Help....had THE call! Ofsted on their way!!!

[guest3]

Hi all,

please help as i've gone into panic mode! I was registered on 10th Sept and i've had the call today to say Ofsted are coming either next week or the week after.

Last week i had a visit from my DO to check i had everything in place and she said i should get Ofsted to defer my inspection as i'm having a bad time. I have a LO who screams for most of the day, 1 who has just started 2 weeks ago and my Dad has been in hospital since before Christmas seriously ill. He's got terminal cancer and has not got long to live.

My inspector said she couldn't delay my inspection (after checking with her manager) even though i've technically got until March to have my first inspection.

I need any help anyone can give me, especially advice on what to do with my LO who screams all day (she's 13 months) as she wants me to walk round nursing her all day!



Wendy x

[madasahatter]

What age will your other mindees/own children be when ofsted come?
I would suggest having some floor activities that you can do with your mindees and with the screamer on your knee/very close to you along with toys/books that she can play with whilst sat on your knee. Big dominoes are good because you can keep talking to all your mindees and include the screamer in your questioning even if you do everything for her.
If you've got a small table for older mindees, you could have free access paper and pencils for them to dip in and out of.
Don't be afraid to tell the inspector that you have a screamer (though she'll no doubt spot that anyway) and tell her about the strategies you use.

[mrs c]

Oh dear, I really feel for you. It's bad enough having an inspection but with a screamer and having your Dad so ill makes it a rotten time for you.
Is your screamer full time? If not could you not try to swop days to try and not have this one for the inspection?
If you must have the screamer then you will need to plan activities that your new lo can do independently. That way you will be able to sit on the floor/at a table and keep the screamer on your knee which might help. Have everything ready in advance - drinks, meals prepared etc, so its just a question of putting on the table without having to put the screamer down for long. For my inspection as my lo was into dinosaurs I bought quite a few on ebay and brought them out during the inspection. Being something new he was so taken with them it kept him engrossed - normally he is quite demanding and wanders from one activity/toy to another and I had visions of him being hard work during the inspection.
Good Luck.

[sarah707]

I had a screamer here when my partner had his inspection.

There were also 7 other children milling around!

The inspector was more interested in how we managed it than the noise

Good luck!

[guest3]

Thanks for your replies...Mrs C I have my screamer full time so can't change the day unfortunately.
Madasahatter, I only have this 13 month old and a new mindee of 12 months old so am finding it very hard as they both need a lot of attention!

Wendy x

[suzyblue]

I had two around that age that screamed to high heaven when they saw each other, I tried to get them to sleep at different times to avoid the situation but in the end I let them get on with it and they love each other now. I wouldn't stress about the inspection just try and cope calmly with the kids even if you have to sit and cuddle them. Try and have everything out for the inspector so that you dont have to move away from them. It will be OK

[guest3]

Aww thanks for your encouraging words Kindertime

Wendy x