CM CLUB:so who has got 'Outstanding' grades and how did you get it?

[PinkChick]

my inspector said she doesnt give outstanding out! as everyone has room for improvement!!!, but said a fellow inspector gave one particular cm this grade even tho my inspector said she wouldnt send her dog to her and was making a compliant against this cm????..so if youve got one, how did you do it?

[TLC123]

I got an outstanding last year, I think you need to make sure you have every piece of paper work upto date. keep up with ofsted changes such as phone, address number changes etc. Also have an aspect of your practice that stands out, all the cm I know with o/s have a really strong aspect of their practice weather it be arts and crafts, hygiene, or just a wonderful playroom. You also have to have an Ofsted inspector who is willing to give o/s, it should be the same country wide but I know its not!!

[maximummummy]

i didn't get outstanding and don't really care. I have only been childminder a year so didn't expect it either.
my mindees and their parents are all very happy with me , we all get on very well and that is what really matters to me.
pinkchick - you now have 2/3years till your next inspection i would just continue with the job you love it sounds like you are a fab childminder to me

[AskABusyPerson]

I didn't but didn't expect to being a brand new childminder (got Good) but the inspector was very approachable and complimentary and said she nearly gave me outstanding for the arts and craft I do.

My is at some of you saying you know inspectors who can't or won't give outstanding - this is appalling! Something else to have an Ofsted-rant about, joining with the way they phrase the amount of children on certificates.....

Before I was a mum I worked for a large bank in their pensions department, we had an appraisal-linked-to-bonus system. The score was 1-4 with 1 being rubbish you get no bonus and 4 being you've worked over and above what is expected and here's 100% of the bonus due to you. I'd always got 4 until a new team leader came in and said 'I never give 4's, you need to have something to work to'. TBH this totally demoralised me, and others. It didn't seem right that even if a person was a 4 they weren't going to be credited with it.

I'm a great believer in credit where credit's due.

[eggybread]

Ive got one, and put it down to my fabulous parents' references, thorough research and planning, organisation, lots of digital picture records and obsessive attention to detail.
I also had a very good session with brilliant children, and work with an assistant - my dd - who is confident, great at anticipating things and knows the children very well.

[PinkChick]

im ok with good, but i did have a little thought i might get outstanding given my portfolio, my orgnisation, my daily planing everything was excellent she said and gave me no improvements to make other than change my child protection wording from "if you have concerns about a child", to "if you have concerns about a child in my care", so was surprised

[babydales]

You can always appeal you know if you think you have been badly done too.You can bet I would have.

[RTKangaMummy]

funfunfun here is the MN CM website

[PinkChick]

well i had myself marked down as outstanding on my self assesment then c.c co ordinator came round and said to change it too 'good' as they may ask why i think i am outstanding and pull me on things???..i think i should have left it!..maybe only more senior inspectors can give outstanding then?, cos my pre reg ispection was handled by head woman and she said even then, she would have graded me outstanding as i was so prepared and she saw me with my daughter, how intersted, helpful, caring i was???

[babydales]

I too got Outstanding. Also agree with KM about always being one step ahead of the game. I am not a farmer just an ordinary person who lives on the edge of a large coucil estate, which incidentaly is in the top 5% of deprived places in the country. I dont provide organic food or anything that anyone else cant provide, but knew I was outstanding and set out to prove it. I would not have been happy at all with an inspector who said from the off that they dont give outstanding. I was the first person my inspector gave one too, so tell them you are outstanding and then prove it.

[looneytune]

RTKMummy - been meaning to contact you. I told Katymac I'd take over the list of childminders etc etc. I can't remember what other info was on that website and who was updating it?

Sorry for hijack PinkChick

[RTKangaMummy]

Me >

[looneytune]

I definitely think it's down to the inspector. I DIDN'T get outstanding, got 2 outstanding areas but not enough to get overall. 2 in my village got outstandings. It's unfair that some inspectors won't give outstandings.

[Katymac]

My "normal" inspector did my ladies before my inspection was due

She said that she would make her boss come & do me - as she wasn't allowed to give outstanding out.

[PinkChick]

i thought i did?, but she said she would only give out oustanding to someone who lived on farm, grew own food etc.so i was marked down cos im not a farmer???!!!must chekc my standards on appropriate person again??

[Katymac]

I think it's because as an ex civil servant I understand about getting the right ticks in the right box iyswim - rather than just going with the flow

It's finding out stuff before it's required

[PinkChick]

so im not fabulous then??

[Katymac]

By being absolutely fabulous