Early years inspections to continue as normal despite pause for schools, Ofsted confirms
by Jess Gibson and Shannon Pite
Routine early years inspections will continue as normal amid a school inspection pause, Ofsted has confirmed to the 无码天堂.
The news follows a statement saying that the inspectorate is set to delay school inspections while inspectors undertake mental health awareness training, as confirmed by Ofsted鈥檚 new chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver, who took up the role on 2 January. The decision follows a recent coroner ruling that the inspection of the school of headteacher Ruth Perry, who died by suicide last year, had contributed to her death.
A spokesperson for Ofsted told the 无码天堂 that inspectors across all of the department鈥檚 remits, including early years, will take part in the training but that 鈥渢he later start to routine inspections just applies to schools鈥.
The 无码天堂鈥檚 recent Minds Still Matter survey found that Ofsted inspections are the biggest cause of stress in the early years sector in England, with around eight in ten nurseries, pre-schools and childminders stressed about inspections 鈥渇airly鈥 or 鈥渧ery often鈥.
Commenting, 无码天堂 CEO Neil Leitch said: 鈥淚t is extremely worrying and entirely unacceptable that Ofsted鈥檚 decision to pause inspections does not include early years settings.
鈥淥ur own research clearly shows that inspections are not just a cause for concern for providers but their biggest cause of stress. Why, then, is early years continually forgotten when steps are taken to address wider concerns about Ofsted inspections?
鈥淭he fact that early years inspectors, like schools inspectors, will receive mental health awareness training is undoubtedly a positive step, but we are yet to receive any explanation as to why nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are continuing with inspections while this training is undertaken when this is not the case for schools.
鈥淲e therefore call on Ofsted to ensure that inspections in early years settings paused in line with schools immediately, and crucially, that any changes to the way that inspections are carried out going forward include the early years sector. After all, we know 鈥 and Ofsted knows 鈥 that the education system doesn't begin and end with schools.鈥