Ofsted: Early years inspections to move to 'six-year window'

Early years inspections will move to ‘a six-year window’, as part of a move by Ofsted to a new, ‘more proportionate and flexible approach’ to inspecting nurseries and childminders that will prioritise the inspection of providers rated less than good. 

Under previous arrangements inspections could fall at any point within a four-year cycle. In some instances, inspections could occur at the start of one cycle, and towards the end of the next – potentially resulting in an eight-year gap between inspection visits.

Routine inspections of nurseries and childminders have been suspended since March, interrupting the last early years inspection cycle and creating longer periods between routine inspections. When inspections under the education inspection framework (EIF) resume.

The new arrangements will only apply from the date Ofsted resumes full routine early years inspections post Covid-19.

While inspections are due to re-start in January, Nursery World understands that this date is being kept under review during the coronavirus pandemic.

The vast majority of registered childcare provision in England is safe and of a high quality. According to Ofsted’s latest figures, more than nine in ten early years providers are judged good or outstanding. 

When full routine early years inspections resume, Ofsted sad it would schedule early years inspections based on the most current risk assessment of the provision from its work as a regulator, including each provider’s previous judgement, in order to prioritise the re-inspection of the relatively small proportion of nurseries, pre-schools and childminders that are not yet good and those where there are significant concerns.

Ofsted said this would enable it to act more proportionately and align with the inspection approaches for other education and social care providers. 

‘Six-year window’

Under the new arrangements, all early years providers will be inspected in a six-year window from the date of their last inspection.

This will allow Ofsted to be more proportionate to risk and it will bring more consistency for good and outstanding providers in the time between inspections. Some arrangements will not change:

• Ofsted will still aim to inspect all new childcare providers within 30 months of registration where possible
• Childcare providers judged to require improvement will be inspected within a year
• Inadequate childcare provision will be inspected within six months.

If there are concerns about any childcare provider, Ofsted can use its regulatory powers between inspections, and bring forward an inspection following a risk assessment.

Yvette Stanley, national director for regulation and social care, said, ‘Parents and carers with young children can be assured that the vast majority of childcare provision in England is safe, effective and high quality, and it continues to get better.  

‘The impact of Covid-19 and the interruption of the previous inspection cycle presents the opportunity to rethink our approach and to inspect more proportionately, bringing forward inspections of providers that are a source of concern.’

Commenting on the plans, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘The changes announced today provide welcome clarity on and consistency to early years inspections.

‘That said, six years is still a long time, and it’s important to note that this would mean that nearly two whole cohorts of children could pass through a setting between inspections. It is vital, therefore, that Ofsted ensures that there are clear processes in place to respond quickly and effectively if concerns are raised that the quality of provision at an early years setting previously rated as “good” or “outstanding” has declined. 

‘Of course, by the same principle, the quality of care and education at a setting could also improve significantly over a six-year period, and so those providers rated as “good” who are keen to demonstrate that they are now ‘outstanding’ are likely to be disappointed by this change. As such, we would urge Ofsted to consider how such providers might have the opportunity to demonstrate how their practice has improved sooner rather than later within this new framework.’

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said, 'With Covid-19 cases still on the rise across England, there is still a lot of uncertainty in the sector. It’s important for Ofsted to recognise the concern this creates and not to push for full inspections too early while settings are still managing the pandemic.

'A greater level of certainty around what the future inspection programme will look like will help providers in understanding when their next inspection may come. It is clearly important for all our children that Ofsted is performing its regulatory role for safeguarding purposes and to see the quality of early education they are receiving through the child’s eyes.

'Nurseries and other childcare providers have been working hard to support families throughout the pandemic and ensure children can access high quality learning environments. Ofsted’s own report this week has highlighted how important this is for children’s development, especially where children have lost out on time in settings.

'It is important that Ofsted continue to engage with the sector around any planned date for full inspection activity to recommence.'

The Department for Education has published an update to its requirements for early years register providers which will allow Ofsted to prioritise inspections for those providers rated less than good, to drive up standards in the sector.

Children’s minister Vicky Ford said, 'I am immensely thankful for all of the hard work of nurseries, childminders and preschools up and down this country to provide high quality childcare to hardworking families. The vast majority of these providers are judged good or outstanding by Ofsted.

'It is important that we keep building on this quality and driving up standards in the early years sector. Today we have set out new inspection arrangements for Ofsted to prioritise inspections for settings not yet rated good or better and give parents even greater confidence in the care and early education being provided for their child.'

The new inspections arrangements can be found here