Hi had my inspection 2 weeks ago and for the first time haven't got the top grade I got good and was told would of got outstanding if I didn't have 2 further improvements she did say if I just had one may of got outstanding but not with 2

My improvements were I don't speak any Czech (only know 1 word) I do know some polish for polish child but struggled with Czech as she says children should be able to play using home language here he never speaks any Czech here.

Also this boy uses a dummy a lot (2 year old) I know it can delay language he speaks good English but wouldn't say hardly anything whilst she was here and kept getting his dummies (yes he brings several in ) I understand what she is saying others only have dummy here at sleep time but he seems to need his more and always has it at home

So because I cant speak his language and he has dummies I got good sorry about the moan

My report I received today does read good but I do just feel all the hard work I do and extras i get graded as others that don't do half what i do
It seems to me there's 2 exceptable grades good and outstanding. I know a lot of childminder's with good do a great job and others just tick all the boxes

Hope i haven't offended anyone just letting off a bit i know good is a good grade and i should be happy and i will be I'm sure.

Sorry about the rant

I'm sorry you didn't get the grade you deserved. I'm still waiting for registration but I have trouble pronouncing some English words what about another language! I'd give it a go but whether or not people would understand what I was on about would be another matter:)) fighting a losing battle with the dummies too how can a child form the words to speak with a plug in? If they don't have it they wail and if they do they mutter. My grandson was like that until he was nearly 3 and it affected his teeth in the end. Xx

No I can see where you are coming from with your moan - I guess it would be the same if I went down from Good to Satisfactory (requires improvement) especially if I felt that I was putting just as much effort or probably more with the constant changes than I had when I got my previous higher grade - especially annoying when it's for things beyond your control or for following a child's choices.

When I read other people's reports I sometimes think, how did they get that when I do all that and far more - a nursery near me hasn't got a proper outdoor space just a completely under covered area - how can they teach about knowledge and understanding of the world when they can't see grass or clouds or sky or mini beasts or experience the weather - I take my mindees out to the woods to lie in the bluebells and stamp in muddy puddles - but the nursery doesn't take them outside at all - but we are both "Good"!

Did you have the same inspector as last time - that may have made a difference as they all seem to have their own "likes and dislikes" and "hoops to jump through".

Don't be too disappointed with your grade - An "outstanding" kindergarten also near me was recently marked down to Satisfactory! They even took out an injunction to stop Ofsted publishing the report whilst they were complaining, but their grade was upheld and the report published.

Sorry you feel deflated about your grade. I think it's brilliant that with all the uncertainty and changes you have managed a good grade. They are clearly not "giving them away". Please celebrate all the wonderful good things you do, focus on the positives. Well done you!! X

Sorry to hear that. :(

Sadly, Ofsted seem to follow 'hard and fast rules'. This sort of thing will inevitably backfire. If there's to be an absolute ban on dummies (the childhood equivalent of smoking if you want pariah status :p) they're saying we can't make an individual decision on the needs of an individual child, balance the dummy use against the bigger picture and make an informed decision on how/when to stop the dummy use in the long run: so much for 'The Unique Child'.

As for expecting every CM to speak the home language of every child in their care, the inevitable result will be CMs quietly turning away enquiries from families who don't use English as a first language. Sorry, but they can't realistically expect us to be multilingual on less than the minimum wage, or take time out to learn fluency in goD knows how many tongues. It's the Law of Unintended Consequences coming into play, and Ofsted will have brought it about. :(

Hope you feel better soon. :group hug:

Sorry to hear that. :(

Sadly, Ofsted seem to follow 'hard and fast rules'. This sort of thing will inevitably backfire. If there's to be an absolute ban on dummies (the childhood equivalent of smoking if you want pariah status :p) they're saying we can't make an individual decision on the needs of an individual child, balance the dummy use against the bigger picture and make an informed decision on how/when to stop the dummy use in the long run: so much for 'The Unique Child'.

As for expecting every CM to speak the home language of every child in their care, the inevitable result will be CMs quietly turning away enquiries from families who don't use English as a first language. Sorry, but they can't realistically expect us to be multilingual on less than the minimum wage, or take time out to learn fluency in goD knows how many tongues. It's the Law of Unintended Consequences coming into play, and Ofsted will have brought it about. :(

Hope you feel better soon. :group hug:

I was thinking the same that soon it will come to childminders refusing to accept children whose family speak another language in case it affects our Ofsted grade - it's a pity that Ofsted can't just accept that the parents made a decision to sent their child to a childminder who speaks English because that's what they want their child to learn. Maybe we should all learn a few words of gibberish and pretend we are speaking to that child in their "own" language and blame our accent on the fact that the child didn't respond! I doubt many inspectors can speak Czech or Polish either.

I understand your disappointment but like others have said I think you deserve a pat on the back for being graded good. I had an inspection a month and a half ago still haven't received my report. The inspection was brought forward due to a complaint ( safeguarding nature ) which I notified Ofsted and LADO and followed my procedures within the time frame ( even though the parent never raised the complaint with Ofsted) I was sick with worry as all the research that I had done suggested that I would be downgraded from my good status. Although I can't yet tell you my grade I'm over the moon

The whole point about coming to the UK is to do with learning English. Isn't it? Where did everyone lose the plot? When I was a child living in Switzerland, I had to speak French. No one made allowances for me being 'foreign' and it didn't harm me. I spoke English at home and French outside the home.

Maybe we should just all learn baby babble apparently this is the same in all languages x

Thanks for your supportive replies I suppose if that all they can find wrong then I shouldn't worry the parents don't expect me to learn their language they want their children to learn English at mine which they are very well

My daughter says its putting people of taking on children with English as second language, the 2 I have are lovely children and the families are lovely always full of praise I would never regret having them.

Oh well better get myself to Hungarian, Slovak and Irish Classes quick then!! I could prob brush up on my English as well!!

How ridiculous. I would have asked the Inspector how many languages she spoke because judging you on that basis then all inspectors should be fluent in many languages so they can inspect effectively?

The area I used to live in: Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali, Swahili, Mandarin, Japanese, German, French +++ I also had a family who spoke (and still do, I saw them a month ago and have known them for 17 years) Dutch, Danish and English as their main languages they also spoke fairly fluent Italian and French.

Even where I live now I have had French, Spanish, German, Hindi, Slovak, Irish, Gaelic, Polish and at the moment the Hungarian/Slovakian Families.

I don't speak any of the languages fluently some a very little but without exception the parents want me to use English with the children only so they learn it well ready for school. I guess I aught to think about getting a letter from such parents confirming this is what they want me to do.

I look after a Russian child had him since he was 6 mths, consulted speech and language therapist as to using his home language and was advised to only speak English to him in my home, mum spoke Russian to him at his home, so as not to confuse him. He's now 13 and fluent in both English, Russian, French and German as he finds all languages fascinating and easy to learn.

I used to look after a Hungarian boy, 2 1/2yrs old. Parent's spoke mostly Hungarian in the house, and despite him being born in the UK, he only knew Hungarian. They put him with me so he could learn English, and boy did he learn fast! I only knew one word in Hungarian and that was wee wee!
He was like a sponge. At first we were doing lots of pointing, hand gestures, making funny faces, but he picked the language up so quickly. I found it amazing!

I find it wrong that Ofsted have picked you up on this, but well done on getting a good grade x

Im s rewed then. I look after a lo whos parents are greek. They have told me they do not want me to even try to learn their language as they are relying on me to help him with English. They use both languages at home btw x

Isn't it interesting. All the parents I have had have asked for English only to be spoken here and the children are the same sponges who have no problem learning 2 or three languages. The Dutch/Danish Couple I had were and are still great friends. We used to have each others children when we worked weekends etc. The two girls grew up speaking Dutch Danish and English. Their mum is a Linguist and Translator and speaks fluent Italian because she was born and grew up in Italy she speaks many other languages. The girls speak fluent Italian, French, German. When the older one had been in High School a year the moved and the girls were put in an International School where they spoke their three basic languages and had lessons in them but also had lessons in French and German. Frankly they put us to shame.

I think I am going to do a letter to my current parents asking them to confirm in writing that they only want English spoken while their son is with me.

Maybe we could get round this Ofsted created problem by looking in our local libraries for dual language books - we currently have one written in German & English (not that I have German speaking children - we just liked the look of the cover!), that way you could point out that the languages look different - maybe people could persuade parents to occasionally spend a few minutes reading a story in a different language so the other children could hear how another language sounds. (our library has books in English and German/Polish/French/Chinese/Spanish)

Also perhaps the parents could bring a CD of songs sung in their own language - whether it be nursery rhymes, pop music or folk songs. We once borrowed from our library a book called (I think) "Lulu loves books" it also came with a CD of the story in English, Welsh plus about another 5 languages - we learnt that there doesn't seem to be a translation for cappuccino in Welsh - they said coffee!

I have a number of duel language books and music. I buy the books when I go abroad. I have Elmer in French, The Hungry Caterpillar in German and a book about Dinosaurs in Swedish. It is cheaper to buy them in the various Countries than to buy them here.

Maybe we could get round this Ofsted created problem by looking in our local libraries for dual language books - we currently have one written in German & English (not that I have German speaking children - we just liked the look of the cover!), that way you could point out that the languages look different - maybe people could persuade parents to occasionally spend a few minutes reading a story in a different language so the other children could hear how another language sounds. (our library has books in English and German/Polish/French/Chinese/Spanish)

Also perhaps the parents could bring a CD of songs sung in their own language - whether it be nursery rhymes, pop music or folk songs. We once borrowed from our library a book called (I think) "Lulu loves books" it also came with a CD of the story in English, Welsh plus about another 5 languages - we learnt that there doesn't seem to be a translation for cappuccino in Welsh - they said coffee!

I brought books in dual language for both children also several other languages also a lovely nursery rhyme cd in polish cant find any in Czech have asked mum to bring in one never has I even got hold of bookstart and they sent me a couple of books on loan and a pack for each child to keep.
I have labels in dual languages Ofsted said what the point of that the child are too young to read!!!

Again thanks for all your replies when I get time I will let you know how the whole inspection went

Again thanks for all your replies when I get time I will let you know how the whole inspection went

I have my inspection under the new standards on 17th June. Only lasts about 1.5 - 2 hours and only have one lo that day and they land at 10am.... lo's bed time :) :):)

I got told by the inspector that came out to me last year that their getting tougher and not giving out so many Outstandings due to the fact that they really have to explain why! I didnt get an outstanding purely cos an lo asked to go outside and as it was hammering down, i said no. The inspector even said she understood why i said no and would of done the same!!!
Most parents dont read our inspection reports anyway so dont let it get to u :)
As long as the children are happy!!

I feel the inconsistencies to do with inspections are so erratic at the moment that all gradings are not worth the paper they're written on anymore, including my own!

I know a childminder who has children from 6 different countries over the course of a week and she doesn't speak any of their languages. Wonder if ofsted would expect her to learn them all. Any children I have had from families with English as their 2nd language have always said they want the child to use english when they are with me so they learn it

Maybe the answer is to get parents to sign a letter detailing their wishes for English only to be spoken and then this will prove we are working together with them in supporting their child x and prove pre planning x

I feel the inconsistencies to do with inspections are so erratic at the moment that all gradings are not worth the paper they're written on anymore, including my own!

I feel the same about mine and inspections in general. Anything to do with Ofsted and 'standards' seems to be on an ever-swinging pendulum: whether it's inspection gradings, school exams, whatever.....

Every once in a while someone decides there are "too many" goods/outstandings, exam passes, etc. and they need to "raise the bar" so they make everything harder. Then they look at the stats and see "evidence of decline" cos there are fewer goods/outstandings, exam passes, etc. than before, so they make things easier so the on-paper league tables shows evidence of improvement under their rule. Meanwhile the actual standards/quality remain static (assuming that "standards" are measurable and quantifiable anyway - it's hardly scientific is it?) and all that's really improved in the last 30 years is the quality of graffiti. :p

On the language issue, I'm tempted to learn Klingon, inform them of my newly-discovered alien ethnicity, and then insist Ofsted conduct my next inspection wholly in my new "home language". :D

Maybe this particular inspector should have been pointed to EYFS 2012 p6 (1.8) where, in black and white and very clear English, it explains what we do with bilingual children?

On the language issue, I'm tempted to learn Klingon, inform them of my newly-discovered alien ethnicity, and then insist Ofsted conduct my next inspection wholly in my new "home language". :D


Hahahahahahahahaha now there's a thought!

Very funny idea

Hi had my inspection 2 weeks ago and for the first time haven't got the top grade I got good and was told would of got outstanding if I didn't have 2 further improvements she did say if I just had one may of got outstanding but not with 2

My improvements were I don't speak any Czech (only know 1 word) I do know some polish for polish child but struggled with Czech as she says children should be able to play using home language here he never speaks any Czech here.

Also this boy uses a dummy a lot (2 year old) I know it can delay language he speaks good English but wouldn't say hardly anything whilst she was here and kept getting his dummies (yes he brings several in ) I understand what she is saying others only have dummy here at sleep time but he seems to need his more and always has it at home

So because I cant speak his language and he has dummies I got good sorry about the moan

My report I received today does read good but I do just feel all the hard work I do and extras i get graded as others that don't do half what i do
It seems to me there's 2 exceptable grades good and outstanding. I know a lot of childminder's with good do a great job and others just tick all the boxes

Hope i haven't offended anyone just letting off a bit i know good is a good grade and i should be happy and i will be I'm sure.

Sorry about the rant

I have a child who is Czech - I printed off hello and good bye, please and thank you in sign language, put the english and czech equivlanet on the sheet and used it. I said "please" in czech she would reply "thank you" in english. Why was I bothering? When the inspector came out I had 4 x 3 year olds and they couldn't believe that my czech child had the best language out of all of them. We cannot win but we can show willing.

I have a child who is Czech - I printed off hello and good bye, please and thank you in sign language, put the english and czech equivlanet on the sheet and used it. I said "please" in czech she would reply "thank you" in english. Why was I bothering? When the inspector came out I had 4 x 3 year olds and they couldn't believe that my czech child had the best language out of all of them. We cannot win but we can show willing.

Except you were not bothering...you were doing exactly what is required and what happens all over the world...we help those who need to learn their language by using theirs at first


Sorry to feel a bit worried about this thread but is this to do with everyone has to speak English?
I totally agree these children have to be fluent in English as they will attend English schools and we do not want them to be disadvantaged...but feel there is a reluctance to communicate with others in their native tongue?

I am bilingual ...therefore English is my additional language but never feel it is a problem communicating with others in their language and would do my utmost for children...regardless of what Ofsted may think or judge.

Except you were not bothering...you were doing exactly what is required and what happens all over the world...we help those who need to learn their language by using theirs at first


Sorry to feel a bit worried about this thread but is this to do with everyone has to speak English?
I totally agree these children have to be fluent in English as they will attend English schools and we do not want them to be disadvantaged...but feel there is a reluctance to communicate with others in their native tongue?

I am bilingual ...therefore English is my additional language but never feel it is a problem communicating with others in their language and would do my utmost for children...regardless of what Ofsted may think or judge.

Watched a film from lovefilms this week "Love is all you need" - had to practise my English reading as half of it was sub titled it was either that or brush up on my Danish - did manage to pick out the 3 Danish words I already knew "Mother, Father and Thank you" - so Danish kids form an orderly queue here please!

Except you were not bothering...you were doing exactly what is required and what happens all over the world...we help those who need to learn their language by using theirs at first


Sorry to feel a bit worried about this thread but is this to do with everyone has to speak English?
I totally agree these children have to be fluent in English as they will attend English schools and we do not want them to be disadvantaged...but feel there is a reluctance to communicate with others in their native tongue?

I am bilingual ...therefore English is my additional language but never feel it is a problem communicating with others in their language and would do my utmost for children...regardless of what Ofsted may think or judge.

I can see where you're coming from and agree we're not a particularly good nation at learning languages. The traditional British approach to foreign languages is to shout more loudly in English at the waiter on holiday, or simply invade a country and impose English upon its populace. :p

I don't think anyone is resisting reasonable expectations of using another language. I use the word "reasonable" as it's a key word in the regulation you mentioned (EYFS 1.8). I just don't think inspectors are consistently looking for CMs to "...take reasonable steps..." In the OP's case, they appear to be demanding quite a high degree of fluency. At the other end of the scale, many inspectors will happily accept the 'token gesture' of a "Welcome" sign in 2 dozen languages, none of which mean anything to the children there (even if they could crawl out of the cot to read it.) :p

When I worked at the airport, I learned a few phrases in various languages: enough to be welcoming/polite, and give basic directions and ticket prices. All nice and easy. But language skills for play with children would be far more demanding. Play is far too important to muddle along with "toot toot, here comes Thomas". So we're looking at a heavy investment of time and money to learn the necessary language skills. We'd be expected to do this at a moment's notice, cos Ofsted only inspect 'in the here and now' - they rarely accept the argument that "I'm doing something about this, so it'll be sorted out soon." So if you take on your Czech child and they inspect in the 1st week that child is with you, they want you to speak Czech, not to say you're booked in to start evening classes next week. :mad:

Add to that the sheer number of languages we could very easily be expected to speak. And, without wishing to be prejudiced, multicultural/multilingual districts are frequently economically deprived. So if the CM learns a dozen languages, then her/his fees go up to reflect the cost of this, can parents still afford them? (We're back to "reasonable" again - pity Ofsted can't be it, eh? :( )

Once upon a time, I lived in one of the more 'deprived' London boroughs - and there was quite a cross-section of people there. I'm willing to bet there were at least 8 different languages spoken in the little cul-de-sac in which we lived. Would £3.50ph make it worth any local minder's investment? :huh:

Once upon a slightly earlier time, I lodged (all I could afford whilst studying) in a truly affluent borough. I did babysitting and/or gardening for families who spoke: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Finnish, Italian and Irish/Gaelic. Had I been a CM, no way could I have had the time or money to learn all those languages. Had I been able to speak all those languages, I'd certainly never have gone in for CMing - far more money to be made with language skills in other lines of work. Once again, Ofsted, Truss, Gove etc. are demanding a highly-skilled childcare workforce in a sector that could never hope to pay for those skills. :angry:

I can see where you're coming from and agree we're not a particularly good nation at learning languages. The traditional British approach to foreign languages is to shout more loudly in English at the waiter on holiday, or simply invade a country and impose English upon its populace. :p

I don't think anyone is resisting reasonable expectations of using another language. I use the word "reasonable" as it's a key word in the regulation you mentioned (EYFS 1.8). I just don't think inspectors are consistently looking for CMs to "...take reasonable steps..." In the OP's case, they appear to be demanding quite a high degree of fluency. At the other end of the scale, many inspectors will happily accept the 'token gesture' of a "Welcome" sign in 2 dozen languages, none of which mean anything to the children there (even if they could crawl out of the cot to read it.) :p

When I worked at the airport, I learned a few phrases in various languages: enough to be welcoming/polite, and give basic directions and ticket prices. All nice and easy. But language skills for play with children would be far more demanding. Play is far too important to muddle along with "toot toot, here comes Thomas". So we're looking at a heavy investment of time and money to learn the necessary language skills. We'd be expected to do this at a moment's notice, cos Ofsted only inspect 'in the here and now' - they rarely accept the argument that "I'm doing something about this, so it'll be sorted out soon." So if you take on your Czech child and they inspect in the 1st week that child is with you, they want you to speak Czech, not to say you're booked in to start evening classes next week. :mad:

Add to that the sheer number of languages we could very easily be expected to speak. And, without wishing to be prejudiced, multicultural/multilingual districts are frequently economically deprived. So if the CM learns a dozen languages, then her/his fees go up to reflect the cost of this, can parents still afford them? (We're back to "reasonable" again - pity Ofsted can't be it, eh? :( )

Once upon a time, I lived in one of the more 'deprived' London boroughs - and there was quite a cross-section of people there. I'm willing to bet there were at least 8 different languages spoken in the little cul-de-sac in which we lived. Would £3.50ph make it worth any local minder's investment? :huh:

Once upon a slightly earlier time, I lodged (all I could afford whilst studying) in a truly affluent borough. I did babysitting and/or gardening for families who spoke: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Finnish, Italian and Irish/Gaelic. Had I been a CM, no way could I have had the time or money to learn all those languages. Had I been able to speak all those languages, I'd certainly never have gone in for CMing - far more money to be made with language skills in other lines of work. Once again, Ofsted, Truss, Gove etc. are demanding a highly-skilled childcare workforce in a sector that could never hope to pay for those skills. :angry:

I think you have interpreted what I meant well...under no circumstances I am saying we should be fluent in all languages
Just the key words to be able to communicate with the children initially and form a relationship with them and making them feel included
On inspection day inspectors are supposed to interact with the children as well...how many will be fluent in so many languages?

At the PLA conference yesterday I attended a workshop 'Aiming for Outstanding'...I chose it because the trainer is an ex Ofsted Officer who was in charge of EY...those who know her have always liked her open approach and professional dealings with us

At the end of the workshop she said 2 things that are very important and we should remember
1. Know your EYFS so we can discuss with inspectors
2. Challenge the inspector

Truss et al are demanding a skilled workforce but when it comes to CMs they have refused to allow us to have a minimum of Level 3...sore point I know.

I looked after a Polish child who was learning to talk, and was concerned that she was not learning to speak in English. I went on a course entitled English as an Additional Language to see if this would help.

It stated that in the setting you should only speak to the child in your language. (far too many people attempt to speak in the child's language and can not pronounce the words correctly which can lead to confusion for the child.) When the child has built up sufficient vocabulary in their own language at home, they will then be receptive to learning English words.

I also looked after a lo who's mother tongue was telegu. He learnt English whilst at my setting, and spoke Telegu whilst at home. I quite often had to correct his parents' pronunciation of English words (sort of proves the point really!)

By all means, don't stop the child from speaking during their play in their own language, but when talking to them always use your own language.