what would you do if your inspector said you did not have enough evidance of working with parents and other settings? I do a news letter every 3months, a daily diary that goes between myself pre-school and back home with parents which they all write in. i talk to parents and drop off and collection time and have a very good relationships with all of the parents and they all know that they can call me anytime to talk about their child?
anything else i could be doing?

Thats a difficult one. Did you ask her for some examples of what else you could do?

Sounds like you do loads already! The only other thing I can think of that I have a form that parents fill in every few months about the things their child is interested in at home so I can build into planning. It's prob info that your parents tell you already but gives a bit more evidence for you maybe?

yeas i did and her answer was " i'm not here to give you examples or tell you how to do it"

yeas i did and her answer was " i'm not here to give you examples or tell you how to do it"

Doesn't sound like a very nice or helpfull inspector! :(

she also said that i did not have enough paper work for the new EYFS ( i was inspected at the end of oct so it had only been out 2 months!!) i do learning jounals and a develpment matters folder for each child which i went back through with the parents at the start of sept and mark off what stage their children are at, i also have a front sheet which i write down each childs next steps, she then said that she could not see the next steps clearly!!! again i ask her what i should do insted and yet i agin she said "she could not tell me what to do"

thanks i meant to say that i do the all about me forms whan they start and then at the start of each term.

Grrrr it is so annoying when they act like that. It seems sometimes they are just looking for something to put as an action without any reall justification

Sounds like an unpleasant experience! Looks like you do a lot already.

Could you do a "satisfaction questionnaire" every few months to check if parents are happy with your service, if they have any suggestions etc?

Plan activities where children/parents need to bring things in from home? eg photographs of holiday/family/something and do an activity around "My family" for example?

I wonder if the inspector was referring to the new requirement in the revised EYFS 2012 - requirement 3.72 -

'Providers must make the following information available to parents and/or carers: how parents and carers can share learning at home'

This is coming up a lot in inspection reports. Childminders are doing all the usual sharing information like you have listed in your post but they are not taking it this one step further and supporting home learning.

I fully understand why it's not happening - parents do not want us telling them how to bring up their child and childminders are nervous about presuming to do this...

However, we do need to find a way to share learning at home which keeps everyone happy - us, parents and of course Ofsted.

I use a variety of ways - I send recipes and activity ideas home, I have little information sheets about schemas, I display photos of what we have been doing each week so parents can get ideas for home activities...

Hth :D

I wonder if the inspector was referring to the new requirement in the revised EYFS 2012 - requirement 3.72 -

'Providers must make the following information available to parents and/or carers: how parents and carers can share learning at home'

This is coming up a lot in inspection reports. Childminders are doing all the usual sharing information like you have listed in your post but they are not taking it this one step further and supporting home learning.

I fully understand why it's not happening - parents do not want us telling them how to bring up their child and childminders are nervous about presuming to do this...

However, we do need to find a way to share learning at home which keeps everyone happy - us, parents and of course Ofsted.

I use a variety of ways - I send recipes and activity ideas home, I have little information sheets about schemas, I display photos of what we have been doing each week so parents can get ideas for home activities...

Hth :D

I do something similar. Went down well for a month or 2, but now the shets/suggestions get ignored. I just keep plugging away so I can demonstrate to Ofsted that I'm at least trying. AT least one mum has told me she resents what she describes as, "homework for toddlers". :(

Would allowing children to take home my story sacks count?

I wonder if the inspector was referring to the new requirement in the revised EYFS 2012 - requirement 3.72 -

'Providers must make the following information available to parents and/or carers: how parents and carers can share learning at home'

This is coming up a lot in inspection reports. Childminders are doing all the usual sharing information like you have listed in your post but they are not taking it this one step further and supporting home learning.

I fully understand why it's not happening - parents do not want us telling them how to bring up their child and childminders are nervous about presuming to do this...

However, we do need to find a way to share learning at home which keeps everyone happy - us, parents and of course Ofsted.

I use a variety of ways - I send recipes and activity ideas home, I have little information sheets about schemas, I display photos of what we have been doing each week so parents can get ideas for home activities...

Hth :D

My worry Sarah is how do you show the sharing going the other way. I do all the things you do sent from me to the parents but it needs to be a two way flow.
What do you get parents to do to share learning with you to show Ofsted :panic:

Don't you just feel they are making things more and more difficult on purpose? I don't see any nurseries having loads of evidence of sharing learning tips from nursery to home and gathering Learning information from home, my local pre school got a good and is absolutely atrocious at sharing information, they were really surprised when I mentioned mindee had a younger sister and she is in the pram every time mum drops off and collects!

I've decided there is nothing more I can do to influence them and have given up trying, there is an agenda going on with minders,we will find out one day. Personally I think they want rid of us and make it more and more difficult until we take the hint.

Sorry rant over.

My local nusery also got good, and apart from a newsletter, thats it! I had to request a contact book which was pointless as they put so little into it. I've been in to see the lj once in 12 months. We never even get artwork sent home...

I make verbal suggestions based on what the child has enjoyed here. I never get any indication that they've even been heard until sometime later when my idea is presented back to me as their idea! Makes me and hubby laugh anyway!
I dropped hints in the toys I gave for Christmas presents as things they could do with their LOs- do you think that counts?!

It's an area I feel quite weak on. I do make sure I note any "Wow" moments from home - "little johnny used his spoon this weekend" type stuff, and then add a comment back in the diary to confirm I've seen it during the day too.

In every other inspection I've been involved (in my pre-childminding life) with I've had feedback - either during or after - how come some Ofsted inspectors see themselves as examiners?

I just think its really unfair to be marked down for someone elses failing. How can that be right?

Would allowing children to take home my story sacks count?

Yes absolutely! Make sure you mention it in your self evaluation / SEF :clapping:

My worry Sarah is how do you show the sharing going the other way. I do all the things you do sent from me to the parents but it needs to be a two way flow.
What do you get parents to do to share learning with you to show Ofsted :panic:


At the moment I include what comments I do manage to claw out of them in the children's LJs and where possible plan from their home activities.

I am going to do what my friend does... put parent comments on speech bubble post it notes... I think this will help stop them getting lost.

I will then ask specific questions and write the replies. It's sooooo hard especially when they won't engage, won't listen to what I am saying, are clearly not interested, throw amazing artwork creations in the bin :(

I just think its really unfair to be marked down for someone elses failing. How can that be right?

The worse one is childminders being marked down because other settings refuse to work with them. That one makes me really cross :(

When I was being nosy and reading local nursery inspection reports - I once saw that a Nursery got "Good" but as a recommendation got "needs to communicate with other settings", thats what I had last inspection but had never seen a Nursery picked up on it before. Clearly neither of us took any notice as I shared a mindee with that nursery and I didn't contact them and they didn't me! That mindee has moved onto school now, but as I am due another inspection I am trying to contact the nurseries that other mindees attend, but it is all very one sided.

As for communicating with parents - in Sept I gave them all little postcards addressed to me with "Wow look what I can do now on" - have only received one back since September, so clearly they either don't do anything new at home or parents don't know how to observe.

The worse one is childminders being marked down because other settings refuse to work with them. That one makes me really cross :(

That really make my blood boil. If an inspector said that to me I dont know if I could control myself. I have also heard of a cm asking the inspector how they could make the other settings or parents respond only to be told well thats up to you to sort out. Grrrr

This is down to the 'target culture' that infests the UK today, probably cos everything (including the government) is run by people who think everything has to be managed and measured. Ofsted inspectors seem to work from 'tick lists' - exactly like we're told not to do with Development Matters. :mad:

I've recently seen/heard the following as excuses why CMs' grades have been held down:-

Failure to label every box. The "language-rich environment" clause. But the CM has lots of posters, etc. reads with the lo's every day, attends the libarary where he actually runs the weekly storytime sessions.
Child using a trainer cup. Child was just turned 3yo, only uses a trainer cup at home. CM has him for 2-3 hours twice a week, and all efforts to bring him on are undermined by lazy parenting at home.
No photos of the children. Er, that's cos parents refused consent. So it's Catch 22 in that case: get downgraded for having no photos or for opposing parents' views - take your pick.
Garden too small. House backs onto a public recreation space which is used daily.
No flowers in the garden. In January FFS !!!!



Then there's the old chestnut from inspectors who only give certain grades at first inspection. :mad: A friend of mine was told this one last year - i.e. "you can't have enough experience for an outstanding grade by the time of your 1st inspection." She pointed out that she had 15+ years experience previously and had just re-registered. Inspector came back with, "well, you can't demonstrate knowledge of the new EYFS cos it's only been running a few weeks." :angry:

None of these allowed any room for explanation, context or (Heaven forbid) the inspector actually listening to the CM. :angry:

Yes absolutely! Make sure you mention it in your self evaluation / SEF :clapping:

Problem being that they dont read your SEF ( Well the didnt bother to read mine at all!)