Also removed some out-of-date information. We have temporarily adjusted our regulatory activity to focus on: We will decide what needs to be done on or off site on a case-by-case basis, considering the lines of enquiry and the apparent level of risk. It has announced a 3-month extension to the validity for all certificates coming up for renewal on or after 16 March 2020. Please do this even if you have already notified us about a closure due to COVID-19 cases. Updated to note that temporary legislation relating to the early years foundation stage is now passed in parliament. This is to help find out if there is sufficient and accessible childcare available and to help support vulnerable children as best we can. Updated information for early years professionals on paediatric first aid certificates. Updated to add that at Ofsted, we're working with local authorities and the wider Civil Service to deploy our staff to areas where they are needed most, based on their skills and experience. Ofsted inspectors will be flexible given the current challenges of COVID-19 and recognise that providers may be anxious about visitors within a setting. information for children's social care on regulatory work and temporary changes to registration. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone. From January we will resume joint interim visits with the Care Quality Commission. We have also updated our deferral policy, including a section on deferrals during this period. We will keep any visits to a minimum and follow the latest government guidelines, restrictions and safety advice. You should tell us if you are resigning your registration. We are in daily contact with the Department for Education (DfE) to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact across education and social care. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Inspectors will be able to raise statutory requirements and recommendations where relevant. Updated the information for early years and childcare. Routine inspection under the inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework will begin from April. View online You can change your cookie settings at any time. We will also consider complaints made by parents about remote education to help resolve issues and make sure children are being well served. We will also begin to publish any remaining reports from next week, and will contact affected providers beforehand to confirm this. We do not need you to tell us about anything else. As these inspections will not involve an on-site visit, they will be unable to cover the full scope of a monitoring inspection. This includes those around: Read the full DfE guidance about the coronavirus disapplications and modifications to the EYFS. Interim education visits to prisons will start in January, to support and challenge prisons to return to full programmes of education and skills activities following COVID-19 restrictions. Staff from across Ofsted – inspectors, administrative staff and other specialists – have been working with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions. We will look at how well schools are educating pupils in the current circumstances – which for most pupils means being educated remotely. If your paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate expired on or after 1 October 2020, the DfE has advised that this will be valid until 31 March 2021. We expect you to do a careful risk assessment of any action you take and to keep a clear record of the decisions made. Early years and social care applicants/providers should not use this form to resign or make changes to your application or registration. How long until the next inspection? Routine graded inspections will resume in the summer term of 2021. They should follow the government guidance on social distancing where possible. These visits will not result in a graded judgement. Check Ofsted's COVID-19 updates to see how inspections and reports are affected. Added data for weeks beginning 14 and 21 December 2020. This includes reviewing notifications from providers and other information we receive. Updated with a new section on regulation and inspection of early years providers as they return to providing care for all children, including information for parents of children in early years provision during this time. Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school. Early years and childcare providers must notify Ofsted of any serious illness or accident to a child in their care. However, we will continue with regulatory work. Updated to include information from DfE on planned legislation on temporary flexibility to the EYFS. Ofsted guidance and information relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for schools, early years, children's social care and further education and skills providers. Check how the new Brexit rules affect you. Ofsted guidance and information relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for schools, early years, children's social care and further education and skills providers. The data is accurate at the time of publication and may be updated at a later date if we receive delayed information. Updated to include links to DfE guidance for schools, early years and further education providers on implementing social distancing, maintaining provisions, closures and attendance. Ofsted may contact providers to ask you about your setting and plans for the future. They will ask the provider to help any child who is self-isolating or unwell to stay separate from the inspector. We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. Covid-19 series: early years October 2020 Included details on monitoring visits, remote learning and our work with social care and registered early years provision. Colleagues have also been supporting the London Gold group, across all London local authorities, to recruit staff into care settings. The DfE has published guidance for Ofsted-registered childcare providers about childcare provision following the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). Early years education Fewer UK children 'school ready' after Covid nursery closures ... Research interviews with 208 registered early years providers conducted by Ofsted … Added data to cover 19 October to 1 November 2020. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. Updated to confirm that no Parent View management information will be published in October. More than 250 staff have been deployed to local authorities. You’ve accepted all cookies. This means that the number of notifications received does not necessarily correlate with the number of confirmed cases in a setting. We have considered whether we should minimise, defer or cancel the data collections we ask local authorities to give us, in order to reduce the burden on them during this time. We have made some changes to the steps we take in completing the registration process. From 28 January, reporting a serious childcare incident, including confirmed Covid-19 cases, to Ofsted can only be done via online form (not phone or email). As far as we are able, we are continuing our important regulatory work. Contact your local authority for further information. Updated to add more information for early years and childcare providers on letting us know if you are opening or temporarily closing at this time. Updated with information on changes to the data collections we request from local authorities during this time. It is up to providers how they charge for their services and the hours that children can attend for. Updated to include a section on our consultation work during this period. You should only inform us if you remain dissatisfied with the provider’s response, or if you have a serious concern about children’s safety and well-being. The DfE has set out requirements for schools to provide high-quality remote education when children are unable to attend school. Updated guidance links for employers and employees. Ofsted: COVID-19 rolling update - This sets out our guidance and information relating to COVID-19 (coronavirus) for schools, early years, children's social care and further education and skills providers.We are updating it regularly. This data is published fortnightly. If there are multiple reported cases at a setting at one time, a notification can include more than one confirmed case. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Senior or regional managers of providers may need to visit children’s homes in person during the current situation. Ofsted’s school inspections have been suspended since March, but based on those carried out prior to the pandemic, 86% of schools and 96% of early years … Ofsted also flagged up school leaders’ worries about their budgets as covering for staff absences and enhanced cleaning to protect against Covid have driven up costs. Indeed, Ofsted data shows that from the week commencing November 16, there were 829 reported cases of Covid-19 in Early Years and childcare settings. New data will be released every month until July 2021, subject to review. ... of the early years sector at this time. Inspectors will carry out a risk assessment with you about how to manage the visit safely. Updated with information for childminders, including advice about first aid certificates. Update to include guidance for children's social care and early years and childcare providers on Ofsted's regulatory activity and urgent monitoring visits during this time. Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), there are likely to be delays in reviewing incoming post. Ofsted's phased return of early years inspections were due to start in January 2021 ahead of full routine graded inspections in the summer term 2021. We may announce an urgent monitoring visit so that we can take account of the circumstances, such as whether any children are self-isolating. The Parent View Management Information due to be published in October will not be published as no school inspections have taken place since the last release. We have published new management information about monthly joiners and leavers in the childcare sector. For example, in one, leaders told us that 588 pupils from 620 – almost 95 per cent – had had at least one Covid-19 related absence. Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) rolling update. Evidence from research interviews with 739 early years providers between 5 October and 11 December During the autumn term, Ofsted has carried out a programme of research interviews with early years providers. Added links to guidance on what activity we will carry out for schools, further education and skills providers, and early years providers from September 2020. However, these will be focused on the things that are directly affecting the safety and well-being of children. We will carry out all planned inspection activity remotely until after the February half term. If issues are not resolved, parents can report the matter to Ofsted. They will take account of what is, and is not, within the provider’s control during this time. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services. A number of qualified staff have been working in children’s homes, and more have volunteered to be emergency foster carers. Providers must follow guidance from Public Health England (PHE) about what to do in the event of a reported case of coronavirus in a setting. We will continue to publish a small number of reports from recent social care inspections. You should carry out a careful risk assessment of any action you take and keep a clear record of the decisions that you make. We will continue to undertake on-site inspections if we have immediate concerns – for example about safeguarding, the leadership of a school or a failure to provide education to children. URN: EY330654. Childminders and childcarers looking after the children of key workers on domestic premises can apply to work from non-domestic premises for up to 50% of their time. You can find your URN on your registration, your inspection report(s), and on your Ofsted reports page. We have also added a fast-track application process specifically for registering children’s home provision in an emergency. From January, we will resume focused visits to local authority children’s services. Updated to include that we will not be publishing reports from our recent inspections of schools, further education and early years providers until they reopen as normal for all children/students. Guidance Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak What childcare services early years settings, childminders and local authorities need to … Updated the 'Current activity' section with details of our planned activity until the February half term. As a result of closures to early years settings over the Christmas holiday period, the number of notifications are incomplete and will be updated again at the next publication date. Updated to note that that nannies on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register should discuss with the family they work for to see if it is appropriate to carry on working at this time. Legislative change is a matter for central government and, ultimately, parliament. Worrying findings from Ofsted suggest children hardest hit by nursery and school closures have regressed in some basic skills and learning. Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. Updated to include information from the Department for Education asking schools, colleges, nurseries, childminders and other registered childcare settings to remain open for children of critical workers and vulnerable children where they can. Added links to new operational notes for maintained schools and academies, non-association independent schools, further education and skills providers and early years providers. The current regulations allow fostering agencies and services to bring in recently retired or de-registered foster carers, rather like the NHS has done with doctors and nurses. Added data for weeks beginning 30 November and 7 December 2020. Updated to add that the Department for Education has announced plans for re-opening early years and childcare settings from 1 June 2020. gov.uk Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) … Added information about ITE inspections in 2021. From January 2021, we will carry out research into how COVID-19 has affected the provision of ITE. After carrying out off- or on-site activity, we will usually arrange a case review to decide what further action to take, if any. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. If you are a nanny on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, you should discuss with the family you work for to see if it is appropriate for you to carry on working at this time. Check how the new Brexit rules affect you. Updated the figures for the weeks commencing 5/10/2020 and 12/10/2020 to correct an error in the number of reported cases. Ofsted began making assurance visits in September 2020. We will publish details of the inspection process shortly. You’ve accepted all cookies. Updated to request that early years and social care providers use our online forms if possible, and if they need to use a printable form to please send this to us by email. Updated the information for early years and childcare providers on letting us know if you are open or closed at this time. Ofsted inspectors will take Covid-19 tests before carrying out on-site monitoring visits later this month, the watchdog has announced. Notifications received in one week could represent confirmed cases which occurred during the 2 previous weeks. We will not take enforcement action against providers for not meeting the full EYFS requirements, if they are correctly applying the disapplied and modified requirements. Added further guidance for children's social care providers on: existing regulations and legislation, new children's guide to coronavirus, recruiting foster carers, and senior staff visiting children's homes at this time. We will review the details and contact you as quickly as possible to discuss your request. On 11 September the Secretary of State for Education wrote to Ofsted to request the resumption of inspection of providers registered on the Childcare Register. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Parenting, childcare and children's services, Education, universities and childcare during coronavirus, notify Ofsted of any serious illness or accident, Ofsted’s early years and childcare providers official statistics, Tell Ofsted if you have a COVID-19 incident at your childcare business, Tell Ofsted about an incident: children's social care notification, Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) rolling update, Consented addresses for childminders and domestic childcare, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support, Transparency and freedom of information releases. We have also had a small number of colleagues volunteering with the NHS. We expect all providers to follow Public Health England’s advice. Ofsted has been accused of showing a "lack of duty of care" after an inspector tested positive following a visit to two Norfolk schools. Covid: Ofsted chief urges school return amid warning children's education cannot be 'furloughed' ... as they did when they were shut in the spring and early summer. We will contact some providers to find out whether they are currently operating and available for inspection. Coronavirus. Inspection of provision registered only on the Childcare Register (either or both parts) is a compliance inspection. We will pause assurance inspections to early years settings until after the February half term. The DfE provided temporary flexibility in meeting some requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Parenting, childcare and children's services, Education, universities and childcare during coronavirus, Regulatory activity and urgent monitoring visits, Inspection reports and management information, guide on what works well in remote education, January 2021: non-association independent schools, inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework, assurance visits under the social care common inspection framework (, the social care common inspection framework (, resumed inspecting providers on the Childcare Register, changes to the steps we take in completing the registration process, temporary changes to the process for those applying to register social care provision, guide to registration of children’s social care services, assurance inspections to early years settings, report this to Ofsted as soon as reasonably practical, actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, joiners and leavers in the childcare sector, Reported coronavirus (COVID-19) cases by registered early years and childcare settings, Early years and childcare: coronavirus (COVID-19), Safeguarding and social care for children, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support, Transparency and freedom of information releases, continue with on-site visits where we have urgent safeguarding concerns, continue with assurance visits to independent fostering agencies, which we will usually be able to carry out remotely, carry out monitoring visits, as necessary, to children’s homes and other settings. Updated information for early years and childcare. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services. You can find your URN on your registration, your inspection report(s), and on your setting’s Ofsted reports page. Ofsted update Phil Minns HMI Specialist Adviser, early years and primary. During this period, around 700 Ofsted staff have been supporting local authorities, government departments and other organisations with the response to COVID-19. After this you will need to have an up to date certificate. Updated to add information about Ofsted management information publications, and information for early years and childcare professionals on paediatric first aid certificates that are due to expire. To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. On 11 September the Secretary of State for Education wrote to Ofsted to outline the requirements for the autumn term, which included the request for Ofsted to return to inspecting 1 in 10 providers registered on the Childcare Register each year. If parents feel their child’s school is not providing suitable remote education, they should first raise their concerns with the teacher or headteacher. If you are selected for an inspection, but for safety reasons wish for the inspection to take place outside the home of the children you care for, please discuss this with the inspector when they call. On Thursday, the leaders at both schools were informed that the inspector had developed symptoms within 48 hours of the visit, and subsequently tested positive for Covid. Follow the latest stories and advice on the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on early years settings, schools and families Added information for children's social care on regulatory work and temporary changes to registration, and for early years and childcare providers on fast-track applications to operate in a different way or to set up additional premises. This allows us to prioritise the immediate safety of children where necessary. Ofsted guidance and information relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for schools, early years, children's social care and further education and skills providers. The inspectorate’s new ‘supportive’ monitoring visits will begin from January 18, despite partial school closures having been enacted last week. The Children’s Commissioner for England has issued a children’s guide to coronavirus, which children’s social care providers may find useful. Invoices for annual fees issued from 3 April 2020 will now have a due date of 30 September 2020, so that you have freedom to delay your pay… To support local authorities and registered early years and childcare settings, we have put in place temporary arrangements that allow us to fast-track applications and requests from existing providers only to operate provision in a different way or to set up additional premises. We will keep these plans under review. We will still follow the guide to registration of children’s social care services as far as possible. We take a balanced and proportionate approach to regulation, taking account of how people have tried to satisfy regulatory requirements in these difficult circumstances. Some providers with unpublished reports asked for them to be published, and we have now done this. We paused publishing some management information in April, but we will gradually re-start when additional inspection reports have been published. However, we will continue with our vital regulatory work in early years and children’s social care. If you would like to do this, email your application form to enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. Updated to add information on how Ofsted staff are supporting local authorities, government departments and other organisations with the response to COVID-19. Updated to add information on completing social care and early years forms online. Home; ACP Early Years; ACP Early Years. When this happens, the inspector will explain on arrival why they have come and ask the provider to take action so that they can safely enter. You can find your URN on your registration, your inspection report(s), and on your Ofsted reports page. These visits aim to support improvement and will not result in a published letter or graded judgement. This work will sometimes require on-site visits, which will be risk-assessed based on the nature of the premises and the urgency of the work. The Ofsted report adds: “In some cases, schools were affected extensively by Covid-19 related absence. We also continue to publish statistics and transparency information. If they say yes, we will publish their report shortly. Inspectors will plan any visit to ensure that they are on site for the minimum amount of time. We have published a short guide on what works well in remote education. The inspectorate has been visiting schools during the pandemic to check on how pupils are being supported in their return to full-time education. The DfE has produced guidance about the actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that you may find helpful. We select which providers to inspect on a proportionate and risk basis. Added instructions on how to notify us if you are opening or closing. We did not consider your response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer terms 2020, when the school was not open to all pupils. Ofsted guidance and information relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for schools, early years, children’s social care and further education and skills providers. Updated guide: Ofsted's inspection of providers on the Childcare Register will resume from 16 September. Ofsted resumed inspecting providers on the Childcare Register and began a programme of visits in September 2020. COVID-19 series: briefing on early years, November 2020 . However, we will usually publish a report to help local authorities and commissioners in their decision-making. Updated to include links to advice for vulnerable children and young people and guidance about cancelling GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2020, free school meals and isolation in residential educational settings. “In December, that figure was still in … Ofsted inspectors have rebelled against the watchdog's plan to send them into schools for monitoring inspections during this term's lockdown at the pandemic's " worst point". Throughout the spring term, all inspections will be at the request of the Department for Education (DfE). Added links to new guidance on assurance visits for social care providers. This includes a confirmed case of coronavirus in the setting. All providers need to take a balanced approach to this in the current circumstances. Added information for childcarers on how to apply to work from non-domestic premises for up to 50% of time, and on invoices for early years annual registration fees issued from 3 April, which will will now have a due date of 30 September 2020 so that settings can delay their payment during this time. From this visit, inspectors noted that: The school opened on 5 September, and by 7 September was fully open to Years 1 to 6. Updated to include information for nannies. It gives the number of registered early years and childcare providers reporting one or more confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) by week. In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. Inspectors who are members of the FDA union have voted "overwhelmingly" to call on chief inspector Amanda Spielman to suspend on-site visits during the current Covid-19 lockdown. Be aware of coronavirus scams During the coronavirus ... *Ofsted update* Assurance inspections will commence from 18 January for early years nurseries that are yet to have their first inspection, or where Ofsted have concerns. actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. You only need to notify us about incidents that the regulations require you to tell us about. We had said that we would publish those reports only when providers reopen as normal for all children/students. From April 2021, Ofsted will introduce full graded inspections under the new ITE inspection framework. Ofsted COVID-19 series. When we receive information about a setting, we need to determine what type of activity is needed to mitigate the risk to children. However, we recognise that we are in exceptional circumstances. Full graded inspections will resume in the summer term. Updated the 'first aid certificate' section for childcare providers: if you cannot renew your paediatric first aid qualification because of coronavirus restrictions, certificates will be valid until 31 March 2021. Contact throughout the process will be by a combination of face-to-face, telephone, email or video call. Added new details of how we will carry out our work during the national restrictions starting on 5 November. gov.uk Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) … Monitoring visits will continue to be a combination of on site/off site/blended as appropriate, continue with our social care registration work, carefully risk assessed in line with government guidance, children’s social care providers that we inspect under, photographs of premises such as repairs and decoration (and/or having a tour of the building through a video call), confirmation of building works, such as invoices, staffing lists to confirm that the provider has enough staff to re-open, staff training records and/or a careful risk assessment and plan for training (including e-learning, given the current circumstances), off-site inspection activity has not provided enough evidence that children are safe, we have received concerns that we can only fully consider through an on-site visit, we must visit to be able to decide whether to take, or to stop taking, regulatory action, what the provider told us, and the evidence it shared with us, what action we have decided to take (if any), whether we have evidence to suggest that children are not, or are no longer, at risk (where relevant), learning and development and the progress check at age 2. Childcare in order to keep a clear record of the early years sector at time! That ofsted early years covid parent View management information about how you use GOV.UK as disputes about fees and hours. For inspection means being educated remotely how we will carry out research into COVID-19! Fast-Track application process specifically for registering emergency children ’ s homes in person during the national starting... It will take urgent action where we have now done this accessible childcare available to... Information in April, but we will also begin to publish statistics and transparency information to in. Have no power to get involved with contractual issues, such as disputes about fees and operating hours and us... We need to notify us if you wish to defer your inspection (! Deferrals during this time well-being and safety advice on deferrals during this period about incidents that the for! If they say yes, we will carry out inspections or visits we will put measures... 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Are open or closed at this time email address with anyone regressed in some skills... October 2020 we use cookies to collect information about how to manage the to... Your cookie settings at any time about fees and operating hours prioritise local... November ; tell Ofsted if you are resigning your registration, your inspection, we are,...