Ofsted Turned Up

[Guest]

The morning staff at the playschool turn up at 8-30, at 8-45 the door buzzer went it was a lady from ofstead to say she was their to inspect us, we had no warning of this. As it has been snowing in norfolk this week their was not many children turn up, as the morning session is for the younger children and their was only one funded child she decided that she would wait until the afternoon session to observe the children. At least I had prior warning as 1 of the staff went in to the loo to text me. She observed us for the afternoon and said she would return today mid morning to see paper work that was not on the premise. And give use the feed back at lunch time. I cannot see how they can realy inspect a setting in two an half hours, we. We have been given a good. we were recommed to laern to speak some words in other languages so that the children how use english as a second language would fell more of a part of the setting. And that we should try to involve the parents in the childrens assesments, but what are you suppose to do when you have parents that just want to drop the children off and go, out of the 24 children I have in the afternoon session we have 13 parents that are willing to do the helper rota. So we are paying some of the parents that are on the committe

£5-00 a session to do this if no one turn up. We ask the parents that dont do their session to pay a £5-00 donation, but as soon as they here the word donation most of them never pay.

 

Rosemarie

[AnonyMouse_75]

Hi Rosemarie

do you feel a sense of relief now OFSTED have been?

 

and I agree totally, how can inspectors judge a setting in 2 1/2 hours?

but I dont want inspections to last any longer than necessary!!!one advantage of a short inspection - if its a good session then it works in your favour.

 

I think it isevery managers nightmare that the day Ofsted turn up it will be a session from hell ( I know its mine!)

 

our last inspection also coincided with a member of staff having an NVQ assessment but we did coped

 

well done in getting a Good result

[AnonyMouse_3139]

I imagine it is a bit daunting when Ofsted suddenly appear but better than waiting and waiting. At least it's over now. Do you do a parents evening type event where you can get together and discuss the children? We used to do ours over a week during the session, each keyworker would spend about 10 minutes with each parent. It helped everyone and didnt take too much time to arrange. Ask the families with EAL for a few words, it helps if you write them as they sound rather than how they are really spelt! Good morning, thank you, good bye and other basic phrases. I remember being told many years ago that when we gave our committee members a discount for their playgroup place, it could been seen as a wage, this might also apply to the £5 you pay your members for being on the rota, might be worth checking out. Congratulations on getting a good, try to see any critisisms as opportunities to develop your provision, and if there are areas you feel need developing get in and say it first. Knowing your own weaknesses and having a plan to deal with them is half the battle.

[Guest]

Well done on getting a good 2 1/2 hours isn't very long is it, I bet it's long enough for the staff though , we are waiting for ours which will be any day now and they will be with us for most of the day, I'm wetting myself just at the thought

 

The parent evening type event that Rea mentioned works well for us too, by giving enough notice the parents that work are able to arrange a little time off work and it gives them a chance to ask us questions they don't normally have the time to do, we also let the parents take the child developmental records home so that they can look at them in their own time and then discuss the records when they bring them back.

 

We have recently had a little girl join who uses english as a second language, her mum made some picture cards and put the words in the child's home language on the cards, they were great, she made cards for toilets, hand washing, juice, milk, fruit and so on, they have worked really well so I'm hoping I'll be able to work with other parents in the setting to do the same thing for their children.

 

Just think, you can relax abit now, at least until next time

[Guest]

Hi Rea

 

we haven't tried doing parent evenings yet but it would be worth a try.

We are going to ask the parents of the 8 children that use EAL for some basic phrases. We will have to check it out about the payment as I an not awear of any thing. We was told by Ofsted that we was not able to tell the parents that they had to pay the £5-00, but up to then they paid the money. It is a lot better not knowing when they are coming as you dont spend the time worrying if your done everything. Their was a couple of things that I was awear of that needed some attention like some of the medium term planning sheets missing from the folder which I said about as soon as I handed it over. The planning used to be a big part of the inspection but she had a quick look at the folder, and asked to see the planning for that session, which was pancakes and Mardi Gras masks. We know counting is a thing you get picked up on quiet often so at every opportunity I had I was asking the children to count, but she didnt pick up on it, But when I pointed it out she noted it, thats why I was saying two an half hours is not long to make sure you covered all areas that they looking for. She didnt want to be their long because she wanted to get home because of the snow. But at least it was over quickly, and we know go into work for the next 3 years without thinking they may turn up.

 

Rosemarie

[AnonyMouse_747]

Rosemarie

 

Can I just ask you how long it was since your last inspection. We have not been inspected for two years, and although we had a very good report last time, I keep thinking they are going to turn up any time.

 

Glen

[AnonyMouse_4495]

For involving parents in the children's assessment, how about a home diary/record sheet that is completed on a regular basis (termly?)

 

Key staff could complete records and then send them home for comments. Staff would note about the child at pre-school and the parents would comment about what the child is doing at home, what they like/dislike doing, any key development points etc... this can then be used to inform future planning for individual children for the next term.

 

Just a thought!

 

Oh, well done on getting a 'good' too!

[AnonyMouse_4495]

Rosemarie

 

Can I just ask you how long it was since your last inspection. We have not been inspected for two years, and although we had a very good report last time, I keep thinking they are going to turn up any time.

 

Glen

49604[/snapback]

 

Glen,

It was my understanding that after the changes made in October, the slate was 'wiped clean' as it were and that a brand new cycle was going to start with inspections, so you could be really lucky and not have one for a while....!

(However, I could be wrong and you could get a knock on the door next week)

RB x

[AnonyMouse_3975]

We had our inspection last week - three years since the last one and will be three years until the next unless we have a complaint made against us or a new Supervisor is employed. This automaticlly brings it forward.

The Inspector came two days running, stayed the whole 2.5 hours both days and gave me feedback over a hour and half. Spoke to everyone, children, parents, committee and all staff. We passed and the inspector said we did well but the actuall OUTCOMES are actually confidential until the report is published - takes 25 days for the draft and then will be published once any factual information corrected.

 

We have a problem with parental invovlement but we have a home/setting diary and all children have keywprker and infomation shared. I did talk about doing an open session for parents. We have two parent helper in on one day and one the other and the Area SENCO was visting so we came out ok.

 

The self evaluation form was a big thing and the Inspector asked me a lot about our strengths and weaknesses, I had a whole list and lots of evidence and also what I planned to do. Was impressed with this, I also had a few questions to ask her!!! The OU , has made me become a reflective practitoner - thank goodness for the OU! Also the changes in the complaints procedure/CRB checks as per the Standards since October 2005. Hope everyones got there complaints file in place regadless or whether or not you,re had any complaints.

 

Do you count parent helpers/ committee in your ratio? I understood that unless they were a regular helper (once a week the Inspector said) they could not be counted in your ratio?

 

Sue

[Guest]

Sue

 

Ours was like yours just over three years since last one. She sould have done two 2.5 hour sessions but as we had snow in norfolk she decided she was only going to observe the session once as we have under threes in the morning session and she didn't want to stay two afternoons. But its hard work trying to make sure she see every thing thats going on. We got the children counting just about anything that had more than 5 but she missed it and said she didn't hear an counting going on, we had also done counting rhymes so I can't see how she missed it but she was ok about when I pointed out these areas. Spoke to everyone, children, parents, committee and all staff. and also told us that we had to keep it confidential until the report is published. but as know one knows what setting we at on the site I put the outcome in.

 

She said about Having a Child's information booklet that the parents could fill in when the child starts with things like, favourite things , putting on shoes/coat, pet name, counting and so on. Our parents can take the childs record of acheivements home to read at any time, The thing she was mainly talking about was what way do we find out where the child at when they first enter the setting. I told her we observe them over a few sessions to find out. She suggested that we do home visits but we don,t like the sound of that, knowing some of the parents we have in the setting, she also suggested talking to the parents, which we aready do, but some bearly make it in the door never mind staying to talk to you. She was happy with the way we record the acheivements.

 

She spent quite a bit of time going through the self assesment sheet and the operational folder, She said we need to do a bit of work on the behaviour policy as we deal with the behaviuor well but it is not reflected in our policy.

 

Rosemarie