If you’re planning on working with children or in an education setting, the likelihood is that you’ll receive an inspection from Ofsted to measure your performance. North Hertfordshire College was grateful to welcome Hannah Adams, the Head of Teaching and Child Development at Rainbow Pre-School & Extended Services, to speak to our Level 3 Childcare students about the experience of Ofsted inspections!
As part of their course, our Level 3 Childcare students have been studying the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework to learn about the legal requirements an early years setting must follow when registered with Ofsted. This includes learning about the legal status, structure, and purpose of the framework, as well as the aims, intentions, and values of Ofsted inspections.
To help put this learning into perspective, Hannah led a session with our students to tell them about her recent experience of an Ofsted inspection under the new statutory framework (launched in September 2021). She shared her experience of the process of the inspection, from the initial notification and preparation through to the inspector’s activities and the feedback process. As Vickie Sharp, a Childcare Course Team Leader at NHC, commented, “it is invaluable for students to hear from professionals in the sector first-hand, to help shape their practice.”
The session certainly helped our students with their understanding of how Ofsted inspections work, helping them make links between what they’ve learnt in class and real experiences. Maia Hawkes, one of NHC’s Childcare students, said of the session: “It was very helpful with informing us about how an Ofsted inspection happens – I now know what to expect and could prepare should I ever be involved in one. Hannah explained the process well, and I can now see how the legal requirements of the EYFS framework, such as learning and development and welfare, are checked when Ofsted visits a setting.”
Hannah said of her visit: “It was a pleasure to visit the Childcare students at North Hertfordshire College and share our recent Ofsted inspection experience. The students were engaged and interested in what I had to share. I was particularly impressed by their passion for childcare and their developing subject knowledge. The childcare workforce has some great soon-to-be-qualified educators to look forward to from NHC.”
If you are interested in a career in early years education, be sure to check out North Hertfordshire College’s available Childcare courses!