Staff at '˜good' nursery call for consistency from Ofsted

Nursery staff celebrating an improvement to their Ofsted rating have called for more consistency from government inspectors.
Ofsted success for Kiddie KareOfsted success for Kiddie Kare
Ofsted success for Kiddie Kare

Kiddie Kare, in Rustington, had been told a year ago to improve but has now been rated ‘good’, with inspector Alison Weaver praising staff as “good role models”.

In her report, Ms Weaver said: “Staff create a welcoming and friendly environment. They are good role models and encourage children to play together, for example, when looking for treasure hidden in compost.

“They teach children to value and respect others.”

Ofsted success for Kiddie KareOfsted success for Kiddie Kare
Ofsted success for Kiddie Kare
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Owner Michele Budgen said she and her team were “relieved” with the new rating and “extremely pleased” with the report.

But she added: “We felt that the grading we had before was not justified and a true reflection of our nursery as we feel, as a team, that although some things have changed, those highlighted in the report haven’t. But it goes to show that Ofsted are not consistent in their ways of doing inspections.”

One of the changes made by Michele and her team was the introduction of Tapestry – an online journal which enables parents to keep a close eye on their children’s development on a day-to-day basis. Improvements have also been made to the nursery’s garden.

Michele said: “We were extremely pleased with the report as a whole as it confirmed what we already knew as a nursery.

Ofsted success for Kiddie KareOfsted success for Kiddie Kare
Ofsted success for Kiddie Kare
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“The inspector that came saw what the nursery was about and also saw that we hadn’t made any significant changes and that our practice was still as it was.”

She said the whole team felt Ofsted needed to provide “a more consistent approach” when it came to inspecting nurseries, adding: “It is felt that what one Ofsted inspector thinks is clearly completely different to that of another.

“We have a ‘good’ rating but is it really worth the paper its written on as you never know who you will get next and what result you will achieve despite working in line with the statutory guidelines which is what the inspectors should also be working alongside.”

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