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View Full Version : what do you think should be on ofsteds check list? ?



yummyripples
25-09-2013, 09:51 PM
I am a bit peeved because my friend has just been given satisfactory. The main thing she was marked down on was diversity. Her home was too white British. She is a fantastic minder who introduces her mindees to all manner of multi culturalism - for instance this week we have all celebrated the Jewish festival of succot by visiting a Jewish home and had a meal in a succah (special type of shed) . We have also done an assortment of things for harvest festival including arranging a collection for church. She arranges a lot of different things for a small group of us (we take it in turns) and we mix with many different cultures and religions in this group. She takes her mindees out every morning doing things such as swimming and even parent and toddler ice skating (I am not brave enough for that one). All the children she minds are white British but she does introduce them to other cultures and religions by mixing in a diverse society and taking part in their celebrations outside of her home.
Another minder I know takes the children to toddler groups during term time and trips to the park if the weather is nice and during school holidays it's parks and museums. She has things like multi cultural instruments, different coloured dolls and does different crafts for the festivals. She is hot on paperwork and evidence and goes on every course going so therefore got outstanding. In my eyes her care for the children is less than outstanding. On a Friday there are a group of minders who get together in the church hall. They stay there in the morning and give the children a healthy lunch of sandwiches and chopped tomatoes while one of the minders goes and gets the weekly treat of a McDonald's (just for the minders). I am probably being unreasonable but my friend is a fantastic minder and I feel that this other one only got her outstanding as she knows how to work the system.
What do you think ofsted should be looking for?
Sorry about the rant btw

FussyElmo
26-09-2013, 06:02 AM
Hugs to your friend.

The only think is that Ofsted only can give grading on what they see on the day. You know your friend does all this but if she wasn't able to show/tell the inspector that she did she would get marked down on it.

The other minder doesn't seem to do much wrong - I don't particularly agree with having mcdonalds while the mindees don't. I would have got my mindees a mcds as well.

Ofsted only have a couple of hours to see a snapshot of what you do so you do have to sell yourself.

munch149
26-09-2013, 06:10 AM
I agree that it is hard because the only have so Long to assess you
On the other hand I do think too much emphasis is put on paperwork

rickysmiths
26-09-2013, 08:38 AM
It does seem hard but if your friend could not demonstrate what she is doing then it is hard for Ofsted to see. This is one of the reasons doing a comprehesive SEF is good for some minders who don't demonstrate reflection and the variety of what they do well.

I have a variety of resources on show all the time that show diversity, some are toys some are postcards up on my doors. I am also putting together a photo album with photos of all my resources because as with most childminders you can't have everything out all the time. However an inspector walking into my setting, although I am white and very English, will see instantly that I have a diverse setting.

I am not the worlds best at paperwork and I keep it to a bare min. Ofsted don't expect to see masses of paperwork and nor do they inspect on that criteria any more and haven't for a long time. They are looking at how you are with the children, how well you know your children and what you are doing with them to meet their needs and follow their interests.

I doubt that she will have been given a satisfactory on one area unless it was a more serious aspect that was missing. It must be very disappointing.

From what you have said I don't see that the other childminder is doing anything wrong. I go out and about all the time, this week I have been to a Butterfly Farm 10 miles away, a fantastic park 10 miles away, our local water park 2 miles away, cm drop in, toddlers and tomorrow am I will be meeting 2 cm for coffee. I meet with other childminders often on a Friday morning in our local town and we go for a coffee and have a croissant. We don't buy the children one, we take fruit and biscuits for them and activities for them. I don't see anything wrong with that at all and I don't see anything wrong with a group of cms getting together and having a Friday 'treat', they have provided a healthy lunch for the children in their care which is fine. Yes she may appear to do more paperwork but there must have been other aspects of her work that she demonstrated to the inspector on the day that earned her an Outstanding.

If your friend is unhappy with her grading then she needs to complain to the inspecting company.