AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! Trying to do my SEF

[RosieGirl]

I had a sudden panic attack, I was just doing some general crap paperwork and realised that there was only 2 and a half years between my last inspections, which means I am due for my inspection anytime now . I was thinking Spring and am now trying to ensure I am fully up to date and decided to make a start on my SEF which has set on a full scale panic. I printed off the help pages in the hope they would help, silly me, I now have RSI and have only got to Section 3. How long has anyone else had between inspections - might I have a bit longer???

Hi
I was due for my inspection in June 09, my second inspection and I am still waiting for it to happen. The SEF took me 2 weeks to complete. It doesnt have to be compketed by the time they come apparently as I know childminders who have had their inspection and the form wasnt completed they still received a good as an overall grade.

I'm trying to do mine too, it's hell! So far I've been to one course session for it, I was going to wait for the other half of the course but as I was due my inspection in October I knew I was cutting it fine then they rang and now I'm trying to do it as quickly as possible, I was doing it yesterday and this morning I was up before everyone else in the house trying to do it, I've written nearly 8,000 words and I've still got about 4 sections left.

I had 3 years and 4 months between inspections. Last one being on friday last week and lasting over 4 hours! I've never met such a thorough inspector... but that said she didn't mention my sef!
She said she'd read it but didn't bring it up again.
I found the whole process of the SEF a nightmare and in the end just kept saying as previously mentioned in section blah blah.
Never did the training on it as still waiting to go on the course, but it was obviously ok!
Just remember that it is a tool to help you evaluate yourself and is therefore open to your interpretion... can't be wrong or right really!

Also... if it helps... it took about a month, from the initial phone call from the inspector, until they actually came...

Thanks JackMummy - hope your insepction went well, I am really hoping for a spring inspection the last time I had a winter one the garden was horrible and muddy and the kids were bouncing off the walls as they had been indoors a lot - I much preferred my summer inspection everyone seemed much more chilled.

I did about 4 hours worth last night, and although cursed it all the way when I printed out what I had written, I felt amazed at the amount of stuff I have done over the year and still left lots out, hopefully it gives the inspector a more overall rounded opinion. On my last inspections I have regularly said "doh forgot to tell her that".

p.s my inspector stayed over 4 hours last time, because my increadibly polite and over eager 12 year old kept making her cups of tea, towards the end I was saying through gritted teeth "darling I'm sure doesn't want another one".......

just done my sef form today ofsted phoned me tuesday and they are coming this tuesday so it gave me a week to get staight so fingers crossed for tuesday

btw they have changed the sef form

Yes they sure have changed it - I went on to my saved June SEF which I was gonna send in last week only to find Ofsted have moved a lot of the sections to different sections and added another three sections at the end.

I tried to resubmit my form only to be told "you have not filled in these sections blah blah".

Told them I had already spent hours and hours of my own time doing the SEF and "as mentioned before blah blah" in section so and so this would have to suffice!

All the new stuff they wanted to know was already in other sections so it's so repetitive.