Audit Tool to help Nursery managers evaluate their Leadership and Management ready for an Ofsted inspection
During an Ofsted inspection, a large section of the inspection will be looking closely at the leadership and management of the setting. A joint observation with the Ofsted inspector and the manager will be analysed and the managers leadership and management skills will be judged. The leadership and management section of the inspection will be given a grade and this will contribute to the overall grade of the inspection, therefore it is imperative that this section is graded outstanding to get an overall outstanding grade. We have put together an audit tool that will help managers think more in depth about the leadership and management of their setting.
| Common Inspection Framework Ofsted Evidence- Leadership and Management | |||
| Yes | No | Comments | |
| Does the Manager share knowledge, aspirations and expectations through professional dialogue ? | |||
| Is their evidence of Good leadership and experience of working with young children and children with SEN | |||
| Do you have a rigorous recruitment process in place? | |||
| Do you have Senior leadership meetings and evidence these? | |||
| Do you meet with local providers every half term if applicable? | |||
| Do you have a written induction programme for new staff , completed by new staff and managers with targets each week? | |||
| Do all all staff have input into the SEF during staff meetings? | |||
| Do you have Policies on staff behaviour, terms and conditions of employment? | |||
| Effective monitoring and gathering of evidence of children’s stages used to track children and areas to show children’s strengths and weaknesses. | |||
| Are there supervisions carried out every 3-4 months? | |||
| Effective Policies and procedures and code of conduct | |||
| Do you carry out Video observations? | |||
| Do practitioners complete 2 year progress reports? | |||
| Are all about me sheets and an initial review completed children have settling in? | |||
| Identify areas that need improving and address | |||
| Training reflection sheets completed | |||
| All staff training recorded on newsletter to share with parents | |||
| Effective supervision and appraisals – linked to training and development. Staff supervisions at least 6 weekly if not monthly – as and when. Case studies of successful support | |||
| Observations of staff carried out on periodic basis for practice. | |||
| Training available to support teaching, learning and knowledge, | |||
| Do you have a Training matrix to show Ofsted? | |||
| Do you carry out Quality audits? | |||
| Characteristics of effective learning displays | |||
| Manager and peer on peer observations – spontaneous and planned – carried out and recorded – highlight any under performance and then discuss in supervisions | |||
| Sharing policy and procedure of the month in monthly newsletter | |||
| Improvement plans in place, discussed with all the team | |||
| Staff have key children, planning, observations and activities are for the individual child. Progress reports transferred to a tracking grid which easily highlights any gaps in learning | |||
| Key person reports to monitor individual support and next steps. | |||
| Assigned key persons can be changed if child prefers a different staff member | |||
| Do you try to ensure the Key person is always present? | |||
| Self service at lunch times, options at snack time. Encouraging independence – put on coats, toileting, hand washing, feeding | |||
| Regular staff meetings – sharing good practice, ideas and planning | |||
| Good relationships with other settings – evidence of meetings | |||
| Parents voice sheets – contact with parents about any issues e.g. injury | |||
| All about me sheets completed on entry and updated every six months by parents and added to learning journal | |||
| Do you hold open days and evenings? | |||
| Do you have an open door policy? | |||
| Targets for staff – more targeted to practitioners strengths | |||
| Do you carry out a variety of observations on children? | |||
| Interests books in environment for enhancements following children’s interest | |||
| Parents questionnaires | |||
| Good manners board and feelings board | |||
| Key roles within the setting identifed and displayed for all to see | |||
| Staff training/ professional development – professional development plans for each member of staff | |||
| Planning demonstrates wide range of opportunities, taking into account individual targets set for children’s next steps. Targets in learning journals and a reminder sheet of current targets also accessible by staff. | |||
| Children’s progress recorded termly and moderated by all staff | |||
| Nest steps challenging and achievable to evidence true progress | |||
| Planning recorded in rooms, child led and adult led activities. Planning and observations link. Planning evaluated and informed by child’s interests | |||
| Analyse data, identify vulnerable groups – individual plans | |||
| Progress summaries – tracking language development | |||
| Evidence charts kept of any extra funding and how staff use this | |||
| On entry assessments/progress summaries | |||
| Staff safeguarding notice board | |||
| Time to Talk strategies – impact monitored | |||
| Do SENCO’S have time to plan and observe and make links with other agencies ? | |||
| Logging concerns log reviewed by designated safeguarding lead | |||
| Records of communication/training with IDS and other professionals – reviews of plans with parent/child comments/views | |||
| ILPs and IEPs in place | |||
| Policies and visuals to promote diversity | |||
| E and D training for staff | |||
| Channel Awareness module undertaken. | |||
| British values in safeguarding policy. Ensure safeguarding policy is updated to reflect statements from most recent government documents including revised prevent duty | |||
| British values promoted through all practice in terms of behaviour, attitudes to each other staff-staff; staff-children; staff-parents | |||
| All staff have child protection training. Proprietor and manager – designated person and safer recruitment training | |||
| Mobile phone policy | |||
| Safeguarding always on staff meeting agenda and parent newsletter | |||
| Physical restraint policy in place | |||
| Nursery values board – environment reflects diversity | |||
| Do you have regular self -evaluation meetings, room leader meetings | |||
| Do you carry out Staff questionnaires? | |||
| Behaviour management training – consistency – behaviour management policy | |||
| Do you use Communication in print symbols used? | |||
| Do you risk assess with the children? | |||
| Transition records – evidence of visits/communication with reception classes | |||