Ask the Expert: Unplanned inspections

Is it true Ofsted is now conducting nursery inspections following anonymous complaints?

Yes, inspections will follow the same model as planned inspections. So be wise and be prepared. Use the self-evaluation form as the basis of your nursery development plan and build in systems that automatically provide the kind of information Ofsted needs, particularly in how you monitor staff competence and children’s progress.

Get staff to understand this new approach to inspections. When staff are out with children or showing potential parents around, they may behave in a way that looks odd to the untutored eye, so they need to be able to explain what they are doing. Often, anonymous complaints are triggered by a lack of understanding, so this is the time to help the public understand what nursery care and education looks like.

Answered by June O'Sullivan, chief executive of the childcare charity and social enterprise, the London Early Years Foundation

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