devastating ofsted inspection

[nell57]

Thank you all so much for your kind words and support. I am having a bad week emotionally, but I am taking comfort and strength from all your words. I know in my heart that although very harsh and over critical, if those tiny mistakes weren't there in the first place, I wouldn't be in the predicament I'm in now, so no one to blame but myself.

Not sure if my heart is in it enough to fight this feeling for what could be a year before I'm inspected again. But I am trying to fight my emotions and get some spark back

An interesting fact, although I can't prove 100%. I googled the inspectors name and the only thing that came up was that of an email contact address of a nursery not to far from where I live. Another comment from someone else leads me to believe it is the same said person. So will keep to my own conclusion on a nursery manager, being ant*****minder

Thank you all again for taking the time to comment, hugs back to you

[angeldelight]

Don't lose your spark Helen

We all think your great

So keep fighting

Remember she's only one person !

Love to you

Angel xxx

[nell57]

Don't lose your spark Helen

We all think your great

So keep fighting

Remember she's only one person !

Love to you

Angel xxx

Thank you Angel.

I know I'm feeling the worse right now, but all your support is going a long way in helping me to keep fighting

[itsybitsyteeny]

I think it's time we start 'pulling them up' on their invalid comments. The planning one is really bugging me as there are not set rules for planning. They won't be getting away with that in this house!!

[LilyB7]

We've had numerous gobsmackers from Ofsted inspectors. And they knock you for six when they nitpick and have no concept of the reality of working with children!
At our last inspection the told us that what they could SEE we were doing with the children was Outstanding, but because we couldn't support it all with written evidence, we would only be graded as satisfactory!
In other words we didn't tick their boxes!
Our policy has always been to be down on the floor with the children "doing", which our parents love us for doing - but ofsted obviously dont!
It demoralises you and makes you wonder why you bother!

[Tatjana]

So sorry to hear of the horror inspection you have been through

[CLL]

After reading the report it is quite evident that she had a personal grudge against you/cm in general. There are little things that we all forget but she has made them out to be major and although she has stated your strengths she does not seem pleased you have them. An awful experience an one I hope I don't have in 2 weeks time.

[anne h]

[shortstuff]

Im sorry to hear you had a bad inspection. Sarah gives great objective advice and if she can help she does x i know because she helped me come to terms with mine x we are always here x keep your chin up and let Sarah help x she is amazing. sounds like you got a very rough deal and not what you deserved at all x

[LisaC6LBC]

Oh you poor thing.. That's completely awful... I really hope you are fighting or have fought this??
I myself am due an OFSTED any time soon but if all this rubbish was placed in mine I would be ranting every day till it was changed!!
Lets just hope it doesn't effect your business with new potential parents coming to see you.
Big hugs X

[caz3007]

I was chatting to a friend of mine who is a social worker about all the rubbish reasons for downgrading CM's and she was gobsmacked. I told her about the safeguarding incident with the 6 year old and also the baby crawling and she was open mouthed. Its only Ofsted inspectors who think these things are acceptable to downgrade

[nell57]

 What an horrendous inspection if its any consultation a cm friend of mine was also down graded to inadequate when asked if a parent is due to pick up and you've exhausted all contacts to get hold of them what are you going to do she said lock them in the shed and hope at some point they'll turn up oh my did she pay the price for a silly comment she said look I know your going to say I should ring social services but I'm not going to do that suppose mums being in a car accident an when at some point she comes round is told by the way your kids are with social services her next inspector totally agreed with her and up graded her to a good

Do you what I made some tongue in cheek comment about my ds 21 leaving home and she just didn't take it as a joke and thought I was being serious. Some of them need get a sense of humour and stop acting like robots

[Wheelybug]

Do you what I made some tongue in cheek comment about my ds 21 leaving home and she just didn't take it as a joke and thought I was being serious. Some of them need get a sense of humour and stop acting like robots

The thing is you need a sense of humour to do this job. Between all the ridiculous requirements, the parents and spending all day surrounded by little people, you'd go mad if you didn't have a sense of humour.

I feel really sorry for you and your experience has made me really start to worry. I was obsessed with paperwork when I first started which obviously helped me get my outstanding grading. But I've always said to other c/m's that it doesn't mean I'm a better c/m it just meant that on the day I produced the piece of required paperwork. Saying that though, recently I've got sick to death of the paperwork and am realising that its not helping the children, it fact its having a detrimental effect as its stressing me out. So I've cut back, I stilll do everything I did before, but now most of it is in my head. I know where they are in their development and what each child's next steps are without having to write them down. I don't need to plan specific activities as I can incorporate next steps into what they are interested in each day. Obviously though this is not going to go down well with Ofsted as I don't have reams of paperwork to explain what I am doing.

I'd still be tempted to write a letter to Ofsted though. I recently helped a c/m friend write in complaint against their Ofsted inspection grading where they too were downgraded. Seems to be happening far to much. I wonder if it is just c/m or if nurseries and pre-schools are experiencing the same.

Cathy x.

[aella851]

Just want to send a hug and a bit of comfort. I am only at the courses stage and I am dreading the ofsted inspection.

[charleyfarley]

Well with me having the privilege of knowing you really well and reading your report I can honestly say what a load of twaddle!!!!! As you know you aren't the only one that was inspected with 2 people and you both got the same grade on the same day!!

I know about all the paperwork you do and keep for the children and how much the parents and especially the children love you to bits, that's what counts, not what 2 inspectors that only saw you for a few hours!!!

So my dear friend don't let them get to you any more (hard I know) you are bigger and better than that.

Another reason to smile is it's only 5 more days

Carol xxxx

[jenrunner]

Hi, Ive just spent an hour reading your threads about inspections that have gone wrong. Yes I too have had this experience. I reported the inspector for the way she addressed and spoke to my parents and because the inspection was flawed due to her refusing to look at my childrens' journals (citing she had seen enough eveidence) and then marking me down in that area leading to comments on my inspection report that I have had to look at for the last 4 years.
I feel 'inspector' and 'inspection' are wrong for us, we need verifiers who come along and confirm we are meeting the rules and regulations. We need a brief overview of our setting for prospective parents to read and a visit report that may include issues seen on the day that we need to be aware of; if it is not a serious issue.
The current process is causing a lot of unnecessary emotional upset and stress that is detrimental- my response was an old adage ' I'm a duck and you can't sink me' and I'm still childminding!!. Maybe it is time for those of us with a lot of experience to work out how we can help to make a change for the better!

[jenrunner]

Hi 'nell 57' hav thought about you are having a lot!!!! The inspector was wrong over the child crawling - the EYFS wording says 'to move around' and taking a first crawl is not moving around. If you decide to complain about your inspection write all your views down ; sort out the relevant wordings in the EYFS so you can make your points succinct when the OFSTED negotiater calls - you only get one go at this. I appealed my Inspection and whilst I didn't achieve a re inspection I had to go to a second stage and received a letter with a lot of apologies hence my views about the current 'inspection regime' Don't be afraid to complain and remember parents really know your setting and they and their children can tell the truth of how good our settings are. good luck. be pleased to hear you are ok and how you get on.

[rickysmiths]

 What an horrendous inspection if its any consultation a cm friend of mine was also down graded to inadequate when asked if a parent is due to pick up and you've exhausted all contacts to get hold of them what are you going to do she said lock them in the shed and hope at some point they'll turn up oh my did she pay the price for a silly comment she said look I know your going to say I should ring social services but I'm not going to do that suppose mums being in a car accident an when at some point she comes round is told by the way your kids are with social services her next inspector totally agreed with her and up graded her to a good

I thought about this one when we had the bombs in London. I know ask for 3 next of kin or the names of who ever has been appointed as the child's guardian in the even a parent dies. I explain it to the parents in what do you want to happen to your child in the worst case. If a parent failed to collect and I couldn't get hold of them in half an hour I would first contact the Emergency contacts and see if they had heard from the parents, if not I would then ring SS and explain the situation and ask if they want the child to go to the emergency contact, to stay with me for now or do they want me to start to contact next of kin. My understanding is that if you are able to continue to care for the child, even overnight, this is what would happen because they child then remains in a familiar place with someone they know well. I would also call Ofsted and alert them to the situation and the steps taken, if it was out of hours I would send an email marked urgent. I would never comment to Ofsted that I would not follow this procedure, it is the one we must follow despite what we may feel or want because the child is at the end of the day not ours and we can not make those kind of care decisions for the child. A school or Nursery would not and could not keep an un collected for and period of time once they are closed for the day. We are lucky that we may be able to if asked to. It is not a situation I would ever joke about either, very unprofessional, unless you can reel off the robust procedure immediately.

[jackie 7]

Please complain and it is not too late. Keep going with it. It can take years! Also request a copy of her script under the freedom of information act. Also tell your mp. I do feel ofsted are doing this so we will join am agency.