Call for 'equal treatment' for schools and nurseries in Ofsted inspection notice

Currently schools receive 48 hours’ notice ahead of an Ofsted inspection, however the plans, previously set out by Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw in January, would have meant that schools would have received no warning, bringing them in line with early years settings.

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has argued that Mr Gove’s back track decision puts nurseries at an unfair disadvantage.

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the NDNA, said, ‘We have always wanted schools and nurseries to be on a level playing field when it comes to notice for inspections. The proposals recently announced by Sir Michael Wilshaw at Ofsted to bring in no notice inspections for schools were welcomed by NDNA, as a step towards making the situation more equitable.

‘We understand that Michael Gove has now indicated that he is looking at the possibility of retaining notice for schools. If schools are to be given notice for inspections we believe the same principle should be applied to nurseries. We do not believe that creating a level playing field would compromise inspections, but rather that it would allow inspections to become more effective.