Hi I had my second inspection on Thursday and I'm still feeling down because I only got satisfactory. I have worked my **** off over the past couple of weeks getting my paperwork up to stratch. But she said I wasn't doing enough on eyfs! I'm doing learning journals, scrap books, daily diaries, development plans, don't think I could do more! I've linked it all in too. But she said I need to be doing observations all the time, grrrrrrrrr!!


She even spoke to one of my parents who sang my praises! I don't think I cud have done anymore, all policies were correct, sef done, all other forms in order, house clean and safe.

I am so upset and annoyed as I know others who have done little or no eyfs and got goods and outstandings.

One of my patents did say that the inspector seemed like a miserable cow though.

Just gutted and can't get it out of my head

I am so sorry you had a negative inspection experience :(

You need to try and turn it round in your head - satisfactory means you are meeting the standards of the Eyfs :clapping:

Lots of forum members are excellent childminders and have satisfactory gradings.

Have another think when you get your report back about what you can do next to make changes and you know where we all are if you need support.

Hugs xx

I'd say well done.

Like Sarah says you ARE meeting the standards :D

:cheerleader: CONGRATULATIONS :cheerleader:

Satisfactory is great, you are meeting the requirements and yes I do sometimes think that they only pay attention to the paperwork, not to the fact that the children are happy and well looked after

Congratulations. I agree with Sarah - you need to turn it round and think that:
a) you are meeting requirements
b) your parents (clients) have sang your praises and THAT is what counts.

I empathise with you - I was disappointed in my inspection result too BUT I know in my heart that what I do makes a huge difference to the children I care for, I know that regardless of Ofsted judgements that the parents think I am terrific and I know that I am a damned good minder and THAT is what matters. I know what I do comes from the heart and a genuine belief and passion in providing an excellent service.

It took me a couple of weeks to get over the sting (and I had a double whammy - a minder I wouldn't leave my plastic budgie with - managed to fake her inspection so well she got the same grading at me..... I KNOW what she done to fake hers) but I am over it and the children I care for do not give a stuff about what the inspector says they just care about being loved, comfortable and having somewhere to play that is safe, interesting and fun. (oh and without them realising i chuck in a bit of learning! lol)

Well done on your grade:thumbsup: but I understand how disappointed you must feel:( . Try not to let it knock your confidence too much as it sounds like you are doing a fab job. I do think from reading posts on here that inspections gradings can quite often be subjective which I do think is unfair. If you are unhappy with your report when it comes through you can always challenge it.

It is posts like yours that make me glad I am in Wales where we don't get graded inspections:rolleyes:

Hugs to you x

Your grading is brilliant. I imagine it is hard work to even get a satisfactory. You should be proud of your grade and the job you do, not many people could do our job - i get told that all the time!! :)

Well done on your grading. I would be happy to get that. It's just that I'm worried about having 'actions' :(
Seems like we can't win, some say only one ob a month, others say one ob a week? Pot luck who we get and what mood they are in :mad:
I've been helping the local pre-school last year and had been on the committee for years, we had loads of hasstle last year with the old leader leaving all of a sudden and our pre-school facing closure.
They had their inspection in February and I only managed to see the report yesterday (the Chairman had put in an appeal), and they only got satisfactory and the report said that the outdoor equipment was 'not imaginative' and a bit worn.
The pre-school is only small and has 12 children per day, we have applied for grants for new equipment but they say that we don't qualify as we don't have enough kids.
Also our new leader had not done the SEF or even done proper risk assesment sheets (just bits of paper). Just wish I was still on the committee then I could have helped.
We were 'good' previously. The only saving grace is that the after school club who uses the same building AND equipment has had a good with some outstandings :rolleyes:
How do they manage that?

And another thing I worry about is what other minders think. If I get a 'satisfactory' then they'll think (some of them), only got that and you only have one minded child.
And then on the other hand, if I get 'good' they will think, Oh, of course she would, she only has one child to look after :rolleyes:
See, I don't think that I could win either way :mad:
But on the day itself, I'll just try my best and do the usual routine and just hope it does not rain :(

The sting in this sad situation is the fact that it all depends on the personality of the inspector and if they got out of the wrong side of the bed or not.

So you have not been judged by Ofsted as an organization but soley by a person who represents them.

The system is so not fair. :angry:

I agree, please dont stress i know it is good to get good, but my husband works with me using everything i do and he got a satisfactory and i got a good, but the inspector sang his praises about how good he was with the children on his inspection, so if he does everything else the same as me, and the comments on him were as equally positive if not more so from the inspectors then how come our grades were different!

Well done you have done really like the others said. If your not happy hunny then complain and ask to be reinspected by another inspector! You have the right to do that

just a question as I don't work under OFSTED

..... can you appeal against her findings? if you feel you deserve more can you get someone to check her findings?

If you feel you have been hard done by then complain, not sure how far it will get you tho, but its worth a try:thumbsup:

XX

i got satisfactory,would of loved a good or outstanding but i no as do the parents of mindees they are warm,fed ,happy ,learning without knowing,enjoy comming to my home ,end of the day ofsted have rules as we do if not done enough for grade just try little harder next time ,i will be doing extra 10 minutes a day on paper work as like you thought i had done plenty ,but obviously not ,it's just the little things that catch you out i think and what side of the bed she got out of that morning

Carolyn and I work together most days, use the same forms/ paperwork/ equipment and even share some children/ families, our gradings was overall good, with some areas Outstanding, but not the same ones !!!! so how does that work ? We even had the same inpector :rolleyes:
Really feel for you though, it is very upsetting when you have tried soooo hard and you know others don't . Keep you chin up
June

The sting in this sad situation is the fact that it all depends on the personality of the inspector and if they got out of the wrong side of the bed or not.

So you have not been judged by Ofsted as an organization but soley by a person who represents them.

The system is so not fair. :angry:

That is a brilliant analaysis Wendy - I really like that:thumbsup:

The sting in this sad situation is the fact that it all depends on the personality of the inspector and if they got out of the wrong side of the bed or not.

So you have not been judged by Ofsted as an organization but soley by a person who represents them.

The system is so not fair. :angry:
I completely agree, and have been saying that for a long time!
I think the whole system smacks of the CSA. and they were rubbish.

Dont get upset, dont waste your emotions! Your parents and children are the ones you should worry about!! and they are all happy, then well done you.

Makes me angry, dont get me on the ofsted soap box!!!

Hi I had my second inspection on Thursday and I'm still feeling down because I only got satisfactory. I have worked my **** off over the past couple of weeks getting my paperwork up to stratch. But she said I wasn't doing enough on eyfs! I'm doing learning journals, scrap books, daily diaries, development plans, don't think I could do more! I've linked it all in too. But she said I need to be doing observations all the time, grrrrrrrrr!!


She even spoke to one of my parents who sang my praises! I don't think I cud have done anymore, all policies were correct, sef done, all other forms in order, house clean and safe.

I am so upset and annoyed as I know others who have done little or no eyfs and got goods and outstandings.

One of my patents did say that the inspector seemed like a miserable cow though.

Just gutted and can't get it out of my head

This sounds just like my inspection!

As I've posted before. My parents and mindees know I am an outstanding childminder with satisfactory paperwork!!:laughing: :laughing:
Hold your head up and be proud of doing your best for the children.
I only do a minimum of paperwork, so it does not impact on the care I give to mindees, my own family or ME!
I also know an "outstanding" minder who has no caring skills whatsoever!:angry:

This is what bugs me about the whole inspection process. Ofsted come and see you for a few hours and judge you within those few hours when you are feeling nervous and anxious.

Not everyone is great with paperwork and there is a lot to get through. I think that the most important part of this job is the children, making sure that they enjoy their time with you, play happily, are kept safe and that they are well looked after.

As long as they and their families are happy with the care that you provide, that is all that matters :thumbsup:

Im sorry your not happy with your grade, as its been said many times on here, its the word satisfactory that make it sounds a worse achievment than what it actually is.

Youv'e said your parents think your fantastic and thats the main thing, try not to let this get you down.

Gareth
xx

I'm sorry that you are not happy with your grade.

Think like has been said you can either be a childminder with fab caring skills and rubish paperwork skills and vice versa.

What matters most is that the children you look after & their parents think your fab. Which at the end of the day I think is more important than an OFSTED grade.

So sorry you are not happy with your grading.:(

As others have said it's what your parents think and how happy the kids are that counts.:thumbsup:

Don't let a few hours of one persons life tell you otherwise.

Really feel for you though, it is very upsetting when you have tried soooo hard and you know others don't . Keep you chin up
June

I can totally relate to this:panic:

Totally sympathise with you. I am registered with the Care Commission for Scotland and believe you me they are not one bit better than Ofsted when it comes to inspections. I am not even going to start on what I think of their grading system.....:angry:

Hi, thanks all of you for your kind words. I will wait for my report to come from the inspector first, but I am so over it already. It's the kids that count at the end of the day.

I agree, please dont stress i know it is good to get good, but my husband works with me using everything i do and he got a satisfactory and i got a good, but the inspector sang his praises about how good he was with the children on his inspection, so if he does everything else the same as me, and the comments on him were as equally positive if not more so from the inspectors then how come our grades were different!

This is crazy how can they justify giving you both different grades

I can't understand how they can grade you like that, if you have put in the hard work and your children and parents are happy what more do they want. I don't think anyone deserves less than good, I'm so gutted for you!!!

Feeling very very anxious now - mine is coming up soon ....

I've only just come across this, so I'm sorry if this advice is too late. If you do a search on my name on here, you will see I have had similar issues with Ofsted. I made a complaint, detailing all the areas I was unhappy with, and got a letter of apology. They did not change my grading, but based on their grovelling letter, which admitted that the inspection fell below their standards, I am asking for a reinspection. I have not taken this decision lightly. I appreciate all the support the childminders on here give, and our current parents know us as individuals, and value our work. We all know satisfactory means we are doing everything we should be. However, I have made this point in the past, our mindees will not be with us forever, circumstances change, and children go to school. These reports will be on file for 3 years, and longer, for future potential parents to look at, before they contact us that first time. If the report is inaccurate or unfair, this is the view the potential parents will have of us. This may even stop them contacting us in the first place. We are running a business, and it's important we protect our business from inaccurate judgements.

As I've posted before. My parents and mindees know I am an outstanding childminder with satisfactory paperwork!!:laughing: :laughing:


That's a great way of looking at it. :thumbsup:

Not everyone likes or is good at paperwork and it's a shame that caring for the children and paperwork are all lumped together when it comes to the inspector's judgements.

Surely it's better that someone cares for the children well than that they are good at paperwork?

Miffy xx

well done on your grade as long as you know your doing a good job and obviously the paretns do to i wouldnt worry x

Don't get too down hearted:( Your parents know you are doing a great job and they are the ones that count.