The definitive Ofsted Inspection checklist - what's missing?!

[navyeyelasH]

per child

Contracts
Permission Slips inc medical treatment
Child Record Forms
Learning Journey / Scrapbook (if you want)

operational

Policies and Procedures
Daily Register
Fire drill info
Accident/ incident records
Complaints and Compliments log
Visitors log book
References from parents
Portfolio / whatever you give parents to inform them about the service you offer (if anything)
Parental Questionnaire for periodic review of service (if you want)
First aid kit with grab sheet of emergency contact info
Emergency contact info you take on outings
Spare window keys near windows
Proof of communicating with other practitioners (if applicable)
Toy labels
Demonstrate hand washing procedures
Have ready anything that demonstrates how well you work with parents, such as newsletters etc

EYFS

SEF
Planning
Observations
Achievements summary (or whatever you use to track progress)
Risk assessments

Add on anything that you can think of ladies and gentlemen!

If you are due I would go on the ofsted website and check any recent reports in your area and see what your inspector is picking people up on, you can often see what they are really hot on.

danthe4th great tip, I have already noted the last 100 recommendations for my area! It seems to be mainly talking to others, risk ass and summative assessments.

OFSTED cert up on display

First Aid cert up on display

OFSTED poster up amended to show NEW OFSTED number

um um

Log of continuous professional development, what you did, course name if relevant, hours spent

(showing you read the current who minds, took you ooh 20 mins tops hah hah)

floor plan of house up on display

BALD: FA cert on display????

What about putting up a multicultural calender, pictures the children have drawn, inventory of your equipment, no smoking poster. Just turn your house into a nursery for the day.

good thinking llllll I have all that sort of bumph in my porch anyway. I'm just finishing off the children's scrapbooks.

Is there anything else anyone can think of?

Put the big EYFS poster up on a wall, just in case they ask questions about it, then you have a visual reference for it.
Also a multicultural poster saying 'Welcome'.
Good luck!

Bottle of wine in the fridge to be consumed after they've gone

Good luck!

yy No4 - I've read a few recent reports commenting favourably on the display of FA cert

(still ain't had my phone call, was due at the beginning of Jan this year)

Good luck.

I for one will not be displaying any posters for when they come that are not normally there kids whould say whys that up haha

You only have to display Parents poster and certificate! NOTE ON WINE: make sure it's out of reach haha

Attendance book completed in detail and in whichever way Ofsted claim to want it now You need to know do they want contracted hours or the times children actually leave and arrive and do they want to the exact minute or nearest quarter hour time.Im writing this with bitter experience of my ofsted inspection but can say working unregistered as i have now for some time minding over 8s for any length of time and under 8s no more than 2 hours a day has a lot to be said for it for anyone not tough enough to cope with ofsted Anyone considering it can be insured with morton and michel and have much less stress in their life!!!!!!

Marney I don't understand your post? I have a daily register and I write on it the precise times people come and go. Is that wrong?

Navy, it's the actual hours you mind children - didnt understand previous post either

Yup me too, just write the time they arrive and then leave.
I also carry a notebook to write any adhoc risk assessments in when out and about, and a small photo album with copies of parental medical permissions slips with child and parent details in.

Marney has been on here before, with long diatribes about a lot of problems she had with Ofsted and regulations if I remember rightly.

as far as I am concerned the biggest issue is with risk assessments. Inspectors never get it right though. Be careful about what they say, you need to conduct risk assessments and record for the Early Years Register (EYR), but only conduct for the Childcare Register (no record). For outings you need to conduct a risk assessment for each type for the EYR (no record, although this can be a recommendation, it is not a legal requirement), but the childcare register makes no reference to risk assessments for outings at all.

There is a huge emphasis on Safeguarding.

Have a look at the document Are You Ready for your Inspection? (ofsted website)
that is really helpful in getting your stuff together

Nice cake and coffe as well.. good luck..xx

Had my inspection this week and my inspector commented that she did not think a visitors book was necessary! I had always had one but she said for an individual minder with no one else working in the house, I did not need a visitors book - no doubt at the next inspection, they will be looking for the visitors book!

My inspector wanted to see lots of evidence of the relationship with the mindees parents - daily diaries, letters to and fro and other communications. Also quite a lot of emphasis on the formal Learning Journals and detailed "next-step" plans and desired learning outcomes.

I experienced very little in the way of checking safety issues such as safety catches on drawers, side-gate being securely locked etc.

Agree strongly with Danthe4th - I had trawled the Ofsted website around my area looking for inspections done by my inspector (I was lucky as had 3 weeks notice so had plenty of time). I was able to find quite a few inspections she had done since Christmas so could see the sorts of things that she seemd to concentrate on - they all seem to have their favourite topics don't they!!

Good luck!

I recently had to give notice to some parents. They complained to Ofsted who have asked me to investigate - which of course I shall. I'm not sure though about Ofsted's involvement as the children involved are over eight. Any views??