Guidance

Registered early years providers

Updated 20 March 2024

Applies to England

We’ve grouped the questions for easy reading. They should be read alongside the early years inspection handbook.

You can also watch our collection of short videos answering some of the most common questions about inspection of early years provision. A full list of questions can be read below.

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) for group and school-based providers

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.

Each inspection is unique, and inspectors will only ask to see evidence they consider appropriate to the 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.

I keep some documents off site. Will I have to provide these during the inspection if the inspector asks to see them?

The  EYFS framework for group and school-based providers does not require providers to seek permission from Ofsted to keep any records securely off site. However, providers should ensure that they comply with data protection obligations.

Records required by the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS must be easily accessible and available by the end of the inspection if the inspector asks to see them. If you cannot access these records easily, then inspectors may consider the impact of this on your ability to keep children safe.

The inspector will direct you to the inspection handbook during the notification call and the documents they may wish to see. This will help you to consider if there are any documents you want to make sure are on site and available on the day of the 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 is what you want the children to know while they are with you.

Will inspectors expect providers 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 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 the specific guidance you have chosen 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

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 Ofsted 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, as long as assessment is effective and helps 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 I need to produce a curriculum map?

No. We are keen to 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 providers 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 how to talk about that information with inspectors. Some providers may choose to map this out, but others may present what they do in a different way.

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

• what they want children to learn and why
• how they are helping children know more and remember more
• how they 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 for registered early years providers and for schools makes it clear that curriculum planning does not need to be in any specific format.

It is up to providers to determine the format of their planning, and it is up to leaders to justify these plans based on what you want children to encounter, explore and learn in the setting.

Are there flexibilities in place for providers that are facing recruitment and retention issues?

Paragraph 3.40 of the EYFS framework for group and school-based providers states:

Exceptionally, and where the quality of care and safety and security of children is maintained, changes to the ratios may be made.

Early years settings and schools, however, remain responsible for ensuring the safety and security of children in their care. Our inspectors will want to understand how providers are continuing to meet this requirement if they are temporarily using the existing ratio flexibilities set out in the EYFS framework.

How can I ensure I am meeting ratio requirements in my setting when a senior member of staff is absent?

The ratio and qualification requirements apply to the total number of staff available to work directly with children.

Staffing arrangements must meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety. You must ensure that children are adequately supervised, including while eating, and decide how to deploy staff to ensure that children’s needs are met. Inspectors will assess this through their observations of routines and interactions beyond looking at formal qualifications.

Can an administrator or committee member be considered suitable to take charge in the absence of the manager?

It is up to you to ensure that any person who deputises in the absence of the manager is capable of managing the provision. While this person does not need to have any specific qualification, you must make sure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to meet the EYFS requirements.

Will inspectors expect all staff to have maintained their paediatric first aid certificates?

The Department for Education set the requirements for all early years registered providers within the EYFS. The EYFS states that all staff who have obtained a level 2 and/or level 3 qualification since 30 June 2016 must hold a full or emergency paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate within 3 months of starting work, in order to be included in the staff-to-children ratio required in an early years setting. To continue to be included in ratio requirement, staff must renew their certificate every 3 years.

On inspection, inspectors are tasked with finding out what it is like for children at their early years setting. As part of this, when inspectors evaluate your policies and procedures, they will always check your paediatric first-aid arrangements, in line with the EYFS requirements. They will usually do this during their discussions with you; however, in some cases, they may ask to see paediatric first-aid certificates.

Can before- and after-school clubs and holiday provision use Ofsted logos?

Providers that were inspected before the education inspection framework (EIF) was introduced may be using specific Ofsted logos to promote their judgement, for example on their websites.

However, under the EIF, these providers are no longer judged against the 4-point scale. They are inspected as part of Part 3 of the early years inspection handbook, and receive a judgement of met, not met with actions or not met with enforcement. This is a change from the previous framework, under which these providers could get a grade of good or outstanding, and use Ofsted logos.

This change means that, when before- and after-school club providers are first inspected under the EIF, they will need to remove any logos that they’ve previously used. This does not necessarily mean that the quality of their provision has changed.

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 setting was judged inadequate at its last inspection, or when someone has raised concerns that a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the EYFS.

How long will my inspection take?

The time spent on inspection normally depends on the size of the provision. If the inspection is likely to take longer, then the inspector will discuss this with you at the earliest opportunity. More details can be found in the early years inspection handbook in the section: ‘Days allocated to inspection and inspection team members’.

What should I expect from the ‘learning walk’?

The learning walk will take place in the rooms where you provide care and education for 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 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 an opportunity during the inspection to follow up on 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 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.

Inspectors will gather evidence of the effectiveness of:

• staff supervision
• performance management
• training and continuing professional development
• 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 managers to be immediately available to speak to them. They want to see settings operating as they would on any other day, and will work around your usual routines.

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

Is it only managers who can attend the feedback session at the end of an inspection?

No. It is not true that inspectors will only give feedback to managers. Other individuals who are connected to your setting’s registration can attend the feedback meeting to assist and support you. The inspector will agree with you which other people should attend.

The feedback session is confidential until the final report is published; however, this does not mean that you cannot discuss the inspection outcome with others. You may wish to share the feedback with colleagues and family and your wider support network. This is fine, but the information should not be made public or shared with parents until the final publication of the report.

Can my setting achieve a judgement that is more than one grade above its previous inspection outcome?

Yes. A setting 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 one grade, they will judge it accordingly.

Is the notification call the start of the inspection?

No. The notification call is not the start of the inspection. The ‘Notification of inspection’ section of the early years inspection handbook sets out what will be discussed during the notification call. It is an opportunity for you and the inspector to discuss practical issues and make arrangements for the inspection, and for you to ask any questions.

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 of the early years inspection handbook. The provider 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 the children that attend the setting?

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 one inspector at my inspection?

An inspection may be carried out by more than one inspector. This may be because of the size or layout of the setting 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 one inspector and explain their role in the inspection.

Do I have to allow inspectors to use their phones 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 listed in paragraph 48 of the early years inspection handbook. This 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.

Will the inspector need to have a meeting with the manager when they arrive?

Inspectors will meet with leaders at different points during the inspection. They will decide between them when is best to do this. If the inspection is unannounced, inspectors will usually want to meet with leaders on arrival to make arrangements for the inspection and answer any questions they may have. Inspectors will also speak with leaders and gather evidence in other ways, such as during the learning walk. These conversations will help inspectors to gather evidence about the leadership and management of the setting.

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 staff 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 own 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 times that children and parents arrive at the setting 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.

What if I have concerns about my inspection?

The majority of our inspections go well. But if you do have any concerns about your inspection, there are some things you can do.  

During the notification call, the inspector will ask you to consider if there are any issues that may mean you want to ask for a deferral. 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. You can find out more about requests for deferral in our deferral policy. During the call, the inspector will also tell you how you can raise any concerns or ask for clarifications before, during and after the inspection. 

You have the option of someone supporting you, if needed, during or after the inspection. The inspector will ask you about who this may be during the notification call or at the start of the on-site inspection, if unannounced. This person should typically be someone connected to your registration and who will understand the context of the inspection. You should let this person know that you have shared their details in case they need to be contacted during the inspection. You do not need to provide this information if you do not want to. However, if you change your mind during the inspection, let the inspector know. 

At the heart of inspection is a constructive and professional dialogue, and inspectors will regularly have discussions with you. If you do have any concerns, we encourage you to raise them with the inspector during these discussions. They will work with you to resolve them as soon as possible. You will also have an opportunity to raise concerns at the final feedback session. 

You can contact Ofsted during, or on the working day after, the end of the inspection. Inspectors will provide you with a phone number to do this. You will also have an opportunity to submit comments when you receive your draft report. If your concerns remain unresolved, then you can follow the Ofsted complaints process. 

If you complain about your inspection or raise anything with the inspector at the time, this will not go against you in your next inspection. Our inspectors should uphold the highest professional standards and treat everyone fairly and with professionalism, courtesy, empathy, and respect.