To think that only setting with outstanding OFSTEDs should be allowed to increase ratios

[ReallyTired]

Some childminders and nurseries are outstanding, some are OKish and a minority are utterly crap. If a nursery or a childminder is merely satisifactory then there is no way they are going to be able to cope with a higher ratio.

I feel that nurseries and childminders should have to prove themselves first before being able allowed to increase ratios. Its one thing to have fancy qualifications, but another to actually do the job. If a nursery or a childminder lose their outstanding rating then they should be forced to employ extra staff.

But then outstanding doesn't necessarily give a good indication of the quality of care. A lot of it is based on paperwork - someone might be crap at paperwork (so not get anything more than a satisfactory) but excellent at looking after children and easily be able to care for more children well; someone else might be shit hot at paperwork but actually not be able to cope with additional children.

Well I don't know about nurseries or CMs, but I do know about schools and OFSTED reports are sometimes not worth the paper they're written on in terms of what they really tell you about a school.

The school I'm a governor at is one of the largest Primaries in the UK and there's no way a couple of inspectors can give an accurate report based on visiting for just 2 days.

Also if a CM is rated as outstanding, that could well be because they have less children in their care anyway.

whats making them crap at the moment? Poor staff maybe? Then maybe better staff would be a start and if they propose better structure and better staff I don't mind them upping the ratio.

I thought you might be on to something then but then read Flisspaps reply and think she is probably right. Its crap, they shouldn't be doing this.

I say that as a 'Good' childminder (I am not ignoring minded children, I'm not working until the school run!)

Worra is spot on. OFSTED reports arent worth the paper they are written on.

It just means that the school, nursery or childminder did well on the day of the visit. Childcare providers know roughly when to expect OFSTED so therefore make sure they are up to date with their planning, observations etc etc and thats why they can get an outstanding.

Just because they have an outstanding, it doesnt mean they are any good.

I don't think the ofsted ratings are based on the stuff that matters to me on a personal level - I want to know that DD is happy, safe and that my CM cares about her and will give her a cuddle if she is sad. I don't give a shiny shit about home cooked vegetable casseroles or learning plans (she is 2.5) or certificates being displayed correctly. So for me, the rating is fairly meaningless - I don't actually know what my CM's rating is, I've never asked her.

To me, the idea that a single adult can give sufficient attention to 6 x 2 year olds to keep them safe, entertained etc is quite a stretch: I don't think a setting that is really good at paperwork and organic lunches is going to be any more able to have ten pairs of hands than any other really. I just hope that the sensible childcare providers will realise that it would take an exceptional person working incredibly hard to be able to offer quality childcare to that number of children at once. I wouldn't even attempt it, but then I am not a trained childcare practitioner so maybe it's different for people who have had training.