Join us for a webchat with Ofsted Early Years Director Nick Hudson – 1.00 - 2.00pm, Monday 10 November 2014

[KateHMumsnet]

You may remember that back in September, we hosted a webchat with Ofsted's Chief Inspector of Education Sir Michael Wilshaw. We're pleased to host a second webchat with Ofsted this year with Early Years Director Nick Hudson, to answer your questions about nurseries and early education for children aged 0 - 5.

Nick joined Oldham Council in 2001 as excellence in cities director before becoming service director for the children, young people and families directorate.
He went on to become corporate director of children’s and adults services at Wigan Council Hudson was appointed regional director of Ofsted’s North East, Yorkshire and Humber Region in 2013, before taking on the additional role of national director for early education in January this year. He has three school-aged children.

Post your questions for Nick below, and be sure to join us live on the 10th, from 1.00pm.

I would like to ask how it is considered to be acceptable that some nurseries have gone over 5 years between inspections? Also if newly registered settings have to be inspected within 30mths rather than 7mths as previously, how parents can be reassured of quality? Whilst the registration visit is more robust, it cannot demonstrate how a setting will work in practice.

I'm currently looking around early years settings for my daughter. I'm a veteran of this due to several house moves. Every setting I visited had achieved an Ofsted 'Good'. My concern is around this 'Good' - there seemed to be a vast difference in 'Good' in my eyes. Are your criteria stringent enough at 'Good' level or would 'Good' benefit from further classification eg Good1, Good2. This would help parents/carers have more faith in settings and make a more informed choice. Thanks Inca

I also want to know why settings are going 5+ years between inspections.
Also, why is the level of paperwork increasing? Surely this has a huge impact on the time staff can spend with the children!!

There has been plenty of discussion with previous Education ministers and comments from Michael Wilshaw about what nurseries should look like in terms of the balance of teacher led and child led activities.

Recently there has been a move towards advocating more structured play for young children (even though genuine child led play has the most evidence to support it)- where do you stand on the issue?

More than 40 years of research tells us that genuine child led play, where children get to make choices and independently problem solve and explore their surroundings, is best for young children's learning and development.

Especially when they are supported by adults who understand how they learn- so they can set up an enabling environment, and extend and challenge their thinking by appropriate interactions and further planning.

It would be helpful to know where OFSTED's focus is going to be on this issue, as there has been very mixed messages over the last few years (i.e research & training says one thing, OFSTED & Education ministers saying the opposite)

What should an outstanding nursery look like?

I work with early years, currently in a pre-school in a new project with 2 year olds, for a large family charity.
I've worked as a nursery teacher in London in the past (and have QTS)

Can you tell us about your experience and qualifications specifically relating to the early years sector?

I find that some senior management (eg in schools, where I've worked both as a teacher and recently TA in reception class) and inspectors within Ofsted do not seem to have a sufficiently thorough understanding of how young children learn primarily through (supported) play.

Can you reassure me of your understanding and commitment to these important principles of learning in early childhood?

I'm pleased to say that the writers of the EYFS seem to have a good appreciation of these principles, so am happy to work within that framework - particularly like the new threads of "play and exploring", "active learning" and "creative and critical thinking"

Can you guarantee that every inspection team has an EY specialist when inspecting infant and primary schools?
As EY is a separate key stage, can it also be stipulated that a certain proportion of the inspection time is actually spent in EY to make a sound judgement?
Having just had an inspection where there was no EY specialist and the inspectors spent probably a total of around 50 minutes of a two day inspection in EY, I feel this is unacceptable. How can you judge something you have no expertise in and haven't spent long enough to make a sound judgement?

On a separate note - as a teacher I would have loved to join in the web chat, but like all the other EY providers, I'll be at work. It's a shame this couldn't have taken place in the evening.

How can it be justified that a setting can continue to be graded inadequate over the period of a year, after several visits, but still be operating? Do you have any plans to time limit a settings opportunity to improve from grade 4 before it is shut down?

A second point and this may be a little unfair as I don't know you - and have worked with some good male early years practitioners - but given the continued prevalence of women in the early years sector, and the extent of their collective expertise and leadership in the field, such as in most of the research developments, do you think it is questionable that a man (your good self!) has been appointed to the role of Ofsted Early Years Director?

I would like to ask that he comment on early years provision for children with autism, which is really pretty woeful in this country. Unless your child is at the moderate end of the spectrum - which my boy isn't - they haven't got a hope of learning anything or even being accepted into a generic nursery. And we are not allowed, bizarrely, to use our 15 hours free education funding on tutors who specialise in autism, eg ABA tutors or SALTS. Could Ofsted help us shake the system up a bit? Our autistic kids need more than just babysitting in the crucial pre-school years.

Hello, my questions is about statements of Sen i an early years setting, in my case for a child with autism. Like others say, children with autism need that extra skilled support to engage in meaningful play and learning. Sen officer is. However of the opinion that my child needs o ly 15 hours of support, term time only but she goes full time because we work. How are children supposed to make the most of learning opportunities like their peers? Something's wrong, I can't afford not to work full time but I don't want to damage my daughter'slearning at this crucial stage. What can I do? Why is early years sen the Cinderella compared to school provision? As a mum, what can I do to realistically get more support for my daughter to access the curriculum? Thanks from a frustrated mum!

I would like to know how you plan to help all children on the Autistic Spectrum and why is it so difficult to get an EHC plan to get extra help and support in school especially when my son is on the lower end of the Spectrum. He has complex educational needs and needs support in school so that he has some sort of future after education.

I am also a childminder and would like to know why Ofsted are so down on childminders. I have worked hard over the years and have gained Outstanding, but Ofsted give mixed messages with regard to inspection gradings and what is expected of us. Advice and information is also always different between inspectors and support staff. I have phoned and asked a question and then a fellow minder has rung and asked the same question and being given completely differnt advice. WHY!!!

I was down graded at my Ofsted Inspection because the inspector said CoC does no longer exist. I tried to complain but it was after the 10 days ( she came on a Friday and we were on holiday the next day for a week) and now there is nothing I can do. She said she would be out again within 6 months and it's now been 9 months. Ofsted say they can not let me know when they will be out again and I should " just wait". It seems terribly unfair as, her reason for down grading, is not actually a valid reason at all.

I work supply in a variety of nurseries. I've noticed that the ofsted grades are a pretty useless indicator of the quality of nurseries. The one with colouring worksheet lessons and a broken computer being used as a clothes drying rack - outstanding. The one that was regularly 14 degrees to save money on heating and where the staff were told the ratios were a maximum and not a minimum - outstanding. The one that doesn't pay minimum wage and has an external fire escape that staff are told not to use because it's not attached to the wall - outstanding. And many nurseries that I would happily recommend to anybody have gone down a grade or 2 because of a missing bit of paper.
Why does my first piece of advice to parents who ask "What should I look for in a nursery" have to be "Ignore the ofsted rating"?

If the school inspections are being brought back in house to Ofsted to ensure quality, why not early years?

I am also interested in the 'continuity of care' issue and what constitutes 'exceptional circumstances' (EYFS 3.30) in Ofsted's eyes. How can Ofsted ensure that all inspectors use the same interpretation and that this is communicated clearly to all providers?

I look forward to seeing your comments later

How much of the debate around curriculum do you think comes from the tension about what early years is actually for - is it somewhere for kids to go while their parents work or is it to boost the educational outcomes of kids from more troubled households? Politicians seem to focus on one or the other in what they say, but try to achieve both with limited resources. Is it possible to do both with the current investment from govt.?

Do you see a future where Early Years splits from Ofsted into its own ministerial agency? Ofsted inspects many things now not just education, is there really a financial saving combining it all together, tendering out to private companies.

With the drop in funding for councils, getting advice is tricky

When you ask OFSTED you either get "OFSTED is not an advisory body" or a copy of the paragraph from EYFS with the suggestion that you read it; tbh if I've got desperate enough to phone OFSTED I will have read, reread and discussed it at length and need clarification

Who can provide this information?

(particularly relevant for childcare on domestic premises)

Hi I'm a registered childminder and I am concerned with the lack of concrete information relating to continuity of care. I was reported in august as being over numbers. Your colleague Naomi Brown from ofsted compliance came out and informed me that despite having the child from age 1 and caring for his sibling I should not have extended his hours on a day which took me.to 4 under 5 even though I was within my legal limit of 6. However another childminder was told this was fine. Please could you clarify continuity of care.

Hi I have arrived at Mumsnet and will make a start answering the questions that have been posted Nick

hi, why is it that parents who work and earn enough just to pay bills and childcare costs aren't entitled to the 2 year funding yet those at home with their children get 15 hours a week?
Are there any intentions for the 2 year funding to be opened to all 2 year olds?|

What qualifications and experience do Ofsted Inspectors have? I've seen a couple of Ofsted reports for local nurseries saying about the staff missing opportunities to discuss volume and capacity, something my oldest child is only learning about in Year 2. It feels like inspectors are a little out of touch with 2 and 3 year olds. Also why are nurseries only inspected for one day? Surely inspecting over a week would give a much better insight into the standard of care given? ( I appreciate time and cost dictates a lot. )

@grumpalumpgrumped

I would like to ask how it is considered to be acceptable that some nurseries have gone over 5 years between inspections? Also if newly registered settings have to be inspected within 30mths rather than 7mths as previously, how parents can be reassured of quality? Whilst the registration visit is more robust, it cannot demonstrate how a setting will work in practice.

Changing the first inspection post registration for a provider from 7 to within 30 months is designed to provide flexibility so that providers can be inspected when appropriate, that's why it is within the 30 months and not at 30 months. I'd hope we will start to see this happening very soon.