Children's Centre - inspection

[Zoomie]

Ofsted inspected a local children's centre this week. Apparently it is the first to be inspected in our particular town.

Parent who works there probably knows result but will be silent until it is official.

Have Children's centres been inspected in your area?

[sarah707]

Not as far as I am aware :D

[Mouse]

Our Childrens Centre & Surestart centre are expecting to be inspected soon. You can tell by the way the posters have all be updated, displays have been re-done, they're getting us to fill in all sorts of forms etc!

[The Juggler]

ours have but it was in the pilot scheme. Make sure you feed back about how good the CM provision is;)

[Heaven Scent]

Oh that will be funny - ours has had a poster put up recently about the purpose of the childminder drop in will be interesting to see if they are expecting one.

[karensmart4]

Our Children's Centre is due an inspection at any time now.

It was funny because I sent a letter months ago saying that we share a child and would like to work with them etc.
I heard nothing, then all of a sudden I get a letter from the manager saying 'yes they would love to work alongside me' and they included loads of leaflets for me to give to my parents about facilities at the cc! :rolleyes:

[mummyMia]

I think they have already been inspected in my area. One near me (not the one I usually go to) just got rated outstanding! It was mentioned in all the local papers.

[kentcfis]

this may help for those interested... enter a town name to filter the search

http://ofsted.gov.uk/oxfind/name?search=&type=6145&submit=Search

[Pauline]

Ours has been inspected, about 3 years ago and must be due soon :)

[Pauline]

this may help for those interested... enter a town name to filter the search

http://ofsted.gov.uk/oxfind/name?search=&type=6145&submit=Search

Tried all combinations but it says no match. However I know they have been inspected because the certificate is on the wall at the centre!

[Pauline]

I've now tried my own town and 'childminder' - still no matches, yet there are about 20 of us :laughing:

[kentcfis]

Tried all combinations but it says no match. However I know they have been inspected because the certificate is on the wall at the centre!

Looks like ofsted have broken their 'fuzzy search'

however if you type kent or hampshire or similar (county names) it seems to work...

[Rasharoon]

I work in a Children's Centre and we are due our inspection soon. For a long time now, all the staff - with the manager - have been doing our SEF. My Manager is very passionate and totally committed and is very pro childminders having been one herself.

As I used to be a childminder and have my Level 3, she always introduces me as her 'childminder' when reaching out to families who come in and may need some support. She has put me in charge of co-ordinating our monthly childminding groups which is a task in itself due to the fact that not many of our local childminders like socialising with one another. Not easy but hosted a new look session a month ago where we now do 'travelling teddy', name the teddy competition where I produced the winning child with a laminated certificate and a raffle to win £30 ELC vouchers. Also did loads of messy play which the children loved. The poor centre looked like a bombsite afterwards but that's the whole point. I have also sent out a questionnaire to all childminders asking for their input and what they wanted from a Children's Centre - so as we can work together - and out of 11 sent out - received 8 back so was pleased with that. I am also in the process of co-ordinating a 'Childminding Information Book' with childminders writing up a description of their business that will then be in the Centre for parents to browse through and contact should they be looking to return to work. We also let Childminders advertise their vacancies on the parent's noticeboard.

Not all Centre's are against Childminders and I feel fortunate to work in a Centre that wants to work with Childminders.

[Pauline]

Looks like ofsted have broken their 'fuzzy search'

however if you type kent or hampshire or similar (county names) it seems to work...

brings up two - still not our local one - plus I know there are far more in our area! Oh well, will wait till it is fixed :)

[miffy]

Tried all combinations but it says no match. However I know they have been inspected because the certificate is on the wall at the centre!

I've just tried it too and no match!

Miffy xx

[kentcfis]

this (i am informed by ofsted) is because they have either not published their inspection yet OR they have not yet had one...

[Pauline]

this (i am informed by ofsted) is because they have either not published their inspection yet OR they have not yet had one...

The one I am searching for has their certificate hanging on the wall, so I know they have had one. The date is just over 3 years ago so it should have been published by now. :)

[kentcfis]

who knows... i would say its OfSTED... but there is a chance it could be the nurseries inspection report on the wall that is attached to the centre?

[Toothfairy]

If our Surestart Centre gets inspected and passes I will be gobsmaked!

It always has over flowing nappy bins, they are always leaving washing up liquid out and open on the childrens sink, I am forever taking broken and dangerous toys out to the office to be thrown away as nobody seems to check them.

I could go on forever............

I have written complaining soooooo many times but nothing ever get done.

I hardly ever go now as i am fed up with it all :angry:

[the happy house]

Ours was inspected last week. No idea of result, but had to laugh when I walked in to find the manager actually visible and all staff wearing new shirts. The things they did to make the place look better too. I really do wish Ofsted would only do un-announced visits, They would have seen a very different place had they arrived the week before.
I know some of the answers that were given to their questions were just what they wanted to hear... not necessarily the truth.

[Pipsqueak]

this may help for those interested... enter a town name to filter the search

http://ofsted.gov.uk/oxfind/name?search=&type=6145&submit=Search

Well according to the search there are no CC's in the town i live in!!! There are 6!

[venus89]

Well according to the search there are no CC's in the town i live in!!! There are 6!

6?! Isn't that a bit excessive?

[Pipsqueak]

6?! Isn't that a bit excessive?

large town covering a very large area. we don;t come under a county but are a borough in our own right.
there will be a 7th CC from early next year as well.

Each CC is sooo different in the outlook and way they treat people

[Pauline]

this (i am informed by ofsted) is because they have either not published their inspection yet OR they have not yet had one...

Today I got the Centre's EY number from their certificate, used the link you gave above and still it said no results found.

I then went on the main Ofsted website and searched using the 'find inspection reports' and it came up straight away!

Me thinks there is a gremlin in the works. :)

[kentcfis]

Hi Pauline,
EY numbers are not on that URL I provided

Children Centre URN's are ONLY 5 digit's long
for example - http://ofsted.gov.uk/oxfind/name?search=kent&type=6145

21412 - Hawkinge Children's Centre
23163 - The Buttercup Children's Centre

for registered childcare provision with a URN starting 'EY******' / 'VC******' / 127*** / 128*** / 9***** / 5***** use this site - http://ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Inspection-reports/Early-years-and-childcare

they like to make it complicated