Ofsted inspectors will make common judgements for all providers working with children aged from birth to five for the first time when the Early Years Foundation Stage comes into force in September.
Aligning the inspection regimes across the entire range of early years providers in England, from nurseries to out-of-school clubs and from childminders to state schools, has been a challenging task: the inspection cycles for schools did not line up with those for early years settings and by law, school inspections have to make judgements on issues that are not covered in private sector early years settings, such as value for money.
To overcome these differences, Ofsted has developed common judgements, that are underpinned by common benchmarking, for inspecting the EYFS wherever it is delivered.
Practitioners preparing to deliver the new play-based curriculum have been raising concerns and seeking reassurances about how they will be assessed under the new system.
Below is a guide answering key queries that have come from Nursery World readers.
Notice
Ofsted will continue to operate its policy of giving little or no notice for inspections of all Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) settings. Only those that do not operate regularly, such as some creches still requiring registration or holiday play schemes, will receive notice.
Timing
Some practitioners are calling for a transition period to enable them to cope, says Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association. 'September 2008 is rapidly approaching for nurseries and with it will come a range of new requirements, including the Early Years Foundation Stage and the move to online self-evaluation from Ofsted. These require settings to work in a different way, and some are concerned about the relatively short time-scale there is left to attend training and prepare. Although there has been a great deal of guidance on the EYFS, some local authorities have rolled out training quite late, and some have operated a "one delegate per setting" policy.'
However, Ofsted will start inspecting against the EYFS when it becomes law on 1 September. Each setting has to be inspected within a prescribed period from the start of the new inspection cycle. Currently the period is three to four years.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families is looking at aligning the inspection frequency of all schools and settings delivering the EYFS.
Inspections
Inspectors will not check that each and every requirement is met - the onus is on the provider to comply with regulations.
Instead, inspectors will evaluate the effectiveness of the provision (based on the principles that underpin the EYFS) and will examine a selection of requirements at each inspection, including those requirements that schools and early years settings indicate in the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) are not met, or where inspectors find evidence to suggest they are not met; and requirements directly relating to child protection, such as staff suitability.
Inspections will focus on
- self-improvement
- inclusion
- working in partnership
- planning and assessment
- leadership and management.
The four common inspection judgements are:
- How effective is the provision in meeting the needs of children in the EYFS?
- How effectively are children helped to learn and develop?
- How effectively is the welfare of children promoted?
- How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?
Working in partnership is a key theme. Providers must be able to demonstrate their partnership arrangements and how planning, assessment and the activities provided complement any provision that children have received elsewhere. There will be a greater expectation that all providers, not just those delivering Government-funded early education, will plan for and assess children's progress. Ofsted expects this will involve some form of written planning and assessment recording.
A crucial inspection judgement to be made on all EYFS providers, including childminders, will be on the quality of their leadership and management. The inspector will look at how effective the links are with parents/carers, early years professionals, other providers and services.
Methodology
This remains the same. Inspectors will consider a range of evidence obtained mainly from first-hand observation of the children and how adults interact with them, as well as from discussions with managers, practitioners and parents. The inspector will also talk with the children and inspect documentation, including planning and assessment records.
Self-evaluation
'The EYFS and self-evaluation are important steps for nurseries,' says Ms Tanuku. 'It is vital that they are fully supported to ensure that both can be successfully implemented.'
Although providers will be encouraged to complete the new, more comprehensive self-evaluation form, and particularly encouraged to complete it online, the SEF will not be mandatory.
The new SEFs, which will also be available in hard copy format, will be on Ofsted's website from July, with additional information contained in the booklet Are You Ready for Inspection?
Ofsted says its pilots have shown that a well-completed SEF helps providers assess what they offer. Inspectors who receive the SEF before inspection will be able to use it as a focus for discussion and this should shorten the time spent on inspection. For those providers who do not send in a SEF to Ofsted, inspectors will always ask to see any other self -evaluation a provider carries out and will judge the quality of self-evaluation against the evidence collected on the inspection.
But it admits it cannot stop people copying completed SEFs or using them for marketing. However, the expectation is that the SEF is a tool for continuous self-improvement and not merely produced for the inspection.
Inspectors will be able to distinguish between providers who genuinely engage in reflective practice and those who complete the form simply to get through an inspection.
Grading
According to a delegate at the Primary National Strategy Early Years Lead Advisers' conference, one provider attained an 'outstanding' grade because Ofsted needed to meet quotas of providers to invite to celebrations. This is hotly denied by Ofsted, which says there are no quotas and never have been, as the yearly lists published on the website clearly demonstrate. All reports, whatever the grade, have to be soundly underpinned by evidence.
Grades remain the same:
- Outstanding - exceptional provision where the practice is worth disseminating and inspectors make very few, if any, recommendations
- Good - strong provision, where practice is worth reinforcing and developing
- Satisfactory - sound and acceptable, but inspectors will make recommendations for further improvement
- Inadequate 1 - weak provision, which is giving cause for concern but is likely to improve without outside help, where at least one of the learning and development requirements are not being met. Inspectors will issue a notice to improve and will re-inspect in six to 12 months.
- Inadequate 2 - poor provision needing urgent attention where the children may not be adequately safeguarded and which is unlikely to improve without outside help. Inspectors will issue a notice to improve and/or take enforcement action. Inspectors will monitor progress and re-inspect when the provision becomes satisfactory, or take action to cancel registration.
Documentation
Inspection reports will be shorter and sharper. The aim is for reports on PVI settings to be sent to the provider ahead of being published on Ofsted's website within 15 to 20 days of the inspection.
At the end of an inspection, the inspector will go through his or her judgements with the provider, normally on a laptop computer. These judgements will be recorded in a table called a record of judgements at the end of the report, while information on the quality of the outcomes for children, the organisation of the setting and the reasons for the judgements will be given in the text.
In a new departure, letters arising from monitoring visits following an inadequate inspection will be published on Ofsted's website so parents can keep abreast of any progress being made.
Training and Consistency
'Nurseries have raised the need for consistent training of Ofsted inspectors,' says Ms Tanuku, and Nursery World readers have also queried how inspection judgements for schools and pre-schools can be aligned when different teams will be undertaking the different inspections.
Ofsted says underpinning the common judgements there is common benchmarking, so that inspectors consider practice against the same criteria when making their judgements.
It says that all inspectors of the EYFS will have the appropriate training and have already received two days training on the underpinning knowledge of the EYFS from those leading on the National Strategies. The training on inspection against the EYFS is well underway. Regional and national systems are in place to check consistency.
Where a 'reduced tariff' inspection is being undertaken on a school, the lead inspector will be accompanied by another inspector who will conduct the EYFS inspection.
Inspectors have had briefings on particular approaches to delivering early education and will receive guidance agreed with Montessori UK and Steiner Waldorf so that they can inspect the delivery of the EYFS in Montessori and Steiner settings and schools.
