sarah707
24-05-2011, 05:51 PM
Now we officially have our inspection grades and reports we can finally share what happened... :jump for joy:
Our inspector was with us for 5 1/2 hours and was lovely! The children thought she was great - she laughed at their jokes, played games with them and even helped get tea out!
She focussed on safeguarding with both of us... types of abuse, reporting abuse, keeping children safe, enabling children to manage risk, risk assessing etc.
She loved my SEF! She said she spent a few hours reading it before she came :p As I always advise people, it's really important to use your SEF to blow your own trumpet, nobody else will do it for you!
She asked Nige a lot about our policies and procedures to make sure he was involved in them - so if you work with someone else check they know how to manage different situations such as a parent turning up with a bottle of medicine, an 'aunty' you've never met knocking on the door, fire practices etc.
She watched all our activities - my tip is to have a few up your sleeve which will interest the children you have on the day. We played outside with balls (lots of sharing), skittles (lots of counting) and then I brought out some cress for planting and the children were really engaged with that.
After school all the children took turns to help Nige in the kitchen and she said it was lovely to listen to them counting, measuring, watching ingredients change etc. She saw that while they were in the kitchen I was doing planned and focussed activities with the other children and commented that everyone was busy and there was no time for mischief :laughing:
She went through my files very carefully and commented on the thoroughness of the risk assessments and my new portfolio which contains information sheets for parents about different areas of the provision - she has praised our communication with parents in the reports.
She asked about other settings and I was able to produce evidence of sharing because I have a good relationship with a local pre-school, developed over the last few years... Nige shares less but he does do pick ups and also works with the teacher because he listens to the children read their books and checks what they need to learn next so he was able to evidence this one as well.
She loved the photos we have around the place and in the album. I took a tip from some outstanding minders in Blackpool and put together photo montages of some of our activities then gave them to the inspector and said 'you can't possibly see everything so here you go'. She thought they were great (thanks guys!)
Before the inspector came I asked parents to complete questionnaires to comment on our provision and she has said in the report that feedback is good. I suggest you try and do this if you can - it's great to show that parents value your service.
She also spent a lot of time looking through the children's learning journeys and commented on how they followed a child's learning well through the months.
My action
The inspector wants me to do more with next steps - that is my action.
At the moment I write an obs then a next steps then what we did to follow up the next steps. I do about 2 per child per week (all mine are part timers) which she said is plenty.
Then every 3 months I write up what they have done and what they might enjoy next based on the past months' obs and next steps. I tend to write 1 comment with a next steps for each area of L & D.
I have been using a side of A4 for this... and on the other side I have been writing 'what I enjoy doing / might enjoy doing next at my childminder's house...' for parents as they engage better with this type of information than formal writing.
However she doesn't feel this is enough... she wants me to separate out the obs from the next steps so that it is absolutely clear to anyone reading the information exactly where the child is going next... more writing :rolleyes: but I am working on not making it too much.
So... I am officially outstanding again and Nige is good with outstanding for keeping children healthy to reflect his contribution to the children's diets, exercise etc.
We are delighted :clapping: I hope this feedback helps those who are going to be inspected soon :D
Our inspector was with us for 5 1/2 hours and was lovely! The children thought she was great - she laughed at their jokes, played games with them and even helped get tea out!
She focussed on safeguarding with both of us... types of abuse, reporting abuse, keeping children safe, enabling children to manage risk, risk assessing etc.
She loved my SEF! She said she spent a few hours reading it before she came :p As I always advise people, it's really important to use your SEF to blow your own trumpet, nobody else will do it for you!
She asked Nige a lot about our policies and procedures to make sure he was involved in them - so if you work with someone else check they know how to manage different situations such as a parent turning up with a bottle of medicine, an 'aunty' you've never met knocking on the door, fire practices etc.
She watched all our activities - my tip is to have a few up your sleeve which will interest the children you have on the day. We played outside with balls (lots of sharing), skittles (lots of counting) and then I brought out some cress for planting and the children were really engaged with that.
After school all the children took turns to help Nige in the kitchen and she said it was lovely to listen to them counting, measuring, watching ingredients change etc. She saw that while they were in the kitchen I was doing planned and focussed activities with the other children and commented that everyone was busy and there was no time for mischief :laughing:
She went through my files very carefully and commented on the thoroughness of the risk assessments and my new portfolio which contains information sheets for parents about different areas of the provision - she has praised our communication with parents in the reports.
She asked about other settings and I was able to produce evidence of sharing because I have a good relationship with a local pre-school, developed over the last few years... Nige shares less but he does do pick ups and also works with the teacher because he listens to the children read their books and checks what they need to learn next so he was able to evidence this one as well.
She loved the photos we have around the place and in the album. I took a tip from some outstanding minders in Blackpool and put together photo montages of some of our activities then gave them to the inspector and said 'you can't possibly see everything so here you go'. She thought they were great (thanks guys!)
Before the inspector came I asked parents to complete questionnaires to comment on our provision and she has said in the report that feedback is good. I suggest you try and do this if you can - it's great to show that parents value your service.
She also spent a lot of time looking through the children's learning journeys and commented on how they followed a child's learning well through the months.
My action
The inspector wants me to do more with next steps - that is my action.
At the moment I write an obs then a next steps then what we did to follow up the next steps. I do about 2 per child per week (all mine are part timers) which she said is plenty.
Then every 3 months I write up what they have done and what they might enjoy next based on the past months' obs and next steps. I tend to write 1 comment with a next steps for each area of L & D.
I have been using a side of A4 for this... and on the other side I have been writing 'what I enjoy doing / might enjoy doing next at my childminder's house...' for parents as they engage better with this type of information than formal writing.
However she doesn't feel this is enough... she wants me to separate out the obs from the next steps so that it is absolutely clear to anyone reading the information exactly where the child is going next... more writing :rolleyes: but I am working on not making it too much.
So... I am officially outstanding again and Nige is good with outstanding for keeping children healthy to reflect his contribution to the children's diets, exercise etc.
We are delighted :clapping: I hope this feedback helps those who are going to be inspected soon :D