Nursery Owner Calls for Change at Ofsted

News release

3rd October 2013

Educational inspectorate Ofsted needs to make “swift changes” to its working practice or risk jeopardising the future of nurseries across the UK, according to The Old Station Nursery Group.

Sarah Steel, Managing Director of the group, says complaint-triggered inspections, the grading system and the appeals process is alienating those working in the sector and could lead to hundreds of settings losing their funding to offer free childcare for two-year-olds.

Since September 2012, any concern or complaint received by Ofsted about a nursery can trigger a full inspection, where previously the inspectorate would carry out investigation visits.

Sarah is speaking out about the problems faced by nurseries following a sector-wide event called The Big Conversation, which aimed to raise awareness of the issues nursery providers have with Ofsted.

Sarah explained: “I have some great nursery teams with really dedicated practitioners who truly go that extra mile to make lives for the children in their care as great as possible, and who also provide a lot of support to the families who come through our doors. 

“However, at times the system seems determined to make life as difficult as possible for those of us trying to deliver great care and education.  Within the sector there is an increasingly loud rumble of concern about Ofsted inspections and the subsequent judgements that are made – there need to be swift changes made.

“I feel that the voice of providers is simply not being heard and Ofsted will always find something to hang the grade on as they see fit, following complaint or compliance issue. We’ve even had cases where inspectors have told us that if an inspection is triggered by a complaint the setting can only be awarded a maximum grade of ‘satisfactory’, even if it can prove the issue has been dealt with robustly – and the complaint could relate to an issue dating back years.

“As a sector we must make our voice heard about the increasing unfairness in the Ofsted process and the total lack of transparency.”

Concerns have also been raised over the fact that nurseries are often given a grade by the inspector on the day which is then downgraded following the quality assurance process. Gradings can also be changed if a compliance issue is flagged up following the inspection.

The Old Station Nursery in Gloucestershire setting recently bore the brunt of the changed system: the initial rating of good was downgraded to satisfactory after a compliance issue was flagged up.

The issue, which related to a member of staff recording a dose of medicine incorrectly, occurred around eight months before the inspection took place and had been dealt with. The decision was appealed, but that appeal was rejected and the grading was upheld.

Sarah said: “The manager had been in her last week in post when it occurred, so the setting has seen significant management changes since the issue. The new manager rightly felt extremely disappointed that the positive experience of the inspector on the day was then downgraded because of something which happened months before, under a different manager.

“We are now satisfactory according to the record. Perhaps only when they realise that there are so many satisfactory settings out there that they can not offer sufficient places for funded two-year-olds, will they think again.

“The more cynical part of me cannot help but think that Ofsted will use the poor statistics to beat everyone in the sector with, so it can be easier to reduce funding levels.”

Sarah is now supporting a collective letter written on behalf of the early years sector by campaigner Jane O’Sullivan from the London Early Years Foundation. Read the letter here

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Sarah Steel set up The Old Station Nursery in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, in 2002 when she left the army and was unable to find suitable childcare for her two children
• The Old Station Nursery group has 10 settings in total in Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire and Buckinghamshire

Cerri Delaney
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
07985 143990
cerri@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @CerriDelaney

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