Ofsted smoothes the way to new-style inspections alongside revised EYFS

Speaking at Nursery World's business summit in London last week, Liz Elsom, Ofsted's divisional manager for the EYFS framework, said that the body would be seeking dialogue with the early years sector and 'tweaking the way it does things'.

'There are important issues we need to address,' she said. 'Our annual survey highlighted that there is a still a tendency for children in deprived areas to receive poor-quality care. We want an inspection regime that targets and improves weaker settings, including more frequent inspection where we receive information about potential non-compliance within the EYFS.'

She said there were also some concerns over delivering early learning in the private sector. 'Evidence suggests that learning around speaking and listening skills is weaker in the PVI sector than in the maintained.'

Reducing bureaucracy and placing stronger emphasis on reflective practice and working with parents will be at the forefront of Ofsted's dialogue with the sector, she said.

Ms Elsom said it had been tasked to make its reports more accessible to parents and was considering retaining the Self Evaluation Form as an option, although this has been scrapped in schools. She said that inspections will focus on children's progress and the ability of a setting to involve parents in their children's learning.

Ofsted has confirmed that it will continue to inspect within a set period of 47 months, so that 'everybody will get one inspection in that period,' said Ms Elsom.

New-style certificates to be issued after September 2012 will not detail conditions of registration relating to numbers and ages of children that can be cared for, although this will still be verified by Ofsted.

Ms Elsom said, 'We want to provide more self-regulation for providers to help them be flexible and responsive on the way they run their provision - for example, through limiting the way we use conditions of registration.

'At the same time, we will maintain a robust approach to safeguarding through a registration process that includes checks, premises visits, interviews and early follow-up inspections where they are needed.'

Adeline Garman, business development manager at Early Years Childcare, who attended the business summit said, 'It suggests that settings will have the opportunity to move towards self-governance and take responsibility for operating within the correct ratios. This can be seen as a good thing, in that we have to lean away from the nanny state.'

With regard to these changes Jennie Johnson, managing director of Kids Allowed, asked 'How will Ofsted have any clue how many places are available in the UK? Currently they know exactly the number of registered places, but going forward they would only know the number of locations. I would have thought this statistic is key?'

In the run-up to September 2012 Ofsted will be consulting with local authorities, running training events and publishing monthly bulletins to disseminate information about the new inspection framework.

Timetable for change

• Consultation on the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage closes 30 September 2011
• Consultation on revised frameworks for inspection and regulation between January and March 2012
• Piloting of new arrangements February to April 2012
• Revised Early Years Foundation Stage published end March 2012
• Inspection frameworks published and disseminated June and July 2012
• Early Years Foundation Stage and revised frameworks take effect September 2012