Ofsted Inspection Trends

September 2016/17

The results of analysis of the Ofsted Inspection actions show that the top 6 trends are:

  • Sharing information with parents
  • Sharing information with other agencies
  • Effective supervision
  • Promoting Childrens Independence
  • Communication and Language
  • Observation, planning and assessment

Below are samples of areas that have been highlighted at feedback by Ofsted as areas for improvement:

Area for improvement / Reflection questions / Reflect on practice and actions put in place by setting
Sharing information with parents /
  • How do you develop further ways to engage parents in their children's learning to help support children to make even more progress?
  • What home learning opportunities do you offer, e.g. sharing next steps, activity ideas to try at home linked to next steps.
  • Do you provide parents meeting and stay and play sessions?
  • What does your base line look like?
  • How do you gather information to support children’s transition to the setting?
  • How do you support/share information linked to British Values?
  • How do you promote good behaviour and share strategies?
  • How do you share information with parents about the smooth running of the setting, e.g. policies and procedures?
  • Are parents involved in reviewing the SEF?

Sharing information with other agencies /
  • What are your procedures for working in partnership with other settings/agencies?
  • How do you support children who attend more than one setting with consistent care and continuity in their learning and development including next steps?
  • How do you share information and support SEND children when linking with multi agencies and parents?
  • How do you share any safeguarding concerns with staff and other agencies involved with the child?

Effective supervision /
  • Do you have a structure when carrying out supervision and appraisals?
  • Have management accessed any effective supervision training?
  • How do your setting plan for peer observations and what impact does it have on the setting?
  • Is there a signed supervision agreement in place?
  • Do you link Managers observations to supervision?
  • Do you ensure that supervision has a focus on individual children’s assessment cycle?
  • How do you record the discussions had in the meeting.
  • Do staff have the opportunity to declare any changes to their DBS

Promoting Childrens Independence /
  • What opportunities do staff give to children to promote their independence, e.g. at meal times, self-service, hand washing, pour their own drinks, dressing themselves, fastening their own coat and shoe laces?
  • How do you encourage children to clear away activities?
  • How do you prepare children for starting school?
  • How do you link with schools to promote transition?

Communication, Language and Literacy /
  • Do staff use objects and gestures to support communication
  • Do staff give children time and space to respond/talk i.e. observe, wait listen – (allow 10 seconds thinking time repeat and give another 10 seconds, continue to give child eye contact)
  • Are staff not asking too many questions but making comments instead (using talk as a running commentary) e.g. “I’m pouring a cup of tea” “I’m filling the teapot. Nice cup of tea” etc.
  • Do staff repeating and extending what children say e.g. “Drink” could be “yes, drink of juice”
  • How do staff providing correct forms of speech sensitively e.g. is a child says ‘dat’ you say “that’s right, it’s a cat”
  • Do staff actively developing vocabulary by introducing verb, adjectives and positional language e.g. walking, drinking big & little, on, in, under.
  • How do staff support children to develop turn taking e.g. “your turn my turn” with sand /water play
  • How do staff respond and valuing non-verbal communication e.g. responding to a child who uses other means to communicate e.g. pointing, sign language, nodding
  • How do staff support children with EAL to develop language.
  • What mark making opportunities do you give children, how do you link these to children’s interest?
  • What opportunities are there for written words?
  • Are children able to label their own work?
  • How do you promote stories and rhymes, speaking and listening activities to strengthen speech and language.
  • How do you work with staff to enhance their skills in supporting children's language development, paying particular attention to the youngest children

Observation, planning and assessment /
  • How do you collect information of the child’s starting point when starting at the setting?
  • How do you ensure that activities are consistently organised and planned to provide children with high levels of engagement and interest?
  • How do you observe children and identify next steps?
  • What methods do you use to track children’s progress?
  • How do you track children’s progress?
  • How do you moderate children’s assessment and next steps?
  • How do staff use observations to influence planning and next steps for children
  • How do you make sure that all areas of learning and development have been covered?
  • How do you use and analyse group trackers?
  • What opportunities do the setting provide that will challenge and extend the learning opportunities for children who prefer to play and learn outdoors.

Training /
  • How do you improve the system for monitoring when essential training, such as first aid is due for renewal, so that the risk of failing to meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage is reduced
  • What induction process have you got in place to help staff to understand their roles and responsibilities
  • Who carries out the induction?
  • Doyour staff supervisionsprovide support, coaching and training?

Reviewed March 2017