Ofsted Good or satisfactory????

[taytotayto]

Im trying to find a good childminder for july and i feel ive left it too late. anyway its all new to me and im so scared of picking the wrong person, so what id like to know is whats the major difference when one childminder has a satisfactory inspection rate and another has good. can you be a really good childminder and have a satisfactory rating and why wouldnt you have a good one. (sorry its so long)

gosh there are a few factors in play

A a strict inspector who is interested in the paperwork side may not take much notice of HOW the CM is with the children

B the CM is not getting to grips with current cirriculum (EYFS)

C nerves making a bad performance on the inspection day

Plenty of Cms are given satisfactory grades which are perfectly acceptable

IMO personality and gut feeling as to whether you share the same values counts for more

As long as a c/m has at least a satisfactory rating then I wouldn't use the ofsted rating to make a decision.

We met a c/m with an outstanding ofsted rating and she was a real howler and also came across as quite an unfriendly woman.

My childminder is fab and got a satisfactory.

I knew when I met her she was the one for me and I haven't changed my opinion on meeting others (who have been rated good).

I would take the Ofsted ratings into account but like the above poster - go on your gut feeling.

Mine too changer. I know the main reason she got it was as they assessed her a few days before she did her First Aid certificate so had to assess her on the basis of not having one.

Try to ignore the Ofsted rating (satisfactory or good will be fine). Go and visit childminders in person, you will then get a feel for whom YOU and your child/children get along with.

As others have mentioned, Ofsted like paperwork. Childcarers don't always like paperwork. Do you like paperwork? Do you want the person caring for your child to always be filling out lots of paperwork? Or would you prefer that they spent more time interacting with your child? Ofsted are all well and good, they make people comply with a minimum standard. Quality of care is important, Ofsted try to access the quality of care provided but do so though paperwork as well as visual inspection. So someone could be great at providing a good quality of care, but may fail to produce paperwork to the required standard.

Trust your gut instinct... visit a few childminders, you will soon get a feel for who you feel is good and who isn't. Trust your instinct - back up that instinct by looking at the Ofsted report. If there is anything concerning you about the Ofsted report, ask the CM about it.

I'd agree too to with gut feeling.

I think BoysAreLikeDogs comment is spot on.

The thing is with Ofsted inspectors is that one inspector could grade a CM 'satisfactory' and the same CM could be inspected the next day by another inspector and be graded 'good'

One inspector, when asked by another CM I know, about why she have given her 'satisfactory' for one aspect of care; replied "I don't know, it's just my feelings about it."

I have always been graded 'good'. If I was offered an outstanding grade I would refuse it (don't know if you can but I would try).
The reason for this is that I don't think I could get an 'outstanding' grade and still have a life and spend time with my own DD. That doesn't mean I think 'outstanding' childminders don't have a life; I just know I couldn't do it because I really don't like the paperwork. My paperwork was the only point raised in my last inspection. (Mostly written plans). I'm not going to bust a gut doing loads of paperwork just to provide Ofsted with an audit trail.

Another point about having an outstanding grade is keeping it up. I'd rather be graded 'good' consistently than get 'outstanding' only to drop down to 'good next time because the inspector didn't like the way I did something, or had a 'feeling' about it. That would look like my service had deteriorated.

thank you all so much for your very valid replies. im a first time mum who struggled to get pregnant so our dd is a bit over protected i think. im trying to be less clingy honest!!
to be totally honest id rather have a childminder who spent time reading and playing with my child and treated her like one of her own.im not in favour of too much paper work. im a nurse so i know what its like to have no time to care for someone because im busy filling in forms. if im TOTALLY TOTALLY honest do you know what scares me the most about leaving her with someone i dont know.... its that someone will abuse her. because i know no one who has used a childminder or nursery where i live ive have no one recommended to me, which i think is hard. god i sound like a nut case honest im not (my husband wouldnt agree ha ha)

I agree with everyone

all the best inyour find for a childminder, it is the hardest thing to do leaving your special person with someone else, but you will click and just know and it will feel right

x

gutt feeling

Remeber to ask for references, I have been told that parents have given me glowing references to prospective mums and dads, which is much nicer than anything OFSTED can say. I have never known any of my parents before they used me and we have our own lovely little community all the children go to each others parties and the parents always chat when they meet.

Of course you will worry, but we are mainly a good bunch.

Agree with the others, go with your feeling.

I know one brilliant CM who had a satisfactory, and I know of an awful CM who got a good! Don't just go by the report.

The difference is in the paperwork! I know several supposedly outstanding CM's who are really crap, the children are safe, the paperwork is lovely, but there is something so not right that I wouldn't leave my children with them. All the other op's are right. If it doesn't feel right for you, go somewhere else.

taytotayto are you joking? Are you looking for a CM to start from July now? I made once this mistake. Found a CM 3 months in advance. Paid place holding fee (1/2 of normal fee) for three months. A week before due start my DH was made redundant. We cancelled CM. DH staid with DS at home for several months. WHen he found a new job, we had to find a new CM in 5 days. And we did - she is absolutelly brilliant.

GO with your gut feeling not ofsted report.

tayto, not a nut job but totally normal, we all feel like that about our precious children.. good luck with your search and agree with all the posters, forget Ofsted and go with gut instinct and references..

Hey just wanted to say thanks for starting this post it has really helped me to feel better tonight.............. I have just had an Ofsted inspection today and down graded from good to satisfactory. Was really gutted as I have done so much training since my last inspection it is unbelievable. Anyway my parents and I both know the care and learning the children are having are good no matter what Ofsted lady thinks!!

taytotayto why not put what area you are in see if anybody on here has vacancies? ask around also there are network childminders who are assessed by the national childminding association for a quality assurance scheme and I know in our area have both announced and unannounced visits at least 3 monthly this may set your mind at rest more

I don't agree that it's just about the paperwork. That gives the impression that outstanding childminders just fill out a bit of extra paperwork and rubbishes all the hard work that many of them have done to achieve their grades (I am outstanding, so very biased ).

A friend of mine told the inspector on the doorstep that she was not a nursery so not to expect loads of posters and unnecessary paperwork and that sort of guff. She got an outstanding because of her very dedicated work with the special needs children in her care and no-one could say she didn't deserve it.