Tips for Inspection??!!

**Cheeky Chops** · 04-02-2008, 01:02 PM

Hi!!

Has anyone got any tips or advice about ofsted inspections??! I know that there are lots of people in here expecting their very first inspections!

Is there anything you have done and have been praised for or anything you have been pulled up on for not doing!!

Also anyone like to share any advice on what they actually do!!! Do ofsted sit there, do they just do paperwork, do they come to the park with you etc etc etc!!!

thanks x x

**bubbly** · 04-02-2008, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Cheeky Chops

Do ofsted sit there, do they just do paperwork, do they come to the park with you etc etc etc!!!

I'm not pushing them on the swings if they do!

**berkschick** · 04-02-2008, 01:08 PM

No but they can get the ice creams afterwards!

**avril** · 04-02-2008, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by bubbly

I'm not pushing them on the swings if they do!

This made me laugh so much

especially as I've got my inspection this wk

Avril

**katickles** · 04-02-2008, 01:22 PM

Hi - I felt my inspection went really well. You hear so many horror stories about them staying for 3/4 hours, mine was here an hour!!

I had "set up" my house as though i was minding, ie selection of toys were out for a range of ages, books, games puzzles etc.

Garden toys were out ready to be played with

Oh and of course the mega mega cleaning session of the house!!!

My inspector sounded really hard on the phone, but in fact was ok. She sat & talked about my setting asking questions along the way, that she tooks notes about. She went through the 14 national standards (not all of them

) asking how i would meet the standards. After this she inspected all the areas that i was wanting to register. Then she was on her way, i remember thinking afterwards that i'd got myself into a right state worrying about nothing!

I would say just be yourselves, if you have little ones that need feeds or nappy changes, just do them as you would do usually, then they get to see you at work!

Good luck with your inspections
x

**bubbly** · 04-02-2008, 01:44 PM

Thanks Kate, that's really helpful.

I've decided just to be myself and I'll carry on with my normal routine when the inspector's here. I'm not going to do anything differently, except mega-clean the house perhaps

. I'm still waiting for the phone call but I expect it'll be soon.

**Trouble** · 04-02-2008, 01:47 PM

my friend had one for 5 hours and their was two of them why were not sure but she was well drained by the end bless her

**sarah707** · 04-02-2008, 01:50 PM

I had 2 inspectors once! It was awful... all those eyes watching me!

The last one was really nice and laid back though - I gave her my paperwork then carried on playing with the children... she spent a lot of time watching me and a lot of time walking round and looking at things...

Good luck!

**deeb66** · 04-02-2008, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by sarahnev707

I had 2 inspectors once! It was awful... all those eyes watching me!

The last one was really nice and laid back though - I gave her my paperwork then carried on playing with the children... she spent a lot of time watching me and a lot of time walking round and looking at things...

Good luck!

Yes my last inspection was very similar.

I actually found her to be really nice.

I gave her all my paperwork and I spent my time playing and interacting with the children as I normally would. She followed me around the house and watched when we went off for snack time and nappy changes.

I actually found her quite considerate in that if she needed to ask me a question she would wait or time it so that it didn't interfere too much with what I was doing with the children.

**Cheeky Chops** · 04-02-2008, 05:23 PM

thanks kate!! did they still want to see all the rooms you wanted to register even though you were registered? or was this your pre reg visit??!! I am a little confused!!

i guess each inspector is different and they might go through different things, but it is really helpful to get a general idea of what they are looking for and what they want. I was thinking about writing up for my own benefit the headings of the 14 standards and then how I can personally meet them, we did something similar in our ICP course and it really helped me when I had my pre-reg visit as I refered to it a lot!! I know its more hard work but I sometimes get struck with the nervous butterflies so I would feel better having something to refer to and also the give the inspector if they want to know how I am meeting the famous 14!!!

xxx