsted inspections? Does it put extra strain on them?

'The word Ofsted is quite a daunting word - it does terrify you.'

'We found as a team that the thought of it was a lot more stressful than the event itself. It all passed well. The inspector was very reassuring, helpful and non-intrusive.'

'The anticipation can put staff under tension and stress because you do not know when it is going to happen. Added to that is the pressure of wanting to do well.'

'The staff were all nervous at first, but they were fine once they met the inspector - she was the nicest one I've come across. You would not notice her in the room because she sat on the floor and played with the children rather than at the side writing notes and asking questions. She put everyone at their ease.'

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