Larger Groups May Lead to Inspection Changes

It is no secret that the face of childcare is changing. Although the vast majority of providers still only run a small number of settings, larger groups are becoming increasingly commonplace. However, regulation of the sector has yet to catch up with his change. Settings are still inspected individually as if they were completely autonomous and little allowance is made for the impact that being part of a larger group may have on their provision.

A report from Ofsted has found that there are multiple ways in which larger corporate structures influence the education and care given. These include curriculum decisions, staff recruitment, training and retention, policies and procedures, and budget setting and spending. Moreover, they in many cases play a role similar to inspectors, visiting settings, observing their practices and ensuring they are meeting the wider group’s expectations. The report recommends that Ofsted’s oversight should take this into account, much as they do in the schools sector with respect to Multi-Academy Trusts.

Ofsted has signalled that in the medium term it will alter its practices to ensure the group’s vision and strategy is evaluated and this will impact their judgement on leadership and management. In particular this will include identifying how decisions are made by nursery groups, drawing information together to give greater oversight over nursery groups, and improving engagement with the larger providers. In the longer term, Ofsted will have discussions with government to ensure their inspections have the greatest impact, determining whether nursery groups should be inspected directly.

Ofsted’s full report can be read here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-early-years-multiple-providers-work/how-early-years-multiple-providers-work#implications-for-ofsteds-policy-and-practice-1