# data[].attributes.body
BOHS Geometry Solids Guess Game - 3D Shapes Miniature Set -Wooden Montessori Toys - Pack of 10pcs - Ages 3 and Up https://amzn.eu/d/7eqMuXg

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Outcome of safeguarding consultation October 2024

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Outcome of safeguarding consultation October 2024

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Raw flour: how to handle raw flour for use in play

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Raw flour: how to handle raw flour for use in play

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Can you eat raw flour?

Flour doesn't look like a raw food, but all flour is raw. That means it hasn't been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). These bacteria are widespread in the environment and can contaminate grain while it's still in the field or flour while it's being processed. Steps like grinding grain and bleaching flour don't kill harmful bacteria and these germs can end up in flour products or baking mixes you buy in shops.

It is particularly important for vulnerable people, such as children under 5, those with compromised immune systems and older people, to not taste or eat raw dough or batter. This is because their immune system may not be able to fight off infections as easily.

Foods to be careful with include dough or batter for foods like cookies, cakes, pie crusts, pizza, biscuits and pancakes. Also, crafts made with raw flour, such as homemade play dough can be risky. Ensure you clean hands, surfaces and utensils after use to avoid cross-contamination.

Using raw flour safely

Here are some helpful tips to follow when using flour:

Ensure that children don't play with or eat raw dough, including dough for crafts, unless it has been heat-treated beforehand

Bake raw dough, such as cookie dough, and batter, such as cake mix, before eating

Make sure to not use raw homemade cookie dough in ice cream unless it has been made with heat-treated flour (cookie dough ice cream sold in shops contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful germs)

Keep raw foods, such as flour, separate from ready-to-eat foods - because flour is a powder, it can spread easily

Follow storage instructions carefully for food containing raw dough until they are baked or cooked (for example, ready to eat cookie dough or ready rolled pastry)

Always clean up  thoroughly after handling flour, eggs, or raw dough:

Wash hands with soap and warm water after handling flour or any surfaces they have touched

Wash bowls, utensils, and other surfaces with warm, soapy water or a suitable cleaning agent

Make sure countertops are cleaned thoroughly

Heat treating flour

You can treat flour by heating it to make it safe. You can then use it to make foods like raw cookie dough or in dough for crafts.

We don't recommend using a microwave to sterilise flour, as there can be a risk of uneven heating. We also don't recommend using an air fryer, as the air circulation makes it unsuitable.

Ideally, use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the flour when cooking. The flour should be heated to 70°C for a minimum of 2 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, make sure to stick to the following timings and temperatures.

Using an oven:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 4

Spread the flour out evenly on a lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, stirring half-way through.

Ideally, use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the flour in a few different spots when stirring and after 5 minutes

The flour should be heated to 70°C for a minimum of 2 minutes

Make sure to cool the flour before using

Using a frying pan:

Tip the flour into a heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium heat

Stir constantly for about 4 minutes until all the flour is hot

Ideally, use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the flour in a few different spots

The flour should be heated to 70°C for a minimum of 2 minutes

Make sure to cool the flour before using

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You can get ill if you eat unbaked dough or batter made with flour containing bacteria. Flour is a raw ingredient and should be cooked or baked before eating to make it safe.

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Large messy play tubs, designed specifically to be safe for children's play. Start Creating Messy Fun!

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baby products for babies products for toddlers products for preschoolers online shop online baby shop online kids nz made products nz businesses buy nz made buy new zealand made

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Under 5s - For Parents with Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers

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Under5s.co.nz has all you need for your baby, toddler or preschooler. From places to shop, to useful tips & articles, competitions, discount offers & lots more!

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My most popular No-Cook Play Dough recipe that has been searched for and pinned on Pinterest multiple-millions of times!

There's a reason it's the World's favourite! And I am giving it to you in a super-easy-to-save-and-print format today so that you can stick it on the fridge and use it often!

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Invitations to Play | No-Cook Play Dough

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Play ideas for you, brought to you by Anna at the Imagination Tree and PlayLab!

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Adding flowers/leaves/herbs to the mud kitchen

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Adding flowers/leaves/herbs to the mud kitchen

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An in the moment reaction to a babies interest. A small amount of sand and water on a tray.

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An in the moment reaction to a babies interest. A small amount of sand and water on a tray.

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Small scale sand idea combined with playdough

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Small scale sand idea combined with playdough

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sand small scale combined with playdough

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Add a pasta maker to clay/playdough/mud to create additional textures

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Add a pasta maker to clay/playdough/mud to create additional textures

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Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex

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Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex

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It's malleable, it's free , it's vast.

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Child lead mark making in wet sand on the beach

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Setting up an invitation to combine materials can be a good starting point, especially if child lead malleable exploration is new to you and the children

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They don't have to be fancy.

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Mud , full body exploration , this would support a enveloping schema.

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Mud, water and a few simple tools=endless exploration

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This was the end of a week of clay exploration, there was mostly water left but it still held the children's interest.

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We are excited to announce that Outdoors Thinking was Highly Commended for Nursery World Trainer of the Year 2023

Nursery World said "This is a tremendous achievement against extremely tough competition. This year we received an incredible number of entries from across the country, so to be shortlisted is an amazing feat."

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rich and satisfying high quality outdoor provision

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Welcome to Outdoors Thinking, where we provide training and development to support you to establish high quality outdoor provision and practice in your early childhood setting.

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Introduction

What is attachment theory and why is it important?

Attachment is a clinical term used to describe "a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" (Bowlby, 1997). In particular, attachment theory highlights the importance of a child's emotional bond with their primary caregivers. Disruption to or loss of this bond can affect a child emotionally and psychologically into adulthood, and have an impact on their future relationships.

Only specially trained and qualified professionals should assess a child's attachment style. However, it's important for all adults working with children to understand what attachment is and know how to help parents and carers become attuned to their child's needs. You might do this by working with them directly, or by signposting families to other appropriate services. In the long term, this can help improve wellbeing and provide positive outcomes for both the child and their caregivers.

Understanding attachment in the early years

Children can form attachments with more than one caregiver, but the bond with the people who have provided close care from early infancy is the most important and enduring (Bowlby, 1997).

It's important that parents and carers are attuned and responsive to their baby's needs and are able to provide appropriate care. This includes recognising if their baby is hungry, feeling unwell or in need of closeness and affection (Howe, 2011).

Forming an attachment is something that develops over time for a child, but parents and carers can start to form an emotional bond with their child before they are born. Sometimes a parent or carer may have difficulty forming this bond, for example if they are experiencing mental health issues or don't have an effective support network.

On this page, you'll find information on:

why attachment is important

how children develop attachment

attachment issues, insecure and secure attachment and behaviours to look out for

how trauma can affect attachment

how you can support parents and carers to develop a bond with their child.

Need specific information?

Our information specialists are here to help you find research, guidance and best practice.

References

Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Howe, David (2011) Attachment across the lifecourse: a brief introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Stages of attachment

Stages of attachment

The first two years of a child's life are the most critical for forming attachments (Prior and Glaser, 2006).

During this period, children develop an 'internal working model' that shapes the way they view relationships and operate socially. This can affect their sense of trust in others, self-worth and their confidence interacting with others (Bowlby, 1997).

When are attachments formed?

Attachments are formed in different ways during the phases of a child's development.

Antenatal (before birth)

During the antenatal period, parents and carers can form a bond with their child. Any bonds formed before birth can have a positive impact on the relationship between babies and their caregivers once the child is born (Condon and Corkindale, 1997).

Birth until 6 weeks

This is sometimes referred to as the pre-attachment phase because the baby doesn't appear to show an attachment to any specific caregiver. However, parents and carers who provide a nurturing environment and are responsive to their babies needs can lay the foundation for secure attachments to form (Bowlby, 1997).

6 weeks until 6-8 months

During this stage of their development, a baby might start to show a preference for their primary and secondary caregivers (often the mother and father).

6-8 months until 18 months-2 years

During this period a child begins to show a strong attachment to their primary caregivers. Babies start to develop separation anxiety during this phase and can become upset when their caregiver leaves, even for short periods (Bowlby, 1997).

18 months - 2 years onwards

At this point children are likely to become less dependent on their primary caregiver, particularly if they feel secure and confident the caregiver will return and be responsive in times of need (Bowlby, 1997).

References

Prior, V. and Glaser, D. (2006) Understanding attachment and attachment disorders: theory, evidence and practice. London: Jessica Kingsley. Condon, J. T. and Corkindale, C. (1997)
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.

The correlates of antenatal attachment in pregnant women. British Journal of Medical Psychology. Cambridge University Press, 70 (4): 359-372. Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.

Types of attachment

Types of attachment

A child's need for attachment is part of the process of seeking safety and security from their caregiver.

What does secure attachment look like?

In secure caregiver-child relationships, the caregiver is usually sensitive and tuned in to the child's needs. They are able to provide care that is predictably loving, responsive and consistent.

Young children who have formed a secure attachment to their caregiver may display the following patterns of behaviour during times of stress or exploration:

proximity maintenance - wanting to be near their primary caregiver

safe haven - returning to their primary caregiver for comfort and safety if they feel afraid or threatened

secure base - treating their primary caregiver as a base of security from which they can explore the surrounding environment. The child feels safe in the knowledge that they can return to their secure base when needed

separation distress - experiencing anxiety in the absence of their primary caregiver. They are upset when their caregiver leaves, but happy to see them and easily comforted when they return

Benefits of secure attachment

When caregivers react sensitively to ease their child's distress and help them regulate their emotions, it has a positive impact on the child's neurological, physiological and psychosocial development (Howe, 2011).

Children with secure attachments are more likely to develop emotional intelligence, good social skills and robust mental health (Howe, 2011).

Effects of insecure attachment

Not receiving comfort and security in the early years can have a negative effect on children's neurological, psychological, emotional and physical development and functioning (Newman, 2015).

Babies and young children who have attachment issues may be more likely to develop behavioural problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorder (Fearon et al, 2010).

Children who have attachment issues can have difficulty forming healthy relationships when they grow up. This may be because their experiences have taught them to believe that other people are unreliable or untrustworthy (Bowlby, 1997).

Adults with attachment issues are at a higher risk of entering into volatile relationships and having poor parenting skills, behavioural difficulties and mental health problems (Howe, 2011).
> Find out more about how trauma affects child brain development
Further reading

Take a look at our reading list on child attachment.
> View the reading list on the NSPCC Library catalogue

Attachment issues

Attachment issues

Factors affecting attachment

Some circumstances can make it more challenging for a child and their caregivers to form a pattern of secure attachment. These may include:

abuse, maltreatment and trauma experienced by the parent or child

parental mental health difficulties

parental substance misuse

the child having multiple care placements

parents being separated from their baby just after birth, for example if the baby is receiving neonatal care

stress such as having a low income, being a single parent, or being a young parent

bereavement or loss of another caregiver that a child had an attachment with

Signs that a child may have attachment issues

Children's behaviour can be influenced by a wide range of circumstances and emotions.

Indicators that a baby or toddler might not have a secure attachment with their caregiver will emerge as a pattern of behaviour over time, particularly during moments of stress or exploration. This pattern might include:

being fearful or avoidant of a parent or carer

becoming extremely distressed when their carer leaves them, even for a short amount of time

rejecting their caregiver's efforts to calm, soothe, and connect with them

not seeming to notice or care when their caregiver leaves the room or when they return

being passive or non-responsive to their carer

seeming to be depressed or angry

not being interested in playing with toys or exploring their environment

As children with attachment issues get older, these behaviour patterns might evolve. As well as being evident during times of stress, some behaviours may start to become obvious at other times. These may include the child:

finding it difficult to ask for help

struggling to form positive relationships with adults and peers

struggling to concentrate

struggling to calm themselves down

both demanding and rejecting attention or support at the same time

becoming quickly or disproportionately angry or upset, at times with no clear triggers

appearing withdrawn or disengaged from activities

daydreaming, being hyperactive or constantly fidgeting or moving

(Mentally Healthy Schools, 2020).

If you think a child may have attachment issues, you should refer them to a suitably trained health and social care professional for a full assessment. You should follow your organisation's procedures to make a health and social care referral, or contact your local authority children's social care services.

References

Bowlby, John (1989) The making and breaking of affectional bonds. London: Routledge. Mentally Healthy Schools (2020)
Howe, David (2011) Attachment across the lifecourse: a brief introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Attachment and child development. [Accessed 09/11/2020].

Trauma and attachment

Trauma and attachment

The signs of attachment issues can be similar to indicators that a child is experiencing other challenges, such as:

This means it's important to consider everything that's going on in a child's life and make sure they and their family are provided with appropriate support.

Think about all your previous experiences with the child and their caregivers, to help you build a clear picture of their relationships and recognise any concerning patterns of behaviour.

The impact of trauma and attachment

Children who have experienced abuse, neglect and trauma might develop coping strategies that can make it more complicated to recognise attachment issues.

For example, one sign of secure attachment is that children see their caregiver as a secure base to explore from. But children who have experienced neglect, for example, might display independent behaviour in order to protect themselves from the emotional pain of not having their needs met (Marvin et al, 2002).

It is also possible for a child to develop an attachment to someone who is maltreating them (Blizard & Bluhm, 1994).

As well as affecting attachment, experiencing trauma can have an impact on a child's brain development. Children might need extra support to help strengthen the architecture of their brain.
> Find out more about how trauma affects child brain development
What to do if you're worried that a child is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect
If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.
If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns.

Follow your organisation's child protection procedures without delay. These should provide clear guidelines on the steps you need to take if a child discloses abuse. They will state who in your organisation has responsibility for safeguarding or child protection and who you should report your concerns to.

Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

Contact the police. They will assess the situation and take the appropriate action to protect the child.

Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Our child protection specialists will talk through your concerns with you, give you expert advice and take action to protect the child as appropriate. This may include making a referral to the local authority.

> Find out more about recognising and responding to abuse
If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in your own, or another, organisation, contact the Whistleblowing Advice Line to discuss your concerns.
> Find out about the Whistleblowing Advice Line on the NSPCC website
When you're not sure

The NSPCC Helpline can help when you're not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. Our child protection specialists are here to support you whether you're seeking advice, sharing concerns about a child, or looking for reassurance.

Whatever the need, reason or feeling, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our trained professionals will talk through your concerns with you. Depending on what you share, our experts will talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children's services and the police.
> Find out more about how the NSPCC Helpline can support you

Supporting children and families

Supporting children and families

Building positive relationships

It's important for anyone who works with children and families to support parents and carers in building positive relationships with their child. Having positive interaction and play with caregivers can help a child's brain to develop healthily.
> See our early years resources which you can share with parents and caregivers
Video feedback programmes can also be used by specially trained social care professionals to help caregivers improve their interactions with their child. This involves caregivers being filmed when they are interacting with their child and then watching the recording with a trained practitioner, who gives them feedback and helps them build on their strengths.

Support for parents and carers

If parents are struggling with their own issues, it may make it harder for them to bond with their child and provide consistant and responsive care. They may have:

experienced abuse of trauma themselves

drug and/or alcohol dependencies

mental health issues.

> Find out more about parental mental health > Learn more about parental substance misuse
Services for children and families

The NSPCC has many services that children and families can be referred to, from supporting parents and carers in taking care of their children to preventing sexual abuse and overcoming abuse.

Our services might be suitable for children and families you are working with:

Pregnancy in Mind helps parents who are at risk of or experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and depression during pregnancy. The service helps build parents' capacity to provide sensitive, responsive care to their babies and keep these skills developed postnatally and as their children develop
Browse for more services
Further reading

Take a look at our reading list about child attachment interventions, support and treatment.
> View the list on the NSPCC Library catalogue
Supporting children's mental health

Children with attachment issues may have problems expressing or controlling their emotions and forming positive relationships, which might affect their mental health.

It's important to make sure children and young people have access to mental health support.
> Find out more about child mental health > See the NSPCC's advice for parents and carers on how to support their child's mental health
Childline

If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice you can always direct them to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online. Children under the age of 12 can be directed to the Childline Kids website.

We also have a series of posters and wallet cards you can download for free. These can be printed and displayed in your setting to encourage children to contact Childline if they need to talk.

Introduction

What is attachment theory and why is it important?

Attachment is a clinical term used to describe "a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" (Bowlby, 1997). In particular, attachment theory highlights the importance of a child's emotional bond with their primary caregivers. Disruption to or loss of this bond can affect a child emotionally and psychologically into adulthood, and have an impact on their future relationships.

Only specially trained and qualified professionals should assess a child's attachment style. However, it's important for all adults working with children to understand what attachment is and know how to help parents and carers become attuned to their child's needs. You might do this by working with them directly, or by signposting families to other appropriate services. In the long term, this can help improve wellbeing and provide positive outcomes for both the child and their caregivers.

Understanding attachment in the early years

Children can form attachments with more than one caregiver, but the bond with the people who have provided close care from early infancy is the most important and enduring (Bowlby, 1997).

It's important that parents and carers are attuned and responsive to their baby's needs and are able to provide appropriate care. This includes recognising if their baby is hungry, feeling unwell or in need of closeness and affection (Howe, 2011).

Forming an attachment is something that develops over time for a child, but parents and carers can start to form an emotional bond with their child before they are born. Sometimes a parent or carer may have difficulty forming this bond, for example if they are experiencing mental health issues or don't have an effective support network.

On this page, you'll find information on:

why attachment is important

how children develop attachment

attachment issues, insecure and secure attachment and behaviours to look out for

how trauma can affect attachment

how you can support parents and carers to develop a bond with their child.

Need specific information?

Our information specialists are here to help you find research, guidance and best practice.

References

Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Howe, David (2011) Attachment across the lifecourse: a brief introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Stages of attachment

Stages of attachment

The first two years of a child's life are the most critical for forming attachments (Prior and Glaser, 2006).

During this period, children develop an 'internal working model' that shapes the way they view relationships and operate socially. This can affect their sense of trust in others, self-worth and their confidence interacting with others (Bowlby, 1997).

When are attachments formed?

Attachments are formed in different ways during the phases of a child's development.

Antenatal (before birth)

During the antenatal period, parents and carers can form a bond with their child. Any bonds formed before birth can have a positive impact on the relationship between babies and their caregivers once the child is born (Condon and Corkindale, 1997).

Birth until 6 weeks

This is sometimes referred to as the pre-attachment phase because the baby doesn't appear to show an attachment to any specific caregiver. However, parents and carers who provide a nurturing environment and are responsive to their babies needs can lay the foundation for secure attachments to form (Bowlby, 1997).

6 weeks until 6-8 months

During this stage of their development, a baby might start to show a preference for their primary and secondary caregivers (often the mother and father).

6-8 months until 18 months-2 years

During this period a child begins to show a strong attachment to their primary caregivers. Babies start to develop separation anxiety during this phase and can become upset when their caregiver leaves, even for short periods (Bowlby, 1997).

18 months - 2 years onwards

At this point children are likely to become less dependent on their primary caregiver, particularly if they feel secure and confident the caregiver will return and be responsive in times of need (Bowlby, 1997).

References

Prior, V. and Glaser, D. (2006) Understanding attachment and attachment disorders: theory, evidence and practice. London: Jessica Kingsley. Condon, J. T. and Corkindale, C. (1997)
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.

The correlates of antenatal attachment in pregnant women. British Journal of Medical Psychology. Cambridge University Press, 70 (4): 359-372. Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.
Bowlby, John (1997) Attachment and loss. Volume 1: attachment. London: Pimlico.

Types of attachment

Types of attachment

A child's need for attachment is part of the process of seeking safety and security from their caregiver.

What does secure attachment look like?

In secure caregiver-child relationships, the caregiver is usually sensitive and tuned in to the child's needs. They are able to provide care that is predictably loving, responsive and consistent.

Young children who have formed a secure attachment to their caregiver may display the following patterns of behaviour during times of stress or exploration:

proximity maintenance - wanting to be near their primary caregiver

safe haven - returning to their primary caregiver for comfort and safety if they feel afraid or threatened

secure base - treating their primary caregiver as a base of security from which they can explore the surrounding environment. The child feels safe in the knowledge that they can return to their secure base when needed

separation distress - experiencing anxiety in the absence of their primary caregiver. They are upset when their caregiver leaves, but happy to see them and easily comforted when they return

Benefits of secure attachment

When caregivers react sensitively to ease their child's distress and help them regulate their emotions, it has a positive impact on the child's neurological, physiological and psychosocial development (Howe, 2011).

Children with secure attachments are more likely to develop emotional intelligence, good social skills and robust mental health (Howe, 2011).

Effects of insecure attachment

Not receiving comfort and security in the early years can have a negative effect on children's neurological, psychological, emotional and physical development and functioning (Newman, 2015).

Babies and young children who have attachment issues may be more likely to develop behavioural problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorder (Fearon et al, 2010).

Children who have attachment issues can have difficulty forming healthy relationships when they grow up. This may be because their experiences have taught them to believe that other people are unreliable or untrustworthy (Bowlby, 1997).

Adults with attachment issues are at a higher risk of entering into volatile relationships and having poor parenting skills, behavioural difficulties and mental health problems (Howe, 2011).
> Find out more about how trauma affects child brain development
Further reading

Take a look at our reading list on child attachment.
> View the reading list on the NSPCC Library catalogue

Attachment issues

Attachment issues

Factors affecting attachment

Some circumstances can make it more challenging for a child and their caregivers to form a pattern of secure attachment. These may include:

abuse, maltreatment and trauma experienced by the parent or child

parental mental health difficulties

parental substance misuse

the child having multiple care placements

parents being separated from their baby just after birth, for example if the baby is receiving neonatal care

stress such as having a low income, being a single parent, or being a young parent

bereavement or loss of another caregiver that a child had an attachment with

Signs that a child may have attachment issues

Children's behaviour can be influenced by a wide range of circumstances and emotions.

Indicators that a baby or toddler might not have a secure attachment with their caregiver will emerge as a pattern of behaviour over time, particularly during moments of stress or exploration. This pattern might include:

being fearful or avoidant of a parent or carer

becoming extremely distressed when their carer leaves them, even for a short amount of time

rejecting their caregiver's efforts to calm, soothe, and connect with them

not seeming to notice or care when their caregiver leaves the room or when they return

being passive or non-responsive to their carer

seeming to be depressed or angry

not being interested in playing with toys or exploring their environment

As children with attachment issues get older, these behaviour patterns might evolve. As well as being evident during times of stress, some behaviours may start to become obvious at other times. These may include the child:

finding it difficult to ask for help

struggling to form positive relationships with adults and peers

struggling to concentrate

struggling to calm themselves down

both demanding and rejecting attention or support at the same time

becoming quickly or disproportionately angry or upset, at times with no clear triggers

appearing withdrawn or disengaged from activities

daydreaming, being hyperactive or constantly fidgeting or moving

(Mentally Healthy Schools, 2020).

If you think a child may have attachment issues, you should refer them to a suitably trained health and social care professional for a full assessment. You should follow your organisation's procedures to make a health and social care referral, or contact your local authority children's social care services.

References

Bowlby, John (1989) The making and breaking of affectional bonds. London: Routledge. Mentally Healthy Schools (2020)
Howe, David (2011) Attachment across the lifecourse: a brief introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Attachment and child development. [Accessed 09/11/2020].

Trauma and attachment

Trauma and attachment

The signs of attachment issues can be similar to indicators that a child is experiencing other challenges, such as:

This means it's important to consider everything that's going on in a child's life and make sure they and their family are provided with appropriate support.

Think about all your previous experiences with the child and their caregivers, to help you build a clear picture of their relationships and recognise any concerning patterns of behaviour.

The impact of trauma and attachment

Children who have experienced abuse, neglect and trauma might develop coping strategies that can make it more complicated to recognise attachment issues.

For example, one sign of secure attachment is that children see their caregiver as a secure base to explore from. But children who have experienced neglect, for example, might display independent behaviour in order to protect themselves from the emotional pain of not having their needs met (Marvin et al, 2002).

It is also possible for a child to develop an attachment to someone who is maltreating them (Blizard & Bluhm, 1994).

As well as affecting attachment, experiencing trauma can have an impact on a child's brain development. Children might need extra support to help strengthen the architecture of their brain.
> Find out more about how trauma affects child brain development
What to do if you're worried that a child is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect
If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.
If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns.

Follow your organisation's child protection procedures without delay. These should provide clear guidelines on the steps you need to take if a child discloses abuse. They will state who in your organisation has responsibility for safeguarding or child protection and who you should report your concerns to.

Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

Contact the police. They will assess the situation and take the appropriate action to protect the child.

Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Our child protection specialists will talk through your concerns with you, give you expert advice and take action to protect the child as appropriate. This may include making a referral to the local authority.

> Find out more about recognising and responding to abuse
If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in your own, or another, organisation, contact the Whistleblowing Advice Line to discuss your concerns.
> Find out about the Whistleblowing Advice Line on the NSPCC website
When you're not sure

The NSPCC Helpline can help when you're not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. Our child protection specialists are here to support you whether you're seeking advice, sharing concerns about a child, or looking for reassurance.

Whatever the need, reason or feeling, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our trained professionals will talk through your concerns with you. Depending on what you share, our experts will talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children's services and the police.
> Find out more about how the NSPCC Helpline can support you

Supporting children and families

Supporting children and families

Building positive relationships

It's important for anyone who works with children and families to support parents and carers in building positive relationships with their child. Having positive interaction and play with caregivers can help a child's brain to develop healthily.
> See our early years resources which you can share with parents and caregivers
Video feedback programmes can also be used by specially trained social care professionals to help caregivers improve their interactions with their child. This involves caregivers being filmed when they are interacting with their child and then watching the recording with a trained practitioner, who gives them feedback and helps them build on their strengths.

Support for parents and carers

If parents are struggling with their own issues, it may make it harder for them to bond with their child and provide consistant and responsive care. They may have:

experienced abuse of trauma themselves

drug and/or alcohol dependencies

mental health issues.

> Find out more about parental mental health > Learn more about parental substance misuse
Services for children and families

The NSPCC has many services that children and families can be referred to, from supporting parents and carers in taking care of their children to preventing sexual abuse and overcoming abuse.

Our services might be suitable for children and families you are working with:

Pregnancy in Mind helps parents who are at risk of or experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and depression during pregnancy. The service helps build parents' capacity to provide sensitive, responsive care to their babies and keep these skills developed postnatally and as their children develop
Browse for more services
Further reading

Take a look at our reading list about child attachment interventions, support and treatment.
> View the list on the NSPCC Library catalogue
Supporting children's mental health

Children with attachment issues may have problems expressing or controlling their emotions and forming positive relationships, which might affect their mental health.

It's important to make sure children and young people have access to mental health support.
> Find out more about child mental health > See the NSPCC's advice for parents and carers on how to support their child's mental health
Childline

If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice you can always direct them to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online. Children under the age of 12 can be directed to the Childline Kids website.

We also have a series of posters and wallet cards you can download for free. These can be printed and displayed in your setting to encourage children to contact Childline if they need to talk.

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Attachment and child development | NSPCC Learning

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Explains why attachment is important as well as the different stages. Includes information on types of attachment, attachment issues and the effect of trauma.

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The children realy enjoyed the sensationf slipping and this became their main focus.

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This document was created by Essex EYEP Holly Todd, to support childminders preparing for their inspection.

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Supporting children affected by trauma .

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Supporting children affected by trauma .

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Early years children can experience a range of difficulties including agression, anxiety, and tantrums. Find out more about some of the common difficulties that arise and how you can help with them.

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Exploring a range of difficulties children can experience.

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What is a level 2?

Level 2 qualifications are short courses designed to help you gain insight into a new field without committing immense amounts of time. If you are interested in a new topic/investigating a career path, level 2 is the perfect place to start.

How is this qualification free?

Many of our courses/apprenticeships are funded by the adult education budget. It can be accessed by employers and individuals to fund a vast range of training. To offer equal opportunity, everyone who meets the course requirements can take this qualification.

How will I be supported?

Once you enrol on a course, you will be assigned a tutor. Your tutor will be there to assess your work and provide feedback. You can resubmit work on more than one occasion.

When will I receive my certificate?

As soon as your coursework has been assessed, you will be sent your certificate. If you cannot get your certificate, there is a module on your portal, which allows you to request it.

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adverse childhood experiences - level 2 qualification! this course is aimed at parents

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carers and teachers. the aim group’s fast-track courses are nationally accredited!

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Adverse Childhood Experiences - The AIM Group

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Birth to Five Matters- Attachment in the Early Years

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Birth to Five Matters- Attachment in the Early Years

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Key points

Babies and children become attached to significant adults within reliable, respectful, warm and loving relationships which are essential in order to thrive. Babies and children experience wellbeing and contentment when their physical and emotional needs are met and their feelings are accepted. The key person approach, reflecting relationships within families, helps serve to meet these conditions. Early experiences of love and attachment have lifelong benefits.

The key person helps the child to feel known, understood, cared about, and safe. The key person helps the baby or child feel confident that they are "held in mind", thought about and loved. This experience of being cared for by reliable adults who meet their physical needs and remain attentive and playful, affectionate and thoughtful allows children to form secure attachments. Such a grounding provides a "secure base" from which children feel confident to explore the world and form other relationships.

The key person role involves a "triangle of trust" with the child and family. A key person approach is a way to ensure that all children and families have one or more persons within the setting with whom they have a special, nurturing relationship. The presence of a key person helps the child to feel emotionally secure when away from home and provides a reassuring point of contact for parents. There are different ways to ensure a key person is always available (e.g. shared and paired caring, or support partner or buddy).

A key person has special responsibilities for supporting a specific group of children and building relationships with them and their families. The role will involve close physical and personal care for a baby or young child. It is therefore important that parents feel able to share vital information about their child's intimate care preferences, likes and dislikes, motivations and interests, and how they feel about being away from home. Parents might want to talk about their child's feelings or development. It is most helpful for a key person to attend the home visit with another colleague. This frees up opportunities for parents to talk while the key person makes playful connection with the child. If a home visit is not possible, adults can meet somewhere comfortable, with resources to encourage relaxed and playful introductions.

The key person's role includes, but goes far beyond, administrative and operational activities such as keeping records or communicating about the child with parents or other professionals. It is an emotional, reciprocal relationship. As children grow, the key person may not always be present at the setting. Despite this, the child should still feel "held in mind" when they are apart. The key person approach is statutory throughout the early years phase, including in Reception. The role may look very different in a large class of children with often only two adults, but the principles remain the same. A teacher can retain overall knowledge of the children in their class and benefit from particular knowledge that other people working with them might have. The stronger the relationships are, the more supported the child (and their family) will feel about subsequent transitions, including to Key Stage 1.

An effective key person approach needs strong leadership and committed practice. Leaders should have a good working knowledge of the key person approach and be able to implement it to maximise consistency and continuity for the child and family, while offering the best possible support and supervision for practitioners. Although there is legally no minimum qualification to be a key person, leaders can support less experienced staff, including careful thought about the pairing (or mentoring) so that all can benefit from wide expertise. Key persons communicate with a wide range of people involved with the child, including those in other settings the child attends, health visitors, paediatricians, Portage, physiotherapists, social services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, bilingual support, children's centres, and others such as dinner staff.

The role of the key person involves building a relationship of "professional love", with specific and potentially heavy demands. It is important to have professional support and supervision in order to share the challenges of the role. It is also a joyful and privileged position to share in the care of a baby or young child, so having opportunities to celebrate and share those joys are equally important.

Children benefit most when their key person has special qualities and dispositions. Ideally, a key person:

has passion for their work and sees the value and rewards in being a key person

is empathic and understands the different ways of creating a family

appreciates and respects the cultures, identities and diverse backgrounds of the children and families with whom they work

is able to draw on their own informal knowledge of childcare practice from within their own experience and reflect on how best to use or build on it

is able to reflect on and understand the influence of their own attachment experiences on their work with children and families, with the confidence to know when to ask for support and further training

is willing to research and reflect on the concept of "professional love", so that they can see its relevance to their work as a key person

finds effective ways to connect with families, such as developing digital technologies while continuing with as many opportunities for face-to-face connection as possible

is not judgemental and has the skills to communicate with other agencies and settings involved with the child and their family

is well qualified, and/or has wider knowledge and understanding of, for example:
attachment theory, including social and biological factors that might affect a child"s capacity to form attachments

co-regulation and self-regulation

neuroscience (brain development and how it links with all the Prime areas as well as self-regulation and executive function)

pedagogy of effective, relation-based practice

bias and prejudice, how it affects the children and families they work with as well as themselves, and strategies to challenge this

how to identify and support children in a range of circumstances, including those who are vulnerable, looked after, with visible and invisible special educational needs and disabilities

recognises that it is a personal as well as a professional relationship which brings with it much joy, as well as challenge.

works collaboratively with other practitioners, to ensure consistency for the child, and supports transition as an ongoing process, not just an event.

Resources Bibliography
Previous page: Parents as partners | Next page: Supporting development and learning

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Attachment and the role of the key person

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Key points Babies and children become attached to significant adults within reliable, respectful, warm and loving relationships which are essential in order to thrive. Babies and children experience wellbeing and contentment when their physical and emotional needs are met and their feelings are accepted.

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Approaches proven to support PSED development

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Evidence consistently shows that supporting young children's PSED is effective

There is a growing body of evidence to support individual PSED approaches

However, the evidence is most reliable when approaches are applied together.

This theme seeks to foster children's personal, social and emotional development (PSED). These approaches can underpin academic or cognitive Connected to thinking or conscious mental processes dimensions of learning. PSED includes social and emotional learning (SEL) and a child's ability to self-regulate A child's developing ability to regulate their emotions, thoughts and behaviour to enable them to act in positive ways toward a goal. . PSED approaches might seek to improve children's emotional awareness and competence in the way they interact with peers, parents and other adults. PSED approaches also seek to improve children's understanding and awareness of their bodies and their independence in terms of taking care of themselves; as such PSED is closely linked to children's physical development.

There are multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews Researchers summarise all of the research on a particular topic, which meets pre-defined eligibility criteria, in order to answer a specific research question. This gives an objective overview of the evidence for a particular topic or research question. The methods used must be reproducible and transparent. that demonstrate that PSED interventions We recognise that in early years settings ​'intervention' might refer to activities that aim to enhance children's progress. In the evidence base, intervention is used more broadly to represent the different conditions in the experiment that are being tested. have a positive impact on young children's social competence A set of positive skills necessary to get along with others and function constructively in groups. , emotional competence A set of positive skills necessary for identifying, interpreting and constructively responding to emotions in oneself and others. , self-regulation and learning. Children can benefit in terms of recognising, expressing and regulating emotions as well developing their ability to collaborate, negotiate and solve problems with others. Some PSED approaches may particularly benefit children experiencing disadvantage. The existing evidence suggests that universal PSED interventions We recognise that in early years settings ​'intervention' might refer to activities that aim to enhance children's progress. In the evidence base, intervention is used more broadly to represent the different conditions in the experiment that are being tested. (i.e. delivered to all children in a setting) are effective, while the evidence on targeted interventions We recognise that in early years settings ​'intervention' might refer to activities that aim to enhance children's progress. In the evidence base, intervention is used more broadly to represent the different conditions in the experiment that are being tested. (i.e. delivered only to children experiencing social, emotional or behavioural challenges) is inconclusive (Blewitt et al., 2018; Blewitt et al., 2021; Murano, Sawyer and Lipnevich, 2020). Although there is strong evidence for PSED interventions We recognise that in early years settings ​'intervention' might refer to activities that aim to enhance children's progress. In the evidence base, intervention is used more broadly to represent the different conditions in the experiment that are being tested. in general, individual approaches in this area are not all equally well-evidenced. There is promising evidence for teaching children emotional awareness and relationship management, but promoting self-care is currently under-researched in the field of education.

We would recommend that early years settings use multiple approaches to support children's personal, social and emotional development, for two reasons. Firstly, a significant proportion of the evidence supporting PSED approaches in the early years comes from evaluations of programmes which combine several approaches; when approaches are combined, it is not possible to establish which of the approaches involved leads to improved outcomes for children. Secondly, all the PSED approaches appear to support each other and target similar skills; they are mutually reinforcing.

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Personal Social and Emotional Development

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Help for early years providers : Personal, social and emotional development

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Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world.

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With loose parts the only limit is the child's imagination.

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With loose parts the only limit is the child's imagination.

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Utilising large loose parts in construction.

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Evidence supported approaches to early years development which are proven to have positive outcomes for children.

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Support to help you put evidence-informed approaches into practice.

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“When children interact with loose parts, they enter a world of “what if” that promotes the type of  thinking that leads to problem solving and theoretical reasoning.  Loose parts enhance children’s ability to think imaginatively and see solutions, and they bring a sense of adventure and excitement to children’s play”.

(Dale and Beloglovsky)

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Thanks to Em D'souza

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Apologies, I couldn't find out who had sent this one.

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Thanks to Marion Walker

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Thanks to Kayte

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Thanks to Kayte

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Thanks to Kayte

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Thanks to Claire Batt.

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A simple solution to offering loose parts.

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A simple solution to offering loose parts.

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Thanks to Marion Walker

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Thanks to Laura Maddalena

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Thanks to Sophie from Happy Ducklings.

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This week these gems have been used in small world play, where they were stolen from a castle, in craft, as currency in role play and here they are being sorted according to shape. This one small cheap resources covers pretty much the wole curriculum. If I had told children how to use them I would have immediately turned them from an open ended intelligent resource to a closed resource only suitabl for one purpose.

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What does 'cultural capital' mean for early years?

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By Michael Freeston, Quality and Standards Director at the Early Years Alliance.
The term cultural capital has been added to Ofsted's new Education Inspection Framework (EIF), due to come into effect on 1 September 2019.

Ofsted has explained that the EIF is an evolution from the previous Common Inspection Framework, putting an increased focus on professional discussion between the inspector and setting staff about their educational programmes, how well it is delivered and what impact it has on children's learning and development.

The new EIF also introduces the concept of cultural capital.

The framework states:

"Cultural capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. It is about giving children the best possible start to their early education. As part of making a judgment about the quality of education, inspectors will consider how well leaders use the curriculum to enhance the experience and opportunities available to children, particularly the most disadvantaged [...]

"Some children arrive at an early years setting with different experiences from others, in their learning and play. What a setting does, through the EYFS curriculum and interactions with practitioners potentially makes all the difference to children. It is the role of the setting to help the children experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live, through the seven areas of learning."

Be confident in demonstrating cultural capital in your setting

Some practitioners have expressed concern that Ofsted has not made it clear what inspectors will expect to see and hear as evidence that children's cultural capital is being enhanced at their early years settings.

Others say that the new framework presents a superficial definition of a term that covers a whole area of sociological study.

Early years providers should be confident that they are able to demonstrate how their provision shows children the "awe and wonder" of the world. Make sure that you and your colleagues feel confident talking about building activities around the children's interests.

You can use the knowledge from regular observations, work as key persons and what you know of the children's home lives to develop children's experiences and learning.

There is no need to over-think cultural capital - it is the exciting and stimulating activities that you do with children every day.

It may include:

finding books on a child's favourite topic

creating role-play activities that further their interest in a particular idea

taking trips to the park

or organising visits from community figures such as the police.

What is important is that you feel confident explaining why you have chosen a particular activity and how it will benefit the child's learning and development.

Supporting children's personal and social development

In an early years setting, cultural capital means that each child arrives with a number of experiences and ideas based on their own personal circumstances.

Ofsted has previously demonstrated its approach with a picture of two boys dressed up as pirates. Here, they argue that the cultural capital used is the pre-existing knowledge that they have about pirates, allowing them to enjoy the game. They know that pirates wear hats and carry weapons - and that pirates go "arrghh!"

In this way, explaining how you improve cultural capital can be considered similar to the challenges the sector faced when asked to demonstrate how your setting "promotes British values".

We may not have been sure of what the term meant when it was first introduced, but we soon came to realise that if we were supporting children's personal, social and emotional development then we were in effect promoting British values.

Giving experiences to children to 'make them effective citizens'

However, there are still some concerns about the definition of cultural capital provided and the reasons why it has been added to the EIF.

The concept of cultural capital is associated with sociologist Pierre Bourdieu who used the term to explain why some children achieve better educational outcomes than others.

Bourdieu defined cultural capital as the various assets that people have including the way they speak, their level of education and their hobbies and interests. He noted that children from less advantaged backgrounds were less likely to achieve academically than their better off peers and concluded that the education system and wider society values certain aspects of cultural capital more than others.

This, he believed, influenced social mobility, wellbeing and life outcomes.

Ofsted's definition of cultural capital as "the knowledge that children need to be effective citizens" is only one part of the story.

Some providers are concerned that Ofsted has introduced a term that, as a sociological concept, is about power and how groups of people maintain and enhance their positions in society at the expense of others.

However, it is unlikely that Ofsted will make judgments based on the life experiences and lifestyles of the children that attend each setting.

The early years sector can be reassured that the essence of cultural capital already lies within the EYFS.

Rather than looking for hidden meaning in the phrase, practitioners should continue to focus on giving each child the best start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their full potential.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2019 issue of Under 5 magazine.
Watch the cultural capital webinar

In this lively webinar, Michael Freeston and Melanie Pilcher, Quality and Standards Manager dig a little deeper, looking at the origins of the term and how it does (or does not) relate to the current early years agenda. Participants were encouraged to contribute their reflections on the concept and share with others how they are preparing to evidence to Ofsted that they are meeting the new requirements within their provision.

More EIF resources for you and your team

Workshops: The Alliance is running a series of workshops on cultural capital and the EIF, for members and non-members.

Webinar: Preparing your provision for the Education Inspection Framework (EIF)
Coming soon...
Exploring the Education Inspection Framework: This publication is out in early September and will be available for pre-order in late August.

A SMARTpd pack on delivering the EIF: The pack will include a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, with facilitator notes, and accompanying resources to support the host to deliver an in-house session to their team at staff meetings or training days. It provides a cost effective way to prompt discussion, increase understanding and raise awareness in the team. The pack will be sold via our Shop.

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Cultural capital in the EIF: what you need to know

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By Michael Freeston, Quality and Standards Director at the Early Years Alliance. The term cultural capital has been added to Ofsted's new Education Inspection Framework (EIF), due to come into effect on 1 September 2019.

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This is me! I've been an Outstanding Registered Childminder for 24 years During 2023/24 I was the  Area Lead and Mentor on the DfE's Experts and Mentors programme and I am currently the Childminding Partner for the Barn Stronger Practice Hub covering Essex and Hertfordshire.  I also work as a Tutor and Assessor for Essex County Councils , Adult Community Learning (ACL) specialising in CPD and training for Early Years practitioners. I am also a Curiosity Approach and Elklan accredited setting. 

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This is me! I've been an Outstanding Registered Childminder for 24 years During 2023/24 I was the  Area Lead and Mentor on the DfE's Experts and Mentors programme and I am currently the Childminding Partner for the Barn Stronger Practice Hub covering Essex and Hertfordshire.  I also work as a Tutor and Assessor for Essex County Councils , Adult Community Learning (ACL) specialising in CPD and training for Early Years practitioners. I am also a Curiosity Approach and Elklan accredited setting. 

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About me

Thank you for visiting my website. My name is

Kim Barnetson and I have been a Registered Childminder since 2001.

I live in the New Town area of Colchester with my husband, Simon and our youngest daughter Ruth.

Activities

Please read more about our busy days, our resources, the setting & all the fun stuff we get up to.

There are loads of pictures to view too.

Qualifications

Click here to see my qualifications.

You can also read exerts from Parent testimonials

Contact me

Click here to find out about my fees and help with childcare costs. Please email or call me for more information or to discuss your childcare requirements.

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Kims Childminding Service is an outstanding service, offering the best childminder care for your little ones, in a homely, family style setting.

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Welcome to this Padlet, I hope you find it useful. I've compiled lots of useful information and real life examples of supporting child development.One rule, please don't delete anything and if you wish to share any of the photos publicly then please check with me first info@kimskids.co.uk  Thanks 

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Welcome to this Padlet, I hope you find it useful. I've compiled lots of useful information and real life examples of supporting child development.One rule, please don't delete anything and if you wish to share any of the photos publicly then please check with me first info@kimskids.co.uk  Thanks 

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Example of early maths, sorting loose parts

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Example of early maths, sorting loose parts

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Help for early years providers : Mathematics

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We use some essential cookies to make this service work. We'd also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements. Skip to main content This is a new service, your Beta feedback will help us improve it.

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Early Years Evidence Store- maths strategies that have been shown to work.

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Early Years Evidence Store- maths strategies that have been shown to work.

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The evidence also revealed broader strategies to improve children's maths skills. These include:

structuring maths learning;

professional development for educators; and

using education technology (EdTech).

Structuring maths learning
Evidence suggests that there are different ways to implement early mathematics approaches successfully. This means that early mathematics can be introduced into early years settings in different ways depending on how your setting operates. It can be effective to introduce a whole maths curriculum, supplemental activities - shorter activities that are in addition to usual activities, and integrating maths into everyday routines. However, the impact of maths activities varies from study to study. It is important for educators to monitor whether their strategy is working.

Evidence indicates that maths approaches are similarly effective in different group sizes, including in large groups, small groups, and one to -one., However, the latter two require more staff time. If delivering small group or individual sessions, educators may want to prioritise children at greater risk of not meeting expected levels of development.

Children's mathematics skills can develop play as well as through more focused, explicit teaching Formal educator-directed approaches in which educators explicitly support children to develop specific ideas and skills. . Explicit teaching Formal educator-directed approaches in which educators explicitly support children to develop specific ideas and skills. is when educators explicitly support children to develop specific ideas and skills. Maths learning that combines explicit teaching Formal educator-directed approaches in which educators explicitly support children to develop specific ideas and skills. and play is likely to be beneficial. The evidence shows that embedding maths activities in daily routines throughout the day can also be effective.

The effectiveness of additional maths instruction (sometimes called ​'tutoring') for young children is uncertain. There is a lack of evidence that focuses just on pre-schoolers. There is some indication that children supporting each other to learn maths (sometimes called ​'peer tutoring') can be effective.
Professional development for educators
There is widespread consensus that both educators' knowledge of mathematics and of how young children's maths skills develop influences children's early mathematical learning. However, there is a lack of research on professional development focuses on maths in the early years. More research would help to find out what is most effective for educators working in the early years sector and the children they work with. Until we know more about maths-specific professional development, the EEF's guide to Effective Professional Development in the Early Years and accompanying systematic review may be helpful.

An example of an effective professional development programme for educators working in the early years is Maths Champions. Children aged three to four whose setting participated in the programme made an extra three months' progress in maths compared to children who did not receive the programme. Children from lower income families made even greater progress.

Many of the studies underpinning the maths Evidence Store included an element of training for educators and found a positive effect on maths outcomes. Training for educators to deliver a specific set of activities or programme can be a part of introducing effective approaches to maths teaching in early years settings.
Education technology (EdTech)
'EdTech' encompasses many different approaches and devices, from robots to interactive apps and games. EdTech can have a positive impact on maths outcomes though more evidence is needed.

Some promising types of EdTech include:

EdTech that teaches maths or provides opportunities to practice (for example, apps or computer-assisted instruction Apps or computer-assisted instruction include computer- or tablet-based software. The software provides a controlled environment, such as a game. It often gives children feedback to help them learn as they go. ); and

EdTech that helps children to be aware of their own learning.

When EdTech is used, it works better if adults support children to use it. Not all kinds of EdTech have been researched with children in the early years. More research is needed to understand the impact of tools like calculators and robots. EdTech is a useful tool, but it is not always the most effective way to teach maths skills. Educators should monitor whether different uses of EdTech are working to support children's maths learning in their setting.

EdTech can support the learning of children who are at greater risk of not meeting expected levels of development and children from lower income families. However, there is a risk that children who have more experience using technology will learn more from opportunities involving EdTech. When using EdTech, educators should make sure that all children are supported to access the learning.

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Welcome to our set of EYFS activities. We have designed these, in partnership with our Early Years Practitioner Partners, to support you in developing the initial building blocks for mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem solving with your children.

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Welcome to our set of EYFS activities. We have designed these, in partnership with our Early Years Practitioner Partners, to support you in developing the initial building blocks for mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem solving with your children.

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Joseph Chilton Pearce - Play IS Learning

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We'd also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use this service and make improvements.

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A guide to schema play in toddlers - One Hundred Toys

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What is a schema? A schema is like a set of instructions. As adults we use them all the time, and we don't really notice we're doing it. Switch on a light or make a sandwich and you are using a schema to do it; a mental model you've created through a process of trial ...

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Early Years Consultancy by Tamsin Grimmer

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Giving children opportunity to use proper tools and create whatever they want to, no end product required. Completely child lead, the adult in this situation scaffolds, supports when invited and models safe use.

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Giving children opportunity to use proper tools and create whatever they want to, no end product required. Completely child lead, the adult in this situation scaffolds, supports when invited and models safe use.

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Early years foundation stage (EYFS)

Should I store my paperwork in a folder marked 'Ofsted'?

You should use whatever approach to paperwork suits you. You are free to file it however you like.

Paragraph 2.2 of the EYFS framework sets out the requirements for paperwork related to assessment. You should not need to take prolonged breaks from interacting with children in order to carry out assessments, and assessments should not require excessive paperwork. You should draw on your knowledge of the child and your own expert professional judgement.

Childminders registered on the early years register ( EYR) only are required to have policies and procedures as set out in the EYFS, including procedures for risk assessment. While they are not required to have written policies, they must make sure that they have effective procedures in place, as set out in the EYFS. They must ensure that any assistants are aware of, and follow, the statutory policies, and can explain them to parents and others when requested.

Childminders registered on the childcare register ( CCR) only, or in addition to the EYR, are required to have some written policies. Full details on these requirements can be found in Childminders and childcare providers: register with Ofsted.

Each inspection is unique, and inspectors will only ask to see evidence they consider appropriate to that individual setting. This is usually determined by their observations of teaching and learning. The paperwork most often requested is listed in the 'Notification of inspection' section of the early years inspection handbook, but it is unlikely that an inspector will want to see all of these documents at every inspection.

How will inspectors consider the progress children make at my setting?

Ofsted considers the curriculum as a progression model. By progress, we mean that children know more, remember more and can do more of what was intended in the curriculum.

In early years, progress might mean:

for example, knowing the sounds of farm animals, knowing that an oven gets hot, knowing the meaning of countless words or knowing what facial expressions suggest

'know how' - for example, knowing how to hold a pair of scissors, knowing how to catch a ball, knowing that we should take turns and how to do so, knowing how to dress and undress a doll and knowing how to hold and turn the pages of a book

knowing behaviours and habits for the future - for example, knowing to look at the teacher, knowing phrases such as 'kind hands' and 'tidy-up time', knowing to listen when others speak and knowing that we sit when listening to stories

We can say that these have been learned when they are remembered.

Inspectors will want to find out about the curriculum you provide for your children. This sets out what you want the children to learn while they are with you. Inspectors will be interested in what you teach children, and what children can do, know and remember as a result.

Will inspectors expect me to show the progress of a child tracked against 'Development Matters'?

No. It is up to you how you assess children's progress. Inspectors will not ask to see any internal tracking or assessment information. Our inspection handbook sets out how we will gather evidence through observation and discussion during an inspection.

Ofsted inspects childminders in line with the principles and requirements of the EYFS. You may find it helpful to use 'Development Matters', but we do not inspect against this, as it is non-statutory guidance. When writing inspection reports, inspectors will not usually refer to specific guidance you choose to use, but rather how well you are providing the curriculum for children.

Inspectors will want to find out about the story of a child, including:

what they knew and could do when they started at the provision

what they can do now and how you helped them to learn it

what you intend for the child to learn in future, so that they are ready for their next stage

As stated in our handbook, inspectors do not expect to see documentation other than that set out in the EYFS framework. They will use the evidence gathered from discussions and observations to judge the overall quality of the curriculum provided for children.

Will inspectors prefer to see paper assessments rather than those recorded electronically?

No. Inspectors will not be looking at assessment information during inspections. The EYFS does not prescribe a way of carrying out or recording assessments. Assessment needs to be effective and help children's learning, development and progress.

Paragraph 2.2 of the EYFS framework sets out the requirements for paperwork related to assessment. You should not need to take prolonged breaks from interacting with children in order to carry out assessments, and assessments should not require excessive paperwork.

Do childminders need to produce a curriculum map?

No. We are keen correct this misconception! We are clear that what children learn in the early years is incredibly important for their future success.

The EYFS 's educational programmes provide the framework for the curriculum. It is for you to decide how to expand, extend and broaden these. It is for you to decide what guidance to use when developing and shaping your curriculum, and for you to decide how to talk about the early years curriculum with inspectors. Some childminders may choose to map this out, but others may present what they do in a different way.

Inspectors will want to know how you design an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that prepares children well for the next stage of their education. You will be asked:

what you want children to learn and why

how you are helping children know more and remember more

how you measure this success

We use 'knowing more and remembering more' for all areas of learning in the EYFS. Physical development, for example knowing how to balance on a wheeled toy or knowing when to use the toilet, are just as important as knowing, remembering and understanding more words.

Our inspection handbook makes it clear that curriculum planning does not need to be in any specific format. It is up to you to determine the format of your planning, and to justify these plans based on what you want children to encounter, explore and learn in the setting.

I care for children before and after school. What type of inspection will I have?

The type of inspection you will receive is set out in part 3 of the early years inspection handbook, 'Applying the EIF in different contexts'.

Does Ofsted expect me to use formal language when speaking with children?

No. Ofsted does not have set expectations about what words you use. However, inspectors will check that you are meeting the communication and language requirements set out in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage. Inspectors will check whether children are experiencing a language-rich environment and an accurate use of words over time. Informal words or less accurate words may form an occasional part of this, such as 'doggie' when talking about a dog or 'ta' for 'thank you', when helping a child move from using a familiar informal word to a more accurate one. As a result, an inspector would not judge a provider negatively solely on the occasional use of informal language. However, it is important that children are exposed to accurate use of language over time. In our inspection handbook, we explain that inspectors will evaluate whether practitioners communicate well to check children's understanding, identify misconceptions and provide clear explanations, in order to improve children's learning.

Inspection practice

Will I always have notice of my inspection?

Ofsted can carry out inspections without notice. No-notice inspections normally, but not always, take place when a childminder was judged inadequate at their last inspection, or when someone has raised concerns that a childminder may not be meeting the requirements of the EYFS.

How long will my inspection take?

Inspectors will normally be on site for about 3 hours. If the inspection is likely to take longer, for example if you are responsible for taking children to school and/or collecting them from school, or you work with assistants, then an inspector will discuss this with you.

How should I use 'Part 3 - Applying the EIF in different contexts' when preparing for my inspection?

You should read part 3 alongside parts 1 and 2, which set out inspection principles and methodology.

Part 3 sets out the differences between inspections of childminders and inspections of other settings. It also gives specific guidance on inspections of childminders, which includes how inspectors will gather and record their evidence. For example, it describes what a 'learning walk' looks like in a childminder's setting.

We made this change following feedback, from across the childminding sector, that previous editions of the early years inspection handbook did not set out clearly enough how we inspect childminders under the EIF.

What should I expect from the 'learning walk'?

The learning walk will take place in the rooms where you provide care and education to children. This gives you an opportunity to explain how you organise the early years curriculum.

How will inspectors look at leadership and management?

You should have an accurate view of the quality of your provision and should know what you need to improve. You do not need to produce a written self-evaluation, but should be prepared to discuss with inspectors the quality of education and care you provide, and how well you meet children's needs. Inspectors will consider how well you evaluate your provision and know how you can improve it or maintain its high standards.

After the discussion there will be opportunity during the inspection to follow up any matters discussed. To check the accuracy of your view, inspectors will observe children learning, the caring and teaching taking place, and the safety and suitability of the premises. This includes settings where you work with assistants. Inspectors will discuss how you take account of the views of parents and the progress made by children, and what you can do to improve further.

Inspectors will also consider how effectively you use performance management and assessment to identify your own strengths (and those of assistants, if you work with them) and the areas for improvement in the setting. They will consider how well this focuses your professional development activities, particularly in relation to increasing children's vocabulary and cultural capital.

If you work with assistants, inspectors will gather evidence of the effectiveness of staff supervision, performance management, training and continuing professional development, and the impact of these on children's well-being, learning and development. This includes evidence of how effectively you engage with any staff and make sure that staff are aware of, and manage, any of the main pressures on them.

Inspectors will use this evidence and their professional judgement to assess how well you improve the quality of provision.

Will I always need to be available to speak to the inspector?

No. Inspectors do not expect you to be immediately available to speak to them at all times. They want to see you operating as you would on any other day, and will work around your usual routines.

Inspectors will talk to you at appropriate moments, when the children are safely occupied. They will be mindful that you have to supervise children and continue to meet their needs during any discussions.

Inspectors want you to have the confidence to do what you do every day. Don't do anything differently, just because the inspector calls.

Can I achieve a judgement more than one grade above my previous inspection outcome?

Yes. You can improve by more than one grade. The early years inspection handbook sets out how inspectors will use their professional judgement to weigh up the evidence gathered for each key judgement, and consider it against the grade descriptors, to reach fair and reliable judgements that reflect the quality of provision. If inspectors find during the inspection that a setting has improved by more than 1 grade, they will judge it accordingly.

If I complain about my inspection, will this go against me in my next one?

No. When making inspection judgements, inspectors do not consider any past complaints lodged. Inspectors always act fairly and without bias, and their judgements are based solely on evidence. Inspection reports are also quality assured by other inspectors before they are finalised, to confirm that judgements are firmly supported by evidence. Our quality assurance and complaints procedure is clearly outlined in our early years inspection handbook.

We want to remove any misconceptions and ensure that the inspection process is as clear as possible. It's in everyone's interest that inspection helps to deliver a good quality of care for all young children.

Is the notification call the start of my inspection?

No. The notification call is not the start of the inspection. The 'Notification of inspection' section of the early years inspection handbook explains that the notification call will be short and focus on practical issues. Inspectors will not use this conversation to start inspecting. They may use it to understand any ongoing impact of COVID-19.

What if I get my notification call at an inconvenient time?

The timing of the notification call is set out in the 'Notification of inspection' section in Part 3 of the early years inspection handbook. You can agree with the inspector if this is a convenient time to take the call. If the call is broken into 2 shorter calls, the inspector will record who was spoken to in each call and the arrangements that were made.

During the notification call, why do inspectors ask about children I look after?

Although inspectors do not begin to collect evidence during the notification call, they may want to know more information about the children you will be looking after in the next 5 days. This helps them decide when would be the best time to inspect, so that they can make a judgement and report on what it is like at the setting for all children, including disadvantaged children.

Will there be more than 1 inspector at my inspection?

An inspection may be carried out by more than 1 inspector. This may be because of the size or layout of your premises or the number of children on roll. Other reasons include the process of training inspectors, or for quality assurance purposes.

In these situations, the lead inspector will explain why there is more than 1 inspector and explain their role in the inspection.

Do I have to allow inspectors to use their phone during an inspection?

Inspectors will agree with you where their mobile phone will be kept during the inspection so that they can use it if they need to. The inspector will reassure you that, if they need to use their mobile phone, for example to contact their regional duty desk or take an emergency call, they will not do this in areas where children are present, to comply with your policy.

Will inspectors ask to see my public liability insurance?

All documents that inspectors must see on inspection are included in the 'Notification of inspection' section of the early years inspection handbook. The list does not include your public liability insurance certificate; however, inspectors may ask to see proof of certification if there are specific concerns relating to this.

What type of inspection will I have if I only have older children present at the time?

The 'No children present on the day of inspection' section of the early years inspection handbook sets out our approach to inspection when there are no children on roll or present on the day of the inspection.

This section of the early years inspection handbook makes clear that if you care for children only on certain days or part days, the inspection should be scheduled on a day when children are present, if practical. Part 3, 'Applying the EIF in different contexts', explains that a childminder who only offers before- and after-school care will be inspected without receiving grades against the 4 judgements of the inspection framework. These are: 'Quality of education', 'Behaviour and attitudes', 'Personal development' and 'Leadership and management'.

If you are operating on an ad-hoc basis, you are likely to receive a 'no children on roll' inspection.

Can I leave the children alone with the inspector?

Inspectors should not be left alone with children. Even though all our inspectors are suitable and safe to be around children, the care of the children is your responsibility throughout an inspection. You should do what you would usually do when visitors are present.

Will the inspector go with me on outings with the children?

Inspectors are tasked with finding out what it is like for a child at the setting, and if an outing is part of the routine for children on the day of the inspection, then inspectors may accompany you. Inspectors will carry out their own risk assessment and use their professional judgement in these situations.

How will inspectors get the views of parents?

Inspectors will use the notification call to check if they will be able to speak with parents at the inspection. They may consider the time that children and parents arrive and set aside time to speak with them. The inspector may also arrange to speak to parents by telephone if this is more convenient for parents. You should make sure you have permission from parents before sharing their telephone number with inspectors.

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You should use whatever approach to paperwork suits you. You are free to file it however you like. Paragraph 2.2 of the EYFS framework sets out the requirements for paperwork related to assessment. You should not need to take prolonged breaks from interacting with children in order to carry out assessments, and assessments should not require excessive paperwork.

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County lines is not a new thing. You may have heard about it on the news or in TV shows like Hollyoaks. But beyond the headlines and scripts, it's a stark reality for many young people. Here we unpack the truth about county lines and how we work to restore the hopes of children being forced to carry drugs across the country.

What does county lines mean?

County lines is a form of criminal exploitation. It is when criminals befriend children, either online of offline, and then manipulate them into drug dealing. The 'lines' refer to mobile phones that are used to control a young person who is delivering drugs, often to towns outside their home county.
Here are some things you might not know about county lines exploitation:

County lines is everywhere

County lines facts

of English police forces have seen county lines activity in their area and the violence is getting worse.

parents are worried about county lines in their local area.

county lines is everywhere

We work with children from London, Birmingham and Greater Manchester who have been trafficked all over the country to other big cities as well as smaller towns. We also work with professionals across various counties.

In Northumberland, our Prevention Team highlighted how easy it was to find the details of children in residential care. Exploiters could easily identify potential victims with a simple online search, putting many children at risk. This is now changing. Public information is being reviewed and more children are being safeguarded.

Children are not the problem

This may sound obvious but only recently has there been some recognition of the fact that a child caught up in county lines is a victim of exploitation. Often they are treated as criminals, not victims. Fortunately, attitudes are changing. However, gender, age, ethnicity and background can still affect how professionals respond to children.

We work hard so any child affected by county lines gets the support they need to escape a life of exploitation. We train police, social workers and other professionals so they can better respond to children and make them feel safe rather than criminalised.

County lines is visible

County lines operations are often hard to spot, but the signs are visible. We could all be in a position to stop it.

You might notice a child has multiple mobiles, comes home with unexplained injuries or bruising, suddenly has new trainers they can't afford. These could all be indicators that a young person is in trouble. We encourage everyone to learn the signs of exploitation and how to report it if worried.
Young people can and should live a life free of exploitation. Together we can help them break free from their abusers and face their future with confidence.

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County lines is a form of exploitation in which criminals groom and manipulate children into drug dealing. It's big in the UK. Find out more.

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Protecting children from female genital mutilation (FGM) | NSPCC Learning

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Find out more

Introduction

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It's also known as female circumcision or cutting.

FGM is often performed by someone with no medical training who uses instruments such as a knife, scalpel, scissors, glass or razor blade. Children are rarely given anaesthetic or antiseptic treatment and are often forcibly restrained.

The age at which FGM is carried out varies. It may take place:

when a female baby is newborn

during childhood or adolescence

just before marriage

during pregnancy.

There are four main types of FGM:

Type 1 (clitoridectomy) - removing part or all of the clitoris.

Type 2 (excision) - removing part or all of the clitoris and cutting the inner and/or outer labia.

Type 3 (infibulation) - narrowing the vaginal opening.

Type 4 - other harmful procedures to the female genitals including pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping or burning (NHS Choices, 2016).

Labia elongation (also referred to as labia stretching or labia pulling) involves stretching the labia minora, sometimes using sticks, harnesses or weights (AFRUCA, 2016).

FGM is child abuse and is illegal in the UK. It can be extremely dangerous and can cause:

severe pain

shock

bleeding

infection such as tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B and C

organ damage

blood loss and infections

death in some cases.

Sometimes religious, social and cultural reasons are given to justify FGM, however it's a dangerous practice and can cause long-lasting health problems that continue throughout a child's life, including:

incontinence or difficulties urinating

frequent or chronic vaginal, pelvic or urinary infections

menstrual problems

kidney damage and possible kidney failure

cysts and abscesses

pain during sex

infertility

complications during pregnancy and childbirth

emotional and mental health problems (NHS Choices, 2016).

Recognising

Recognising FGM

Risks and vulnerability factors

FGM can happen in the UK or abroad. The Home Office has identified children from certain communities as being more at risk:

Children are also considered to be at higher risk if FGM has already been carried out on their mother, sister or a member of their extended family (HM Government, 2016).

Signs and indicators

A child at immediate risk of FGM may ask you directly for help. But even if they don't know what's going to happen, there may be other signs. You may become aware of:

a relative or 'cutter' visiting from abroad

a special occasion or ceremony to 'become a woman' or prepare for marriage

a female relative being cut - a sister, cousin, or an older female relative such as a mother or aunt

a family arranging a long holiday or visit to family overseas during the summer holidays

unexpected, repeated or prolonged absence from school

a girl struggling to keep up in school and the quality of her academic work declining

a child running away from or planning to leave home.

A child or woman who's had female genital mutilation (FGM) may:

have difficulty walking, standing or sitting

spend longer in the bathroom or toilet

appear withdrawn, anxious or depressed

display unusual behaviour after an absence from school or college

be particularly reluctant to have routine medical examinations

ask for help, but may not be explicit about the problem due to embarrassment or fear.

Assessing risk

The National FGM Centre has produced an assessment tool to help social workers dealing with situations where there are concerns about FGM to decide on the most appropriate action to take (National FGM Centre, 2018).

The Department of Health also provides guidance to help health professionals identify and assess the risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) for patients in their care and talk to patients and family members about FGM (Department of Health, 2017).

Responding

Responding to FGM

Providing support

If a child has already undergone FGM, they should be offered medical help and counselling. You should also take action to protect any other children in the family and to investigate possible risk to others in the community.

Reporting

If you think that a child may be at risk of FGM or if you suspect that FGM has already occurred, you must seek help and advice - even if the FGM didn't happen recently.

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns.

Follow your organisational child protection procedures. Organisations that work with children and families must have safeguarding policies and procedures in place.

Contact the FGM helpline on 0800 028 3550 or by emailing fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk.

Apply for an FGM protection order. Anyone can apply on Gov.uk if they are concerned that someone is at risk of FGM.

Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

Contact the police.

Regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales must report 'known' cases of FGM in those under age 18 to the police (Home Office, 2016).
> See our information about recognising and responding to abuse

Prevention

Preventing FGM

People who work with children can help prevent FGM by:

challenging beliefs about FGM

educating communities about FGM

reporting any concerns.

You should give families information that is sensitive to their cultural or religious beliefs but also makes it clear that FGM is an illegal and dangerous practice.

It's important for organisations to:

have written procedures that outline what to do in the event of a concern about FGM. This should be read and understood by all members of staff (whether paid or unpaid) and reviewed and updated annually

make sure all staff, whether paid or unpaid, understand what FGM is, know why it is dangerous and how to recognise the signs and indicators that a child is either at risk or has already undergone FGM

talk to children and families about FGM, to raise awareness and make sure children have the opportunity to speak out if they need to.

FGM protection orders

In England and Wales, the FGM protection order (FGMPO) is a way to protect actual or potential victims from FGM under civil law. Anyone can apply for an FGMPO (Gov.uk, 2018).

FGM protection orders are unique to each case and contain legally binding conditions, prohibitions and restrictions to protect a person at risk of FGM.

These may include:

confiscating passports or travel documents of the child at risk, family members and/or other named individuals to prevent girls from being taken abroad

ordering family members or other named individuals not to help another person to commit or attempt to commit an FGM offence, for example prohibiting them from bringing a "cutter" to the UK.

In an emergency, the court can make an order so that protection is in place immediately.

Breach of an FGM protection order is a criminal offence, carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison.

In Northern Ireland, Emergency Protection Orders (EPO) help protect children at risk of FGM (Department of Health, 2014). Anyone can apply for an EPO but in practice it is usually made by Health and Social Care (HSC) Children's Services.

An EPO authorises the applicant to remove the child and take her to safe accommodation.

EPOs will only be granted to safeguard a child's welfare.

EPOs last for up to eight days but may be extended on one occasion for up to seven days.

Legislation

Legislation, policy and guidance

It is illegal to carry out FGM in the UK. It is also a criminal offence for UK nationals or permanent UK residents to perform FGM overseas or take their child abroad to have FGM carried out. The maximum penalty for FGM is 14 years' imprisonment.

Key legislation

In England and Wales, the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 sets out the law surrounding FGM. In Scotland it is the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005.

Find links to the legislation in References and resources.

Mandatory reporting

In England and Wales, regulated health and social care professionals and teachers have a mandatory duty to make a report to the police if:

they are informed by a child under the age of 18 that they have undergone FGM

they observe physical signs that an act of FGM may have been carried out on a child under the age of 18 (Section 74 Serious Crime Act 2015).

The Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation - procedural information (Home Office, 2016) sets out this duty in further detail.

In Wales, professionals who identify cases of FGM must report to the local authority as well as the police (Female Genital Mutilation Act and Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014).

Find links to the legislation in References and resources.

Guidance

Each UK nation has its own guidance which sets out:

how to identify whether a child or young woman may be at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM)

how to identify a child or woman who has undergone FGM

how to protect those at risk and support those already affected

how to prevent and end FGM.

In England and Wales, the Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation provides advice and support to professionals with the responsibility to safeguard and support those affected by FGM (HM Government, 2016). This guidance should be considered alongside other statutory safeguarding guidance.

The Department of Social Care has provided practical guidance on safeguarding women and girls at risk of FGM (Department of Social Care, 2018).

In Northern Ireland professionals should follow the Multi-agency practice guidelines: Female genital mutilation (Department of Health, 2014). The Department of Health and Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) have also published guidance about safeguarding and risk assessment for FGM (PDF) (Department of Health and SBNI, 2018).

In Scotland the guidance is Responding to female genital mutilation in Scotland: multi-agency guidance (Scottish Government, 2017).

Policy

In September 2018, law enforcement agencies in the UK and USA signed an intelligence sharing agreement to help tackle FGM. Organisations including the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), the Metropolitan Police and Border Force in the UK; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security in the USA agreed to share intelligence about travel patterns between the UK/USA and countries where children may be taken for FGM to be carried out.

This will help agencies to build their knowledge about FGM and learn from each other to tackle FGM more effectively (NPCC, 2018).

> Find out more about the intelligence sharing agreement

References and resources

References and resources

AFRUCA (2016) Voices of the community: exploring type IV (labia elongation) female genital mutilation in the African community across Greater Manchester (PDF). London: AFRUCA.

Department of Health (2014) Multi-agency practice guidelines: female genital mutilation (PDF). Belfast: Department of Health

Department of Health (2017) FGM safeguarding and risk assessment: quick guide for health professionals (PDF). London: Department of Health.

Department of Health and Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) (2018) Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): safeguarding pathway and risk assessment (PDF) Belfast: SBNI

Department of Social Care (2018) Safeguarding women and girls at risk of FGM [Accessed 16/07/2018].

Gov.uk (2018) Get a female genital mutilation (FGM) protection order (PDF). [Accessed 16/07/2018].

HM Government (2016) Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation (PDF). [London]: Home Office.

Home Office (2016) Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation - procedural information (PDF). London: Home Office.

National FGM Centre (2018) FGM assessment tool. [Accessed 16/07/2018].

NHS choices (2016) Female genital mutilation (FGM) London: NHS.

National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) (2018) UK and US law enforcement sign an intelligence sharing agreement to tackle female genital mutilation [Accessed 12/09/18].

Scottish Government (2017) Responding to female genital mutilation in Scotland: multi-agency guidance (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Other resources

Watch our short film: Ending female genital mutilation.

Childline

If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice direct them to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online or read about FGM on the Childline website. You can also download or order Childline posters and wallet cards.

Further reading

For further reading about FGM, search the NSPCC Library catalogue using the keyword "female genital mutilation".

If you need more specific information, please contact our Information Service.

Introduction

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It's also known as female circumcision or cutting.

FGM is often performed by someone with no medical training who uses instruments such as a knife, scalpel, scissors, glass or razor blade. Children are rarely given anaesthetic or antiseptic treatment and are often forcibly restrained.

The age at which FGM is carried out varies. It may take place:

when a female baby is newborn

during childhood or adolescence

just before marriage

during pregnancy.

There are four main types of FGM:

Type 1 (clitoridectomy) - removing part or all of the clitoris.

Type 2 (excision) - removing part or all of the clitoris and cutting the inner and/or outer labia.

Type 3 (infibulation) - narrowing the vaginal opening.

Type 4 - other harmful procedures to the female genitals including pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping or burning (NHS Choices, 2016).

Labia elongation (also referred to as labia stretching or labia pulling) involves stretching the labia minora, sometimes using sticks, harnesses or weights (AFRUCA, 2016).

FGM is child abuse and is illegal in the UK. It can be extremely dangerous and can cause:

severe pain

shock

bleeding

infection such as tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B and C

organ damage

blood loss and infections

death in some cases.

Sometimes religious, social and cultural reasons are given to justify FGM, however it's a dangerous practice and can cause long-lasting health problems that continue throughout a child's life, including:

incontinence or difficulties urinating

frequent or chronic vaginal, pelvic or urinary infections

menstrual problems

kidney damage and possible kidney failure

cysts and abscesses

pain during sex

infertility

complications during pregnancy and childbirth

emotional and mental health problems (NHS Choices, 2016).

Recognising

Recognising FGM

Risks and vulnerability factors

FGM can happen in the UK or abroad. The Home Office has identified children from certain communities as being more at risk:

Children are also considered to be at higher risk if FGM has already been carried out on their mother, sister or a member of their extended family (HM Government, 2016).

Signs and indicators

A child at immediate risk of FGM may ask you directly for help. But even if they don't know what's going to happen, there may be other signs. You may become aware of:

a relative or 'cutter' visiting from abroad

a special occasion or ceremony to 'become a woman' or prepare for marriage

a female relative being cut - a sister, cousin, or an older female relative such as a mother or aunt

a family arranging a long holiday or visit to family overseas during the summer holidays

unexpected, repeated or prolonged absence from school

a girl struggling to keep up in school and the quality of her academic work declining

a child running away from or planning to leave home.

A child or woman who's had female genital mutilation (FGM) may:

have difficulty walking, standing or sitting

spend longer in the bathroom or toilet

appear withdrawn, anxious or depressed

display unusual behaviour after an absence from school or college

be particularly reluctant to have routine medical examinations

ask for help, but may not be explicit about the problem due to embarrassment or fear.

Assessing risk

The National FGM Centre has produced an assessment tool to help social workers dealing with situations where there are concerns about FGM to decide on the most appropriate action to take (National FGM Centre, 2018).

The Department of Health also provides guidance to help health professionals identify and assess the risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) for patients in their care and talk to patients and family members about FGM (Department of Health, 2017).

Responding

Responding to FGM

Providing support

If a child has already undergone FGM, they should be offered medical help and counselling. You should also take action to protect any other children in the family and to investigate possible risk to others in the community.

Reporting

If you think that a child may be at risk of FGM or if you suspect that FGM has already occurred, you must seek help and advice - even if the FGM didn't happen recently.

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns.

Follow your organisational child protection procedures. Organisations that work with children and families must have safeguarding policies and procedures in place.

Contact the FGM helpline on 0800 028 3550 or by emailing fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk.

Apply for an FGM protection order. Anyone can apply on Gov.uk if they are concerned that someone is at risk of FGM.

Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

Contact the police.

Regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales must report 'known' cases of FGM in those under age 18 to the police (Home Office, 2016).
> See our information about recognising and responding to abuse

Prevention

Preventing FGM

People who work with children can help prevent FGM by:

challenging beliefs about FGM

educating communities about FGM

reporting any concerns.

You should give families information that is sensitive to their cultural or religious beliefs but also makes it clear that FGM is an illegal and dangerous practice.

It's important for organisations to:

have written procedures that outline what to do in the event of a concern about FGM. This should be read and understood by all members of staff (whether paid or unpaid) and reviewed and updated annually

make sure all staff, whether paid or unpaid, understand what FGM is, know why it is dangerous and how to recognise the signs and indicators that a child is either at risk or has already undergone FGM

talk to children and families about FGM, to raise awareness and make sure children have the opportunity to speak out if they need to.

FGM protection orders

In England and Wales, the FGM protection order (FGMPO) is a way to protect actual or potential victims from FGM under civil law. Anyone can apply for an FGMPO (Gov.uk, 2018).

FGM protection orders are unique to each case and contain legally binding conditions, prohibitions and restrictions to protect a person at risk of FGM.

These may include:

confiscating passports or travel documents of the child at risk, family members and/or other named individuals to prevent girls from being taken abroad

ordering family members or other named individuals not to help another person to commit or attempt to commit an FGM offence, for example prohibiting them from bringing a "cutter" to the UK.

In an emergency, the court can make an order so that protection is in place immediately.

Breach of an FGM protection order is a criminal offence, carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison.

In Northern Ireland, Emergency Protection Orders (EPO) help protect children at risk of FGM (Department of Health, 2014). Anyone can apply for an EPO but in practice it is usually made by Health and Social Care (HSC) Children's Services.

An EPO authorises the applicant to remove the child and take her to safe accommodation.

EPOs will only be granted to safeguard a child's welfare.

EPOs last for up to eight days but may be extended on one occasion for up to seven days.

Legislation

Legislation, policy and guidance

It is illegal to carry out FGM in the UK. It is also a criminal offence for UK nationals or permanent UK residents to perform FGM overseas or take their child abroad to have FGM carried out. The maximum penalty for FGM is 14 years' imprisonment.

Key legislation

In England and Wales, the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 sets out the law surrounding FGM. In Scotland it is the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005.

Find links to the legislation in References and resources.

Mandatory reporting

In England and Wales, regulated health and social care professionals and teachers have a mandatory duty to make a report to the police if:

they are informed by a child under the age of 18 that they have undergone FGM

they observe physical signs that an act of FGM may have been carried out on a child under the age of 18 (Section 74 Serious Crime Act 2015).

The Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation - procedural information (Home Office, 2016) sets out this duty in further detail.

In Wales, professionals who identify cases of FGM must report to the local authority as well as the police (Female Genital Mutilation Act and Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014).

Find links to the legislation in References and resources.

Guidance

Each UK nation has its own guidance which sets out:

how to identify whether a child or young woman may be at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM)

how to identify a child or woman who has undergone FGM

how to protect those at risk and support those already affected

how to prevent and end FGM.

In England and Wales, the Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation provides advice and support to professionals with the responsibility to safeguard and support those affected by FGM (HM Government, 2016). This guidance should be considered alongside other statutory safeguarding guidance.

The Department of Social Care has provided practical guidance on safeguarding women and girls at risk of FGM (Department of Social Care, 2018).

In Northern Ireland professionals should follow the Multi-agency practice guidelines: Female genital mutilation (Department of Health, 2014). The Department of Health and Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) have also published guidance about safeguarding and risk assessment for FGM (PDF) (Department of Health and SBNI, 2018).

In Scotland the guidance is Responding to female genital mutilation in Scotland: multi-agency guidance (Scottish Government, 2017).

Policy

In September 2018, law enforcement agencies in the UK and USA signed an intelligence sharing agreement to help tackle FGM. Organisations including the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), the Metropolitan Police and Border Force in the UK; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security in the USA agreed to share intelligence about travel patterns between the UK/USA and countries where children may be taken for FGM to be carried out.

This will help agencies to build their knowledge about FGM and learn from each other to tackle FGM more effectively (NPCC, 2018).

> Find out more about the intelligence sharing agreement

References and resources

References and resources

AFRUCA (2016) Voices of the community: exploring type IV (labia elongation) female genital mutilation in the African community across Greater Manchester (PDF). London: AFRUCA.

Department of Health (2014) Multi-agency practice guidelines: female genital mutilation (PDF). Belfast: Department of Health

Department of Health (2017) FGM safeguarding and risk assessment: quick guide for health professionals (PDF). London: Department of Health.

Department of Health and Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) (2018) Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): safeguarding pathway and risk assessment (PDF) Belfast: SBNI

Department of Social Care (2018) Safeguarding women and girls at risk of FGM [Accessed 16/07/2018].

Gov.uk (2018) Get a female genital mutilation (FGM) protection order (PDF). [Accessed 16/07/2018].

HM Government (2016) Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation (PDF). [London]: Home Office.

Home Office (2016) Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation - procedural information (PDF). London: Home Office.

National FGM Centre (2018) FGM assessment tool. [Accessed 16/07/2018].

NHS choices (2016) Female genital mutilation (FGM) London: NHS.

National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) (2018) UK and US law enforcement sign an intelligence sharing agreement to tackle female genital mutilation [Accessed 12/09/18].

Scottish Government (2017) Responding to female genital mutilation in Scotland: multi-agency guidance (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Other resources

Watch our short film: Ending female genital mutilation.

Childline

If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice direct them to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online or read about FGM on the Childline website. You can also download or order Childline posters and wallet cards.

Further reading

For further reading about FGM, search the NSPCC Library catalogue using the keyword "female genital mutilation".

If you need more specific information, please contact our Information Service.

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Protecting children from female genital mutilation (FGM) | NSPCC Learning

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We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our site. By continuing to use the site you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more Introduction Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

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Childminders inspection handbook 2024

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This guidance came into force on 5 April 2024.

Introduction

1. This handbook describes the main activities that inspectors undertake when they carry out inspections of early years providers in England registered under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006. The handbook also sets out the judgements that inspectors will make and on which they will report.

2. The handbook has 3 parts:

Part 1. How we will inspect Ofsted-registered early years providers: this contains instructions and guidance for inspectors on preparing for and carrying out early years registered inspections

Part 2. The evaluation schedule: this contains guidance for inspectors on judging the quality and standards of Ofsted-registered early years settings and indicates the main types of evidence used

Part 3. Applying the education inspection framework ( EIF) in different contexts: this includes guidance on how to apply the EIF in specific contexts, such as out-of-school settings and childminders. This part should be read in conjunction with parts 1 and 2

3. This handbook is primarily a guide for inspectors on how to carry out inspections of registered early years providers. However, we make it available to providers and other organisations to ensure that they are informed about inspection processes and procedures. It balances the need for consistent inspection with the flexibility needed to respond to each provider's particular circumstances. It should be regarded as an explanation of normal procedures, as inspections will vary according to the evidence provided. Inspectors will use their professional judgement when they apply the guidance in this handbook. This handbook applies to inspections carried out from September 2019 under the education inspection framework (EIF). When applying the guidance in this handbook, inspectors will take appropriate action to comply with Ofsted's duties under the Equality Act 2010.

4. Each inspection is unique to the provider and some aspects of our inspections may be different, particularly for childminders. For information on specific inspection processes and procedures for childminders, please see part 3 of this handbook.

Conduct during inspections

5. Ofsted's code of conduct outlines our expectations for the conduct of our inspectors and our expectations of providers during inspection.

6. Inspectors will uphold the highest professional standards in their work. They will treat everyone they meet during inspections fairly and with the respect and sensitivity they deserve. The inspector will work constructively with leaders and staff, demonstrating professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect at all times.

7. Providers should approach their inspection with integrity and be open, transparent and honest. This includes providing evidence - or access to evidence - that will enable the inspectors to report honestly, fairly and reliably. It means not withholding or concealing evidence or providing false, misleading, inaccurate or incomplete information.

Gathering personal information on inspection

8. Inspectors will gather any personal information necessary to assist them in inspecting a setting. Our privacy notice sets out what personal information we collect, what we do with it, how long we keep it and individuals' rights under data protection legislation.

9. Providers are legally required to provide inspectors with access to information. Section 77 of the Childcare Act 2006 gives our inspectors powers of entry, at any reasonable time, to any premises on which registered early years provision is being provided. It gives them a right to inspect, and take copies of, any records kept by the person providing the childcare, and any other documents containing information relating to the provision. Inspectors also have the power to seize and remove any document or material that may be evidence of a failure to comply with any condition or requirement, take measurements and photographs or make recordings. These powers enable inspectors to look at computers and other devices that may hold relevant information.

10. Inspectors gather evidence at inspection and record this on Ofsted's systems. They may also see evidence on site that contains personal information about staff and children, such as registers. They may take notes from, or copies of, this type of evidence before handing it back to an appropriate staff member at the end of the inspection. Any notes or copies will be stored as evidence securely and not retained by inspectors personally. Inspectors may take photographs using their Ofsted-registered mobile phones. These photographs will be stored securely as evidence but will not be retained by the inspector personally.

11. We normally gather evidence electronically using a range of devices, including laptops, Ofsted-registered mobile telephones and tablets. Inspectors should transfer all evidence securely to Ofsted's systems in line with our security policies.

Research on inspection

12. We may carry out research during our inspections. Where this happens, the research activity will have no impact on inspection judgements. In addition to this research approach, we may invite providers to participate in research visits (separate to inspections) at other times.

Common misconceptions about inspection

13. The information below confirms our requirements. This is to correct common misconceptions about inspection that can result in unnecessary workload for providers. It is intended to highlight specific practices that we do not require. You can find more information on inspections and the early years foundation stage ( EYFS) on GOV.UK Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS. More detail on what evidence inspectors will gather is in paragraph 77.

14. Our inspections focus on children rather than the individuals who work in settings. However, we will look at how individuals in settings are able to work, or work together, to achieve the highest possible quality of education and care for children.

15. Inspectors must:

when making judgements, take a range of evidence into account, including: discussions with leaders, staff and children; the joint learning walk; observations; speaking to parents and so on ( see paragraphs 77 to 79)

judge fairly providers that take different approaches to meeting the requirements of the EYFS; inspectors will assess any provider's curriculum favourably when leaders have built or adopted a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing, and implemented it effectively

16. Inspectors will not:

create unnecessary workload for staff through their recommendations

advocate a particular method of planning, teaching or assessment; it is up to providers to determine their practices and it is up to leaders to justify these on their own merits rather than by referring to this handbook

17. Inspectors do not require providers to:

provide EYFS curriculum planning in any specific format for inspection

prepare any performance and children-tracking information for Ofsted

do additional work or to ask children to do work specifically for the inspection

Part 1. How we will inspect early years providers registered with Ofsted

How we select providers for inspection

18. Once a provider is registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register, we carry out regular inspections to evaluate the overall quality and standards of its early years provision in line with the principles and requirements of the 'Statutory framework for the EYFS'.

19. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families wrote to His Majesty's Chief Inspector ( HMCI) on 3 November 2020 to outline inspection arrangements from the date that Ofsted resumed its full routine early years inspections. The letter states that Ofsted must inspect each provider within 6 years from the date of its last inspection. We will use the previous inspection judgement alongside any other information we hold about a provider to determine the timing of its next inspection.

20. Providers on the Early Years Register will normally be inspected at least once within a 6-year window. We will prioritise the first inspection of newly registered providers on the Early Years Register. This will normally be within 30 months of their registration date.

21. We prioritise inspections and/or inspect more frequently when we receive a concern about a setting, and risk assessment concludes that an inspection is needed.

22. All provision judged as inadequate will usually be reinspected within 6 months.

23. All childminders, pre-school provision and nursery provision judged as requires improvement will usually be reinspected within 12 months.

24. Provision that has been given 2 previous 'requires improvement' judgements is likely to be judged inadequate if there is no improvement at the next inspection. Provision that has been given 2 previous 'inadequate' judgements is likely to have its registration cancelled if there is no improvement at the next inspection. We usually also take steps to cancel a provider's registration at any point if we find that they are no longer meeting requirements.

25. We risk-assess any information we receive about early years provision. This may remain on the provider's record or may be referred to the region for a decision on next steps. The region will decide whether to carry out an inspection, regulatory activity, or both. The nature of the concern will influence how quickly we inspect or visit. Depending on the urgency, regulatory activity may take place on the day the information is received. Information about regulatory activity is available in the 'Early years and childcare: Ofsted's enforcement policy'.

26. Where the region decides to carry out an inspection as a result of the risk assessment, inspectors must, as part of the inspection, gather evidence that relates back to the concern. They should plan activities - including a discussion with the provider - and observations that enable them to gather sufficient evidence to complete the inspection. The provision may subsequently be judged to be outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate, according to the evidence, even if the inspection is taking place because of possible previous non-compliance. Judgements are not pre-determined. A notification of an incident from the provider is not the same as a concern that comes from another person about the provision. While a notification from the provider may indicate that there are serious weaknesses within the setting, it could also indicate that the provider is dealing proactively with issues that arise. The provider will also have complied with their legal responsibility to notify us. However, a number of notifications, particularly within a short space of time or relating to similar incidents, may indicate wider weaknesses in leadership and management weaknesses. The inspector should consider this, and the provider's history, when reaching their judgement.

27. When the inspection follows other regulatory action we have taken, the inspector should check that the provider is compliant with any actions or other enforcement measures that result from that previous action.

No children on roll or present on the day of inspection

28. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

29. Some childcare providers and childminders may have no children on roll at the time the inspection is carried out, or may not have any children present, even though they have children on roll.

30. In either circumstance, the inspection must not be deferred. However, if it becomes clear during the initial notification telephone call that the provider cares for children only on certain days or part-days, the inspection should be scheduled on a day where children are present, if practicable. While the provider remains registered with us, they should expect to be inspected at any time.

31. Where there are no children on roll or present, the inspector must make it clear at the start of the inspection or during the initial notification telephone call that the inspection will not be a full inspection but will be a check that the provider continues to be suitable to remain registered. As a result, no grades will be given against the 4 key judgements. The inspector will make a judgement only on the 'Overall quality and standards of the early years provision', with one of 3 possible outcomes:

32. Where a judgement is 'met', the inspector will not make recommendations. However, an inspector may reference within the report what the setting needs to do better.

33. If the provider does not meet one or more of the learning and development requirements and/or safeguarding and welfare requirements, the inspector must consider a judgement of 'not met' and either issue actions for the provider to take or consider enforcement action. In these cases, the inspector must follow the guidance for inadequate judgements set out later in this handbook.

34. Only a small number of childcare providers experience a no children on roll inspection. The main purpose of the inspection is to fulfil our legal duty to inspect registered providers within a defined period and to report in writing on certain matters. The inspection will report on whether the provider continues to demonstrate suitability to remain on the Early Years Register and, if applicable, the Childcare Register.

35. For these inspections, the inspector must assess whether the provider:

has premises suitable for the education and care of children

can demonstrate sufficient understanding of the EYFS requirements

is able to meet the care, learning and development needs of children

36. Providers must confirm that they meet the requirements of the Childcare Register, if applicable.

37. The provider must demonstrate how they will:

meet the learning and development requirements, if appropriate

meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements

develop and deliver the educational programmes, if appropriate

identify children's starting points and ensure that children make progress in their learning through effective planning, observation and assessment, if appropriate

safeguard children

work in partnership with parents, carers and others

offer an inclusive service

evaluate their service and strive for continuous improvement

38. The provider should tell the inspector how they have addressed any actions and/or recommendations from the last inspection and how this will improve the provision for children's care and learning.

39. If, during the inspection, the provider decides to resign from the Early Years Register and remain registered only on the Childcare Register, the inspector must collect sufficient evidence of compliance with the Childcare Register requirements by referring to the 'Childcare Register requirements: childcare providers on non-domestic or domestic premises'.

Early years or childcare provision on a school site

40. Schools that take children aged 2 years and over as part of their early years provision cannot normally register that provision with Ofsted. We will inspect the provision for these children under the school inspection arrangements.

41. Schools that take children younger than 2 years old must register with Ofsted. We will inspect this provision under the early years inspection arrangements set out in this handbook.

Before the inspection

Inspectors' planning and preparation

42. The inspector must prepare for the inspection by gaining a broad overview of the setting, its context and history. As part of this preparation, inspectors must check and evaluate information to inform their areas of inspection focus.

43. As part of their preparation, inspectors must consider:

44. Inspectors must update the information about the setting in their evidence base and agree this with the provider at the start of the inspection.

45. Inspectors must take account of the provider's regulatory history when planning the inspection and note any concerns in their evidence. These will normally be shared with the provider.

Notification of inspection

46. Group provision will normally receive a telephone call at around midday on the working day before the start of the inspection.

47. In group provision, if the provider or their representative is unavailable when the inspection notification call is made to the setting, the inspector should ask to speak to the most senior member of staff available.

48. If all reasonable steps have been taken to make contact with the setting but the inspector has not been able to speak to anyone, then the inspection will continue the following day without notice.

49. Group providers that do not operate regularly, such as summer play schemes, will usually receive a call no more than 5 days before the inspection to check which days they are operating and whether there are children on roll and present. The inspector must not specify any proposed dates for the inspection but should indicate the time of day the inspection will start.

50. The telephone call is the first opportunity for the inspector to begin a professional dialogue with the provider or their representative. It should be short and focused on practical issues. Inspectors should not use this conversation to start inspecting, but they will seek to understand any ongoing impact of COVID-19. Where necessary, the telephone call may be made in 2 parts, as agreed between the inspector and the provider. During the call the inspector will ask the provider if there are any reasons, of either a personal or professional nature, that may mean they wish to ask for a deferral.

The purpose of the notification call is to:

51. It may be pragmatic to do some elements of the inspection through video/telephone calls. This will be agreed with the provider at the start of the inspection. We will usually only use video/telephone calls to involve parents/carers and those with leadership responsibility who are unable to attend the setting.

52. Inspectors should tell the provider that the relevant documentation or information they must be able to access includes:

paediatric first-aid arrangements

the Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS) records and any other documents summarising the checks on, and the vetting and employment arrangements of, all staff working at the setting

53. Inspectors should tell the provider that the relevant documentation or information they may need access to includes: ( see paragraphs 13 to 17)

Requests for deferral or rescheduled inspection

54. While it is important that we carry out our planned inspections wherever possible, sometimes there may be reasons why a planned inspection may not go ahead. In these circumstances, a setting may request a deferral of its inspection. A setting may make a request during the initial notification phone call, or at the earliest opportunity afterwards before the start of the inspection. If a setting requests a deferral, the inspector must immediately tell the regional duty desk. We will decide whether the request should be granted in line with our deferral policy. The absence of the provider or manager, or having no children on roll, are not valid reasons for deferral. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

55. Where possible, a setting that has no children present on the planned day of inspection, but is operating at other times during the week, should have its inspection rescheduled for one of those days.

56. Inspections that are prioritised as a result of risk assessment will not usually be deferred, even if there are no children on roll or present at the time of the visit.

Inspection without prior notification

57. We may carry out inspections without notice. This normally, but not exclusively, happens when a provider has been judged as inadequate at its last inspection or when the region decides to carry out an inspection, as a result of a risk assessment. We prioritise inspections of settings that are judged as inadequate and/or because of concerns that have been expressed about a setting. When the inspection is carried out without notice, the inspector will:

Safeguarding

58. This section sets out our approach to inspecting safeguarding and should be read alongside the safeguarding and welfare requirements section of the EYFS.

59. Inspectors will always look at how well children are helped and protected so that they are kept safe. Although inspectors will not provide a separate grade for this crucial aspect of a provider's work, they will always make a written judgement in the report about whether the arrangements for safeguarding children are effective.

60. All early years providers should have an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first. This means they:

protect children from serious harm, both online and offline

are vigilant, maintaining an attitude of 'it could happen here'

are open and transparent, sharing information with others and actively seeking expert advice, when required

ensure that all those who work with children are trained well so that they understand their responsibilities and the systems and processes that the provision operates and are empowered to 'speak out' where there may be concerns

actively seek and listen to the views and experiences of children, staff and parents, taking prompt but proportionate action to address any concerns, where needed

have appropriate child protection arrangements, which:

identify children who may need early help, and who are at risk of harm or have been harmed. This can include, but is not limited to, neglect, abuse, grooming, exploitation, sexual abuse and online harm

secure the help that children need and, if required, refer children in a timely way to those who have the expertise to help

manage safe recruitment and allegations about adults who may be a risk to children

are receptive to challenge and reflective of their own practices to ensure that safeguarding policies, systems and processes are kept under continuous review

61. It is essential that inspectors are familiar with and take into account the statutory guidance in relation to safeguarding:

During the inspection

62. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

Days allocated to inspection and inspection team members

63. The time spent on inspection normally depends on the size of the provision. Most inspections are carried out by one inspector.

64. Inspectors will usually not arrive before 8am. When inspecting:

group provision that operates only for restricted daily hours, the inspector will normally be present for about 4 hours

group provision open for a full day, the inspector will normally be on site for at least 6 hours

65. The inspection may be carried out by more than one inspector or be carried out over more than one day, at the discretion of the region.

The start of the on-site inspection

66. At the heart of our inspections is a professional dialogue between inspectors and leaders. During the inspection, inspectors will need to speak to staff in a range of different roles. They will do so in line with our code of conduct, and at all times act with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect.

67. On entering the setting, inspectors must introduce themselves and show the provider their Ofsted identification badge. The inspector must allow the provider time to check the identification (which is the main way to confirm identity) and to contact us to verify it, if they have any concerns. In group settings, the inspector must ensure that the provider has been informed of their arrival.

68. The inspector should meet the provider or their representative briefly on arrival to confirm arrangements for the inspection, including:

69. If the inspection is being carried out without notice, the inspector should refer to any concerns that have led to the inspection taking place. The inspector should be aware of the need to maintain confidentiality and to protect fully any sensitive information relating to complainants.

70. If there is more than one inspector, a short team meeting should clarify inspection activities, the areas to be explored initially and individual roles and responsibilities.

Pausing inspections

71. There may be exceptional occasions when we need to consider pausing an inspection. We will consider these on a case-by-case basis according to our published guidance on pausing inspections.

Gathering and recording evidence

72. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

73. During inspections, inspectors will usually carry out the following activities:

74. These activities enable inspectors to gather evidence to make valid and reliable inspection judgements. They will help the inspector and leaders to establish a constructive and professional dialogue. These activities, part of our inspection methodology, are an effective way of finding out what it is like for a child at that setting. Paragraphs 13 to 17 dispel common misconceptions about inspection that can result in unnecessary workload for providers.

75. The inspector should take careful account of the well-being of leaders and staff. They should adjust their approach or activity, as appropriate, as they go about their inspection work. If the inspector sees that a staff member (including leaders) is upset or distressed at any point during the inspection, they will respond sensitively. Where appropriate, inspectors will consider suitable adjustments to enable the leader or staff member to continue. Inspectors should contact the duty desk to discuss what action to take where practical to do so.

76. Inspectors will evaluate evidence of the impact of the curriculum, including on the most disadvantaged children. Disadvantaged children includes children with SEND ( see paragraph 50). It also includes children who meet the criteria for the provider to receive early years pupil premium funding.

77. Inspectors must spend as much time as possible gathering evidence about the quality of care, teaching and learning by:

78. In group provision, the inspector must track a representative sample of 2 or more children across the inspection. The inspector should discuss with the provider what they intend the relevant children to learn and remember based on what those children know and can already do. The evidence collected must refer to:

the practitioner's knowledge of each child

the progress check for any children aged 2

the impact of any early years pupil premium funding on the children's development

the quality of support for any children with SEND ( see paragraph 50)

the discussions held with each child's key person and how they decide what to teach

how well children are developing in the prime and specific areas of learning that help them to be ready for their next stage of education, including school

the reason why children may not receive their full entitlement to early education and the impact that has on them, particularly disadvantaged children, which includes children with SEND ( see paragraph 50)

79. If any of the children are eligible for the early years pupil premium ( see paragraph 76) or subject to a child protection plan or child in need plan, at least one of them must be included in the sample of those tracked.

80. Inspectors must record their evidence clearly and succinctly. All sections of the evidence base must be completed before the end of the inspection. Inspectors may make handwritten notes, but these must be transferred to the electronic evidence as soon as possible after the end of the inspection. It is essential that the evidence accurately reflects discussions with staff and managers. Individuals can be named in inspection evidence if it is necessary to identify them and to avoid confusion. Inspectors should identify clearly any information that was provided in confidence.

81. The evidence underpinning the judgements and areas for improvement must be used to summarise the main points for feedback and to write the report.

82. The electronic evidence and any handwritten notes may be scrutinised for the purposes of retrieval or quality assurance monitoring or as a source of evidence in the event of a complaint or a Freedom of Information request.

Using the setting's own analysis of its strengths and weaknesses during the inspection

83. Leaders and managers of settings should have an accurate view of the quality of their provision and know what to improve. They do not need to produce a written self-evaluation but should be prepared to discuss the quality of education and care they provide - and how well they meet the needs of the children - with the inspector. Inspectors will consider how well leaders and managers evaluate their provision and know how they can improve it or maintain its high standards.

84. The inspector must meet the provider or their representative to discuss how they evaluate their practice. Normally, the discussion should be at a point in the inspection that gives the inspector enough time to follow up any matters discussed. To test the accuracy of the setting's analysis, the inspector will observe children learning, staff caring and teaching, and the safety and suitability of the premises. The inspector will discuss how the provider evaluates the quality of its provision, checking whether they take account of the views of parents and the progress made by the children to determine what it needs to improve.

85. During the inspection, inspectors will use the information provided to test whether the provider's view of the quality of the setting is realistic and to gauge what needs to improve.

Observation and discussion

86. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

87. Inspectors will complete a learning walk around the premises with the provider or their representative early on in the inspection. This provides an opportunity for leaders to explain how they organise the early years provision, including the aims and rationale for their EYFS curriculum.

88. Inspectors must discuss with leaders and practitioners what they intend children to learn, know and do as a result of the EYFS curriculum they offer. They must follow this discussion through in their observations and discussions with children at play and staff interactions.

89. Inspectors must not advocate a particular method of planning, teaching or assessment. They must not look for a preferred methodology but must record aspects of teaching and learning that they observe to be effective and identify what needs to improve.

90. Inspectors will not analyse a provider's internal progress and attainment data during an inspection. This does not mean that providers cannot use data where they consider it appropriate. Inspectors will, however, put more focus on the curriculum and less on a provider's generation, analysis and interpretation of data. Leaders and managers have told us they believe this will help us play our part in reducing unnecessary workload. Inspectors will be interested in the conclusions drawn and actions taken from any internal assessment information, but they will not examine or verify that information first-hand. Inspectors will, however, ask providers to explain why they have decided to collect whatever assessment data they collect, what they are drawing from their data and how that informs their curriculum and teaching.

91. Inspectors do not expect to see documentation other than that set out in the relevant EYFS. They will use the evidence gathered from discussions and their own observations to help judge the overall quality of the curriculum provided for children.

92. Inspectors must spend most of the inspection time gathering first-hand evidence by observing the quality of the daily routines and activities of children and staff. These observations enable inspectors to judge the contribution practitioners make to children's learning, progress, safety and well-being. The observations should also enable them to collect sufficient evidence to support detailed and specific recommendations about improvements needed to the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

93. In group settings, inspectors should observe as many staff as possible to ensure that an accurate picture of the overall quality of interactions between practitioners and children can be gained.

94. When observing interactions between staff and children, inspectors should consider how well staff:

95. Inspectors will also discuss children's learning and development with staff as part of the inspection. There will be a particular focus on communication and language, as the development of children's spoken language underpins all 7 areas of learning and development that are set out in section 1 of the statutory framework for the EYFS. Much of this will be through incidental conversations prompted by observing the children at play and the interactions between them and adults.

96. Where the quality of practice is weak, the inspector must talk to the provider about what has been observed. The inspector should also ask about any action the provider is taking to bring about improvement.

97. The inspector should always invite the provider or a nominated senior member of staff - such as the manager or early years professional - to take part in one or more joint observations of activities, care routines and/or scrutiny of the progress children make. If the provider declines the opportunity to take part in joint observations, this should be recorded in the evidence base, along with the reason given.

98. Joint observations should enable the inspector to:

99. Following a joint observation, the inspector should discuss and note any similarities or differences between the provider's evaluation and their own.

Evaluating policies and procedures

100. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

101. Childcare providers are required to have policies and procedures, as set out in the EYFS.

102. All providers are expected to keep any written records in English.

103. The EYFS is clear that records must be easily accessible and available (these may be kept securely off the premises). Records required by the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS must be easily accessible and available by the end of any visit or inspection, as appropriate.

104. In addition to meeting the EYFS requirements, providers must comply with other legislation. This includes legislation relating to safeguarding, employment, anti-discrimination, health and safety, and data processing and storage. If the inspector identifies concerns that may relate to other legislation, they must notify the regional duty desk. A decision will then be made about what action should be taken and whether there should be liaison with the other agencies.

105. The inspector must check all DBS records. The inspector must also check the provider's paediatric first-aid arrangements, in line with EYFS requirements. This will usually be done in discussion with the provider. However, in some cases, inspectors may ask to see paediatric first-aid certificates.

106. Inspectors are unlikely to check all policies held by the provider. However, they may consider:

107. The inspector is likely to talk to leaders and staff about how they implement their policies in practice, particularly where it relates to the training and development of staff. Where potential non-compliance with the EYFS is identified, inspectors are likely to check staff's knowledge of the setting's policies. Meetings with staff may take place without the presence of senior staff.

Meetings with parents

108. Wherever possible, the inspector must find out the views of parents during the inspection, including those of any parents who ask to speak to them. Meetings with parents must take place without the presence of leaders or staff, unless there are exceptional circumstances. This will contribute to judgements about how well the provision works in partnership with parents to support children's learning and development, and the promotion of their well-being.

109. Where the provision has been notified in advance, parents will know that an inspection is taking place. The inspector should consider the arrival times of children and parents to the setting and should set aside time to speak to parents. The inspector may arrange to speak to parents by telephone if this is more convenient for parents.

110. If the inspection is carried out with no notice, the inspector must check how the provider obtains and uses their views to improve its service. If there is no evidence relating to this, the inspector must consider whether the partnership with parents is good enough and the inspector may choose to contact parents by phone to request their views.

Meeting with the provider and/or their representative

111. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

112. The inspector must meet the provider or, if the provider is not present, the manager. The inspector should consider the best time to hold this meeting. It should be early enough in the inspection so that matters that are being discussed can be followed up.

113. The meeting will need to take place at appropriate moments during the general observations, when the children are safely occupied. The inspector should be mindful that the provider has to supervise children and continue to meet their needs during any meeting time.

114. If the provider is not working directly with children and the meeting takes place in a room or office where the inspector cannot see the provision, it should take no longer than one hour. In most cases, it will be much shorter. The main evidence must come from direct observation of children.

115. The inspector should hold brief discussions with the provider to discuss the findings that are emerging during the inspection and record these in the inspection evidence. The inspector will allow the provider to raise any issues or concerns, or to seek clarification about the inspection.

116. Before the inspection is complete, the inspector should always check with the provider whether further evidence should be taken into account. If the evidence suggests that the provision might be inadequate, the inspector should give the provider an opportunity to offer further evidence by having early discussions about this.

117. The inspector should seek to identify where improvements are needed and make recommendations about how the provision might improve.

Performance management and professional development

118. Childminders should also refer to Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts of this handbook for specific inspection arrangements.

119. Inspectors will gather evidence of the effectiveness of staff supervision, performance management, training and continuing professional development, and the impact of these on children's well-being, learning and development. This includes evidence on how effectively leaders engage with staff and make sure they are aware of and manage any of the main pressures on them.

120. The early years sector is diverse, ranging from single childminders to large day-care settings. This means that inspectors must use their professional judgement to assess how well the provider improves the quality of provision.

121. Inspectors should consider how effectively senior leaders use performance management and their assessment of strengths and areas for improvement within the setting to provide a focus for professional development activities, particularly in relation to increasing children's vocabulary and cultural capital.

Reaching final judgements

122. Inspection activity, including observations, should continue throughout the inspection. Inspectors should avoid giving any impression that they have reached final judgements before the inspection has finished.

123. The inspector must set aside sufficient time towards the end of the inspection to consider the evidence and make the final judgements. Final judgement grades should be recorded and the main points for feedback should be identified. The inspector should also ensure that time is set aside for the final feedback meeting.

124. Part 2 of this handbook sets out the judgements that the inspector must make and the aspects they should consider when doing so. The inspector must use professional judgement to weigh up the evidence gathered for each key judgement. It should be considered against the descriptors to reach fair and reliable judgements that reflect the quality of the provision.

125. Actions and recommendations for improvement should make clear what the provider needs to do to improve. Actions must refer to the requirements in the EYFS. Recommendations for improvement must focus on what the setting needs to do better. The inspector is not expected to check that each of the statutory requirements set out in the EYFS are met. However, if, in the course of collecting evidence, the inspector finds that a particular requirement is not met, they should take this into account when reaching judgements.

126. If one or more of the statutory requirements is not being met, this should be reflected in the judgement on leadership and management, as well as in any other judgements where it is relevant.

127. Failure to meet a statutory requirement will not always result in a judgement that the provision is inadequate. Where a statutory requirement is not met, the inspector will take into account the impact of this on children's health, safety and well-being as well as their learning and development.

128. Where the quality of education judgement is judged to be less than good, the overall effectiveness judgement will normally not be higher. There does not need to be a failure to meet a statutory requirement of the EYFS for a setting to be judged as less than good.

129. When a provision does not meet statutory requirements at the time of the inspection, the inspector must take into account any previous non-compliance. A provider may commit a series of minor breaches to EYFS requirements that, taken individually, do not have a significant impact on children's health, safety or welfare or their learning and development. However, a history of previous non-compliance in the same, or different, areas is likely to indicate either that the provider lacks knowledge of the requirements or is unwilling to comply with them. In such cases, the inspector is likely to judge the leadership and management to be inadequate because the provider does not understand the statutory requirements sufficiently.

130. Minor improvements that are identified and can be put right before the inspection is over should not necessarily have a negative impact on the judgements. However, where there are a number of minor improvements, the inspector will need to consider whether these failings, taken together, suggest wider weaknesses within the setting. If this is the case, it is likely to have a negative impact on the leadership and management judgement.

131. The inspector must take account of all failures to meet EYFS requirements when determining the judgements. If the inspector judges the provision not to have an acceptable standard of care and/or quality of education, the overall effectiveness will be judged inadequate. When judging provision as inadequate, the inspector must decide whether the provider has the capacity to put things right through non-statutory actions or whether the failures are serious enough to warrant enforcement action.

132. In deciding if a provider has the capacity to improve, inspectors should not simply consider potential, but the extent to which leaders:

133. Where a provider is not meeting statutory requirements but the inspector judges that leadership has the capacity to remedy this quickly, actions will be set. The actions will be listed in the inspection report. The inspector should raise actions if they find that:

the provider is not meeting one or more of the learning and development requirements and/or safeguarding and welfare requirements

leaders and managers demonstrate an understanding of the requirements and show that they have the ability to make the necessary improvements without the need for statutory enforcement action

134. When there is a significant failure to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements, inspectors will normally serve a welfare requirements notice. Inspectors will not normally issue an additional actions letter because any actions will usually be written in the inspection report. Inspectors are likely to issue a welfare requirements notice when a provider is failing to meet one or more of the safeguarding and welfare requirements that has a significant impact on children's health, safety and well-being. This is normally where one or more of the following apply:

leaders and managers do not demonstrate their understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS

there have been previous occasions of non-compliance in relation to the same or different requirement(s)

actions relating to existing failures to meet safeguarding and welfare requirements have not been completed satisfactorily

the failure to meet the requirement is so serious that the inspector judges that a welfare requirements notice is appropriate

135. On making the judgement that the provision is inadequate, the inspector must consult with the regional duty desk if:

there is evidence of any immediate risk to children or failure to meet any of the conditions placed on the registration

previous concerns about the provision have not been dealt with in a satisfactory way, including the failure to take satisfactory action to meet actions and/or welfare requirements set at a previous visit

the inspector considers that they may need to serve a welfare requirements notice or take other enforcement action, such as suspension, cancellation or prosecution

the provider shows insufficient understanding of their responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare and/or learning and development requirements of the EYFS

the last inspection resulted in a judgement that the overall effectiveness was inadequate

136. The purpose of the inspector's consultation with the regional duty desk is to discuss whether - and what type of - enforcement action should be taken and the kind of monitoring that will be required. The 'Early years and childcare: Ofsted's enforcement policy (external guidance)' has more information about enforcement options and the arrangements for following up enforcement activity. The discussion will determine what the inspection report will say about the enforcement action.

Failure to notify Ofsted and/or meet conditions

137. It is an offence to fail to notify Ofsted of a significant event or fail to comply with a condition of registration, without good reason. Where the inspector finds non-compliance, they must refer to the 'Early years and childcare: Ofsted's enforcement policy (external guidance)' and contact the regional duty desk if necessary. The inspector should not set actions for breaches of condition or a failure to notify Ofsted about a significant event. However, the inspector must note any such failure in the report. Where appropriate, this may contribute to an inadequate judgement overall.

Providing feedback

138. Towards the end of the inspection the inspector should talk to the provider to:

139. At the end of the inspection, there must be a feedback meeting, which should include the provider and/or their representative. Any person connected to the registration that the provider wants present to assist and support them can attend. If the provider is not able to attend, the inspector should give feedback to the manager as the provider's representative. The inspector must not defer feedback to another day.

140. If the feedback is likely to be challenging or is likely to raise sensitive issues, the inspector will be considerate towards the provider and aware of any implications arising from this feedback. The inspector and setting leaders will agree which other people should attend the feedback meeting. Attendance at the meeting is voluntary, and any attendee may leave at any time.

141. The inspector should allow enough preparation time for feedback, making sure that their evidence is clear and fully supports the judgements. They should be ready to provide examples that illustrate the provision's strengths and weaknesses.

142. At the feedback meeting, the inspector should explain that its purpose is to share the main findings of the inspection and any areas for improvement. The provider or a representative may take written notes.

143. The inspector must make it clear that the findings are restricted and confidential to the relevant senior personnel and that they must remain so until the provider receives the final report. This should not prevent leaders from discussing the inspection outcome with others, in confidence, as along as the information is not made public or shared with parents. This may include leaders' colleagues, family members, medical advisers and/or their wider support group. If the provision is judged to be inadequate, however, the provider is advised to inform the local authority immediately after the inspection.

144. Feedback notes must be consistent with the evidence discussed with the provider and the content of the report, and should cover the strengths and areas for improvement about:

145. The inspector must ensure that the provider or their representative is clear about the grades awarded for each judgement. The inspector should:

146. The inspector should summarise in the evidence base the main points raised at the feedback meeting and the responses to these.

Before- and after-school care and holiday provision

147. Providers who only offer care before and after school or during the school holidays for children who normally attend Reception (or older) classes during the school day do not have to meet the learning and development requirements for those children. For children younger than Reception age, the provider must have regard to, but does not have to meet, the learning and development requirements. In both cases, this means they only have to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS. The arrangements for inspecting this type of provision are set out in Applying the EIF to inspections of before- and after-school care and holiday provision.

Provision that primarily educates children in their home language

148. Provision that educates children primarily through the medium of their home language must show inspectors that individuals have a sufficient grasp of English to ensure the children's well-being. For example, providers must demonstrate that, where necessary, they could summon help in English in an emergency or keep records required by the EYFS in English and share them with inspectors. They must also be able to read and understand safety instructions, other instructions, information about the administration of medication and information about food allergies.

149. If children are not developing a good standard of spoken English, inspectors will consider the impact on their progress and whether this might lead to a judgement that the overall quality of the provision is inadequate.

Exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS

150. Some providers will be exempt from some or all aspects of the learning and development requirements of the EYFS.[footnote 12] The exemptions may modify or fully exempt providers from delivering the educational programmes, meeting individual learning goals and making the assessment arrangements. During the inspection, inspectors should find out if this is the case after reviewing the associated paperwork, which must include confirmation from the DfE that the provider is exempt and the extent of any such exemption. Inspectors should use their professional judgement in applying the grade descriptors in these cases and report accordingly. They should expect to gather evidence for the parts of the learning and development requirements that are not exempt.

After the inspection

Arrangements for publishing the report

151. The inspector present is responsible for writing the inspection report and submitting the evidence to Ofsted shortly after the inspection ends. We aim to send reports to providers as quickly as reasonably possible. The text of the report should explain the judgements and reflect the evidence. The findings in the report should be consistent with the feedback given to the provider at the end of the inspection. The report will explain what it is like to attend the early years setting.

152. When writing a report relating to an inspection that was prioritised, inspectors should ensure that it explains why the inspection took place and should report accordingly.

153. Where no children are on roll or present at the time of the inspection, inspectors must include a judgement of met/not met only for overall effectiveness. Although there will be no separate supporting judgements, the summary of main findings for parents on the front page must include at least one bullet point for each judgement in the evaluation schedule. The summary must also describe clearly any weaknesses that led to a 'not met' judgement.

Providers that are judged outstanding or good

154. A provider judged to be outstanding or good can use specific Ofsted logos to promote its judgement, for example on its website. Providers may only use a logo when it reflects the judgement of their most recent inspection. They must remove the logo if their URN changes, or if their grade changes. You can find more information on our logo terms of use page.

Other information to be completed following an inspection

155. As well as submitting the report and evidence, the inspector must update our database with the following information:

the number of places the registered provider offers and the ages of children attending

the level and number of qualifications, including paediatric first aid, held by staff at the setting

any previous actions that are complete and need to be closed

any new actions or recommendations

any changes to the people connected with the registration, including a note of any failure to notify us of changes

any errors in the registration details, including those relating to the registered person and the register(s) on which the provider is placed

156. Inspection reports will be quality assured before we send a draft to the provider. In most circumstances, the provider will receive the draft report within 18 working days after the end of the inspection. The draft report is restricted and confidential to the relevant personnel (as determined by the provider), and should not be shared more widely or published. This should not prevent discussion of the inspection outcome with others, in confidence, as long as the information is not made public or shared with parents. This may include leaders' colleagues, family members, medical advisers and/or their wider support group. We may share a draft of the inspection report with the DfE and other bodies as necessary. This will only take place following moderation or quality assurance.

157. The provider will have 5 working days to comment on the draft report, inspection process and findings. The provider can highlight minor points relating to the clarity and/or factual accuracy of the report, or they can submit a formal complaint seeking a review of the inspection process, including the judgements made or concerns about inspector conduct. If they only submit minor points of clarity or factual accuracy, we will consider and respond to these when we share the final report with the provider. This will normally be within 30 working days after the inspection.

158. If a provider wishes to make a formal complaint, we will follow the process set out in our published complaints procedure. We will respond to any complaint before we finalise and share the report with the provider. If the provider has previously chosen to highlight some minor points of clarity or factual accuracy on the draft inspection report, they will not normally be able to submit a formal complaint or challenge later. We will publish the final report on our reports website 5 working days after sending it to the setting.
Figure 1: Ofsted's post-inspection and complaints procedure

159. The relevant Statutory framework for the EYFS requires all early years providers to supply a copy of the inspection report to the parents of children attending on a regular basis.

The inspection evidence base

160. The evidence base must be retained in line with our published privacy notice.

Quality assurance and complaints

Quality assurance

161. All inspectors are responsible for the quality of their work. The inspector present must ensure that inspections are carried out in accordance with the principles of inspections and our code of conduct.

162. We monitor the quality of inspections through a range of formal processes and inspectors visit some providers or monitor remotely to quality assure inspections. We may also evaluate the quality of an inspection evidence base. If there is more than one inspector, the lead inspector will be responsible for giving team inspectors feedback about the quality of their work and their conduct. In very rare circumstances, if we find a weakness in the inspection process, we may carry out a further visit to gather additional evidence.

163. All providers are invited to take part in a voluntary post-inspection survey in order to contribute to inspection development.

164. The great majority of our work is carried out smoothly and without incident. If concerns do arise during the inspection, they should be raised with the inspector as soon as possible, in order to resolve issues before the on-site inspection visit is completed. Any concerns raised, and actions taken, will be recorded in the inspection evidence. If there are any concerns that the provider cannot resolve with the inspector during the inspection visit, they can contact a senior Ofsted leader using the number provided as part of the notification process. In exceptional circumstances, this might lead to the inspection being paused (see ' pausing inspections').

165. If an issue remains unresolved, the provider can contact Ofsted on the working day after the end of the inspection. This will be an opportunity for the provider to raise informal concerns about the inspection process or outcomes, ask about next steps or highlight information that they feel was not fully considered during the inspection. This will be directed to an inspector who is independent of the inspection, to discuss and to resolve, where appropriate, at the earliest opportunity.

166. If it is not possible to resolve concerns during the inspection or through a telephone call the day after the inspection, the provider may wish to lodge a formal complaint on receipt of the draft report. The inspector will ensure that the provider is informed that it is able to make a formal complaint and that information about how to complain is available on GOV.UK.

Part 2. The evaluation schedule - how early years settings will be judged

Background to the evaluation schedule

167. The evaluation schedule must be used in conjunction with the guidance set out in part 1 of this document, 'How we will inspect early years providers', and part 3 'Applying the EIF in different contexts, and in the EIF.

168. The evaluation schedule is not exhaustive. It does not replace the professional judgement of inspectors. Inspectors must interpret grade descriptors in relation to children's age, development and stage of education.

169. In line with the EIF, inspectors will make the following judgements:

170. The criteria for each of these judgements are drawn from Ofsted's inspection experience, areas of consensus in academic research, and research that Ofsted has itself undertaken (see 'Education inspection framework: overview of research').

171. Inspectors use a 4-point scale to make all judgements.

172. Inspectors must use their professional judgement to interpret and apply the grade descriptors to the setting they are inspecting. In doing so, they consider the following factors:

a childminder who has only a very small number of children

settings in which only babies and very young children are present

settings that provide for funded 2-year-olds or groups who may be disadvantaged

settings that have children who receive their main EYFS experience elsewhere

children who are no longer in the early years age range

173. Inspectors must note any differences in the quality of education for children of different ages. [footnote 13] They will use their professional judgement and take into account all their evidence and give clear reasons for their judgements.

174. Inspectors will always seek to understand any ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on providers and will take this into account when reaching final inspection judgements.

175. We recognise that the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic may have impacted on what children know, remember and can do. Children may have a wider than usual range of starting points and gaps in their knowledge. Inspectors will pay close attention to how providers are identifying and addressing these delays and gaps and what they are doing to address any disruption to learning, to ensure that children are well prepared for their next stage of education.

Reaching a judgement of outstanding

176. Outstanding is a challenging and exacting judgement. In order to reach this standard, inspectors will determine whether the early years provision meets all the criteria set out under 'good' for that judgement and does so securely and consistently. In other words, it is not enough that the provision is strong against some aspects of the judgement and not against others: it must meet each and every criterion. In addition, there are further criteria set out under the outstanding judgement, all of which the provision will also need to meet. Provision should only be judged 'outstanding' in a particular area if it is performing exceptionally, and this exceptional performance in that area is consistent and secure across the whole provision.

Reaching a judgement of good, requires improvement or inadequate

177. When considering a judgement of good or requires improvement inspectors will consider whether the overall quality of the provision is most closely aligned to the descriptions they set out. Inspectors are likely to reach a judgement of inadequate under a particular judgement if one or more of the inadequate criteria applies.

Overall effectiveness: the quality and standards of the early years provision

178. Inspectors must use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a child in the provision. In making their judgements about a provider's overall effectiveness, inspectors will consider whether the standard of education and care is good. If it meets all the criteria for good, then inspectors will consider whether it is outstanding. If it is not good, then inspectors will consider whether it requires improvement or is inadequate.

179. In judging the overall effectiveness, inspectors will take account of the 4 judgements. They will also make a judgement about the effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding children.

180. Inspectors should take account of all the judgements made across the evaluation schedule. In particular, they should consider:

the extent to which leaders and providers plan, design and implement the EYFS curriculum

the extent to which the curriculum and care practices that the setting provides meet the needs of the range of children who attend, particularly children with SEND

the progress children make in their learning and development relative to their starting points, and their readiness for the next stage of their education

children's personal and emotional development, including whether they feel safe and are secure and happy

whether the requirements for children's safeguarding and welfare have been fully met and there is a shared understanding of and responsibility for protecting children

the effectiveness of leadership and management in evaluating practice and securing continuous development that improves children's education

Grade descriptors for the provision's overall effectiveness

Outstanding (1)

The quality of education is outstanding.

All other judgements are likely to be outstanding. In exceptional circumstances, one of the judgements may be good, as long as there is convincing evidence that it is improving this area rapidly and securely towards outstanding.

Safeguarding is effective.

There are no breaches of EYFS requirements.

Requires improvement (3)

Where one or more aspects of the provision's work requires improvement, the overall effectiveness is likely to require improvement.

Safeguarding is effective.

If there are any breaches of EYFS requirements, they do not have a significant impact on children's safety, well-being or learning and development.

Inadequate (4)

The provision's overall effectiveness is likely to be inadequate if one or more of the following apply.

Safeguarding is ineffective.

Any one of the judgements is inadequate.

Breaches of EYFS requirements have a significant impact on the safety and well-being and/or the learning and development of the children.

It has been given 2 previous 'requires improvement' judgements and it is still not good.

Quality of education

The EYFS curriculum

181. The EYFS (educational programmes) provides the curriculum framework that leaders build on to decide what they intend children to learn and develop.[footnote 14] Leaders and practitioners decide how to implement the curriculum so that children make progress in the 7 areas of learning. Leaders and practitioners evaluate the impact of the curriculum by checking what children know and can do.

Curriculum flexibility

182. Some providers offer a specialist early years curriculum and Ofsted recognises their autonomy to do so. For example, they may follow a specific philosophical or pedological approach or reflect a particular faith. The choice of teaching methods is a decision for providers, within the confines of the EYFS. Alongside any specialist education provided, it is important that children have access to a highly ambitious, broad and rich curriculum.

183. When reaching a judgement on quality of education, inspectors will work with leaders and managers to understand how the curriculum as a whole is structured, and where they can find evidence that the quality of education criteria are met.

184. The inspector will judge fairly those providers that take radically different approaches to the curriculum and will judge the quality of the provision in relation to the impact it has on children's learning, development and well-being. Inspectors will assess any provider's curriculum favourably when leaders and managers have built a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing and have implemented it effectively. They are, however, likely to assess it negatively where the specialist curriculum has been designed or is being delivered in a way that limits children's opportunities or fails to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

185. Inspectors will evaluate how well:

186. Teaching is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities, communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment that adults provide and the attention given to the physical environment, as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do, as well as taking account of their interests and dispositions to learn (characteristics of effective learning), and how practitioners use this information to plan children's next steps in learning and to monitor their progress.

Cultural capital

187. Cultural capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. [footnote 15] It is about giving children the best possible start to their early education. As part of making a judgement about the quality of education, inspectors will consider how well leaders use the curriculum to enhance the experience and opportunities available to children, particularly the most disadvantaged.

188. Some children arrive at an early years settings with different experiences from others, in their learning and play. What a setting does, through its EYFS curriculum and interactions with practitioners, potentially makes all the difference for children. It is the role of the setting to help children experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live, through the 7 areas of learning.

Grade descriptors for the quality of education

189. Inspectors will not grade curriculum intent, implementation and impact separately. Instead, inspectors will reach a single graded judgement for the quality of education, drawing on all the evidence they have gathered, using their professional judgement.

190. To reach a judgement about the quality of education, inspectors must use their professional judgement to consider the ages, development and stages of children in the setting.

191. In order for the quality of education to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently. It must also meet all the outstanding criteria.

Outstanding (1)

The provider meets all the criteria for a good quality of education securely and consistently. The quality of education at this setting is exceptional. In addition, the following apply:

The provider's curriculum intent and implementation are embedded securely and consistently across the provision. It is evident from what practitioners do that they have a firm and common understanding of the provider's curriculum intent and what it means for their practice. Across all parts of the provision, practitioners' interactions with children are of a high quality and contribute well to delivering the curriculum intent.

Children's experiences over time are consistently and coherently arranged to build cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for their future learning.

The impact of the curriculum on what children know, can remember and do is highly effective. Children demonstrate this through being deeply engaged in their work and play and sustaining high levels of concentration. Children, including those children from disadvantaged backgrounds, do well. Children with SEND achieve the best possible outcomes.

Children consistently use new vocabulary that enables them to communicate effectively. They speak with increasing confidence and fluency, which means that they secure strong foundations for future learning, especially in preparation for them to become fluent readers.

192. Inspectors will use their professional judgement and adopt a 'best fit' approach in order to judge whether an early years provider is good or requires improvement.

Good (2)

Leaders adopt or construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.

The provider's curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. It builds on what children know and can do, towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for their future learning.

The provider has the same ambitions for almost all children. For children with particular needs, such as those with SEND, their curriculum is still ambitious and meets their needs.

Children benefit from meaningful learning across the EYFS curriculum.

Practitioners understand the areas of learning they teach and the way in which young children learn. Leaders provide effective support, including for staff with less experience and knowledge of teaching.

Practitioners present information clearly to children, promoting appropriate discussion about the subject matter being taught. They communicate well to check children's understanding, identify misconceptions and provide clear explanations to improve their learning. In so doing, they respond and adapt their teaching as necessary.

Practitioners ensure that their own speaking, listening and reading of English enables children to hear and develop their own language and vocabulary well. They read to children in a way that excites and engages them, introducing new ideas, concepts and vocabulary.

Over the EYFS, teaching is designed to help children remember long-term what they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts.

Practitioners and leaders use assessment well to check what children know and can do to inform teaching. This includes planning suitable activities, providing opportunities for children to practise and responding to specific needs. Leaders understand the limitations of assessment and avoid unnecessary burdens for staff or children.

Practitioners and leaders create an environment that supports the intent of an ambitious and coherently planned and sequenced curriculum. The available resources meet the children's needs and promote their focus on learning.

Practitioners share information with parents about their child's progress in relation to the EYFS. They help parents to support and extend their child's learning at home, including how to encourage a love of reading.

Children develop detailed knowledge and skills across the 7 areas of learning and use these in an age-appropriate way. Children develop their vocabulary and understanding of language across the EYFS curriculum.

Children are ready for the next stage of education, especially school, where applicable. They have the knowledge and skills they need to benefit from what school has to offer when it is time to move on.

Children enjoy, listen attentively and respond with comprehension to familiar stories, rhymes and songs that are appropriate to their age and stage of development.

Children understand securely the early mathematical concepts appropriate to their age and stage that will enable them to move on to the next stage of learning.

Children articulate what they know, understand and can do in an age-appropriate way, holding thoughtful conversations with adults and their friends.

From birth onwards, children are physically active in their play, developing their physiological, cardiovascular and motor skills. They show good control and coordination in both large and small movements appropriate for their stage of development.

Inadequate (4)

The quality of education is likely to be inadequate if one or more of the following applies.

A poorly designed and implemented curriculum does not meet children's needs. The needs of babies and young children are not met.

Practitioners have a poor understanding of the areas of learning they teach and the way in which young children learn.

Assessment is overly burdensome. It is unhelpful in determining what children know, understand and can do.

Children are not well prepared for school or the next stage of their learning, particularly those who are in receipt of additional funding. Strategies for engaging parents are weak and parents do not know what their child is learning or how they can help them improve.

Breaches of the statutory requirements have a significant impact on children's learning and development.

Behaviour and attitudes

193. Inspectors will consider the ways in which the provider's curriculum supports children to develop their attitudes and behaviour through the characteristics of effective learning:

194. Although attendance at the setting is not mandatory, inspectors will explore how well providers work with parents to promote children's attendance so that the children form good habits for future learning. In particular, inspectors will consider the attendance of children for whom the provider receives early years pupil premium.

195. Inspectors will consider the extent to which leaders and practitioners support children's behaviour and attitudes, including how the provision helps children to manage their own feelings and behaviour, and how to relate to others.

196. To reach a judgement about children's behaviour and attitudes, inspectors must use their professional judgement to consider the ages, development and stages of children in the setting.

Grade descriptors for behaviour and attitudes

197. In order for behaviour and attitudes to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently. It must also meet all the outstanding criteria.

Outstanding (1)

The provider meets all the criteria for good behaviour and attitudes securely and consistently. Behaviour and attitudes in this provision are exceptional.

In addition, the following apply.

198. Inspectors will use their professional judgement and adopt a 'best fit' approach in order to judge whether a provider is good or requires improvement.

Good (2)

The provider has high expectations for children's behaviour and conduct. These expectations are commonly understood and applied consistently and fairly. This is reflected in children's positive behaviour and conduct. They are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour and to understand how these have an impact on others. When children struggle with regulating their behaviour, leaders and practitioners take appropriate action to support them. Children are developing a sense of right and wrong.

The provider's curriculum supports children to build positive attitudes to learning. Children demonstrate their positive attitudes to learning through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment. They listen intently and respond positively to adults and each other. Children are developing their resilience to setbacks and take pride in their achievements.

Children benefit fully from the early education opportunities available to them by participating and responding promptly to requests and instructions from practitioners.

Relationships among children, parents and staff reflect a positive and respectful culture. Children feel safe and secure.

Inadequate (4)

Children's behaviour and attitudes are likely to be inadequate if one or both of the following apply.

Children's behaviour and attitudes to learning are poor. Their frequent lack of engagement in activities and/or poor behaviour lead to a disorderly environment that hinders children's learning and/or puts them and others at risk.

Children persistently demonstrate poor self-control and a lack of respect for others, leading to children not feeling safe and secure.

Personal development

199. Inspectors will evaluate the extent to which the provision is successfully promoting children's personal development. Inspectors must use their professional judgement to consider the effectiveness of the provision on children's all-round development. In doing so, inspectors must be mindful of the ages and stages of development of the children in the setting.

Grade descriptors for personal development

200. In order for personal development to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently. It must also meet all the outstanding criteria.

Outstanding (1)

The provider meets all the criteria for good personal development securely and consistently. Personal development in this provision is exceptional. In addition, the following apply.

201. Inspectors will use their professional judgement and adopt a 'best fit' approach in order to judge whether an early years provider is good or requires improvement.

Good (2)

The curriculum and the provider's effective care practices promote and support children's emotional security and development of their character. Children are gaining a good understanding of what makes them unique.

The curriculum and the provider's effective care practices promote children's confidence, resilience and independence. Practitioners teach children to take appropriate risks and challenges as they play and learn both inside and outdoors, particularly supporting them to develop physical and emotional health.

A well-established key person system helps children form secure attachments and promotes their well-being and independence. Practitioners teach children the language of feelings, helping them to appropriately develop their emotional literacy (see the relevant 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, which set out the personal, social and emotional development (PSED) area of learning). Relationships between staff and babies are sensitive, stimulating and responsive.

Practitioners provide a healthy diet and a range of opportunities for physically active play, both inside and outdoors. They give clear and consistent messages to children that support healthy choices around food, rest, exercise and screen time.

Practitioners help children to gain an effective understanding of when they might be at risk, including when using the internet, digital technology and social media and where to get support if they need it.

Practitioners ensure that policies are implemented consistently. Hygiene practices ensure that the personal needs of children of all ages are met appropriately. Practitioners teach children to become increasingly independent in managing their personal needs.

Practitioners value and promote equality and diversity and prepare children for life in modern Britain. They do this in an age-appropriate way to help children to reflect on their differences and understand what makes them unique. Practitioners do this by: teaching children to be respectful and to recognise those who help us, and contribute positively to society; developing children's understanding of fundamental British values; developing children's understanding and appreciation of diversity; celebrating what we have in common; and routinely challenging stereotypical behaviours and promoting respect for different people.

Requires improvement (3)

Provision to support children's personal development is not good.

Any breaches of the statutory requirements for safeguarding and welfare and/or learning and development do not have a significant impact on children's safety, well-being and personal development.

Inadequate (4)

Personal development is likely to be inadequate if one or more of the following applies.

Breaches of the statutory requirements have a significant impact on children's safety, well-being and personal development.

Practitioners do not support children's social and emotional well-being or prepare them for transitions within the setting and/or to other settings and school.

The key person system does not work effectively to support children's emotional well-being and children fail to form secure attachments with their carers. Babies are not stimulated.

Policies, procedures and practice do not promote the health and welfare of children. As a result, children do not know how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

Children have a narrow experience that does not promote their understanding of people and communities beyond their own or help them to recognise and accept each other's differences.

Leadership and management

202. Inspectors will evaluate evidence from the range of different inspection activities set out in part 1 of the handbook when considering the effectiveness of leadership and management.

203. Inspectors will seek to understand how leaders have adapted their approaches as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rationale for any new or modified ways of working.

Grade descriptors for leadership and management

204. In order for leadership and management to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently. It must also meet all the outstanding criteria.

Outstanding (1)

The provider meets all the criteria for good leadership and management securely and consistently. Leadership and management in this provision is exceptional. In addition, the following apply.

205. Inspectors will use their professional judgement and adopt a 'best fit' approach in order to judge whether an early years provider is good or requires improvement.

Good (2)

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for providing high-quality, inclusive care and education to all. This is realised through strong shared values, policies and practice.

Leaders focus on improving practitioners' knowledge of the areas of learning and understanding of how children learn to enhance the teaching of the curriculum and appropriate use of assessment. The practice and subject knowledge of practitioners (including those who are newly qualified) build and improve over time. Leaders have effective systems in place for the supervision and support of staff.

Leaders act with integrity to ensure that all children, particularly those with SEND, have full access to their entitlement to early education.

Leaders engage effectively with children, their parents and others in their community, including schools and other local services.

Leaders engage with their staff and are aware of the main pressures on them. They are realistic and constructive in the way they manage staff. including their workload, to avoid any unnecessary burdens.

Those with oversight or governance understand their role and carry this out effectively. They have a clear vision and strategy and hold senior leaders to account for the quality of care and education. They ensure that resources are managed sustainably, effectively and efficiently.

The provider fulfils its statutory duties, for example under the Equality Act 2010, and other duties, for example in relation to the 'Prevent' strategy and safeguarding.

Leaders protect staff from harassment, bullying and discrimination.

Safeguarding is effective

Requires improvement (3)

Inadequate (4)

Leadership and management are likely to be inadequate if one or more of the following applies.

Leaders do not have the capacity to improve the quality of education and care. Actions taken to tackle areas of identified weakness have been insufficient or ineffective. Training for staff is ineffective.

Leaders are not doing enough to tackle the poor curriculum or teaching, or the inappropriate use of assessment. This has a significant impact on children's progress, particularly those who are disadvantaged, which includes those with SEND.

Links with parents, other settings and professionals involved in supporting children's care and education do not identify or meet children's individual needs. Children fail to thrive.

Leaders do not tackle instances of discrimination. Equality, diversity and British values are not actively promoted in practice.

Safeguarding and welfare requirements are not met. Breaches have a significant impact on the safety and well-being of children.

Part 3. Applying the EIF in different contexts

Applying the EIF to inspections of childminders

This part of the handbook provides specific guidance for inspections of childminders. Part 1 and part 2 of this handbook set out our inspection principles and methodology; however, where there are key differences for childminders, these are set out below.

How we will select childminders for inspection

206. Paragraphs 18 to 27 set out how we select childminders for inspection.

Notification of inspection

207. Childminders will usually receive a call no more than 5 days before the inspection to check which days they are operating and whether there are children on roll and present.[footnote 16] The inspector must not specify any proposed dates for the inspection, but should indicate the time of day the inspection will start. This will allow the childminder to leave the house if the inspector has not arrived by that time.

No children on roll or present on the day of inspection

208. Paragraphs 28 to 33 set out our approach to inspection when there are no children on roll or present on the day of inspection.

209. Childminders are required to notify us of any extended periods of time when they will have no children on roll or will otherwise be on leave, for example parental leave: Childminders and childcare providers: register with Ofsted. Childminders should contact us to:

210. Deferral requests that are made because childminders have no children on roll or are otherwise on leave will not be considered. Other reasons will be considered in line with our deferral policy.

211. Childminders who only offer before- and after-school care will be inspected without receiving grades against the 4 judgements: 'Quality of education', 'Behaviour and attitudes', 'Personal development' and 'Leadership and management' (see Applying the EIF to inspections of before- and after-school care and holiday provision). Childminders who operate on an on-demand basis are likely to receive a no children on roll inspection.

212. The majority of inspections affected by the no children on roll policy will be childminders. The main purpose of the inspection when there are no children on roll is to fulfil our legal duty to inspect registered providers within a defined period and to report in writing on certain matters. The inspection will report on whether the provider continues to meet the requirements to remain registered on the Early Years Register and, if applicable, the Childcare Register. See paragraphs 34 to 39.

Time allocated to inspection and inspection team members

213. When inspecting a childminder, the inspector will normally be on site for about 3 hours. If the inspection is likely to take longer than this, for example because the childminder is responsible for taking the children to school or collecting them from school, the inspector will discuss this with the childminder at the earliest opportunity.

Gathering and recording evidence

214. To assess whether the provider is meeting the requirements of the EYFS, the inspector will carry out a range of inspection activities, as set out in part 1 of the handbook.

215. During an inspection of a childminder, inspectors will usually carry out the activities set out in paragraph 73.

216. The inspection activities enable inspectors to gather evidence to make valid and reliable inspection judgements. These activities, part of our inspection methodology, are an effective way of finding out what it is like for a child to be cared for by that childminder. Paragraphs 13 to 17 dispel common misconceptions about inspection that can result in unnecessary workload for childminders. Read more information on inspections and the EYFS.

217. The inspector will talk to the childminder about what they want children to learn and remember based on what the children in their care know and can already do. The inspector will discuss with the childminder:

what they know about each child

the progress check for any children aged 2

the impact of any early years pupil premium funding on the children's development

the quality of support for any children where there are concerns about their development

how they decide what to teach the children

how well children are developing in the prime and specific areas of learning of the EYFS that help them to be ready for their next stage of education, including school

the reason why children may not be receiving their full entitlement to early education and the impact that has on them, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who may get left behind.

218. As childminders have only a small number of children, inspectors are not able to track a representative sample of children in the same way as they would in larger providers ( see paragraph 78 for more information on tracking). Nevertheless, they apply the same principles in terms of evaluating the childminder's practice and its impact on children's learning, development and well-being. We will prioritise tracking the experiences of children who are eligible for the early years pupil premium ( see paragraph 76) or subject to a child protection plan or child in need plan.

Using the setting's own analysis of its strengths and weaknesses during the inspection

219. Childminders should have an accurate view of the quality of their provision and know what they need to improve. They do not need to produce a written self-evaluation but should be prepared to discuss the quality of the education and care they provide - and how well they meet the children's needs - with the inspector. Inspectors will consider how well childminders evaluate their provision and know how they can improve it or maintain its high standards.

220. The inspector will discuss with the childminder how they evaluate their practice. Normally, the discussion will be at a point in the inspection that gives the inspector enough time to follow up any matters discussed. To check the accuracy of the childminder's analysis, the inspector will observe children learning, the caring and teaching taking place, and the safety and suitability of the premises. This includes where the childminder is working with any assistants. The inspector will also discuss how the childminder evaluates the quality of their provision, and check whether they take account of the views of parents and the progress made by the children to determine what needs to improve.

Observation and discussion

221. Inspectors will provide an opportunity for the childminder to explain how they organise the early years provision, including the aims of and rationale for their EYFS curriculum. This is often referred to as the 'learning walk' ( see paragraph 77).

222. Inspectors will gather first-hand evidence by observing the quality of the daily routines and the activities of children. These observations enable inspectors to judge the contribution that childminders make to children's learning, progress, safety and well-being. The observations should also enable them to collect sufficient evidence to support detailed and specific recommendations about improvements needed to the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

223. Inspectors will also discuss children's learning and development with the childminder as part of the inspection. There will be a particular focus on communication and language, as the development of children's spoken language underpins all 7 areas of learning and development that are set out in paragraph 1.6 of the statutory framework for the EYFS. Much of this discussion will be through incidental conversations prompted by observing the children at play and the interactions between them and the childminder.

224. Where the quality of practice is weak, the inspector must talk to the childminder about what has been observed. The inspector should also ask about any action the childminder is taking to bring about improvement.

225. Inspectors will observe individual children with the childminder. Where possible, the inspector will watch the childminder engage with the children, discussing the children's learning, progress and behaviour as part of the activities that the children are engaged in. The inspector should follow this up with a further discussion about what the child has learned and how the childminder intends to build on this learning to help the child make progress.

226. If the childminder has an assistant(s), the inspector and childminder may carry out a joint observation of the assistant ( see paragraphs 97 to 99) in part 1 of this handbook).

Evaluating policies and procedures

227. Childminders are required to have policies and procedures, as set out in the EYFS. While they are not required to have written policies, they must make sure that they have effective procedures in place as set out in the EYFS. They must ensure that any assistants are aware of, and follow, the statutory policies and can explain them to parents and others when requested.

228. All childminders are expected to keep any written records in English.

Discussions with the childminder

229. During the inspection, discussions with the childminder will take place at appropriate moments during the general observations when the children are safely occupied. The inspector should be mindful that the childminder has to supervise children and continue to meet their needs during any meeting time.

230. Discussions will take place early enough so that any matters that are being discussed can be followed up.

231. During the inspection, the inspector should also hold brief discussions with the childminder to discuss the emerging findings. These will be recorded in the inspection evidence.

Performance management and professional development

232. Inspectors should consider how effectively the childminder assesses their own (and any assistants') strengths and areas for improvement within the setting. They will consider how well this focuses the childminder's professional development activities, particularly in relation to increasing children's vocabulary and cultural capital ( see paragraphs 186 to 187).

233. Where childminders are working with an assistant(s), inspectors will gather evidence of the effectiveness of staff supervision, performance management, training and continuing professional development, and the impact of these on children's well-being, learning and development. This includes evidence of how effectively childminders engage with their staff and make sure they are aware of, and manage, any of the main pressures on them.

234. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to assess how well the childminder improves the quality of provision.

Inspections where co-childminders work together

235. We normally inspect co-childminders together, but may do so separately, especially if they work at different times of the week and/or from different premises.

236. All registered childminders are expected to be able to demonstrate how they meet the requirements of the EYFS, even if they are an employee of another childminder.

237. Co-childminders working together may share policies, procedures and resources. If we inspect childminders together, we will take account of the individual education and care they provide for children, including the rationale for their EYFS curriculum.

238. Inspectors are likely to hold individual discussions with childminders, and will use their professional judgement to interpret and apply the grade descriptors to the individual childminder they are inspecting.

Before- and after-school care and holiday provision

239. Childminders who only offer care before and after school or during the school holidays, for children who normally attend Reception (or older) classes during the school day, do not have to meet the learning and development requirements for those children. For children younger than Reception age, the childminder should be guided by, but does not have to meet, the learning and development requirements. In both cases, this means they only have to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS. The arrangements for inspecting this type of provision are set out in part 3 of this handbook: Applying the EIF to inspections of before- and after-school care and holiday provision.

The evaluation schedule - how early years settings will be judged

240. The evaluation schedule, part 2 must be used with the guidance set out in part 1 and part 3 of this document, and in the EIF.

241. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to interpret and apply the grade descriptors to the setting they are inspecting. In doing so, they will consider the following:

a childminder who has only a very small number of children

settings in which only babies and very young children are present

settings that provide for funded 2-year-olds or groups who may be disadvantaged

settings that have children who receive their main EYFS experience elsewhere

children who are no longer in the early years age range

242. Inspectors must use their professional judgement when interpreting and applying the grade descriptors for leadership and management for childminders.

Applying the EIF to inspections of before- and after-school care and holiday provision

243. Providers (including childminders) registered on the Early Years Register but that only provide care exclusively for children at the beginning and end of the school day or in holiday periods will be inspected without receiving grades against the 4 judgements ('Quality of education', 'Behaviour and attitudes', 'Personal development' and 'Leadership and management') of the inspection framework.

244. These providers do not need to meet the learning and development requirements of the EYFS. They do have to meet in full the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which are designed to help providers create high-quality settings that are welcoming, safe and stimulating, and where children are able to grow in confidence.

245. The inspector will make a judgement only on the 'Overall effectiveness: quality and standards of the early years provision'. The inspection will result in one of 3 possible outcomes:

246. The inspector will consider the criteria for 3 of the key judgements ('Behaviour and attitudes', 'Personal development' and 'Leadership and management') in reaching a judgement about whether or not the provider is meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS.

247. When the provider does not meet one or more of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, the inspector must consider a judgement of 'not met' and either issue actions for the provider to take or consider enforcement action. In these cases, the inspector must follow the guidance for inadequate judgements set out previously in this handbook.

248. Provision judged as 'not met' will normally be reinspected within 12 months.

249. When inspecting before- and after-school and holiday care provision, the inspector must assess whether the provider:

has premises suitable to care for children in the early years age range (as appropriate)

can demonstrate sufficient understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS

can meet the care, safeguarding and welfare needs of children

250. Providers must confirm that they meet the requirements of the Childcare Register, if applicable.

251. The provider must demonstrate how they:

252. The provider should tell the inspector how they have addressed any actions from the last inspection and how this will improve the provision for children's care and learning.

Gathering and recording evidence

253. To assess whether the provider is meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements, the inspector will undertake appropriate inspection activity as set out in part 1 of the handbook. In particular, inspectors will:

Writing the report

254. Although there are no separate supporting judgements, the inspection will result in a summary for parents, which will explain what it is like for a child to attend the setting.

255. Inspectors will report on what the setting does well and what it needs to do better. This section must include reference to leadership and management, children's behaviour and attitudes and personal development. It must describe clearly any weaknesses that led to a 'not met' judgement and from which actions or enforcement action have been raised. Where a setting has a 'met' judgement, inspectors will usually report on what the setting needs to do better, but will not raise recommendations.

Providers that are judged outstanding or good

256. Providers that were inspected before the EIF was introduced and were judged good or outstanding may have been using Ofsted logos. Providers who have received an inspection under the EIF can no longer use these logos. Where applicable, providers affected can find out more information on use of logos on our Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS' page.

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This guidance came into force on 5 April 2024. 1. This handbook describes the main activities that inspectors undertake when they carry out inspections of early years providers in England registered under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006. The handbook also sets out the judgements that inspectors will make and on which they will report.

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What do I need to prepare for my inspection?

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This is probably the question that early years providers and practitioners ask us most.

Our answer is always the same... nothing!

We want you to have the confidence and freedom to do what you do every day. Our inspectors are tasked with finding out what it is like to be a child at your setting every day and not just on the day of the inspection. Therefore, we ask that you do not do anything differently just for the inspection. In our experience, 'preparing for inspection' merely puts unnecessary pressure on you and your staff to 'perform' on the day. This may result in staff feeling less confidence in knowing that what they are doing is right for their children. And apart from anything else, the children are always the first to tell our inspectors if anything is out of the ordinary for them!

As providers and practitioners, you know the children in your setting best. If you have an ambitious curriculum that sequences the knowledge that children need, and children know and remember that curriculum, inspectors will see this. There is absolutely no need to do anything other than what you have already planned.

Paperwork

Talking of plans, they do not need to be written down just for inspectors' benefit. You can explain to inspectors what you want children to learn and why. That said, if you choose to make written plans because it works better for you, that is absolutely fine as well. Just don't do it because you think we want to see them.

This leads me onto one of the other commonly asked questions about preparing for inspection:

'Should I have a folder of paperwork marked 'Ofsted'?'

Despite what you may have heard, inspectors do not want to see a particular amount or type of paperwork. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets out what you must record. You should use whatever approach to paperwork suits you and you are free to file it however you like. But please do not be offended if our inspectors would rather understand your plans, policies and procedures by talking about them rather than reading them. We've told inspectors not to ask to see paperwork unnecessarily.

The post-inspection survey

You may have heard about our strategic priority to give all children 'the best start in life'. As part of fulfilling this aim, we'll continue to engage with the sector and share our insights from our inspections. One of the ways you can help us is by completing the post-inspection survey. This short survey asks for your views on inspection and the impact it is likely to have in improving your own practice. We use these valuable insights to help us improve what we do.

Finding out more

We are open and transparent about what we expect from our inspectors and from providers. We know inspection can make you and your staff nervous. So if you want to find out about what will happen on an inspection, have a look online. We've refreshed our education inspection framework ( EIF) and EYFS page, where we address individual aspects of inspection. And if parents of the children you look after have questions, you can point them to the inspection guides that we've recently published specifically for them.

We hope you find these resources helpful, but please do not think you have to scour every line of these documents in preparation for an inspection - you don't as that's not what they're there for. We want these resources to be helpful for you. I said at the start, that our inspectors want to know what it's like to be a child in your setting. If they're looked after and learning well, we will recognise that, without needing to see reams of paperwork.

Have the confidence to do what you do everyday and please don't do anything different, just because an inspector calls.

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Wendy Ratcliff HMI, Principal Officer, Early Education

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'What do I need to do to prepare for my early years inspection?'

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We want practitioners to have the confidence and freedom to do what they do every day. Our inspectors are tasked with finding out what it is like for children to attend their setting not just on the day of the inspection but every day.

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Support/modules available from Essex LA, you need to register and log in to see them.

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Support/modules available from Essex LA, you need to register and log in to see them.

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Find out more about how curriculum planning helps give the children a better experience, covering all early years foundation stage (EYFS) areas of learning.

What is a curriculum?

A curriculum is what you want the children to learn in the time they are with you.

It must be based on the statutory early years foundation stage (EYFS), which gives you a framework that you can build on, through the 7 areas of learning.

You can decide how best to deliver those areas by creating a curriculum unique to your setting, providing activities and experiences that deliver those areas of learning.

Planning your curriculum

You should always start with the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework. It contains educational programmes that sit under 7 areas of learning. These are high-level curriculum summaries that you must follow and work into a rich curriculum that meets the needs of the children.

From there, break down those high-level curriculum summaries into smaller steps. Decide what you want children to learn, the activities you want to do with them and how your setting can support their learning.

Childminders or nursery leaders (working with their staff) should decide how to implement these activities and experiences, so the children can progress in all the areas of learning. You should evaluate how well the curriculum works, checking what children know and can do as they move through the EYFS.

You should consider using 'Development Matters' the non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage to support you in planning your curriculum.

Your curriculum should be unique to your setting. Watch your children, studying how they lead their own play. Talk to parents and carers to find out their interests. Listening to what children say also provides clues about their curiosities and interests.

Use this knowledge to decide how best to engage children in the curriculum, choosing the right activity or environment. It should not be overly complicated and should meet the needs of the majority of children. Some children, such as those with SEND, may need additional support.

It's important not to use the early learning goals (ELGs) from the EYFS as the basis for your curriculum. They should only be used as an assessment during the summer term of the reception year.

Summary

Consider what you want children to learn then plan the activity.

Base your curriculum on your children, covering the 7 areas of learning in the EYFS, using the statutory educational programmes (high-level curriculum summaries) as a starting point.

The new EYFS framework is more specific, and better suited to be used as a basis for curriculum planning.

Consider using Development Matters to help you plan your curriculum.

Do not use the ELGs as a curriculum starting point. They should only be used as an assessment during the summer term at the end of the reception year.

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Find out more about how curriculum planning helps give the children a better experience, covering all early years foundation stage (EYFS) areas of learning. A curriculum is what you want the children to learn in the time they are with you.

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'ELKLAN 0-3' Last chance to book January training 📢 Elklan's evidence-based speech and language support for 0-3s is a highly successful, externally accredited, training course which equips staff to...

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New EYFS document, from January 4th 2024

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New EYFS document, from January 4th 2024

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A simple invitation with a winter/festive feel.

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A simple invitation with a winter/festive feel.

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This little one is putting small elves inside the house. He talks to them then closes the door and tells me " Sleep". I model back " They are asleep". This is supporting communication through modeling and gently extending.

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How to " do" Christmas without the production line of prescribed crafts. Provide children with a selection of festive resources, be on hand when needed but otherwise let them chose what to make and how to make it. Even if they chose to deconstruct their creation or not make anything at all because they are busy doing something else the learning opportunities are far richer than having to all sit down and make the same thing.