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 they treat your daughter well during every normal day do not shaft them during OFSTED. Why on earth would you do that?

@AngelinaFibres
OP's daughter is non verbal and can't actually tell her mum about her day.

This request from nursery would make me worry so much. They are totally in the wrong for asking.

It isn't shafting them to expect her daughter to not be hidden away like she is some sort of problematic burden to be kept secret.

Forgot to ask - did they say they would not charge for today?

They said they'd let us have another day of our choice for her to go in, free of charge, and we also wouldn't be charged for the day she missed 😮I caved in and kept her home in the end 😕

Really sorry you were forced to make that decision. Are they also paying you costs for missed work?

I bet your view of the nursery has changed. Is there some where else she could go? (Realise this is not easy at all and she'll be at school soon too).

By the way, that offer sounds very much like a bribe!

I think you did the right thing OP. She was home with you, well supervised and happily out of the drama of a stressful day. Ours always came home “ all shook up” after an Ofsted inspection as the staff are so pressured.

I don't think you caved in. It's not as straight forward as 'standing up for our principals' when a child is involved and you need to get on with your life.

If you feel strongly about the issue, you could raise it with them now. You don't want them to make a habit out of it.

It's literally in the Ofsted inspection handbook that inspectors should "track" and gather particular evidence that will show "the quality of support for any children with SEND". I suppose in this case that would be, if it's too much bother for them, they don't.

It's not just inspection like in schools, Ofsted is literally the regulator for childcare. There are laws that people who run nurseries need to follow, to protect babies and non-verbal small children who are left in their care, and Ofsted inspections check if they are.

If the nursery was just trying to make the inspection less stressful for staff by having a extra manager free, that's shit but whatever. If they were basically trying to keep a child with additional needs home to hide that they don't really meet her needs in the care they're providing, then that is terrible. You can still email Ofsted to let them know you were asked to keep her home.

The thing I’m finding confusing about these suggestions is that, as I understand it, apart from the request to keep her home that day, op has been happy with DD’s care. Surely from op’s perspective that long-standing experience is the litmus of the standard of care, rather than some swooping visit by inspectors.

The OP said yesterday "I obviously have no idea what goes on when I'm not there, so for all I know my daughter could well be struggling and just being left to get on with it, while the nursery tells me she's doing okay. On the other hand, she may well actually be doing okay on her own. Because she's non-verbal, she can't tell me how her day was, so I kind of have to trust that they're telling me the truth."

So there's an element of she doesn't really know what happens there beyond what the staff are saying, and nursery management asking her to please keep her daughter at home because "they won't have anyone to support her child" during the inspection.

@Calliopespa
The OP said this:

"I'm still undecided as to what to do about this to be honest. My instinct is telling me they're trying to hide something 😔"

@Fidgitigdif123 I don’t think you caved in OP. I think you made a very sensible decision in the best interests of your child. I hope you and your daughter had a lovely day together.

The OP has been happy with the care so far… but now the nursery have excluded her disabled child for their own convenience. The fact they thought this was anywhere near ok says a lot about their attitude to disabilities and their ableism. It’s like excusing a little racism or sexism due to past good behaviour …

@Poppyandseed
Yes I think exclusion would actually be illegal under the Equality Act - and a case of discrimination against a child with a disability.

Yes I agree the excluding was wrong.

Last year a wonderful friend of mine, and a great head teacher, committed suicide following an Ofsted inspection at her school.

Ruth Perry - remember her name when you ring Ofsted with your complaints 😔

@twentysevendresses thank you for bringing up Ruth Perry. What happened should not be forgotten.

It shouldn’t be forgotten, ever, and was deeply, deeply tragic. However, it also shouldn’t be used to manipulate a mum into keeping her disabled daughter off of nursery as if she is solely responsible for the Ofsted outcome and hence the mental health of the staff who work there.

I think they’re doing the right thing. If she has Autism then the changes to routine that Ofsted inspections force could impact her for days or weeks.

As a nursery teacher, this is awful. OFSTED inspections are our time to shine. To show off how great we are and if we truly are great, we shouldn’t need to change anything.

Asking you to keep your daughter at home is genuinely disgusting and I would be raising a formal complaint and reporting it to OFSTED immediately. If they had 4 staff off sick one day would they ask you to keep your child at home then? Probably not. They didn’t want OFSTED to see them with your daughter which makes me wonder if they are as great with her as you think they are. This definitely isn’t okay and you should take it further.

I am shocked at the amount of people saying let it go etc. I’ve had 3 inspections and each time they’ve been lovely. My first one I was 17 and terrified and they grilled me about the child I was working with (who had autism) but as long as you know your stuff, it’s not problem🤷🏼‍♀️ Not one out of three needed showing around, it’s quite easy for them to move around themselves, no nursery is too complicated to get around.

They didn’t want OP’s child there because she’s autistic, not because they’re scared of ofsted.

Exactly who does that help?

It's a shame when parents don't understand the extreme pressure providers are under. They are massively underpaid, under-staffed and sometimes under-appreciated. It's not at the expense of your child. They are trying to work within a very broken system.