Has anyone appealed their grading?

[Childminder in Kent]

I had my first graded inspection yesterday and was graded 'good'. I was happy untill she said that if it wasn't my first inspection - I would have been graded 'outstanding'. She said that almost all people at this stage (1st inspection) get 'satisfactory' but she was taking into account the exceptional amount of work i.e obs, planning, evaluating etc I have and my many years of experience and knowledge.
I had my co-ordinator visit on Monday and she is shocked at the decision and suggested appealing - I don't know if I will, It just seems unfair that if im outstanding I can't have the 'label' because im just starting out.
Area to improve was my toy deployment - I currently have open, low boxed units for the babies and drawers with picture and word labels for the older children. Im not sure how else I can improve to enable self choice - children can access everything already!?

[WibbleWobble]

i had exactly the same at my first inspection....she did give me some outstanding features but could not give me an overall outstanding. I was a bit meh about it but really i couldnt give a flying doo doo.

I have improved my setting 100% since and i look forward to Mrs O coming to see me next year...i know/hope i will blow her hand knitted socks off!!!

it has give me impetus to show her!

grrrrrrrrr


and my improvement was to do proper structured phonics with the three under twos i looked after.....er.......berk


mandy xxxxxxxx

[Childminder in Kent]

Mandy,
Thanks for your reply. Structured phonics for 1-2 year olds lol - and they are meant to know more than us!

I feel really bad not being completley happy - A good is fantastic really!

[jumpinjen]

I was told that of my own children were mindees \i would have had outstanding but she couldn't take into accoutn anything \i did with them so could have good instead - I was mad about it, but didn't appeal as I didn't realise you could - I, like parsley feel much more prepared for another inspection and have improved 100% - perhaps observe how the children access the resources and reflect on it and they it's proof that resources are suitable deployed/stored if you think it works great now - I change mine quite often depending on what mindees I have to suit each one! Jen x

[curlywurly]

Hi

I was told exactly the same at my inspection. She gave me 7 areas of outstanding and 10 good, so overall good. She said she couldn't give outstanding on first inspection. I was pleased with what I got but it is very annoying.

My improvement was to have a windy day box,rainy day box......infact a box for every kind of weather!!!:laughing:

[sarah707]

The Ofsted inspectors handbook is where it says that generally - because of a lack of self evaluation because of the limited time a childminder has been registered - satisfactory is the norm for first inspections.

However, as with all things it depends on the inspector - yours clearly felt s/he was doing you a big favour by giving you 'good' - and you should be very proud of the good!

But some do get more than good on their first - it's a lottery and very unfair.

You can one of 2 things - either accept it as a challenge and gather evidence for next inspection or complain. I have not heard of any successful complaints about gradings - wording yes, but not grades.

Hugs xx

[Bluebell]

Congratulations on your 'Good' - some inspectors won't mark above the satisfactory for a first inspection, from what I've heard on here, so thank goodness you didn't have one of those inspectors! As Sarah says it does seem all a bit haphazard and down to the individual inspector. I'm sure she meant it as a compliment to your work that potentially you are on your way for an outstanding and not as a means to add salt to the wounds of not getting an outstanding this time round. Good luck with whatever you decide to do x

[rickysmiths]

I have complained about an inspection and had in Ofsted terms quite large parts of the text of my Report changed by Prospects before they let the Complaint escalate to even written form, it was done over the phone and by email.

A comment such as the one your inspector made suggests that she had already judged that a cm on first inspection can't get Outstanding, which is clearly wrong.

I doubt that you will get the grading changed but is is very important that you do write and record what the inspector said to you and how wrong you think that kind of comment is. That you were left with the impression that had this been anything other than your first inspection you would have been graded Outstanding and you would like them to explain to you why it makes a difference that it was only your first inspection.

You will probably get a fairly non committal reply saying it is your word against the inspectors.

However it is important to put it in writing because the complaint will have been made and will be on the companies record and they have to go to Ofsted for analysis. This means that even if the inspecting company glosses over it Ofsted do look at all of them and will see the kind of things we are complaining about and act on it. Without our written complaints they have nothing to act on.

I know this is how it happens because I had major issues with the way my last inspection was conducted and had to contact Ofsted as soon as the Inspectors left. I ended up being put through to a senior compliance offer who was horrified at what the Inspector had refused to do and dealt with the matter within half an hour but urged me to complain in full in writing so Ofsted could then take up the matters.

So I urge anyone out there who has any complaint about the way an inspection is conducted or the way the report is written ot comments that the inspector has made. Put it in writing, in the long run it should help all of us.

Do remember that you always have the right to challenge facts in your report and if any factual errors are made these should be changed without question.

Just out of interest one of the things I got changed was reference to Large motor skills, I had it changed to Gross Motor Skills, the term we use in the UK not the one used more commonly in the US. Maybe that is a bit picky but I want my report to reflect my business and to be written in the terms that are familiar in the UK not the US.

So get writing everyone, don't be afraid, Tribal and Prospects are companies doing a job thet Ofsted are paying them to do and if they are not doing it well Ofsted need to know or they can't begin to put it right.

[JCrakers]

I have learnt over 2 inspections that an Ofsted inspection is based on a lottery of luck. Who you get on the day will stay with you for 3-4yrs.

I received a good back in 2007 when I had just started out and EYFS had just come in. I was over the moon with the grade.

4yrs on and now I'm well established, well into the EYFS. The inspector said everything was fantastic,wonderful parent/child relationships, fantastic paperwork, best SEF she had seen, blah,blah.blah.

She gave me another good with no areas outstanding because wait for it........I had no SEN children and I wasn't a nursery :eek:
Her exact words were 'Nurseries are more likely to get Outstanding because of the large networks they build, childminders don't get outstanding'
I've got no improvements to make and because 'i dont go above and beyond' I didnt get the grading I had worked my :censored: ass off for the last 4yrs. I get angry when I think if I'd said I had a boy with suspected Autism, (which I have) then I might have got my grade :mad:

That day changed me as a person. No longer do I go the extra mile. I do what I can and as long as parents and children are happy then so am I. I took a step down from trying to be the best and now I have no drive to improve as there is no point. I just work and do whatever needs to be done for my good grade in 3yrs time.
I am very bitter about it but don't dwell. I was going to appeal but in the end I didn't. Too much hassle as the inspector denied everything she had said to me. Prospect said they would have a word with her about building up hopes.

Please be happy with your good because it is fantastic :D My experience wasn't the best but I've forgotton the best I can and move forward.

[Childminder in Kent]

Thanks everyone for your comments - I just wanted to update you all.
I received my report yesterday - A grading of good overall, the numbers were 2 for everything other than *The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles' which is a 3.
The report is very positive with no actions/suggestions for improvements. The only negative note is written at the end of a paragraph (all positive comments) about food, hygeine, Physical play etc and says " However, the range of activities which help children learn about healthy lifestyles is limited"

I spoke to tribal today about it and how if I was good because im good thats great but I didnt think it fair to have a good if it should have been outstanding.
They have suggested writing an email to explain what was said by the inspector and why I feel the grading is 'unfair'. They are going to contact the inspector to ask them to explain the grading and will pass it onto complaints.
We'll just have to see what happens!

[sarah707]

I'd be sending a list of all the ways I support healthy lifestyles as well and asking what more they suggest I plan...

xx

[Allie]

Lots of people get Outstanding at their first inspection it seems to depend on who you get :angry:

I don't know how many people get their grade changed but my friend did she went from satisfactory to good after appealing her grading:)

Allie

[Childminder in Kent]

Sarah,
I did exactly that! I also stated that had I been asked to show/explain anything then I would have - Inspector didn't ask me anything about healthy lifestyles!

Allie,
I doubt i will get it changed, im doing it more to make a point I suppose. Like I said the report is fantastic, it reads really well and is very positive. Im just cross about the first inspection thing.

I sent the email and somebody rang me, he said that the reason childminders are not graded 'outstanding' at first inspection is because they cannot show 'significant improvements in their setting since registration'. :rolleyes:

Anyway he has pssed my email onto another department who will go through the inspectors notes and make a decision as to whether they believe it to be a fair judgement.
I am waiting to be contacted again this week about it. Will keep you updated.
Pat