Doing my SEF - so bored and I'm rubbish at being criticial of myself!

[navyeyelasH]

I'm too self absorbed to think I could do anything better

If you cant think of anything you can improve on, just say all the things you do really well!
I went to a workshop about filling in the SEF and we were told that its mostly just being big headed and showing off about all the things you do well, with a little bit of what you can do to improve! ie: 'i will attend more training'.
Also make reference to any policies you have when you can, and give examples of the things you do well.

Ive got my inspection on monday 1st Feb and when the inspector phoned she asked if i had done the SEF. I said i had filled it all in by hand and had started typing it up onto word documents on the laptop, so it would all be ready to copy and paste into the online form. She said not to bother with the online form at the moment, and could i just email her the parts i had typed up. So thats what i did.
She also said that she didnt expect it to be finished, as its meant to be a working document so you can add bits to it or change parts of it whenever you can/need to! I was so relieved to hear that!
I will find out on Monday what she thought!
Hope this helps!

ohh thanks childmindermk, I don't mind filling it in I'm babysitting at the mo so have nothing better to do TBH.

Just find it hard to be critical. Normally if I think of an improvement then I do it straight away! But there must be things I can imporove on, I just haven't come across them yet, that's the problem.

It was this question that made me post, "any specific issues which aid or prevent the smooth running of your setting".

tis tricky. And late so my brain is broken have been working since 7am!

I know a specific issue - filling in b*** paperwork for Ofsted!

Just talk about all the lovely things you do. A specific issue can be things like staff illness, cleaners not turning up, parents dropping children off late, or anything. There must be something that upsets your day which is beyond your control (assuming you are perfect of course, which I believe you to be )

You could say about changes you have made because of issues arising, no matter how big or small, that way it shows you are willing to , and have made some improvements when needed.

You could track your improvements in your SEF or track them in a 'Reflective Practise Log' & refer to that in your SEF

a specific issue might be that need to document everything to an extreme level or a lack of knowledge of what is best practise due to inconsistencies made by different inspectors

oh can I really say that KatyMac - that really is the only thing that makes me a a bit "ARGH" each day. That and my garden being covered in cat poo .

I do a self reflective log but it only has one thing in it.

We have no staff illness, I am the cleaner, and none of the parents drop off late or collect late - we are very clear from the outset that lateness is not on and we have a hefty charge (mean).

Can anyone think of anything else? The tele was on a shelf too high and the children couldn't see it so we moved it down on a wall bracket.

For things that aid the running I have mentioned child height sink & toilet, accesses to well labelled toys and clear storage for those things out of reach. Also my observations help. Anything else?

I'm on the 3rd question and have done 5 pages in word so far. It's going to be way too long as I'm a wordy person - I hope they read it!

oh - could I mention the fact that after my ICP we were thrust out into the big bad chilminding world with literally no support? We have yet to meet of childminder support co-ordinator - despite trying.

This means we have had to find things out for ourselves which is often conflicting as Ofsted give different answers to problems & we don't know much about further training particularly with regards to eyfs. Ditto with direct.gov.

Or is that irrelevant as it's largely as FIS issue?

No say it

& only say the OFSTED thing if you have hard evidence (eg 2 downloaded printed out reports on similar dates with different advise/stuff in them)

& your log should have everything you change in it & even stuff you didn't change but looked at changing

So your limitation is a lack of support from your childminding support co-ordinator then?

havnt done sef and wont be doing it.. no time..
got a 'good' Ofsted inspection and thats fine with me. I document lots of self evaluation and send out forms for parents to fill in every 3 months.. all say I am outstanding, and they pay me not Ofsted.

Reakon tories will cut lots of jobs in this area anyway when they get in at the next election.!!!! to save cash so it will all change.. think lots of EYFS coordinators heading for the chop too imo.

When your SEF is saved but not submitted can OFSTED view it?

Katy, no apparently. I asked today!!

Thanks