Ofsted

What is Ofsted?

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. Ofsted regulates services that care for children and young people, and education settings for learners of all ages.

Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)

The ISI monitors the educational, boarding care, and early years provision of association independent schools. The monitoring is conducted against standards set by the government. Like Ofsted, they use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as the benchmark by which to evaluate early year’s provision. Some early years settings are inspected by the ISI.

Most settings in Harrow are currently inspected under the Common Inspection Framework.

Training and Ofsted briefings

Harrow Early Years runs termly training for settings scheduled for inspections. This usually includes testimonies from settings that had successful inspections.

Useful links and documents

Below are some highlighted areas which may be of interest to parents, carers and Early Years Providers.

For parents/carers

• Find an Inspection Report
• Parent View. Parent View gives you the chance to tell Ofsted what you think about your child’s school.
• Inspecting registered childcare providers: information for parents. How Ofsted regulates childcare and advice for those concerned about their provider.

For Early Years Providers

• Inspecting registered early years providers: guidance for inspectors. Ofsted inspectors use this handbook when inspecting early years providers.
• Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills. Guidance for Ofsted inspectors when inspecting safeguarding under the common inspection framework.
• Childcare inspections: providers judged inadequate or not meeting requirements. What happens when Ofsted deems a provider as inadequate.
• Inspection of services on Childcare Register. Guidance on how Ofsted inspects childcare services that are only on the Childcare Register.
• Regulation of services on Childcare Register: framework. How Ofsted regulates applicants and childcare services that are only on the Childcare Register.
• Early years provider non-compliance: action by Ofsted. How Ofsted deals with a provider that doesn't comply with regulations.
• Common inspection framework: education, skills and early years from September 2015. How Ofsted inspects:
  • maintained schools and academies
  • non-association independent schools
  • further education and skills provision
  • early years settings.