Working Mum - Making the grade

The mere mention of Ofsted inspections may be enough to make many childcare practitioners quake, but it puts fear into parents too.

My daughter’s nursery was last inspected in 2011 so I, and my two friends whose children also attend, were well aware that it was due another inspection some time this year.

While we are all content with the care that our children receive, we had been concerned some months back that the nursery’s outdoor area was looking neglected.

One of the reasons why we decided to approach the nursery manager about this was because we did not want an Ofsted inspector to arrive and make judgements about the setting based on the state of the garden.

My friend was concerned that a poor Ofsted inspection would result in the overall high standard of the nursery going downhill. This was because her sister-in-law was pleased with her son’s nursery until it received a ‘satisfactory’ Ofsted rating. Many parents moved their children to other settings and staff left. In the end, she found alternative childcare too because she had lost confidence in the quality of the nursery’s provision.

POSITIVE AND ELOQUENT

Thankfully, the nursery garden had been returned to a decent state when my friend messaged me announcing, ‘Ofsted in today!’ There had been no mention of the Ofsted inspection when I dropped my daughter off – although I found it odd that fruit was being given out and the overall centre manager was unusually present.

My friend had arrived an hour later to find a notice on the door saying that they were being inspected and asking if a parent would be happy to speak to Ofsted. I was so pleased that she put herself forward. She’s confident, positive and eloquent and I couldn’t think of anyone better to effectively ‘sell’ the nursery that we love to Ofsted.

While practitioners may worry about what they say to the inspector, it may come as a surprise to hear that parents are concerned about it too. Even though my friend knew that she had said positive things about the nursery – she reportedly ‘waxed lyrical about the care given’ – she was nervous that she may be misquoted in the report and upset the staff.

Also, she said it felt a bit like a job interview, and because she hadn’t had time to think about what she may be asked, she felt ‘put on the spot’. She was unsure how to answer such questions as: ‘What has the nursery decided to develop and focus on with your daughter?’

BIG GRIN

I think we waited for the report as anxiously as the nursery staff. I knew it was positive when the manager had a big grin on her face as she handed me a copy a few weeks later. The nursery was found to be ‘good’ overall with ‘outstanding’ elements. My friends and I were thrilled and felt that it accurately reflected the setting. We all made a point of complimenting the practitioners on their hard work.

A couple of parents expressed their confusion to me about the report highlighting that the children do not always have access to resources to ‘extend their understanding of technology’ during their play. They questioned why their two- and three-year-olds would need that and said that they are happy that their children are not using computers at nursery. Along with giving out copies of the report, I think it would have been useful if the nursery had provided parents with an explanation of this and similar points highlighted in the report.

As for worrying about speaking to the inspector, my friend should not have been concerned. The nursery received a well-deserved ‘outstanding’ in the care section of the report. Her second child is currently settling in to the nursery, so she will probably still be around when the inspector calls again.

OFSTED COMMENT

An Ofsted spokesperson says, ‘The views of parents matter a great deal to us, from the beginning to the end of the inspection process and beyond.

‘When we tell an early years setting that it will be inspected the following day, parents must also be informed. When they are on location, inspectors will ask parents for their views about it – its strength and weaknesses, and what their child, if mature enough, says about it. Managers will be asked how they are using parents’ views to improve the service they provide.

‘We define outstanding leaders and managers as those who actively seek and act upon the views of parents to help raise standards. After the inspection, parents are very much in our minds when we write and publish the report. Our inspection report helps parents to make informed choices about the early years setting they want their young child to attend.’

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