The future of school inspection in England is likely to change dramatically from 2005 onwards. It may change in frequency - reduced from six to three years. It may change in scope - offering a much lighter touch, using fewer inspector days, and being proportionate in its approach to inspecting schools depending on success/risk. It may offer little or no notice to schools in advance of their inspection. And reports may be shorter, provide less detail, and take more account of school's own self-evaluation and self-assessment.
What has this got to do with early years? Perhaps I could illustrate with a semi-detached house. The roof, the over-arching safeguard, is filled with the principles outlined in the new Children's Bill. On the left-hand side are changes in the future of school inspection - frequency, scope, notice, and shorter, less-detailed reports taking into account the self-assessment and self-evaluation.
The other half is not wholly vacant and Ofsted's Early Years Directorate is looking carefully at 'moving in' on 1 April 2005. From then onwards, what should be the future frequency of inspection? At the moment it is two years. Should the DfES extend or contract that frequency? What about the scope and judgements in our inspections? Should out-of-school clubs be inspected at the same time? What about the scope and judgement regarding the new children's centres? Would you object if inspectors turned up on your doorstep unannounced - not knowing which year they will arrive, never mind which month?
And what about those grades - good, satisfactory and unsatisfactory? Or if you provide funded nursery provision - very good, generally good, some significant weaknesses, unsatisfactory? And what about staff checks?
Ofsted is looking forward to its investment in the early years sector post-April 2005. You are the people who deliver the services. We are the people who regulate them. However, we all have the same ultimate aim - to ensure children are safe, healthy and developing properly, and improving the quality of their care and education.
