Ofsted Good Practice: new online resource

Ofsted launched its bank of Good Practice case studies in March 2011: the online resource includes a section on good practice in early years and childcare which currently features three downloadable case studies, with more to follow.

‘Developing effective partnerships with parents in the Early Years Foundation Stage’ is of particular interest: this practice example from Stag Lane Infant and Nursery School in Harrow describes how “Developing parents’ knowledge about and involvement in their children’s learning have contributed to improved outcomes in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and beyond.”

At Stag Lane ‘Parent ambassadors’, recruited from the different communities represented at the school, were crucial to getting parents involved: encouraging them to engage with home visits from staff, attend specially organized events, and share knowledge of their children throughout their time at the nursery and school.

Ofsted concludes: The views of parents are regularly sought and the impact of the considerable investment of time and resources evaluated. Some of the impact is qualitative, such as opportunities for parents to spend quality time with their children or improved relationships at home. On a quantitative level, the school can point to children’s progress improving and increased attendance; increased numbers of children completing ‘home learning’ activities and high proportions of parents attending curriculum and consultation meetings.

Download this and other early years and childcare practice examples from Ofsted Good Practice

PEAL practice examples
Other online resources