childminders- what have Ofsted focused on during your inspection?

[ButtonMoon88]

I'm trying to get "Ofsted ready"

I have triple checked my paperwork which all seems in order but I just wandered if there was anything in particular that your inspector seemed really impressed by, or perhaps an area they were more questioning of?

Thanks for your time! X

I had my inspection in October under the new framework. I'd written a very detailed sef so I didn't get that many questions really. She focused on teaching learning and assessment, links with parents - evidence of providing activity ideas to extend children's learning at home and a few safeguarding questions. Oh and British values / channel training. She didn't really ask me much but spent almost five hours observing!

I was disappointed with my good, felt like she'd decided before she even came in the door.

The joint observation was just talking about what the children were doing, imaginative play, physical skill, concentration etc and not scary as it sounded!
Also my reason for not yet outstanding said "children taking part in new activities are not always supported to make the best progress".

We didn't do any new activities! Ah, well. My babies love me.

Christmas when I had my inspection a year ago the inspector said good under the new framework was equivalent to outstanding under the old. If I'd been inspected a month earlier I'd probably be outstanding! (This was totally off the record and after the inspection had finished. The lovely inspector let me pick their brain and ask a few questions. She was amazing! )

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

I need to do more on the British values, I think I've been a bit lax

British values is in what you do every day. Sharing, fairness, kindness, respect for others etc. I'm sure you're doing it already, you just haven't given it that name.

(Better name change back!)

Yes I know I just mean I need to do more by way of proof so I can have something to show to Ofsted. It's that age old issue of having to back everything you do up with a piece of paper

My cm got a good and was criticized for not being specific enough in her reports to parents at the end of each day. E.g. She shouldn't write 'X played with playdough' but 'X developed her physical and creative skills (or whatever the criteria are) by playing with playdough. I would much rather she didn't bother writing me essays and played with DD. I'm a secondary teacher and tend to think the 'good' schools are often the best, while the 'outstanding' ones focus too much on the paperwork. This gave me the impression it's the same for CMs.

That's really interesting terrified thank you!

My first grading was a good, and I would obviously like to improve on that but having spoken to CMS on here and in RL, it seems to get that you have to prove everything you do, but surely whilst I'm spending the time writing up reports and evaluations, I'm missing those "key moments" you are expecting me to prove I've observed. It's absolute madness!

They still haven't shown their face. I am trying to plan loads of exciting indoor activities to keep the little ones entertained in case they do show up, my kids usual bounce off the walls if we don't go out by 10am!

I'm sorry but my inspection was horrific.
I felt violated in my own home and he left me a quivering wreck.
I so wish I'd had the courage to ask him to leave but by that point I seriously expected him to say ring the parents to collect their children as I was totally incompetent.

He told me I was no longer a childminder, but a teacher.
His report said my teaching appeared mundane.
In actual fact, he spent 90 minutes outside trying to get through to Ofsted to check on a technicality. I was right. He was wrong and I don't think he liked that.

Omg when was this? That does sound horrific have you made a complaint? What did he mean by his teacher comment? I would ask for clarification X

Oct 14.
I did complain but got nowhere. Talk about closing ranks.
I had o boy here who'd been at a nursery prior to coming to me. He was timid, scared of his own shadow and didn't know how to play independently. I encouraged him to join I. With our activity but at one point, he stood back. The inspector said 'Look. He's bored'. He was actually evaluating the activity and seeing where it could go next. That was my mundane teaching.

Safeguarding was the focus for a long time, all paperwork in order and was asked many questions about safeguarding process and what I knew about the Prevent programme, who to call if I had any suspicion about radicalisation, etc. Asked me if I talk about stranger danger to the children, amongst other things.

Had evidence of planning. Home-childminder daily journal, baseline assessments for new children, evidence of good communication with parents, observations and evidence of planning for next steps.

I did an activity that could entertain and educate a 10 month old and 3 year old at the same time.

She was here for 5 hours and I was absolutely exhausted at the end of the day.

My inspection was in September 2015

5 hours!! Wow, my first and only inspection lasted about 3.5 hours, inspector was lovely!

I'm annoyed on your behalf 11 about the mundane teaching comment, that's not constructive at all!

My last inspection was about 5 hours, then the lovely inspector (who was a bit scarey during the inspection, firing questions at me on every aspect of the EYFS, about the kids folders and everything else she could think of) stayed for a cup of coffee and a biscuit and let me pick her brain. That was better than most of the training courses I've been on.

117, sounds like my first inspection, the inspector spent about 1.5 hours with us, about 20 minutes of which was with me and the children the rest in another room looking at paperwork. One of them jumped in a puddle and she noted in the report that I left a child in wet clothes in the cold. It was November, we were on our way home and there was nowhere to stop and change. The child was in the clothes for all of 5 minutes. I complained and got nowhere either. Although, I've since found out that there have been so many complaints about this inspector, they no longer carry out childminder inspections in our area.

I do think that there is such a huge variation in the inspectors that your grade depends on the person you get. For example, my first inspector was a nursery orientated person, she said that she didn't believe anyone who was just starting out as a childminder could get more than a satisfactory. She was awful and didn't like noisy children as she couldn't concentrate. My second inspector has been a childminder for 20 years. Then spent another 10 years as an inspector. She was wonderful, so knowledgable and really appreciated the job we do.

Talking to friends who mind there is such a variation in the inspections is almost makes them worthless.

I think you are right Glen- this what scares me the most about inspections because it's almost like preparing for the Unknown! All my current parents think this paperwork is barmy aswell which i know is a shared feeling amongst the majority of parents who use a CM.

Someone said to me the other day you should get into teaching, but I was never that taken with the politics and late night planning sessions that comes with that profession, but I am doing that now as a CM!

I have a brilliant CM for my youngest, she is like a second mum to him which is exactly what I wanted for a baby, they go to toddler groups and the park, he has a nap in his own cot, home cooked food, it's just like being at home. However she isn't a teacher and I know she will do really badly in an inspection like those mentioned above

I don't know any parents who have chosen childminder care who give a monkeys about mundane teaching moments - they want to know their children are safe, loved, and have a good time!

Jesabel, my parents feel just the same.
He 'interrogated' my parents and made them feel rubbish. He said to one young mum 'what do YOU do to fascilitate your child's learning?' She actually told him he made her feel very uncomfortable.
I'm busier than ever. I get lots of children through recommendation and also from a toddler group I go to where parents can see how I am with my mindies X X

I think it's vital we know our stuff especially when it comes to children's development, we are often the first port of call when parents have any issues, but having to do all this paperwork proving everything is just a farce!

I would rather spend my time with the children as opposed to writing about them, but it has to be done!

My inspector spoke to two parents, who both deserved a large bottle of wine for their very different replies. One talked about how I had noticed their child's additional needs before they did and how all my observations helped them with specialists. The other talked about how they never come to parents evenings, never bother to read assessments, etc, because they trust me to tell them anything they need to know.

My inspector was lovely, followed me around asking questions and snooped around by herself, but never got in the way of me spending time with the children.