My tips

sorry this is now a week since the inspection but it has been my birthday and we went to Belfast to see inlaws for a few days.

As said before it all seems like a dream and when she went through why I had got the outstanding I had gone into a kind of shock! She said the report would be 2 weeks so when that is on line I will post that but I will try and remember the kind of things I did! She didn't really ask me much - just observed and said after that it was good that my policies, prospectus and childrens diaries were left for her to go through to stop asking me q's - I had left everything out that I thought she might possibly want her to see on the kitchen table and she said that was really good.

That day I had only my own son who is 2 and 10 mths and a little girl who had just turned 2. The very clingy baby had just left me for the summer so that helped!

I had had 2 dyas notice and she arrived bang on 9.30am - I was in the garden doing my own saftey check and poo check! She came out and did her own safety check and the went in the house and did her own safety check.

My little girl arrived at 10am.

First - all the things I did/ routines with kids were things I have been doing since children started with me back in Jan - I could tell she was impressed by the confidence in the kids in knowing when I siad it was snack time and we all sang the wash hands song that it was something we do every day and not just for show etc. The little girl I mind who is only just 2 when finished washing her hands took the kitchen towel so confidently from me and put it in the bin with no prompt showing she did this all the time. It was things like this that gave the inspector cause to give very positive comments so I knew she was impressed.

I had a visitor book to sign in and out.

The children have a self register - photos of themselves laminated and stick with velcro onto a big board - again my two year old did me proud in doing this straight away!

She liked how each child had a home box (an idea from here!) and also a nappy box with their own nappies and wipes in - their is a photo of each child on both these boxes.
She liked how all my toys are accessible to the children - (in ikea boxes) around the edge of the room but how I also have toys on mats to bring them to the childrens attention. She commented on how I had set the home up with different areas - an art and craft area, a home corner, construction toys, ride on toys.
That day they went for the (multicultural stickle bricks people and bricks!) We built a car for them and did some imaginative play - the children worked well together! There was a little scrap about stickle dogs but we talked about sharing!

When it was snack time I give the children a selection of ikea bowls to choose from - this again is something we do daily - we name the colours and take turns going first to choose what colour we like. I had mango and banana for snack that day and I let the children cut (with a child knife) the banana. Then I asked them if they wanted banana or mango and they replied yes please or no thank you! I asked them to count out say 3 pieces.

After snack we had a toilet visit again but she didn't come with me that time.

The little girl then played with the home corner and ended up having a tea party with me!

Then it was craft time - I had big plastic trays from IKEA and filled them with crayola finger paints (can't recommend them enough if you can find them!) They give a really nice transluscent and marble effect! Again I let the children choose their colour and we made marks inthe paint - then we added another colour and talked about colour changes - our topic is minibeasts and we made wiggly worms, spiders etc with our fingers in the paint. Then we put paper on the top, patted it down and made prints.

I had a bowl of water to wash hands at the table and when they got down they played with my minibeast land I had created - another large tray covered with green tissue paper and logs/ stones and plastic minibeasts - in the middle there was a pond(!) a box with dried rice in. At first they played well and hid the minibeasts in the rice etc but then the 2 year old starting throwing the rice! Disaster moment - my son joined in and there was rice flying everywhere! I firmly but calmly said No - we don't do that and the minibeasts need to hide int he rice but they ignored me and I thought oh great! So I quickly said - come on lets go in the garden! They both stopped and went to help me tidy it up with no prompt! (that was a first!)

We went in the garden and played in the water table with the squeezy frogs and sang some frog songs we had been doing but the inspector stayed inside! I had the garden set up (it was a nice day!) with water table - a table with puzzles on, a mat with lego duplo on, a minibeast hunting area, the ride on toys, balls and hoops plus we have a trampoline and swings, slides etc.

Then she came out at the end and gave me the verdict there and then!

In the paperwork I gave her she saw my newsletters to parents, planning file, fire practices, policies, prospectus, childrens diaries with a lot of photos in, their books I made when they started - photos of their families and with dual language in as one child is half spanish and one is half turkish and half norweigen, books i Had made of any trips we had been on, risk assessments, all car documents - think that was it!

As I said I can't remember what she said but if I told you what we did in that day you can see what she may have liked!

Will post report when it comes! Hope this helps others out there like you have helped me!

Love Gemma

Sounds like you did really well Gemma. Congratulations! Now i'm off to ikea to get them trays!:D Only joking, i'm skint! I think there is one in the loft though, are they white and the lid can be opened from each side?( think they were about 5.99?

Congratulations on getting an Outstanding Grade!
You have worked really hard with the children and your commitment has well and truly paid off.
Thank you very much for sharing your inspection tips with us, I shall certainly bear everything you have said in mind.
You should be really proud of yourself x

Thanks for finding the time to post this, very useful, and well done on your grading :)

no - these were just large white opaquey(!) trays for about 70p! you know the type that you would carry drinks on! Or sit on your lap and eat on if watching tv -so they have a raised edge but are great for putting paint on and clean up brill - also use them for sorting activities, putting toys on and creating a minibeast land! One of my best buys! I bought 3!

Thanks Gemma, will take a look next time i'm there:D Think i will go find that box in the loft anyway....it will come in usefull!

Well done and congratulations on you outstanding:clapping:

Thanks for sharing your tips, much appreciated:thumbsup:

Helen

Hope you had a good birthday Gemma?

Thanks for sharing that and congratulations on your grade a very well done to you

Angel xx

Thanks Gemma, well done for the inspection and a happy birthday. Thank you so much for adding this post - and to everyone else who gives great tips and ideas. I started work last week so I assume I'll get an inspection in the next few weeks? When I think about it my brain just doesn't work! I sit reading for hours what you have all written and making notes!!

Love Sue

That's a great post Gem thank you for sharing!

Sounds like you had a lovely day ... and wowed her! :D

t a wonderful day you sounded very relaxed as did the children.

Sounds like you had a lovely time with the children

Well done again

Miffy xx

How kind of you to share your tips.

Congratulations on getting Outstanding.

You sound like you deserved it.

Well Done. :)

Thanks that was a very interesting read. I expect you were exhausted afterwards
Mary:clapping:

well done..

veronicaxx

Well done on your grade!

Brilliant!

x

Well dpne on getting your outstanding and thank you for your tips they were fab. I may have to 'borrow' some of thosse.

J
x

Well done Gemma, sounds like you deserve it after reading about your lovely day!
Thanks for posting, I feel really guilty now as I haven't done this one yet, and your ideas are fab!
Congratulations! :clapping:

Then it was craft time - I had big plastic trays from IKEA and filled them with crayola finger paints (can't recommend them enough if you can find them!) Quote


Found them in Sainsburys. :)

I'm shattered after reading that! Do you do all that every day? I'd be exhausted!

Well done on your grading!