Early years providers have called for single-word Ofsted judgements to be scrapped, as a survey by the Early Years Alliance revealed Ofsted inspections are the main regular cause of stress for the sector.
The survey, which ran online from 29 March to 27 April 2023, and had almost 2,000 responses, found that around eight in ten (79 per cent) nurseries, preschools and childminders said they were stressed about Ofsted inspections ‘fairly’ or ‘very often’, while almost half of respondents (45 per cent) had a negative Ofsted experience.
Around a fifth (21 per cent) said they have filed a formal complaint, and more than half (52 per cent) said the inspection judgements they received were unfair.
The survey found that the majority of providers believe inspections do not have a positive impact on the provision of quality care and education. Only 14 per cent said the current Ofsted inspection regime has had a positive impact on the provision of quality care and education, while 37 per cent ‘strongly disagreed’, and 26 per cent ‘somewhat disagreed’, with the statement.
