* Ofsted visits are even shorter than school inspections. Sometimes they last a matter of hours only, so inspectors are especially unlikely to reach a realistic appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery.
* Inspections are often conducted by a single inspector, so judgements cannot be 'corporate'.
* Inspectors often have limited (if any) experience of actually working in a nursery.
* Nurseries being inspected are given no information about the background or experience of the inspectors.
* Unlike schools, we are not aware of the criteria by which we are judged, so when successive inspectors give conflicting interpretations of the national standards, it is difficult to respond.
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