Nursery asked to me to keep daughter home due to OFSTED visiting

[Fidgitigdif123]

So my daughter is 4 and has a diagnosis of autism. She has a speech and language delay, and needs some support throughout the day, particularly when it comes to toileting, but isn't too difficult to handle, and she generally keeps herself to herself. The nursery are always praising her for how good she's been during the day, and they always say she's a happy girl who enjoys being there.
I had a phone call from her key worker the other day (who also happens to be one of the nursery managers), asking me to keep her home the following day because they have an OFSTED inspector visiting. Apparently they don't have enough staff to be able to support my daughter while the OFSTED inspector is visiting (apparently they'll need a member of staff to show the inspector around, which will mean my daughter won't have anyone to support her during the visit).
I'm confused by this, as there's been countless times where they've had several staff off sick at one time (including her key worker), and yet she's still been able to go into nursery.
I'm actually starting to think they just want her out of the way for the day so it'll be easier for them to focus on the inspection, but surely this would be the best time to show off how good they are at dealing with children with SEN and other disabilities?
I genuinely don't know if I'm right in being a little bit upset about this, as it feels like they just want to sweep her under the carpet; like they're embarrassed by her being there or something.

If you are now feeling bothered about their motivations or the level of care “ behind your back “ I think you need to raise it with them in a direct way. However, unless you have acceptable alternative care lined up, I would personally do this before going in guns blazing. Save that for if and when you don’t like the explanations.

Yeah she's gone back; my partner dropped her off and picked her up and they've not said anything about it apparently 🤔

Why would they mention the inspection? They will have an idea of the outcome but they can't share it until the report is published.

Sounds like they know they can't meet her needs and Ofsted will pull them up on it.

I guess if I'd have dropped my child off, I would have asked how it went. Didn't realise they couldn't discuss it.

At some point they are going to have to discuss the "free" day and there will be a credit on the bill for yesterday's free session.

Say hello to Mars from me. or Jupiter. or where ever it is you live.

In all honesty it's done now. Should they have asked you to keep her off, no probably not but you did. Do you trust them to provide the right care for your daughter? If you intend to keep her there I'd let this go now. If you have second thoughts look for an alternative provider and move her. You could ask for a meeting to ask why they asked you to keep her off.

@InTheUpsideDownToday you didn't realise they couldn't discuss the outcome of the inspection until the report was published? That's a basic. There's been so many people on this thread pontificating their opinions about Ofsted and the nursery. How many of those people actually understand the process and know how much it actually benefits the children?

Many year's ago, I was in school training staff, when they came. They joined in, asked valuable questions and were genuinely helpful. They asked questions to further explore observed issues and made suggestions, but tried not to interfere with the running of the school.
The inspectors began by having a mandate to provide improvement support, but this was not always well received and often actively resisted by staff. But the process was a continuing 360 circle.
It was not long before it became more adversarial, as it became all about scores. Those scores were designed to be a foundation for help with dealing with them, but I do not see that now. Perhaps if they had not been made so public, it might have remained so.

"Ofsted is meant to monitor and provide advice" - with a one word judgement..

Ignore everyone saying this is fine and go along with it. This is NOT fine. Tell them to send another child home!
This whole "trying to make it easier for offsted" excuses..... no, this is covering up the fact they have not actually got the resources, adequate staff, or even "trained" staff for "sen kids". The school isn't fit for purpose if they are doing this.

What the hell does a SEN school do with an ofsted inspection???? Send ALL the kids home incase they have a melt down??? Nope. And why? Because they have nothing to hide, they have fully trained staff and enough staff to support sen children. Ofsted are very aware of sen. A school has no reason to hide it. If they haven't got adequate trained staff that's thier problem, SEND ANOTHER KID HOME.

Also get this in writing email ect because I'd be inclined to visit the ofsted inspectors and pass this on to them.

That's not a great thing to do is it, dobbing the poor nursery in to Ofsted? The nursery are obviously doing a good job in their day-to-day running of the place, and the way they usually are with OP's daughter.

What makes you say the nursery are obviously doing a great job? There's nothing in the OPs posts to suggest that, and trying to send her home when Ofsted are in suggested the opposite.

'Dobbing the poor nusery in to Ofsted' FFS, there are so many apologists on this thread. Apologists for an institution that has discriminated against a disabled child.

OFSTED cause a lot of issues you may of worked for them, but they are mostly jumped up and power hungry, they probably get a kick out of the panic they cause. My child is autistic too and tbh if it helped them get through the inspection I'd keep him off. OFSTED should be abolished personally especially after all the lives and careers it's destroyed

Move nurseries

This happened to me but with a child minder and she had the gass inspector round. But it was ofsted. I stopped my son going he wasn't diagnosed then he was 1. N I reported her to the ofsted

I don't know why you did that

I hope you make a right choice. First, think about your child and ask yourself some questions. If they are telling you that they cannot take care of your daughter while the inspection is taking place because they are short staff then is better to keep her at home. It is better to be safe. Ofsted puts a tremendous amount of pressure on people, it may be that eventhought they do a fantastic job with your child otherwise they luck the confidence to show it. If they are short of staff and haven't been able to secure some bank staff then they will be in big trouble. This could also mean that if this has not happened before maybe they have taken your daughter even with short staff... If you have felt supported by them in the past then complainning to ofsted wouldn't be a nice thing to do. But if it is otherwise then maybe you should.

Yep this is a typical and illegal move practised frequently in educational establishments. When you get the Ofsted parent survey link I'd mention this.

Sounds to me like they don't have the right support in place for her and they are concerned it will be flagged in the ofsted report.

But the nursery are breaking the law, which happens far too often with SEN kids. Yes the system is underfunded and Ofsted are monsters but this stuff is complicit with discriminatory practice. Imagine if they sent all the kids of one religion or one ethnicity home. How would you feel about that?

I believe no one is disputing the need for monitoring, feedback, advice and support. There appear to be and clearly are issues around the wordings of the "collective" messages sent to all stake holders, including most meanigfully to the providers. It'd probably be a productive exercise to reach a (national) consensus or agreement on the words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs that may prove useful to implement further action or improvement. . Messages through the fragments of English (in this case) will need to be conveyed with one word or through many -- otherwise the whole exercise would be fruitless. We need to agree on the words, phrases, sentences that would help.

This! My children's nursery had a bad comment about a child's key worker not letting her stretch herself - never looked into the circumstances (child needed close supervision because of an invisible disability). Key worker in question was so upset that she left childcare completely. Have never forgiven Ofsted.

This is rubbish. I am not at all a fan of Ofsted but I have some friends who work for them, and have been in several inspections during my career. My experience of Ofsted inspectors is that they genuinely want to look for good practice and for areas where improvements are needed. I don't recognise your description at all.

For whoever said it comes down to a one word judgement all I can say is that while everyone is waiting for that one word judgement they actually give a lot more feedback than that to schools and settings.