Ofsted issues new guidance for inspecting EYFS

The revised early years evaluation schedule will come into effect on 1 September and will replace the current document.

At 16 pages, the new guidance is shorter and more concise than the current guidance, in line with the reduction to the number of inspection judgements.

The guidance gives providers an insight into what inspectors will be looking for under the new framework and is particularly important for managers and Early Years Professionals who will take part in observations with the inspector.

Inspectors will judge the overall quality and standards of the early years provision, taking into account three key judgements:

• how well it meets the needs of the range of children who attend;
• the contribution to children’s well-being;
• leadership and management of the provision.

The document says that inspectors must use the evaluation schedule in conjunction with Ofsted’s Conducting early years inspections guidance, and the Department for Education’s Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012, and Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The document sets out:

• the judgements that inspectors will inspect and report on;
• the aspects of the registered early years provision that inspectors will evaluate;
• outline guidance about the evidence that inspectors may gather.

It also includes descriptions of the different grades (‘grade descriptors’) to support inspectors to make their decision about whether provision is outstanding, good, satisfactory or indadequate, across the three key judgements.

Inspectors must use the description for a ‘good’ setting as a starting point and consider whether it meets the criteria to warrant a good grade, or is better (‘outstanding’) or worse (‘satisfactory’ or ‘inadequate’).

The document states, ‘For provision to be outstanding it must meet all of the criteria in the grade descriptors for good, plus all or nearly all of the additional descriptors for outstanding.’

Laura Henry, managing director of the Childcare Consultancy, said the evaluation schedule was ‘a very important read for providers and practitioners.

‘This document gives an overview of the grade descriptions for the judgements that inspectors will be using during inspections.

‘It is imperative that managers and/or owners familiarise themselves with this guidance. Especially, as we know that inspectors will be doing joint observations with the manager. It is also a useful document to cross reference their practice and to identify any gaps and note how they will improve.’



MAKING THE GRADE

OUTSTANDING

The setting’s practice consistently reflects the highest aspirations for all children and staff, enables children to make excellent progress in relation to their starting points and prepares them extremely well for school or the next stage in their learning.

All major aspects of the provision are at least good, and outstanding in most respects, with all legal requirements met.

GOOD

The setting’s practice enables all children to do well, make good progress relative to their starting points and prepares them well for school or the next stage of their learning. Children benefit from practice that is at least good and sometimes outstanding.

No aspects of the setting are inadequate and all legal requirements are met. The judgement on ‘How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend’ is at least good.

SATISFACTORY

The setting’s practice is not good enough because one or more key aspects of its work require improvement.

INADEQUATE

Overall effectiveness is likely to be inadequate if any of the key judgements are inadequate.

If any of the key judgements are inadequate, but inspectors judge Overall effectiveness to be better than inadequate, inspectors must consider leadership and management’s ability to bring about rapid and sustained improvement.