Ofsted and Pre school

[wowmummy]

Ok trying to keep this brief...

Ofsted were at my twins Pre school. They were speaking to parents and asked me about staff. I named staff my children talk about at home but one particular member of staff that I've never really got on with I said was unapproachable and she split the twins up without consulting me first and that pissed my husband and both off and said that one speaks much better without the other. At home she never shuts up, she's the quieter child but there's nothing wrong with that. Everyone is different and that's her. My son is a quiet child with the other twin being a louder child. I see no NEED either, they have a twin bond without a doubt and are still in the nurturing phase of their lives. She isn't there key worker either. She also tries to pull the comforter out of one of my twins mouths - sucking its ear 🤢 and that annoys me as they go two days out of 7 in their young lives and it doesn't do anyone any harm for the bunny to be there even if it's just on the peg. Anyway staff have found out, really frosty this morning - no professionalism but ok they are obviously annoyed and then this afternoon I went and one of them was dry in pants - hasn't been in weeks and I said 'same trousers? Yayyy' and they just ignored me. And I said 'did XXXX go themselves?' And they said 'yes but more interested in playing with the sink' so I said 'oh ok, thanks bye'

I previously told them that we were not happy to be met with 'we've split them up today' and they said they wouldn't do it again and I did say to Ofsted they are now in the same room but it was the way that particular member of staff went about it

I told Ofsted WHY I didn't like that member of staff and that is the truth and now feel I shouldn't have said anything? What is the point if you are met with that and is that being filtered down to my children and their care? Will it blow over? This was the first day they had seen me since the inspection so maybe they were wondering how I was going to be? They didn't even said 'they've been fine, had a great day'

Im sure that my comments wouldn't have affected their score?

I don't want to move them, it's all people that are clicky with the area too. However I didn't mention that in over a year I've seen no reports, nothing. Just one settling in meeting after 4 weeks. I don't even know their next steps

I'm so anxious it's unreal!

I think you handled it badly. A general comment about concerns raised and how they were dealt with would’ve probably been fine. You’ve also brought up an issue that was dealt with promptly and to your satisfaction AGAIN. I’d be upset in their position too.

You told an Ofsted inspector that you don't like a member of staff?

Unbelievable.

No wonder education staff are leaving in droves.

Maybe that member of staff doesn't like you either.

Maybe that member of staff doesn't like you either.

There's no maybe now.

Hang on a second. There are two alternative scenarios here:

1. that the nursery did nothing wrong and acted in a completely appropriate manner. This is being implied by a number of posters. In which case, there is no problem - the inspector will agree with the staff that they behaved in a completely appropriate manner and will presumably mark them up, not down.
2. that the staff have not acted in a completely appropriate manner. In which case, are PPs seriously suggesting that the OP and all the other parents should have closed ranks around the staff and given an inaccurate picture in order to protect the staff? Wtaf? You can’t be serious? The purpose of an inspection is surely to check whether a setting is safe for the kids - you know, the kids who may in some nursery settings be pre verbal and cannot speak up for themselves or tell anyone what’s happening? I am genuinely horrified that there is at least one childcare professional on here that thinks it is ok for the kids to have to suck up wrongdoing in order to protect the adults who are meant to be looking after them. That has massive implications for safeguarding. I appreciate it isn’t much fun being inspected, but it isn’t about the adults - it’s about the kids. If the parents aren’t allowed to answer questions about their experience of the nursery then why have inspections at all - why not just let the nursery self certify that they are absolutely wonderful? Thank God you people aren’t looking after my kids - if you think that protecting the adults is more important than making sure a setting is appropriate for children then you don’t sound very trustworthy at all. Would you say the same about carers looking after elderly or vulnerable people? Again, I’ll reiterate that if there has been no wrongdoing, then the inspector will agree and there will be no negative impact on the Ofsted report.

Yes, a poor Ofsted can obviously impact on a setting’s commercial success. That’s the case with any regulatory inspection of any business- like environmental health and food safety inspections, for example. If people want to play the purely commercial card, then most businesses know they have to keep their customers or service users happy in order to avoid poor public reviews. If you are unfriendly or unapproachable or unhelpful then that information quickly makes its way into the public domain and makes people vote with their feet. That’s the deal with running a business.

I am genuinely a bit disturbed by the number of people on this thread who think that in principle it would be more acceptable for the service users of a nursery- the children- to be thrown under the bus than the nursery workers. If the kids are not in fact being thrown under the bus in any given situation, then I refer back to point 1 above.

Not sure about the others but for me it was the fact that the OP said the issue had been already resolved by the time ofsted inspector had asked the question. If it's been resolved, why bring it up? She could have said yes, we had an issue but it was sorted, why bring in a personal dislike of someone?

The OP has sent an older child there before and, presumably, had no issues before so she obviously likes the pre-school.

Plus what other parents? I don't think the OP mentioned any one else.

Not sure either of the issues discussed would be classed as safeguarding issues both were dealt with. Both wouldn't have been a concern to ofsted.

@Theguiltyfeminist no, the scenario is the OP had a fairly minor disagreement with the staff, which she raised with the manager and it was resolved to her satisfaction.
Then, she used an Ofsted inspection to moan about a particular member of staff she dislikes.

These kind of disputes - parent disagrees with the group her child is put in, wants them put with/separated from a friend, doesn't like what's offered for snack, wants child to have more naps/less naps, clothes got dirty, too much TV, not enough photos on the app and so on - are not Ofsted issues, they're things that should be resolved with setting manager.

‘Theguiltyfeminist’
No there is a middle ground. At worst, staff made a mistake, a minor mistake. It wax rectified. Are you so perfect that you make no mistake ever at work and if you do it’s ok that the regulator is involved. And everyone is surprised that nursery staff, teachers and TAs are leaving in droves.
‘Katapolts’
Thank you!!!