Early years in schools | Ofsted webinar for schools

In this webinar, we discuss early years education in schools, focusing in particular on communication and language. We talk about what inspectors look at on inspection, including around the use of phonics. We also explore deep dives in the early years and share insights from our research.

Our panel:
Lee Owston, Deputy Director, Schools and Early Education
Kirsty Godfrey Senior HMI, Early Education
Phil Minns, Senior HMI, Early Education
Claire Jones, Specialist Adviser, Policy, Quality and Training


Content:
0:00 Introduction
4:21 Overview
5:31 Building strong foundations in the early years
9:11 The importance of communication and language
14:19 A curriculum for communication and language
15:35 High-quality interactions
19:11 Stories, rhymes and songs
20:35 Key messages for practitioners
21:54 Gathering evidence about early years on inspection
23:34 Deep dives
29:28 Making the most of what we see
31:52 Take away messages
36:44 Questions
37:16 Q1: Provision and outcomes for children with SEND
39:34 Q2: Expectations for non-verbal children
42:08 Q3: The role of play and continuous provision
44:40 Q4: Formal recording in books
48:42 Q5: Teaching of phonics
51:47 Q6: Evaluation of current practice

Questions in full:

Q1: What are Ofsted’s expectations around provision and outcomes for children with SEND in the early years?

Q2: What are Ofsted’s expectations for children who may be non-verbal when they arrive in the early years?

Q3: What is Ofsted’s view on play and the role of continuous provision in the early years? What are Ofsted’s expectations and how would Ofsted evaluate?

Q4: What is Ofsted’s view of formal recording in books in reception and what would inspectors be looking for?

Q5: What are Ofsted’s expectations around the teaching of phonics in Nursery and the teaching of phonics in terms of reading and spelling in Reception?

Q6: What evaluation has Ofsted undertaken into current practice in the early years? What did Ofsted find was working well or less well?