Ofsted Context

Ofsted are putting a lot of focus on the ‘context’ of the setting when they inspect using their new early years inspection framework.

Ofsted inspectors are expected to understand the provider’s local circumstances and its community as part of how they judge the quality of the setting. During the inspection planning call, inspectors are signposting their new Ofsted: explore an area website and asking providers to look at their local area details before they arrive. The website sets out information about the local context including Local Authority inspection and SEND inspection details (if available) and local obesity figures and oral health statistics:

Instructions – go to the website, click on ‘start now’, scroll down to the ‘local authority’ tab and enter your local authority details.

Note this is different from local safeguarding threats – you should check your local safeguarding partners website for more information about safeguarding priorities or ask about concerns they are focusing on at the moment during local authority safeguarding training. This information will help to inform your safeguarding professional development and information sharing with parents.

The new ‘context of the setting’ data links to the EYFS requirements to provide children with healthy, nutritious and balanced food and to promote good health including oral health.

It also links through the Ofsted ‘inclusion’ part of inspection with reference to local demographics – for example, levels of disadvantage (socio-economic indicators), special educational needs including early years pupil premium (EYPP) and attendance patterns. It tells Ofsted about some of the realities of your local area and gives them a starting point for inspection discussions.

Context to support the curriculum

Ofsted will want to know how you use the context information to shape your curriculum and support strategies for children with SEND and from disadvantaged groups. It tells the inspector that you self-evaluate, action plan and respond to local challenges positively.

For example, this is the page that opens for Cheshire East.

You can check your local area context on the website before inspection, so you know what the figures are saying about local child health and any issues in your area. This information, in the same way you use your local authority safeguarding knowledge, can be used to improve your curriculum and information sharing with parents.

Childhood obesity – is it above or below national average by the time children are aged 5? In Cheshire East, for example, childhood obesity is 23% and the national average is 23.5% so it’s high.

What does this mean for the curriculum? The EYFS states that food provided for children in the setting must be healthy, balanced and nutritious. This includes, for example, packed lunches sent into the setting by parents. Some of the ways a setting in Cheshire East might use the figures on the ‘Ofsted: explore an area’ website for childhood obesity levels include – · Focus on balanced meals with fruits, veg, proteins, grains and dairy offered every day. · Only provide water or milk – no sugary or sweet drinks (including artificial sweeteners). · Make food fun so the children enjoy trying new things. · Limit sugar, salt and unhealthy fats and promote whole foods. · Plan healthy eating special days and weeks into the curriculum. · If parents send in packed lunches, give them information about healthy eating and suggested contents. Childcare.co.uk has a recently presented webinar about how to support parents who wish to provide packed lunches on the webinar player.

More things you can do Childcare.co.uk has a library of healthy eating resources available for gold members.

Share your healthy / safer eating policy with parents.

DfE has published nutrition guidance for all early years providers.

Read the food safety and sensory food education pages of the DfE ‘Help for early years providers’ website and share information as relevant with parents.

Oral heath (visible tooth decay) – is it above or below national average in your local area by the time children are aged 5?

In Cheshire East, for example, it is 19.6% and the national average is 22.4%.

This means that things are going pretty well in Cheshire East but 19.6% still equates to too many children in pain from visible tooth decay, who might be in pain from infection, unable to eat comfortably and all the issues that tooth decay cause to early speech and children’s wellbeing. Providers also need to reflect on what a higher figure would mean for the curriculum because we don’t know how old these numbers are and research tells us that levels of tooth decay rose after Covid-19. There is also a known lack of available dentists in some areas of Cheshire East. News headlines tell us that nearly 25% of all children aged 5 in England suffer from tooth decay and children living in deprived areas are more than twice as likely to have decay compared with those living in the least deprived areas.

The government has recently invested £11 million to support supervised toothbrushing programmes (the BRUSH project) for children aged 3 – 5 years in the most deprived areas of England. Researchers pioneering this project state that, ‘Supervised toothbrushing… is a simple but powerful way to prevent tooth decay and establish positive habits for life.’ Support includes free toothbrushes and boxes of fluoride toothpaste provided by Colgate and resources should be available locally if you are part of this project. Children should be supervised by a staff member and brushing should complement what children are doing with parents at home./p>

If you are not involved in the toothbrushing project, there is information online, including an implementation toolkit with guidance on how to support children with toothbrushing in the setting.

Note that it is not a requirement to introduce this initiative. If you do want to get involved, you will need to speak to parents and get their permission and risk assess storing toothbrushes and toothpaste in the setting. You might want to take advice from your local dentist.

What does this mean for the curriculum? The EYFS states that you must support children’s oral health. This links to healthy eating and drinking as well as helping children to learn about oral health as part of the wider culture of keeping children healthy. Some of the ways a setting in Cheshire East might use the figures on the ‘Ofsted: explore an area’ website for oral health levels include:

• Reducing sugar in food and sharing information with parents about the risks from sugary food, sweets and drinks.

• Reading books, telling stories and singing songs about healthy teeth and tooth brushing.

• Arranging dentist visits where practical.

• Sharing information and free resources with parents to use at home.

• Advising parents to register with their local dentist early.

• Using timers to measure 2 minutes – the time you should spend brushing.

• Having sticker or fruit birthday parties instead of children eating cake or sharing sweets following statutory guidance from the DfE early years nutrition guidance.

• Teaching children about good oral health and how to keep their teeth healthy.

More things you can do Childcare.co.uk has a library of oral health resources available for gold members.

Ask parents about whether they take their child to the dentist – if they say they are struggling with finding a space you could suggest they use the NHS Find a local dentist search or ask for them on your local social media pages.

Read the Oral health and supervised toothbrushing pages of the DfE ‘Help for early years providers’ website and follow the links to more information.

Ask your local authority whether they have any free training or resources available for you to share in the setting and send home for parents.

We hope this supports you with managing the new ‘context’ expectation in the Ofsted early years inspection framework. If you have any questions, please ask.