Ofsted's takeover record defended

Ofsted's performance on taking over registration and inspections was defended at the National Day Nurseries Association's (NDNA) annual conference in Warwick last week. Maggie Smith, director of early years at Ofsted, fielded questions from delegates about long delays for criminal record checks on staff and inconsistencies in inspections. She said the transfer of duties from local authorities in England had been a 'huge logistical change' but that Ofsted was clearing the backlog and was on track to complete targets by next year.