please can anyone help i have ofsted comming next week and this is my first graded inspection. please can anyone give me some tips on what i need for it or what they will want to know. i spoke to mrs o on the phone today and she seem very nice and told me not to worry about her coming but now my head has gone blank and im very worried please can anyone help ive only been childminding for 3 months thankyou

Calm down firstly!:) Make sure your paperwork is p to date, contract info is correct, parents have filled in a questionaire on your services, health and safety side are being compleated risk ass, temp control sheets, safety locks etc Planning revolves around observations and childs interests, go over every child matter outcomes, sef, read statutory framework......um.....gone blank:blush: Certificates, insurance etc on display. I'm sure somebody will be able to help you out alot better than my waffling :o

All you can do is your best!

Give as much information about how you work as possible so that Ofsted can see you are professional.

Focus on the children - that's what the inspector will be watching.

Don't worry about how they behave... it's how you handle things that is important.

Most of all be yourself and don't make changes - children spot that and react differently, so keep it normal for them.

Good luck! :D

please can anyone help i have ofsted comming next week and this is my first graded inspection. please can anyone give me some tips on what i need for it or what they will want to know. i spoke to mrs o on the phone today and she seem very nice and told me not to worry about her coming but now my head has gone blank and im very worried please can anyone help ive only been childminding for 3 months thankyou

Hi,

I had my first graded inspection yesterday and I only started in August. I got a good.

Main things were:
-Risk Assessments
-EYFS logs
-Use gloves when you change nappies and wipe the mat over once you have changed a nappy. I have also heard people say wipes the babies hands as well to get them

Good luck :-)

I also found it helpful to have everything I wanted to 'show off' to her on the side so it was easy for them to get as the 3 hours goes very quickly when you are trying to show them everything!

hi laura what did you mean by a eysf log please and thankyou for you reply and help and well done on you good

The Early Years Foundation Stage Learning Journal...

What do you use to track child's progress against the 6 key areas?

This is an essential part so if you haven't got one for each child under 5 at the moment create something quickly before they come with observations and their pictures in... get them to do some drawings if nothing else!

Have you got the EYFS national standards book? It is a free booklet by national standards but is virtually essential to your job...

hi thankyou laura yes i have done it i just want to check it wasent somthing diffrent you was talking about
ive done my abservations on each child and i have loads of bit they have made and done. ive done my risk assesments and some planning.i just want to get it over with now. did you have your sef filled in

Time to relax - it sounds like you have done all the main things.

Remember this inspection is to give them the opportunity to observe you with the children - so as Sarah says - don't change anything now - just be yourself - and do what you always do

At my first graded inspection in October I spent most of the inspection sat on the floor with children supporting their play (well of course did also do nappy changes / snack time etc) but did not rush around trying to be superwoman. I showed the inspector where all my paperwork is kept ( did not just give it to her - so she had to move about to access different things and therefore see different bits of my setting) and then answered her questions.

I also talked out loud so inspector 'got' extra information - things like - 'oh you want the same story as yesterday' - to child - then to inspector - 'X really enjoyed this story yesterday - not the one I planned for today - but prefer to support the children's interests' - then to child - 'now where are the puppets for this story?'

I had not

done my SEF - said wanted to include views of parents and children and as most very new to setting (1 or 2 months) that they needed more time to gather their views


not done fire drill - said was pre planned in my diary (was) but felt children need to get used to normal routines and be fully settled before did an emergency evacuation


not sent out parent questionaire (had draft one but not sent it out)

not filled in all the development record documentation (the one used in our area - had done Learning Journey for each child). Just explained to inspector that would be completing this with parents during next parent half term review

Guess what I am trying to say is your actual practice and evidence of your plans for the future can really help with your inspection.

And although I know I may have been lucky in that my inspector seemed to have some 'common sense' - I was graded outstanding - but to be honest - I would have been happy with a 'good' as to me 'good' is not just good it is 'very good' and demonstrates excellent care and education.

Good luck with your inspection

Penny :)