O is for Ofsted
Early years is about doing the best for every child and their family, every day. That’s what matters most. Children don’t get a second chance at their early childhood: what happens early matters for a lifetime.
Getting the right outcome in your Ofsted inspection is crucially important. Parents and carers will often look at Ofsted reports first, before deciding which settings to visit. That first impression counts.
Because the stakes can feel high, practitioners and trainers often focus on ‘getting ready for Ofsted’.
I think a better approach is to make sure you get things right for the children, meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and go into your inspection feeling confident about the quality of your work.
Structures
Part of quality is about structures. You must meet important requirements around ratios, qualifications and paediatric first aid training amongst many other things. Everyone must get these aspects right – for the sake of the children’s safety and wellbeing, as well as to ensure you don’t have a bad experience with Ofsted.
Sometimes it’s very hard to get those structures to be as good as we want them to be. You might want a better-qualified staff team, for example, but find recruitment is very challenging. We have to be realistic when times are this difficult. With the right guidance, less-qualified staff can still make a positive impact on children’s development, health and happiness.
To provide that guidance, your setting will have a clear set of values and aims that everyone has shaped, and everyone understands. You will have clear protocols around supporting children emotionally, caring for them and teaching them. When staff are clear about the most important things for children to learn, then it becomes easier for them to check children have learned what was intended. Staff who understand the best ways to join in with children’s play and extend their learning will help children to get the most out of their time in the setting.
Process quality
These aspects of early education and care are sometimes called ‘process quality’. Process quality requires us to think about the actual experiences the children have every day. How every member of staff cares for the children in a responsive, respectful and loving way. How staff listen to children and have conversations with them. How they play and help them to learn. Process quality is at the heart of what Ofsted looks for in an inspection.
High-quality early education and care depends on each and every person in your team being the best they can. Leaders and managers who are thoughtful about effective professional development for all staff are able to support continuous improvement in the setting. Ongoing support and guidance, over time, can help staff to grow professionally and become both more knowledgeable and more confident. By accurately monitoring quality, leaders and managers can check that the setting is making a positive difference to the children’s lives.
Professional confidence
A focus on leadership, quality and putting the child at heart of everything will ensure that everyone is ready for inspection day. A setting that is ready will simply run as normal on the big day. Staff will be confident to explain what they are doing, and why. They might explain how today’s water-tray play is helping a child to become more confident to pour their own drinks. They might explain why they are reading the same book, yet again – not just because children love repetition, but also because that’s the best way to help children learn new words.
That professional confidence and pride helps everyone feel capable and strong as the whole team manages the whole Ofsted process, from the first learning walk to final feedback.
Top resource
Julian’s best-selling book, Successful early years Ofsted inspections will guide you through all these important issues and more. You can buy the book here!
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About the Author
Dr Julian Grenier CBE led Sure Start Children's Centres in London for the best part of two decades before working as Ofsted's Early Education Lead. He is an independent early years consultant and best-selling author. He also works for the Education Endowment Foundation on early years. He was awarded a CBE in 2020 for his services to early years education.