Hi All

I got a call from Mrs. Ofsted today and she wants to carry out my first inspection on 11th January (9.30-11.30) as will be doing nursery pick-up after 111.30, which she seemed fine with. This will be my first graded inspection and i don't know what to expect. How are the Ofsted people in Southampton?

I don't know what sort of documents and stuff they will want to see and how to carryout my 2 hours with her. Normally the child i have at that time has free play till my son comes home from morning nursery.

I'm currently not using my garden cos the door is jammed due to cold weather, so been going out to local parks instead. Garden would now be overgrown and full of "stuff". Any suggestions what to say?

All your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated especially for what documents need to be in order.

Counting on all your replies, as i have about a month to get things together.

Thanks
:panic: Makha:panic:

Have you got the booklet "Are you ready for your inspection?" - that tells you what you should have in place.

If not you can download it from the Ofsted website. Also on Ofsted's website you can read through reports of other childminders in your area, that will give you an inkling of what Ofsted are looking for, you might even find some reports by your inspector.

As regards your garden - the EYFS is clear that children need to have access to outdoor play every day so you will have to explain to the inspector how you are meeting that. If you can't get your door fixed and garden sorted by the time she comes then I'd at least have some plan as to when it might be done to show her.

On inspection day stick with what you usually do, kids have a habit of saying if you start doing things differently - free play is fine just follow what the lo wants to do and think of other things that fit in with that.

Good luck - you are lucky to have so much advance warning.

Miffy xx

I had a winter inspection and some of our fence had blown down, thus making our garden unusable and the weather wasnt the sort to get it repaired. I told Mrs O that the fence would be replaced in the spring as had discussed it with our neighbour but in the mean time we were regularly going to the local duck pond and parks. Mrs O was happy with that

Hi Miffy

Thanks for your reply. I don't think i can get the garden door fixed in time for inspection, so will have to explain how we go to local park...

Thanks:laughing:

I had a winter inspection and some of our fence had blown down, thus making our garden unusable and the weather wasnt the sort to get it repaired. I told Mrs O that the fence would be replaced in the spring as had discussed it with our neighbour but in the mean time we were regularly going to the local duck pond and parks. Mrs O was happy with that

Thanks Caz, this seems very valid, do i need to jot down in my RA though??

Hi Miffy

Thanks for your reply. I don't think i can get the garden door fixed in time for inspection, so will have to explain how we go to local park...

Thanks:laughing:

Shouldn't be a problem as long as you can show you are taking them out.

After all some cm's don't have a garden.

Miffy xx

Thanks Caz, this seems very valid, do i need to jot down in my RA though??

I had it on my RA with an action for it to be sorted by March, so it showed that I had thought about it

I've heard that if you can't get to your garden and show inspector, then they can't mark you on that so you don't reallly get a full inspection?? Am i right?

My ofsted lady never even went out into the garden to check it. She just looked out the window. She just asked me how secure the gates were.

I had gone to all the trouble of making the garden safe she could have atleast taken a closer look.

I don't have a garden so she just wanted to see in my planning what we did outside and asked me to tell her about how I carry out school runs too. We often do things like playing eye-spy or hunting for letters, numbers, shapes or colours on the way to school so she was happy that outdoor time was being used to it's best advantage. And yes I would put it in risk assessment and state when you plan to repair as part of that. Good luck.