There is a new Ofsted inspection handbook (upd May 2019) to be used from 1st September 2019.
You can find it here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
There are new inspection judgements including –
- Quality of education – focus on the intent, implementation and impact of your curriculum; Ofsted will look at vocabulary and reading as well.
- Personal development – focus on PSED
- Behaviour and attitudes – focus on children’s behaviour and their attitudes to learning
- Leadership and management – this inspection area stays pretty much the same with a big focus on safeguarding, but there is a new judgement on staff wellbeing and workload.
- Overall effectiveness – quality of education and safeguarding will be limiting judgements.
There is much less focus on paperwork and more focus on practice – this should see practitioners ditching the complicated spreadsheets and unnecessary documentation, raising staff wellbeing and playing with the children instead.
Ofsted have been releasing lots of information, blogging, sharing on YouTube and much more - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166634/education-inspection-framework-2019-key-changes-for-early-years.
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There is a new Ofsted safeguarding handbook (upd May 2019)
You can find it here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-settings
Paragraph 13 reminds providers that there must be, ‘Clear and effective arrangements for staff development and training in respect of the protection and care of children and learners.’ You can ensure this is in place by prioritising safeguarding training during induction, staff meetings and supervisions and sharing updated information such as this guidance with staff to keep safeguarding at the heart of everything you do.
There are a few more significant changes for early years practice including, for example, practitioners must identify concerns – help prevent problems or get support – manage safeguarding through safer recruitment and responses to allegations.
Ofsted may probe how you look at the reasons behind poor behaviour; your understanding of ‘county lines’ and online bullying and how you keep children safe.
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There is a new version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (upd June 2019).
You can find it here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
This document has been updated and the new version must be used from Sept 2019. The EYFS says we must ‘have regard’ to it – so we need to know what the changes say and how we can comply.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
Do you need to update your Safeguarding Policy? Your policy should talk about:
- Local safeguarding partnerships rather than Local Safeguarding Children Boards – talk to your Local Authority about what yours will be called from the end of September (see information below).
- Peer on peer / sexual abuse now covers up-skirting in KCSIE so you need to change wording to include this in your Safeguarding Policy.
- There is a new focus on online use including online safety – in KCSIE and in the new early years inspection handbook so now might be a good time to review your security and share some updated information with parents.
- The NSPCC staff helpline has changed to 0800 028 0285. If you have staff you should revise what information is shared with them.
- If you look after older children, you will need to be aware of the new relationships education which is coming in for school-age. Read up so you know what each age-group will be taught in school and you will be better placed to support them in the setting if they ask questions.
- Don’t forget to change references to KCSIE from 2018 to 2019 in your Safeguarding Policy and to train any staff in the changes – giving them a copy of this guidance to read is enough – and include some questions from it in your next safeguarding quiz.
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All Local Safeguarding Children Boards are changing name - they will be Safeguarding Partners rather than LSCBs.
You can find more information here –
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/2005514/government-tells-councils-to-replace-lscbs-by-september-2019.
Your Local Safeguarding Children Board will be called something else from the end of September – this means that you will need to find out the new name, check whether contact details / website links etc have changed and update your Safeguarding Policy.
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Changes coming soon…
The Early Learning Goals are being updated after a consultation later this year. They are NOT for early years providers such as childminders, nurseries, pre-schools etc so we won’t need to worry about them. They are still proposed at the moment.
More information here –
https://www.tes.com/news/proposed-new-early-learning-goals-full-details.
The Early Years Foundation Stage will be updated in 2020 to include the new Early Learning Goals – as they are not for childminders this won’t affect us. However, there might be some other tweaks to the EYFS that we will need to note – but we won’t know until it is released.
More information here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168146/dfe-confirms-timetable-for-revised-early-years-foundation-stage
The Development Matters guidance is being updated – due date early 2020. It will, apparently, make assessment easier… we will have to wait and see.
More information here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168238/development-matters-revised-for-new-eyfs.
If you have any questions, please ask! You will find me on the Independent Childminders Facebook group (not during the day when I am working ... but I am there most evenings) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Chat soon, Sarah
http://www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk/