TEY_10_1_2020

78 Teachearlyyears.com CLAIRE NELLEN IS NDNA’S EARLY YEARS QUALITY MANAGER. and small group activities. Inspectors will ask leaders what they intend children to learn, know and do as a result of the curriculum they offer. They must follow this through in their observations and discussions with children at play and staff interactions. It’s important to know your children well. Transitions into the setting are crucial to get to know families and children before they start. Obtain good starting points for the children so that a challenging curriculum can be implemented from the start. Whatever your setting decides will be acceptable to inspectors as long as you can show it meets children’s needs and they’re making expected progress. Ensure all your team knows your curriculum intent – is it clear for staff and parents/carers? Q What’s the difference between ‘intent’ and ‘implementation’? A Implementation is about what you do every day to help children progress – in other words, how you Q&A: challenging enough for children. Inspectors won’t grade the intent, implementation and impact separately. This is a professional judgement based on the evidence gathered and takes into account the ages, stages and development of children. In order for the Quality of Education to be judged ‘outstanding’, it must meet all good criteria securely and consistently, and meet all ‘outstanding’ criteria. Q What does Ofsted mean by ‘intent’? A Ofsted uses the term ‘intent’ to describe your setting’s agreed way of working – your aims in helping children develop and learn. As part of the curriculum, you may follow a particular approach or pedagogy, such as Montessori. Some providers don’t have to deliver the learning and development requirements and are exempt with prior arrangement. Others adopt particular ways of working such as planning in the moment. Or you may offer a balance of child-initiated and adult-led learning using continuous play Ofsted inspections Q What’s different about the new Education Inspection Framework? A Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework (EIF) places strong emphasis on the curriculum and uses educational terms that you may initially find difficult, for example, ‘cultural capital’. Staff may need support around what this terminology means in practice. The recent update to the EYFS framework replaced ‘Quality Teaching’ with ‘Quality of Education’. Judgements will also now be based on your ‘intent’, ‘implementation’ and ‘impact’. Q What does this mean in practice during an inspection? A Inspectors will spend more time observing practice and talking with staff about what they’re providing for children, why they’re offering experiences and what difference it’s making to children’s progress. They’ll also gather first-hand evidence on the quality of daily routines and activities on offer. Ofsted will look at how practitioners ensure that the content, sequencing and progression in the areas of learning are secure and SOURCE: Ofsted 2019 97% Nurseries judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. WHAT’S CHANGED?