Leading childcare provider Partou has delivered almost 3,000 hours of training for team members following the introduction of changes to the way nurseries in England are inspected and graded.
After a public consultation, the previous system – with settings being judged as ‘Outstanding,’ ‘Good,’ ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ ratings – has been replaced by a new education inspection framework with nurseries receiving a separate grade for several key areas of practice including safeguarding, inclusion and teaching.
The five grades are ‘Exceptional,’ ‘Strong Standard,’ ‘Expected Standard,’ ‘Needs Attention,’ and ‘Urgent Improvement.’
The frequency of Ofsted inspections will also increase from every six years to every four.
Shortly after the announcement of the reforms last autumn, Partou - which operates Worcester Royal Day Nursery and Pre-school - launched a major training programme to support team members at every level of the organisation in understanding and navigating the new inspection process.
Every Nursery Manager at Partou’s more than 100 UK settings completed a four-hour training session – delivered by its in-house Quality Team – which focussed on the Ofsted Inspection Toolkit.
Nursery Managers then led a condensed version of this session with individual teams at their setting.
The intensive programme was rounded off by Nursery Managers taking part in a learning exercise on the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) Strategy alongside Questions and Answers on the Ofsted changes, both sections fronted by Partou’s Quality Team.
Courtney Skeggs, Partou Quality Communications Partner
Courtney Skeggs, Partou Quality Communications Partner, said: “In total, around 2,800 hours of training were provided, including 800 hours for Nursery Managers and 2,000 hours for team members, which underlines how seriously we regard the new Ofsted approach to inspections.
“It is important that everyone at Partou has a full appreciation of the changes and how we can use them to benefit the children’s learning experience.
“There has been a really upbeat feel to all of the interactions across the organisation.”
Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said: “The changes represent an opportunity for us to raise our standards to even higher levels of achievement.
“It is vital for us to support Nursery Managers and team members in adapting to the revised system as it comes into effect, and on an ongoing basis with new recruits joining Partou every week.
“The feedback from the training sessions has been incredibly positive. Led by our fantastic Quality Team, we will continue to work closely with colleagues across the organisation to provide guidance and advice.”