Radical proposal removes Ofsted from early years inspections

In its The Ofsted Problem report, training provider The Childcare Company puts forward a radical proposal to replace the inspectorate with an alternative system led by a consortium of early years organisations including the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

Under the proposed system, providers would be required to become members of one of the organisations and would be able to choose which one delivers their inspection.

Alternatively, The Childcare Company suggests that experienced senior professionals could be appointed to inspect settings in their local area.

The childcare training provider claims that the move would allow practitioners to learn from each other and improve practice based on the needs of children in their local area.

The proposals are among a number of changes put forward by the organisation as part of a consultation launched in response to concerns raised by providers about the quality of inspections during a series of meetings held over the past year, including Ofsted Big Conversation events.

Other, less radical, proposals include requiring new Ofsted inspectors to shadow more experienced colleagues for their first 10 inspections and establishing an independent body to hear complaints regarding inspections.

In response to the report, Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of NDNA, said that the process does need to be improved but warned against any radical changes to the system.

She said: “Regulation should follow the child and if the private, voluntary and independent sector wants to be considered of equal status to school early years provision, then as a matter of principle we should also be under the same independent Ofsted inspection regime.

“The last 18 months have seen an unprecedented level of concern among providers about Ofsted’s inspection process, however, NDNA believes Ofsted is listening to the sector and we are seeing progress.”