Inspection Advice...if you dont mind?

[Bex1]

Hi

I am due an Inspection, first inspection, at any time now and wonder if those who have recently had one, could give me a few tips.

I know the kids are happy and settled with me and the feedback from the parents on the questionnaires I handed out have all been lovely and all have said how brilliant I am and how they're little ones are so happy that it makes them going to work so much easier etc.Even one little boys cries when he has to go home, which is nice for me but a little tough on the mum :blush:

Anyway I only have 3 children at the moment, one is a baby and he only comes 2 days a week for just 3 hours and the other 2 come all day Thursdays. I dont have a very big house so I cant have lots of toys out and I always keep the same toys because they are only 18 month and younger and they need to have the same familiar toys around them as they are only with me for 6 hrs each week. So I keep the same toys and they are all in tubs appropriate to what they relate too i.e role play, small world, animals etc.

My concern is not the children but my paperwork as I am not good with paperwork! I have a daily plan for the children but dont do long term planning as they are young and just simply want to play but we do do activities such as visting the park, play lots in garden and I do activities to what the children are interested in ie at the mo they are interested in animals so I have got animal wrist bands, pictures of animals, a new animal table cloth for dinner time, animal books etc and a lovely animal jungle hospital so I try to plan appropriate to what they want to do and most of it is spontaneous!

I have all policies and procedures, risk assessment for my home and garden and for the local park, I have fire drills, I have obs folder for each child and a scrap book for each child filled with drawings, photo's and I do daily diaries for each child.

I am worried the Ofsted Inspection will mark me down on paperwork side of things but I simply want to interact, play and make sure the children are safe and have fun...please tell me what they look for.


Becky

[miffy]

It sounds to me as though you're doing just fine - you're planning around the children's interests which is what EYFS is about.

You'll need to show that you know at which stage in their development each of your mindees is and what you need to do to move them along to the next level/stage - you use your observations of the child, chats with parents and any other settings or professionals and the EYFS learning and development grids to help you do this.

Good luck with your inspection

Miffy xx

[sarah707]

You sound organised to me!

The most important thing is that you have a good understanding of all the children.

Are you making memory books / learning journeys for them? This is really important because it shows you know the children and you are linking their learning and development to the eyfs.

Hth :D

[Ripeberry]

Bex, you sound like you are doing really well! Don't worry about the paperwork side of things as you sound like you have everything in order.
I've got a little 12 month old starting on 01 September and the mum thinks I should be doing 'craft' with him, but he is just starting to walk and loves putting things in and out of boxes, so I'm just concentrating on activities to encourage his walking and his interests.
The planning will just be just a rough idea of what we will do each day, encorporating school pick-ups or visits to shops...that kind of thing.
I've got him for 3X 8hr days and from the 7th September will have a 4yr old on Thursdays for 5hrs.
So I'm going to be quite busy, also I'm going to give myself a month or so to settle them before calling in Ofsted.

[Bex1]

Thanks everyone!

In regard to the learning journals etc, all I have is a lever arch folder that as the EYFS stages of development, those A4 sheets that charts the 6 areas of learning in the ages etc (my mind has gone blank as to the name!), I also have the 'All About Me' form that parents fill in about the child and then I have Obs I have carried out on the children, which is not many but as they are only with me 6 hours a week I dont do that many and also went on an OBS/ASSESS/PLANN course as was told I should not be doing that many, 1 a term! I also have a 'special book' which has photo's of what the children do when with me such as playing with sand, making father's day cards, on the slide or crawling through a tunnel at the park, walking through countryside and some drawings, paintings they do...which is not many because they simply are not interested in arts/crafts! For the baby it has special moments like him pulling himself up, or showing him settling into the setting and getting to know my DD so I have pics of him touching her face, having tummy time watching her play etc.

How do I show there development stage?

Becky

[misst104]

I got some great advice about linking obs to development stage from Sarah707 (who else!!:) ). I got her learning journey e-book and also use her ages and stages of development sheets to link obs to the eyfs. If you pm her I know she will be able to help. Hope you don't mind me suggesting that Sarah?? :)

xxx jo

[sarah707]

I got some great advice about linking obs to development stage from Sarah707 (who else!!:) ). I got her learning journey e-book and also use her ages and stages of development sheets to link obs to the eyfs. If you pm her I know she will be able to help. Hope you don't mind me suggesting that Sarah?? :)

xxx jo

Not at all! :D

Bex you sound like you know what you are doing ... I think you are worrying too much.

You are encouraging children to play and following their interests... you are enhancing your resources to follow their interests and you are being an interested adult... you are writing up their learning journey appropriate to the time they are with you... you have photos of special moments as well...

This is all excellent practice and so long as you can also show consistent working with parents, I am sure you are ticking all the right boxes :D

[Star]

Hi, I agree with Sarah, it sounds like you are all sorted and will be absolutely fine.
They are not looking for mountains of paperwork, but that you know the children, their interests, stage of development and provide for this. They can see this from how you are with the children on the day, what resources, toys, activities you have out and how you respond in the moment to provide by what you say and do to extend on what children are doing as well as standing back to observe and be there when needed for support. Hope that makes sense!

Star