1st graded inspection next week - please share your top tips with me and stop me feeling so totally terrified!

[walkingonthemoon]

HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP!

Hi,

first off have all the essential paperwork up to date, policies and procedures, fire and safety, child protection, attendance records(must). necessary safety features in the house and garden. this will get you a satisfactory at least.

second write down all the good things you do, in the setting, activities and visits, so you can talk about them and ask parents to write down how good you are if you havnt all ready done so.

basic obs and planning, expect you have done all of this allready?

I have never ever had a prospective parent ask me about EYFS, thats because most dont give a flying fuck, they just want their kid to be safe and happy with you.

finally dont panic, you dont work for Ofsted, they dont pay your wages, if the parents are happy and the kids are happy thats fantastic for business, not a good or excellent Ofsted report..

remember that the inspector is supposed to ask themselves, 'whats it like for a child here?' and i am sure its great.

oh and i have never bothered with the sef online, complete waste of time and effot..

I have a sef folder and I just write down policies I have changed like safety issues leaving the house and what I have improved in the setting like new toys or cleaned carpets.

best of luck

thebody - that is really helpful thanks. My parents are really happy with how I do things - nothing to worry about on that score - I just think sometimes that the list of admin and EYFS stuff is endless and gets me down sometimes. It just feels like you are always missing something!

Gonna do a sef folder and write a review of the last 6 months too so the inspector can refer to that as a basis for discussion.

Thanks again

When the inspector arrives ask to see their ID card and then ask them to sign your visitors book. :) It starts the visit in a professional way.

Plan what you're doing with the children - fun, open-ended, inclusive activity - it doesn't have to be earth shatteringly exciting, but one thats a result of an observation or an interest you've noticed - and what extension activities could follow on from it. Think of what other resources you'll have out (how much mess will there be? how can you get the kids to tidy up so they comply?). What will you do if the kids get bored? Can the kids manage on their own if you have to answer questions?

Have all your (well-labelled) files ready on a side-table, so the inspector can get on with looking at them, whilst you focus on the children!

Think of the inspection as a chance to be recognised for what you do well and find out what you can improve on. It may help to tell them the latter ('obviously I'm new to this and whilst I've tried to follow advice and set it all up as well as possible I'm hoping you'll be able to tell me if there's anything I could be doing better'), as it gets them onside.

Similarly, find something that you can ask their opinion on - I think I asked what they thought of my learning journey folders.

Be prepared to defend or explain yourself. One of my little ones went down for a nap in the buggy whilst the inspector was with me. The inspector asked 'Oh, does she always sleep in the buggy?' I said yes, that the parents had requested it as it was what they did at home, but that I also had a travel cot for if her needs changed/if I had a child with different needs. The inspector commented later that it was good I was following parents' wishes but had alternatives for if needed. I'd been expecting this to be an issue, so a potential negative became a positive because I was responding to child's needs/parents' wishes.

Fingers crossed it goes well for you. Whilst I did find it uber-stressful, my inspector was lovely - my young toddler DS ended up sitting on her knee playing with her laptop!

Oh and I did do the SEF. Basically inspectors want to be able to tick boxes, so if they already know you do x,y,z then they'll have less to ask you about and stay less time!!!

I had a safeguarding audit today from the local council, they checked all my policies etc, think that was more stressful than ofsted!

Don't be scared to ask about anything you're not sure of too as they are there to help as well as inspect you, hope it goes well.

Also if you are still short of some resources such as multicultural things just write a list of things you are going to purchase as money etc permits so they know you know what you need to be doing.

I asked them to take their shoes off as at that time I had a crawler!!
How long have you had your minded children, could you ask the parents to fill in a questionaire on your Service etc?
Have a good knowledge of Safeguarding procedures etc.

Had my first grading inspection this morning. I was picked up on the following:

Needed to display my CM registration certificate
Needed an attendance register even though I only care for one child
Needed a visitors book
Didn't have sufficient evidence of risk assessment. Ofsted need written evidence.

Apart from that, everything else was ok.

I keep a desk diary that I use for planning, so I'm going to use that as a register and visitors book. The CM registration cert is now pinned to the notice board in the playroom.

Aswell as that, make sure you have the following:
1st aid cert on show
Evidence of how you communicate with parents (daily diary, monthly observations linked to the EYFS etc...)
Ofsted poster with the new address and contact number
Well stocked first aid kit(s)
Fire drill/test log
Accurate policies
An example of a contract

Then make sure you have some wine on hand to celebrate being graded.

Good luck !!

One thing that really helped us was that we had links with a nursery. They provided us with the obs they had done at the nursery. This helped as we got a good for working in partnership with others.
Also we kept daily diarys and mentioned how we helped in a different cultures way of weening. Think this helped as we got a good for working in partnership with parents too.
One thing she did pull us up on though is a mark on the mindee's cheek wasn't documented when normally we would have done. This mark was made while the mindee was at home and if it had been documented then we would have got a good for that also.
We got satifactory overall. We looked at it as something to improve on. Our families are happy with us though.