When Ofsted Offers You The Opportunity To Take Part In A Joint Observation – Seize It
It’s important to take full advantage when your inspector invites you to watch your team in action, says Julian Grenier
During your Ofsted inspection, the inspector will ask if you would like to undertake joint observations, and you should seize this opportunity.
You will know the children much better than the inspector, so you will be able to draw his/her attention to a moment that is particularly significant for an individual child. Where possible, talk about what has happened before: point out the child who has needed many weeks of support to be able to come in calmly, or the child who would only play in one or two areas but is now confidently accessing the whole room.
You will also know if something is not typical: perhaps a practitioner is having a bad day, or a child isn’t responding in their usual way. Think quickly – what can you offer your inspector to give a more accurate view of how things are over time.
Do you have a recent example of when you observed the practitioner, when she or he was working effectively? Can you provide evidence that a child normally enjoys their time in nursery through their Special Book? Everyone can have a bad day: what Ofsted is trying to find out is the typical quality and effectiveness of your provision.
If there is a member of the team who is less effective than the others, then be open about this: tell your inspector why you think that, and the steps you are taking to address the situation. If the practitioner’s practice is improving, give examples. If it isn’t, explain what you are doing about it. Tell your inspector how you are minimising the impact on the children. No team is perfect: what matters is that you can show how you act appropriately, decisively and firmly in the interests of the children.
Feeding back
It is very important that you can demonstrate that your judgement is sound. So, if you talk over the observation with the inspector, or if you offer feedback to a practitioner in front of the inspector, make sure that what you say is sound and is informed by what you saw.
It isn’t advisable to try to give a positive spin – feed back accurately what you saw and what you thought. Otherwise, your inspector may come to the conclusion that you don’t have the necessary skills to judge how effective your provision is. That will call the accuracy of your self-evaluation into question, which in turn will make your inspection a more difficult experience.
Ideally, your judgements about how effective the provision is will largely coincide with your inspector’s. Ofsted plan for inspections to be done with you, and not done to you. Your early years expertise and your knowledge of the staff, children and families should help your inspector to gain a rounded view of your provision. This, in turn, will mean that your inspection will serve as a combination of a validation of your work, and an opportunity for professional dialogue and challenge.
However, the process of inspection is never going to be perfect, so there are likely to be at least some points where you and your inspector take a different view. In these cases, you need to put across your view in a professional, calm and appropriately assertive manner.
Go back to the evidence that you have recorded and ask your inspector what they saw. Explain why you have come to your conclusion about the effectiveness of what you saw, if your inspector is taking a more negative view. Draw on previous observations to show typical quality over time, and link those observations to outcomes. Share any previously completed joint observations with professionals from outside your team – for example, advisory staff from the local authority, or early years consultants.
Raising concerns
During the inspection, generally towards the end, the inspector will talk to you about any ‘outstanding’ or ‘inadequate’ practice that has been seen. If there are serious concerns that might lead to an ‘inadequate’ judgement, you will be alerted to these.
You will also have an opportunity to raise any concerns you might have about the conduct of the inspection or the inspector, and find out about how the evidence collected will inform the judgements at the end. These areas of discussion are highly important, so make sure you are calm, collected and in a suitable place. Keep brief notes, and tell your inspector if there is anything you don’t agree with, or don’t understand.
If necessary, you could make a formal complaint, but it’s much better to raise, and resolve, any issues, concerns or points for clarification during your inspection. You will often find that there has simply been a misunderstanding, or that some further discussion makes things clearer.
Taking notes
Three things to bear in mind whilst you are observing
What is helping the children to learn? Note down when you see good care routines, a well-organised and planned environment and good deployment of staff. Always comment on the impact of what you are seeing,
How effectively are staff helping children to make progress in their learning? Note down indications that staff know the different starting points and needs of the individual children. Listen out for times when children expand on what they are saying because of the encouragement of a practitioner, or become engaged in their play because of the help or guidance they receive.
Especially for babies and young toddlers: Note down where the key person approach is helping children to develop strong relationships and develop their sense of self and security.
This article is an edited extract from Successful Early Years Ofsted Inspections (SAGE, 2017) by Julian Grenier. Julian Grenier is headteacher of the ‘outstanding’ Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre.
