The move comes amid concerns from the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) that the current inspection framework for centres is no longer fit for purpose.
An Ofsted spokesman confirmed: “We are continuing discussions with the Department for Education regarding the future of children’s centre inspections and work on the development of the approach is likely to continue through to the end of this year.”
He added that: “Until this is completed, children’s centre inspections will continue under the current statutory regulations and inspection framework.”
The ADCS is concerned that the current framework, which was last updated in 2013, is too focused on services provided at the centre rather than its outreach work. Also the current framework has too much of a focus on centres’ early years services rather than its wider early intervention support for families.
An ADCS spokeswoman said: “Children’s centre provision has evolved considerably and the current framework doesn’t take into account outreach work for example or the impact of other services integrated into this offer, for example health visitors.
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