Nurseries and childminders back scrapping Ofsted one-word inspection judgements

This found that more than three quarters (77 per cent) supported the removal of the single-word Ofsted grading – i.e Outstanding, Good, ‘requires improvement’ and Inadequate.

The survey also highlights the impact of Ofsted on providers’ mental health, with around eight in 10 (79 per cent) of nurseries, pre-schools and childminders reporting they were stressed about inspections ‘fairly’ or ‘very often’, while more than four in 10 (45 per cent) have had a negative Ofsted experience.

Around a fifth (21 per cent) said they have filed a formal complaint, and just over half (52 per cent) said the inspection judgements they received were unfair.

The findings chime with Nursery World’s survey on early years providers' inspection experiences, published last week, which also highlighted hundreds of comments from nurseries and childminders who said they were experiencing stress, anxiety and sleepless nights before Ofsted inspections.

The Alliance survey asked whether respondents had experienced symptoms / health impacts due to work, or where work was a contributing factor in the past year?

• Insomnia 58 per cent 
• Depression 27 per cent 
• Fatigue 65 per cent 
• Anxiety 67 per cent 
• Panic attacks 14 per cent 
• Self-harm 1 per cent 
• Thoughts of ending your own life 3 per cent 
• Mood swings 30 per cent 
• Irritability 52 per cent 
• Withdrawal 18 per cent 
• Tearfulness 52 per cent 
• Loss of motivation 64 per cent 

The survey was carried out between 29 March and 27 April 2023, and received 1,910 responses. 

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘The fact that working in the early years has left educators facing sleepless nights and suffering from anxiety and stress is not only deeply worrying; it’s completely unacceptable. 

‘It’s clear that the early years is in the midst of a mental health and wellbeing crisis, and that Ofsted inspections are a key source of this stress for many in the sector.  

‘If inspections are to achieve their aim of supporting and improving the provision of education, they must be a collaborative, supportive and positive experience. Instead, they are increasingly seen as something to dread, leaving educators stressed, exhausted and questioning their future in the sector’.

Comments in the Alliance survey included one from a manager who said, ‘Our setting is expecting an Ofsted inspection shortly which has really changed how I feel about my job and the workload. As a result, I feel this role is not sustainable for me, which is really sad as I love working in the early years but Ofsted places too much pressure on early years settings when it is already a very emotionally and physically demanding job.’

Another survey respondent said, ‘I love my job but I’m so frustrated and stressed. Not only am I trying to keep the business running sustainably with limited funding, but I’m also under pressure due to Ofsted inspections. I know we do a fantastic job, yet we are judged on one three-hour visit. I would much prefer our local authority to inspect us.’  

Working in early years impacts mental health

More than eight in 10 respondents in the Alliance’s survey said they had been regularly stressed about a work-related issue in the past month, with Government early years policy and pay listed as the most common causes of stress aside from Ofsted inspections.

Leitch added, ‘Years of severe underfunding and limited government support have taken its toll on early educators and – as our survey shows – contributed to the fact that so many in the sector are facing a range of mental health challenges.  

‘Day after day, early years providers are forced to juggle wholly inadequate funding, overwhelming workloads and severe staffing shortages while continuing to deliver high-quality early education and care.

‘Add to that the fact that, in the rare instance that the sector is included in government policy – such as the newly-announced 30-hour expansion – it often ends up heaping even more pressure on a sector that is already close to buckling, and it’s no surprise that so many are struggling.’

He said that the mental health and wellbeing of early educators must be a key focus both when it comes to reforming the inspection system and in developing government policy.

‘With a third of providers actively considering leaving the workforce, this is not an issue that can be ignored,’ he added. ‘The way the sector is treated must change, not only to protect the mental health of the workforce, but the future of the entire sector.’ 

An Ofsted spokesperson said,'Our inspections are first and foremost for children and their parents, to provide assurance about how well nurseries and childcare settings are run. We know that inspections can be challenging, so we talk regularly to early years providers to tackle some of the common misconceptions about our work. We want inspections to be as constructive as possible for nurseries and childminders.'