Ofsted to Make Early Years Focus for Next Five years

Ofsted are expected to release a new five year strategy for early years in the coming months. In a speech given at the Nursery World Business Summit on 8^th March, Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Speilman acknowledged that the sector had faced a very tough couple of years and that it has not received the attention it deserves. She then went on to reflect on Ofsted’s recent innovations, from the Education Inspection Framework and the revised EYFS to more granular detail around reading, language, physical development and play.

Feedback has been predominately positive, and Speilman promised that Ofsted would evaluate how the Early Years Inspection Framework has been going. She also acknowledged the impact that Covid-19 has had on children and the challenges settings have faced ensuring children are able to make the most of their early education. There are, she said, indications however that social difficulties are short-lived and hopefully this suggests the long term consequences of Covid will be minimal in terms of children’s social development.

Looking ahead Speilman said Ofsted have chosen to have a specific strategic focus on the early years over the next five years. This is because they believe it is the area where their work can have the most impact. They expect to continue ensuring they are balancing their inspection work between childcare and education, including the seven areas of learning. Further details will be published in the upcoming weeks.

You can read Amanda Speilman’s full speech here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/amanda-spielman-at-the-nursery-world-business-summit-2022