The proportion of early years registered providers judged outstanding last year was 10% of 18,827 inspections carried out between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010.
Receiving an outstanding Ofsted inspection has real and tangible benefits to your business, as Townsend Montersorri Nurseries has experienced over several years.
They achieved outstanding statues at 3 of their settings last year, a direct reflection of their ethos of offering the highest quality care and education for children aged between three months and five years.
With over ten years in the industry, Philippa Townsend opened her first nursery, Port Regis Montessori in Broadstairs, Kent, back in 2005. Starting out as a 60 place setting, it quickly expanded to 94 places and Philippa now manages her time between 4 nurseries, with a further two planned early this year.
Their Margate setting, The Avenues Montessori Nursery, received full marks in every area of their Ofsted inspection last year, with the inspector commending, in particular, the management of their nurseries.
The report states that ‘the setting is outstanding in driving improvement in order to benefit children. Plans are appropriately reflected in the nursery’s comprehensive self assessment.’
Operations Manager Toni Lawrence has developed a strong network to ensure each setting implements secure and reliable management practice. Toni advises each setting manager and carries out monthly inspections and on-the-spot questions with staff to monitor quality of practice.
“We hold monthly manager meetings to discuss any issues, as well as reviewing our policies and procedures to make sure managers are implementing the latest and correct methods.”
“We’re always up-to-date with government requirements and legislation and part of our monthly review is to ensure we’re in-line with the Government’s EYFS guidelines.”
Stay Calm!
Ofsted inspections can be nerve-racking at the best of times, but Philippa insists it is important to stay calm and maintain the highest standards at all times.
“Greet the inspector with a friendly welcome and just carry on as normal and don’t panic! Make sure your staff behave appropriately and ask their supervisor if they are unsure about a question.”
Philippa also stresses that a happy, well-prepared and knowledgeable team is fundamental towards successfully implementing the highest standard of practice.
“Try to maintain the highest standards at all times. Staff should be trained and focussed around high quality care and practice. Hold regular staff meetings so that they know what is expected of them. Staff retention is key to a successful team.
Hard work pays dividends…
Their exceptional Ofsted performances haven’t gone unnoticed. Enquiry levels have increased and Philippa is now in the late processes of opening two more settings within the south-east due to continuous success.
“All staff are proud and it helps boost team morale. The parents are really happy to have chosen a nursery with outstanding status. It’s great for marketing the nursery and helps us increase the numbers.
Hard work can be very rewarding so make sure you prepare thoroughly. I would like to thank Toni Lawrence and my fantastic staff team for all their hard work.”
Plans for the future…
Philippa remains focussed on developing the business and maintaining an exceptional level of quality care to children.
“We have two new settings opening this year, one in London in March and one in Faversham in April. We aim to carry on providing outstanding high-quality childcare in all settings and achieve outstanding reports in our new settings. Hopefully we can continue to expand and open further nurseries.”
Have you recently had an inspection or have one approaching? What methods do you implement to ensure you maximise your Ofsted report? Join the discussion by dropping your comments below.
Tags: Ofsted Inspection
