Ofsted's approach to early years inspections has been a bone of contention across the sector for some time, with many childcare providers concerned over the number of settings that have had judgments downgraded over the past year.
The publication at the start of November of the regulator's tougher new early years inspection framework that will be used over the next three years has only served to heighten those concerns.
By replacing the grade of "satisfactory" with "requires improvement", many believe the framework will see more settings being judged as requiring closer Ofsted scrutiny.
With the penalty for coasting providers likely to be an "inadequate" judgment, settings judged as requiring improvement will need to seek support. But Anand Shukla, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust, fears this could be in short supply because councils have been told to focus efforts on supporting the worst providers.
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