Inspection

[Louise_Oaktree]

It's almost 5 years since my last Ofsted Inspection, this was the 3rd inspector I have met and it was a very different experience to what I experienced in the past. The inspection was much more formal and there was little opportunity to talk to the inspector. It felt more like an interview than an inspection. I didn't feel at ease with the inspector at all and I didn't feel as though she was approachable. I expected this, obviously it's a serious matter and needs to be done properly, but we are all human aren't we? What would be wrong with a smile and a nice chat to put me at ease? I was very nervous and I felt this affected her overall impression of my ability. Add to this the fact I have been off work sick the previous week in bed with tonsillitis I wasn't feeling 100% either.

Despite how I was feeling inside I thought the inspection went really well, the children were amazing, communicating with each other and conducting role play together, there was lots of child and adult led learning and I was really pleased with how I had played and interacted with the children. I was given the grade I expected, but I feel really disheartened and upset at some of the comments made by the inspector and I feel that the inspector was looking for things to pull me up about. I'm not normally the type of person to see this in someone else, and it's not because I think I should have been graded differently, it just shocked me and made me feel as though the system isn't fair.

The inspector spent most of the time sat in the next room looking through my paperwork, I asked if she'd like a chair to sit with us and she refused. She commented that she hadn't heard me count enough with the children, despite me counting the number of eggs a little boy was putting in his basket and asking a child to pass me 2 blue cars (which she did). We came inside from outdoors and we washed our hands together, I talked to the children about washing off the dirty germs and the inspector said I should have explained why we need to wash the germs off (Ok I agree with this but EVERY TIME we wash hands?!). The children played with some toys whilst I reheated food in the microwave for 2 minutes, then sat the children down together after we set the table with child sized cutlery and waited for the meal (homecooked lasagne) to cool. The inspector said I should have washed the children's hands again because they had touched the toys before being seated at the table.

I moved house 4 weeks ago and I told the inspector my plans for developing the outdoor area but also the changes we had already made to make it safe in the last 4 weeks (fences, gates to separate the dog part to the rest of the garden, removing the pond), she was happy that I have provided activities to cover the 7 areas outside but whilst outside the 13 month old LO went to put a stone in his mouth, I immediately took it off him and moved him away from the gravel (he's confidently walking and wearing shoes) and he kept going back to the stones, I talked to him saying "no" and explained that putting stones in our mouth was dangerous because we can choke. He listened to me and looked at me when I repeated the word "no" and didn't do it again. I thought I managed the situation really well, he was kept safe at all times and I never left his side. The inspector said that I need to remove all the gravel from the garden (there is literally tons) and that it would need to be replaced with a soft surface such as grass. I told her about my plans for artificial grass on a bed of sand and she said it wouldn't be acceptable because it would be too rough on their skin.

I asked her for ways to improve at the end and she couldn't tell me, just said what I had already identified in my SEF which is to develop the outdoor area and to find opportunities to meet regularly with other Childminders.

I've spoken to another local childminder today who had her inspection on the same day with the same inspector, she was given an outstanding even though the garden was out of bounds at the moment due to it being too wet...........this has made me really cross! I thought access to the outdoors was compulsory?

There's nothing else I can really say, I just wanted to get it off my chest that I don't think it's fair the way the inspection is done, the comments made weren't fair and the grading system is also not comparative. I also don't think the feedback is adequate. I'm feeling really disheartened, I feel like I could have done 50% of the work for the same result, where's the incentive for us to try and improve? I've never felt like this about Ofsted before and I'm feeling really down about the whole system.

Sorry

[JCrakers]

I really feel for you. This is becoming more and more common and I read it on here a lot. HOW and WHY would you want to remove all the gravel from your garden!!! Honestly....what a stupid thing to say!! Posts like this really make me angry.
If anyone has read my posts on here, they will know I'm not an Ofsted fan. I've had 3 inspections, my first one was great but the other two were awful, disheartening and downright soul destroying. I received a good on all three occasions but at my first inspection I wasn't doing half the things I do now....but received the same grading. I loved my good but after working so, so hard to get another one was rubbish. Then, just as my 3rd inspection came around and I'd done so much work....they changed the criteria and raised the goal posts again.


My garden has large gravel stones in and I just tell the children not to put it in their mouths.. they learn!! If I was to remove the gravel, then they wouldn't learn. We cannot remove all things that will cause harm, children need these to learn...the child probably has these at home in his own garden


Anyway, please, please don't be disheartened. Chin up You sound fabulous, even though some ****** inspector comes round for a couple of hours and picks fault doesn't mean you are any less a great childminder than you were yesterday


Sorry....just re-read your post again. This inspector needs reporting! She is not supposed to do an inspection and put her personal opinions in it. She has no right to tell you what surface to put down in your garden! How about she offers to pay for it!! These inspectors live in cloud cuckoo land half the time. Do they not realise that we do this job to make a living? Not to spend all our 'minimum wage' on improvements to our houses.

[Louise_Oaktree]

I really feel for you. This is becoming more and more common and I read it on here a lot. HOW and WHY would you want to remove all the gravel from your garden!!! Honestly....what a stupid thing to say!! Posts like this really make me angry.
If anyone has read my posts on here, they will know I'm not an Ofsted fan. I've had 3 inspections, my first one was great but the other two were awful, disheartening and downright soul destroying. I received a good on all three occasions but at my first inspection I wasn't doing half the things I do now....but received the same grading. I loved my good but after working so, so hard to get another one was rubbish. Then, just as my 3rd inspection came around and I'd done so much work....they changed the criteria and raised the goal posts again.


My garden has large gravel stones in and I just tell the children not to put it in their mouths.. they learn!! If I was to remove the gravel, then they wouldn't learn. We cannot remove all things that will cause harm, children need these to learn...the child probably has these at home in his own garden


Anyway, please, please don't be disheartened. Chin up You sound fabulous, even though some ****** inspector comes round for a couple of hours and picks fault doesn't mean you are any less a great childminder than you were yesterday

Thanks for the support - I really need it right now! I could cry at the amount of work I put in. I don't think the grades help anyone do they? I mean to go from Needs improvement straight to Good - where is the in-between? I get the need to highlight those outstanding providers, but why the need to lump everyone else together?

[JCrakers]

Thanks for the support - I really need it right now! I could cry at the amount of work I put in. I don't think the grades help anyone do they? I mean to go from Needs improvement straight to Good - where is the in-between? I get the need to highlight those outstanding providers, but why the need to lump everyone else together?

I felt crappy for weeks. My inspector told me I needed to open up my lounge (which I use for quiet TV) to the babies, put a separate bookshelf in there. So whilst the older 3/4yr olds were using felt tip pens in the playroom, the babies could be in a separate room reading chosen books.
She also said to me that if I had been inspected 2months previously, under the old system I would have received my Outstanding.....just what I needed to hear to make me feel better.

She very nearly felt my boot on her backside as she was leaving

[Louise_Oaktree]

I was all at bit shellshocked at the time, it's only now 24 hours later that I'm realising that if I'd have rehearsed a speech I might have been able to do better, but it shouldn't be about selling yourself, or about how many dolls in wheelchairs you have on display that you have borrowed from the development worker! It should be about what a great role model you are and how caring and nurturing you are, about the bond you have with the children and how happy they are and how rich their learning environment is. I know what I'm doing I just don't do well under pressure and she didn't make it easy by sitting in another room.

[mumofone]

It's almost 5 years since my last Ofsted Inspection, this was the 3rd inspector I have met and it was a very different experience to what I experienced in the past. The inspection was much more formal and there was little opportunity to talk to the inspector. It felt more like an interview than an inspection. I didn't feel at ease with the inspector at all and I didn't feel as though she was approachable. I expected this, obviously it's a serious matter and needs to be done properly, but we are all human aren't we? What would be wrong with a smile and a nice chat to put me at ease? I was very nervous and I felt this affected her overall impression of my ability. Add to this the fact I have been off work sick the previous week in bed with tonsillitis I wasn't feeling 100% either. Despite how I was feeling inside I thought the inspection went really well, the children were amazing, communicating with each other and conducting role play together, there was lots of child and adult led learning and I was really pleased with how I had played and interacted with the children. I was given the grade I expected, but I feel really disheartened and upset at some of the comments made by the inspector and I feel that the inspector was looking for things to pull me up about. I'm not normally the type of person to see this in someone else, and it's not because I think I should have been graded differently, it just shocked me and made me feel as though the system isn't fair. The inspector spent most of the time sat in the next room looking through my paperwork, I asked if she'd like a chair to sit with us and she refused. She commented that she hadn't heard me count enough with the children, despite me counting the number of eggs a little boy was putting in his basket and asking a child to pass me 2 blue cars (which she did). We came inside from outdoors and we washed our hands together, I talked to the children about washing off the dirty germs and the inspector said I should have explained why we need to wash the germs off (Ok I agree with this but EVERY TIME we wash hands?!). The children played with some toys whilst I reheated food in the microwave for 2 minutes, then sat the children down together after we set the table with child sized cutlery and waited for the meal (homecooked lasagne) to cool. The inspector said I should have washed the children's hands again because they had touched the toys before being seated at the table. I moved house 4 weeks ago and I told the inspector my plans for developing the outdoor area but also the changes we had already made to make it safe in the last 4 weeks (fences, gates to separate the dog part to the rest of the garden, removing the pond), she was happy that I have provided activities to cover the 7 areas outside but whilst outside the 13 month old LO went to put a stone in his mouth, I immediately took it off him and moved him away from the gravel (he's confidently walking and wearing shoes) and he kept going back to the stones, I talked to him saying "no" and explained that putting stones in our mouth was dangerous because we can choke. He listened to me and looked at me when I repeated the word "no" and didn't do it again. I thought I managed the situation really well, he was kept safe at all times and I never left his side. The inspector said that I need to remove all the gravel from the garden (there is literally tons) and that it would need to be replaced with a soft surface such as grass. I told her about my plans for artificial grass on a bed of sand and she said it wouldn't be acceptable because it would be too rough on their skin. I asked her for ways to improve at the end and she couldn't tell me, just said what I had already identified in my SEF which is to develop the outdoor area and to find opportunities to meet regularly with other Childminders. I've spoken to another local childminder today who had her inspection on the same day with the same inspector, she was given an outstanding even though the garden was out of bounds at the moment due to it being too wet...........this has made me really cross! I thought access to the outdoors was compulsory? There's nothing else I can really say, I just wanted to get it off my chest that I don't think it's fair the way the inspection is done, the comments made weren't fair and the grading system is also not comparative. I also don't think the feedback is adequate. I'm feeling really disheartened, I feel like I could have done 50% of the work for the same result, where's the incentive for us to try and improve? I've never felt like this about Ofsted before and I'm feeling really down about the whole system. Sorry

Oh god I'm sorry you've had such a cr@ppy experience :-(

What grade has she given you this time round? What were your previous 2 grades?

Will you appeal against the decision Dyou think?

I still maintain its down to the inspector on the day, I am not convinced there is any consistency from the stories I hear.

[mumofone]

I was all at bit shellshocked at the time, it's only now 24 hours later that I'm realising that if I'd have rehearsed a speech I might have been able to do better, but it shouldn't be about selling yourself, or about how many dolls in wheelchairs you have on display that you have borrowed from the development worker! It should be about what a great role model you are and how caring and nurturing you are, about the bond you have with the children and how happy they are and how rich their learning environment is. I know what I'm doing I just don't do well under pressure and she didn't make it easy by sitting in another room.

Had you done a SEF where you were able to provide proof and grade yourself outstanding? X

[Louise_Oaktree]

Had you done a SEF where you were able to provide proof and grade yourself outstanding? X

Yes I had done my SEF, I'm not questionning the grade she gave me.

[Mouse]

How upsetting and frustrating for you

Do you have to give feedback on your inspection? I'm sure at one time I saw that people were given a form to complete afterwards. Even if you're not, I would probably say something. Not to appeal the grade, but to complain about the ridiculous comments and the fact that she didn't even watch you with the children.

Inspections really aren't fair at all. How can they be when inspectors put their own spin on things and change their mind to suit their mood.

Hopefully having a rant on here will help you feel a bit better about it all xx

[mumofone]

Yes I had done my SEF, I'm not questionning the grade she gave me.

Sorry what I mean is is your new grade "good" or "requires improvement" where it was previously "outstanding"

[Louise_Oaktree]

Sorry what I mean is is your new grade "good" or "requires improvement" where it was previously "outstanding"

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to share that information until my report is published

What about the Outstanding Childminder who wasn't letting her Children in the garden? Surely this is basic stuff? Even if the garden was considered outstanding, through a window, surely this isn't adequate for the purpose of the inspection? Surely it can't be considered as a learning environment when the children couldn't even access it?

[Louise_Oaktree]

How upsetting and frustrating for you

Do you have to give feedback on your inspection? I'm sure at one time I saw that people were given a form to complete afterwards. Even if you're not, I would probably say something. Not to appeal the grade, but to complain about the ridiculous comments and the fact that she didn't even watch you with the children.

Inspections really aren't fair at all. How can they be when inspectors put their own spin on things and change their mind to suit their mood.

Hopefully having a rant on here will help you feel a bit better about it all xx

Sorry I guess I'm finding it difficult without the support of the network now it's great that I can come on here and moan at you lot and you understand a little, it's tough being a lone worker, especially when you have to get up the next day and carry on.

[mumofone]

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to share that information until my report is published What about the Outstanding Childminder who wasn't letting her Children in the garden? Surely this is basic stuff? Even if the garden was considered outstanding, through a window, surely this isn't adequate for the purpose of the inspection? Surely it can't be considered as a learning environment when the children couldn't even access it?

I've not heard about that, why wasn't she letting children in her garden?

[singingcactus]

What about the Outstanding Childminder who wasn't letting her Children in the garden? Surely this is basic stuff? Even if the garden was considered outstanding, through a window, surely this isn't adequate for the purpose of the inspection? Surely it can't be considered as a learning environment when the children couldn't even access it?

Getting the children outdoors is the important part. I have had to limit my gardens usage because it is frequently under water at the moment. It would be crazy to allow the children to use my dangerous garden. I get them out and about in other ways though. We go for walks, we go to the park, we go to the woods etc. Maybe the outstanding childminder you mention was able to prove to the inspector the other ways she encourages the children to get fresh air and exercise whilst the yard is closed off.
Simply not being able to use the piece of land attached to your dwelling is not enough to cause an inspector to reduce your grade, as long as you are fulfilling your duty in other ways.

[Pixie dust]

I've not heard about that, why wasn't she letting children in her garden?

I've spoken to another local childminder today who had her inspection on the same day with the same inspector, she was given an outstanding even though the garden was out of bounds at the moment due to it being too wet...........this has made me really cross! I thought access to the outdoors was compulsory?

This is what was said in the original post mumofone............maybe the other childminder had lots of other evidence about being outside, maybe they go out to the local park, walk etc as long as the children have the opportunity to go out in the fresh air everyday it doesn't matter if it is the garden or not. A local pre-school here doesn't have any garden attached to the building they have a small piece of land further up the road, the children walk up there in small supervised groups throughout the session.

[Pixie dust]

I felt crappy for weeks. My inspector told me I needed to open up my lounge (which I use for quiet TV) to the babies, put a separate bookshelf in there. So whilst the older 3/4yr olds were using felt tip pens in the playroom, the babies could be in a separate room reading chosen books.
She also said to me that if I had been inspected 2months previously, under the old system I would have received my Outstanding.....just what I needed to hear to make me feel better.

She very nearly felt my boot on her backside as she was leaving

I was told the same thing in November that under the old system I would have got Outstanding

[blue bear]

We are hearing more and more of odd expectations, remove all the gravel? Maybe you should get a load of the soft play padding and pad put your garden and don't forget the bubble wrap for when you are on outings. I've been so lucky with my Insoectors it doesn't cost anything to smile and put people at ease.

[FloraDora]

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to share that information until my report is published

What about the Outstanding Childminder who wasn't letting her Children in the garden? Surely this is basic stuff? Even if the garden was considered outstanding, through a window, surely this isn't adequate for the purpose of the inspection? Surely it can't be considered as a learning environment when the children couldn't even access it?

So sorry that you had such an ordeal.
You will get the chance to comment after you receive your report and on a feedback form. If you think she said inaccurate things then that's the only time you have to say it.
I have all sorts of mixed surfaces in my garden and my Inspector did not comment, but I did promote it under sensory and textures. I suppose if you had only got gravel then that would be a H&S issue, but not if you have softer surfaces for them to play on too.

About the other childminder, if her garden was temporary out of use then that would be fine if she had lots of evidence of using it in an outstanding way through photos etc...she may well have had it all documented under an action plan.
I know outstanding childminders who do not have a garden. Her use of the outdoor environment would have been looked at and I expect her contingency plans of being outdoors were great. You do not have to have a garden, children just need to be accessing outdoors, it could be at a local park, on a walk etc..My garden got a bit water logged at one point in the winter so we didn't go out there - but we did outdoor activities daily.

We cannot compare each other to other childminders as we are not there on the day and none of us know what really happens in each other's settings. I know a childminder who could talk the talk and was well respected in a childcare community, but got notice to improve because she wasn't actually doing what she implied to us that she was, for some reason.

I must admit I had the same issue when I did a self review around washing hands, I used to supervise washing hands then have a book time before lunch. On one day I had a little one sneezing and spluttering all over my books and I realised that they are probably the worst resource for hoarding germs as I don't wash them regularly! So hands wash immediately before eating now. It makes sense as lots of LO's are using their fingers to eat with. It's not the amount of time in between washing and eating, it's what you do or what they touch in between I think.

It's good that you are happy with your result, just start to word your response on the feedback form now as you only have a small window of time to respond.

[Louise_Oaktree]

Thanks folks I'm starting to get over it now all I can do is move on and learn from the experience and try and do better next time.
I know we shouldn't compare ourselves with other Childminders it was more the inconsistencies I was irritated about, I know there is more to outdoor play than just having a garden I was just feeling flippant.
I guess I should try and focus on the future now and start getting ready for the next one

[JCrakers]

Thanks folks I'm starting to get over it now all I can do is move on and learn from the experience and try and do better next time.
I know we shouldn't compare ourselves with other Childminders it was more the inconsistencies I was irritated about, I know there is more to outdoor play than just having a garden I was just feeling flippant.
I guess I should try and focus on the future now and start getting ready for the next one

It took me a few days But wait until your report comes through...read it and go from there. If you feel its not a fair write up then you've got two choices. Ring and complain and hopefully get re-inspected or just move forward.

I thought long and hard about my inspection and decided I didn't want another one, my report read quite well but I was still mad at her comments. I have 8 sets of parents and all of them are happy, the children love coming and that's what matters.

At my other inspection in March 2012...the inspector said ' Childminders don't get outstanding because they can't offer what a nursery can, nurseries network more and have more opportunities to receive children from different cultures, so its easier for them to show they are outstanding.....'

Some people !!