ofsted inspection next week :-(

[katsim]

Hi,

I am going to have my first Ofsted inspection sometimes next week and just want to know if they going to look throw my accounts book? (just becouse its not up to date) and also are they going to test me from the EYFS book?

Many thanks

Never had an inspector look at my accounts, but they may ask about how you invoice or deal with the financial side, ofsted doesnt regulate this bit though, I just said I invoice weekly/monthly.

My last inspection was just after B23 was introduced she did ask me quite a lot of questions about the framework, managed to get through it as she was sat under the poster just make sure your EYFS poster has a nice cumfy chair underneath LOL
Also asked a lot of questions about the national standards, fourtunately I was ok with those as I had worked in a nursery before minding and new them well and could discuss at some length .

It seems that inspectors are looking at a few main areas at the moment according to feedback I have had from the childrens service dept, they are

1. Safeguarding - make sure youv'e done the course
2. Current first aid
3. Registering as a food bis with enviro health
4. Risk assessments for inside/outside and outings, make sure they are up to date
5. Fire evacuation plan, and records of practices
6. EYFS bumf, with particular emphasis on planning the next steps and showing evidence that you have carried out planning in the childs individual learning journey

One thing I have found is that the more you do the more they expect and suggest that you impliment, whereas some minders do just the necessary stuff and arn't asked to add to it, wierd but I think it's their way of chivvying you along to outstanding.

Good luck hope it goes well.

A quick tip, look here for your area, and look through all the reports, you will be able to find the ones done by your Inspector.

This should give you the heads up on what she looks for in particular.

Agree with shoshe and awnt, inspectors are quirky and all looking for different things, though risk assessments and 'planning for the next step' seem to be big around here at the moment [North East].

They have no right to look at your accounts - don't fret about that.

Make sure you have all the permissions signed, contracts in order, policies and procedures available and don't enter into too much conversation with the inspector - that's what cost me my outstanding earlier on this year. Just do what you would normally do and pretend they aren't there.

I put all my paperwork out on the table ready for her, so she didn't have to ask where anything was.

Another good idea is to get parents to write you a 'reference' so that the inspector has parental feedback. I was quite choked by what my parents wrote, I have to say....

Good luck - let us know how you get on

thank you for all your opinions and suggestions. I definitly let you know how it went.

The idea about looking at what the inspector has written about other provider is a fantastic one.

Hi,
I had my first inspection yesterday and it went very well and i fell a lot lighter
The inspector was lovely and was pleased with my work (policies, observation, next steps, planning .......) she just said that I should fill in self-evaluation form, which I did not have because I started childminding last week in April so I said I need little bit more time to find my strong and weak points of my work to evaluat myself. And the second thing which she point out was that I should have a "treasure chest". (dont really know why because I said that we have lots of "touch and feel" books and also (for example) when I am cooking I put child in the highchair and give him tea and wooden spoon to play ......

Anyway I am not complaining because on the end she gave me grade: GOOD which I am very pleased with.

I am glad that next inspection is in 3 years time

Well done you - that's fabulous. That's it for at least 3 yrs - relax and chill now