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Please find below a comment from the Early Years Alliance on the proposals for a new 'report card' system for inspecting education settings, including early years providers.

More detail on the proposals can be found

Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

"Given that our own research found that Ofsted inspections are the single biggest source of stress among early years providers, it's clear that the need to ensure that inspections are collaborative and constructive, rather than a source of anxiety, has never been greater. 

"And with the vast majority of settings in favour of the removal of single-word judgements, it is undoubtedly positive that Ofsted is pushing ahead with its plans to remove headline judgements and considering how it can best ensure that parents receive a holistic overview of a setting’s provision.

"That said, while these proposals may be an improvement on the old system, we are yet to be convinced that the move to a five-point scale, even across multiple areas of provision, is the transformative change that many in the sector were hoping for.

"What's more, we're clear that any reform of the inspection system must include further steps to ensure a much greater consistency of approach among inspectors - meaning that a setting’s inspection outcome does not depend on the particular inspector they happen to get on the day.   

"As such, it is absolutely vital that today’s consultation marks a genuine opportunity for providers to have their voices heard . This means that, should the sector be opposed to today’s proposals, the inspectorate must be prepared to rethink its plans, rather than charge ahead regardless, and work with the education sector to develop an approach to inspection that truly does work for everyone."