A new ‘six-year window’ will be used by inspectors from January, when full inspections are due to restart following the Covid-19 pandemic, in a bid to introduce a “more proportionate and flexible approach” to inspecting nurseries and childminders that will prioritise the inspection of providers rated less than good.
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Inspections Clinic: Impact of the pandemic
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Due to the Covid-19 crisis, full inspections have been suspended since March with plans for them to restart in the new year, however, Ofsted has said this is “continuously under review”.
Under previous arrangements, early years providers were inspected within a four-year cycle, however, this sometimes meant inspections could occur at the start of one cycle, and towards the end of the next, resulting in an eight-year gap between inspection visits.
According to Ofsted, the vast majority of registered childcare provision in England is safe and of a high quality.
Latest figures show that more than nine in 10 early years providers are judged "good" or "outstanding".
When full routine early years inspections resume, Ofsted has said it will schedule early years inspections to prioritise the re-inspection of the relatively small proportion of nurseries, pre-schools and childminders that are not yet good and those where there are significant concerns.
This will allow Ofsted to act more proportionately and will align with the inspection approaches for other education and social care providers, the inspectorate has said.
However, if there are concerns about any childcare provider, Ofsted can use its regulatory powers between inspections, and bring forward an inspection following a risk assessment.
Yvette Stanley, national director for regulation and social care, said: “Parents and carers with young children can be assured that the vast majority of childcare provision in England is safe, effective and high quality, and it continues to get better.
“The impact of Covid-19 and the interruption of the previous inspection cycle presents the opportunity to rethink our approach and to inspect more proportionately, bringing forward inspections of providers that are a source of concern.”
Children’s minister Vicky Ford added: “It is important that we keep building on this quality and driving up standards in the early years sector.
“We have set out new inspection arrangements for Ofsted to prioritise inspections for settings not yet rated good or better and give parents even greater confidence in the care and early education being provided for their child.”
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), said: “With Covid-19 cases still on the rise across England, there is still a lot of uncertainty in the sector. It’s important for Ofsted to recognise the concern this creates and not to push for full inspections too early while settings are still managing the pandemic.
“A greater level of certainty around what the future inspection programme will look like will help providers in understanding when their next inspection may come. It is clearly important for all our children that Ofsted is performing its regulatory role for safeguarding purposes and to see the quality of early education they are receiving through the child’s eyes.
“Nurseries and other childcare providers have been working hard to support families throughout the pandemic and ensure children can access high quality learning environments. Ofsted’s own report this week has highlighted how important this is for children’s development, especially where children have lost out on time in settings.
“It is important that Ofsted continue to engage with the sector around any planned date for full inspection activity to recommence.”
