Ofsted inspection feedback

[sarah707]

This letter has been given to Ofsted by PLA to share our concerns about the current inspection regime.

It has been written by childminders - for childminders - no copyright - please share freely :D

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/blogs/sarah707/74-ofsted-inspection-feedback.html

[Daisy1956]

I will read tomorrow, thanks Sarah.

[loocyloo]

wow!

fantastic. thank you sarah for compiling the letter.

I hope that someone reads and gives us some answers

xxx

[Mrs Scrubbit]

Brilliant, thanks again Sahra ,fingers crossed that it is read,absorbed and acted upon xx

[Simona]

Sarah...just one question if I may....I assume this evidence was collected on FB?
is there anywhere in this forum where cms can express their concerns or report about their inspection experiences for those cms who do not want to join FB?

We had a big discussion on Twitter last night under the #EYTalking...huge worries were reported by nurseries and preschools but there were few cms there

The evidence is very worrying indeed but personally I feel it needs to be backed by action and by that is the involvement of cms in the campaign joining with the rest of the sector.

Pre school and nurseries started making waves and I asked for the campaign to be opened to cms as well because bad inspections are happening to cms and we too are being downgraded not just the rest of the sector...the implications for us are far greater if you look at what we stand to lose and what is happening under our very nose but very much shrouded in secrecy.

To date we have no representing associations voicing concerns over inspections apart from PLA
cms raised concerns as far back as June at the conference...remember my question to Sue Gregory and the Ofsted workshop I fed back from??

I am slightly concerned at the lack of support for #OfstedBigConversation...in fact I am very worried

please do not expect one or 2 or 3 cms to speak on behalf of 54,000...or rely on those who take the trouble to write on our behalf....or attend meetings and conferences at huge personal expense...we need our presence felt in huge numbers!
The number of registered cms has dropped again and remember Truss will use this in her policy

This campaign like the many we have fought in the past needs the strength of thousands of cms not just the few...we have to really shout together not let one or 2 individuals do the shouting for us

Look what happened at the letters we wrote to the DfE...hundreds of them...all they said they received was 22 I think!!

The evidence provided by Sarah needs to be backed with our presence...please do not put down your tools, we are not even half way through our battles.

[Sweetpea]

Thank you sarah for compiling this

[rickysmiths]

I agree with Simona we have to stand up in our hundreds and thousands. How many are going to the Ofsted meetings? They will put on more or move to bigger venues if enough want to go. The one in London is at 3pm on a Friday which is hard for cm but maybe we have got to start standing up and putting our foot down with parents and get to these things. Nothing is going to be convenient either the time or day.

This is our lively hoods at stake and if we don't stand our ground now one will do it for us. Do your parents realise how easy it could be at the moment for one of us to be downgraded or even shut down and it could depend on an individual inspectors take on the situation not a fair judgement that would have been mad by any inspector. This means your parents could be without childcare on the whim of an inspector.

I have paid Training/Personal Development days built into my Contracts, 4 a year. I consider attending these Ofsted meetings a very important part of my Professional Development. If I did not have these days to use on this occasion I would not have hesitated in taking time off unpaid or I would have used one of my remaining days holiday.

[Mouse]

I have to be honest, I don't really understand what #OfstedBigConversation is.

I have seen mention of it on FB, but don't do Twitter. I did look to see where the meetings were, but there were none anywhere near me, so I didn't really look any deeper into it.

[Simona]

I have to be honest, I don't really understand what #OfstedBigConversation is.

I have seen mention of it on FB, but don't do Twitter. I did look to see where the meetings were, but there were none anywhere near me, so I didn't really look any deeper into it.

I have posted several times all about #OfstedBigConversation, have posted the website with all the 7 meetings, they are well scattered around England
I am not on FB but am on Twitter and have regularly updated cms here to keep all in the loop
I have joined Linkedin because the discussion started there and the response huge

All childcare periodicals will be covering this campaign

Many cms will be unable to attend but some will make the effort to be there
I have said if cms have concerns they can be taken there if those who go are aware of what they are they can speak up for cms.

What is the campaign about?
the campaign is about the huge concerns about Ofsted new regime of inspections and downgrading that the sector has raised
the invitation to Ofsted to engage positively with us and attend the meetings
grades awarded by inspectors that are downgraded by Ofsted Quality Assurance team...are you happy with this?
unannounced inspections triggered by complaints
the implication of being downgraded from good/o's to requires improvement for the sector and cms alike

Look at the 10 starter questions that June O'Sullivan has posted...do you have any more to add?...what are cms concerns on top of those?

There has been little endorsement on this forum about #OfstedBigConversation...it does not mean it is to be overlooked

I will go to the meeting in London
I will attend another meeting tomorrow to discuss this...I will be the only cm there waving the flag for us to be heard and included.

Apologies if I have not written and fedback enough for all cms to be clear...I tend to do battle rather than write lengthy blogs

Sarah has done a very comprehensive report on cms concerns over inspections which were gathered on FB...although I am not there I am aware of what the issues are and have acted on them

I cannot think of anything else I can do...I am trying my best.

[kellyskidz!]

So when tweeting any opinions or answering these ten starter questions do we use the hash tag #OfstedBigConversation
It hasn't been made clear from what I've seen, admittedly I haven't searched for it, I just keep seeing #ofstedbigconversation
This is something I'd be interested in as a twitter obsessive too :) xxx

[Simona]

So when tweeting any opinions or answering these ten starter questions do we use the hash tag #OfstedBigConversation
It hasn't been made clear from what I've seen, admittedly I haven't searched for it, I just keep seeing #ofstedbigconversation
This is something I'd be interested in as a twitter obsessive too :) xxx

Hi Kellyskidz

The 10 questions are those suggested to be discussed at the meeting and people can ask more if they want to
On twitter there are various people you can follow and you will see we use the #OfstedBigConversation
Those on twitter do spread the word and communicate any news

Worth following June O'Sullivan as the instigator of this campaign...also subscribe to her blog
#OfstedBigConversation: On your marks, get set (http://www.leyf.org.uk/blog/ofsted-big-conversation-on-your-marks-get-set/)
and the #ofstedbigconversation website which reports on all events...link posted below

There is also #EYTalking you can follow on Tuesday night from 8-9am on twitter...the whole sector gets to discuss all sorts and it counts as you CPD because we share info

LinkedIn has a dedicated Nursery World group discussion where all this started...NW picks up news and then does articles

You can follow Sarah and me too (I am @signoramac)...any news I pick up on twitter I post here

Hope this helps

[sarah707]

Sarah...just one question if I may....I assume this evidence was collected on FB?
is there anywhere in this forum where cms can express their concerns or report about their inspection experiences for those cms who do not want to join FB?

I put on a thread on 29th August - it's had 500 views and 19 replies - I did get some evidence for the letter from it.

I put a similar post on FB and got over 100 replies over a couple of days so yes, most of the info did come from childminders on there :D

[Simona]

I put on a thread on 29th August - it's had 500 views and 19 replies - I did get some evidence for the letter from it.

I put a similar post on FB and got over 100 replies over a couple of days so yes, most of the info did come from childminders on there :D

Thanks Sarah...can you tell me the title of the post and I will look through it

[sarah707]

Thanks Sarah...can you tell me the title of the post and I will look through it

This one :D

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/independent-childminding-chat/123377-taking-childminder-concerns-ofsted.html

[Simona]

This one :D

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/independent-childminding-chat/123377-taking-childminder-concerns-ofsted.html

Not that one Sarah...I read that and we mostly commented on the examples in your letter.

I meant a post in this forum where cms listed/reported their inspection experiences to be included in your letter...sorry for asking I just wanted to see them

[sarah707]

Not that one Sarah...I read that and we mostly commented on the examples in your letter.

I meant a post in this forum where cms listed/reported their inspection experiences to be included in your letter...sorry for asking I just wanted to see them

Can't remember sorry! I used it to write the initial letter so it will have dropped down the list now :D

[Simona]

Can't remember sorry! I used it to write the initial letter so it will have dropped down the list now :D

Ah never mind...there is no such post unless it has been moved ....

I can only communicate with Ofsted for clarification or other interested parties, when I can see what cms are saying or reporting and not by saying 'I heard cms are saying this on Facebook'' simply because I am not on FB...
reading their concerns would have helped but no problem if we don't have any recorded on this forum

I will have to approach this in a different way...