Top Ten Tips! Are you ready for Ofsted January 2013

  1. Be aware of, and read all relevant documents
  1. Think about what documents you will need to show – make a list – are they all up-to-date?
  1. Make sure all your policies are up-to-date and read, understood and signed by all staff
  1. Regularly monitor at the learning environment (inside and outside) – is it cluttered, can you identify learning zones, are all areas of learning covered with exciting and challenging resources, are they easily accessible, is print displayed?
  1. Ensure you are clearly tracking children’s progress – are learning journeys up-to-date?
  1. Make sure you have an up-to-date SEF – on line / as a working document. Is it evaluative; are there contributions from the children and parents/carers?
  1. Make sure all parents know who their child’s key person is – are parents included in their child’s learning and development and supported to help children learn at home?
  1. Make sure you have enough information about children’s starting points – and use it in your planning and assessments.
  1. Do you arrange regular monitoring and supervision meetings for staff – evidence? Have you identified any training/coaching/mentoring?
  1. When the time comes, really pull out all the stops have confidence and show the inspector what you can do!

Useful documents -

NB. All Ofsted publications are available at

•Evaluation Schedule for inspections of EY provision’ (Oct 2013)

•‘Conducting EY inspections’ (Dec 2013)

•‘Are you ready for your inspection?’ (Aug 2012)

•‘Framework for the regulation of provision on the EY register ‘(Oct 2012)

•‘Early years online self-evaluation form’ (SEF) and ‘Guidance for providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage’ (Oct 2013) also ‘Accessing the self-evaluation form’

•Getting it right first time (July 2013)

•Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for those providers who register with Ofsted (March 2013)

•Complaints about Ofsted (April 2013)

•Records, policies and notification requirements of the Early Years Register (Jan 2013)

•Monitoring visits for early years provision judged as inadequate (June 2013)

•The numbers and ages of children that providers on the Early Years and Childcare Registers may care for

•Compliance, investigation and enforcement handbook: childminding and childcare (Dec 2013)

Good practice examples:

Good practice survey: ‘Getting it right first time’- (July 2013)

Effective EY leaders:

  • have a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve; they are absolutely determined to ‘get it right first time’
  • have high expectations of children and adults alike
  • are highly qualified and experienced, with very good EYFS knowledge
  • know exactly what good and better teaching looks like, how children learn best
  • know what they need to do to bring about improvement, leading by example
  • expect & encourage staff to be fully involved and move at the right pace
  • are not afraid to challenge poor performance and develop a well-qualified team
  • understand the correlation between highly qualified staff & the quality of provision