Your Opinion: Letters

I was interested to read the sorry tale of one provider's Ofsted inspection (Letters, 11 October).

I manage a PVI foundation unit attached to a preparatory school. I attended a pre-inspection meeting for the school inspection with the lead inspector and already knew that I would also have an early years inspection during the week.

The early years inspector arrived and verbally I gained an outstanding for education and care. The inspector thought it prudent to tell the school inspection team and reappeared visibly distressed and informed me the setting had gained satisfactory for education and unsatisfactory for care because the building needed repair. The school inspectors had not even set foot inside the foundation unit at this stage.

After evidence that we spent most of the time outdoors, the building had had a structural survey and that the school inspectors had not yet read the business plan for replacement of the building, the setting achieved good for education and satisfactory for care.

Two days later, a member of the school inspection team arrived and settled down to observe the practitioners (for half an hour during a free play/settling-in session). After a quick look around the three rooms the inspector moved to a quiet room to use her computer. What could she have seen in such a short time?

My team were demoralised and waiting for another negative inspection. My naturally reticent nature was overtaken by the sense of injustice that we had experienced earlier so I called her back into the fold.

I did a tour, dragged the woman around the setting, explained where we had come from and the team's vision for the future, elucidated in great detail how the children chose their curriculum, developed their own behaviour code and ran their own fruit bar where they purchase fruit for snacks. The details are considerable and the inspector demonstrated to me that she had early years expertise.

The bottom line is that the setting received outstanding for education and good for care because the lead inspector had managed to push his pen into one of the window frames.

Name and address supplied

Letter of the Week wins £40 worth of children's books

TAKE THE PAIN OUT OF STARTING SCHOOL

After reading 'Sharing eases transition' (News, 18 October), I must tell you how we support children leaving our setting to join reception class at St Mary's Nursery in Hexham.

As part of a pilot scheme in early 2000, instigated by Northumberland County Council, 12 pre-school and reception class teachers were invited to pilot what is now proving to be a solid working practice across rural Northumberland.

Ideally, to become involved you had to be on-site with a feeder school (one that did not have an attached nursery class) or be the main feeder into that school.

The objective was to provide funding to ensure pre-schools had close working links with their feeder schools and establish ways of working together prior to children leaving pre-school and entering reception.

To ensure our pre-school children receive a smooth transition into formal education each autumn term the reception teacher, Janice Grieveson, introduces herself to the new starters and participates in joint reception and pre-school activity mornings.

There are also short weekly activities in the reception class that pre-school children join in with. Our pre-school children use the school main hall every week for PE to become familiar with the school before they enter reception. Pre-school children attend monthly mass and other special celebrations in the school.

Ofsted inspectors have praised the strong links we have developed and that help to make children feel secure.

I believe this good working relationship ensures that our youngest children reap the benefits of a smooth transition at a key time in their lives.

For more information on the Foundation Stage Liaison Programme go to, www.northumberland.gov.uk.

Judith Baxter, nursery manager, St Mary's Nursery, Hexham

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The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP

letter.nw@haymarket.com; 020 8267 8402.