Describe those descriptors!

I have put together this FREE evaluative document and useful resources (please see pages 17 to 19 of this document) to link Ofsted
outstanding descriptors to reflective pointers for settings to use as a way to aid self-reflection and to support their evaluative
practice.
I have only concentrated on the outstanding descriptors as I strongly believe that this should be your target all the time. Keep
outstanding at the front of your mind believe outstanding and make it happen!
Outstanding doesnt mean prefect, outstanding means always improving!
Every member of staff should be involved in the reflective process and the journey to being outstanding.
Why not break down the judgements from different areas into bite-size chunks to allow every member of staff the opportunity to
contribute. For instance, have a judgements board in your staff room and/or an individual room judgement board. Ask staff to note
their thoughts and where they think they can improve and how the setting can improve. Think about your settings organisational
behaviour and ethos and how this has an impact on practice.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

Benjamin Franklin

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Cross reference with your SEF and Training and more.

For the first section, I have devised an example to show how you could evaluate your practice next to the descriptors.
Staff should know and understand what the three characteristics of teaching and learning look like and what they are doing to promote
them within the learning environment and, more importantly, how excellent teaching improves outcomes for children.
Consider how you have included all stakeholders equally important are the voice of the child and parents contributions.
Please email me if you would require the document in Word or further information and guidance:
Laura@LauraHenryConsultancy.com

Remember: quality always before quantity!

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Example
Grade descriptors for effectiveness of leadership and management:
Outstanding Descriptors

Incisive evaluation of the impact of

staffs practice leads to rigorous
performance management, supervision
and highly focused professional
development. As a result, teaching is
highly effective or improving rapidly.

This is in place, because?

We have a robust performance management

system in place. This starts during the
induction period. Every member of staff
receives regular one-on-one supervision,
which focuses on their individual strengths
and areas for improvement. We have a
rigorous professional development plan, for
individual staff and as a whole setting. We
have introduced peer-to-peer observation
and highlighted different areas of
practice, such as the impact of teaching
against supporting childrens communication
and language development. We review the
effectiveness of our systems and honestly
debate and discuss, for example: How is it
supporting childrens learning and
development? How has it changed staff
practice and can we see a return on
investment? We can clearly see that
professional development has maintained
and continues to improve childrens
outcomes. Evidence: Induction systems,

What I need to put in placeStep-by-step process, systems, resources, date

achieved and by whom

Make sure that new members of staff

are aware that we take professional
development seriously.
Add to induction procedures.
30 November 2015.
JB Nursery manager

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supervision files, peer-to-peer observation

reports, professional development files,
key persons tracking of individual children
and senior staff robustly analysing
childrens progression.

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Grade descriptors for overall effectiveness:

Outstanding Descriptors

This is in place, because?

What I need to put in

placeStep-by-step process, systems ,
resources, date achieved and by whom

The quality of teaching, learning and

assessment is outstanding.

All other key judgements are likely to be

outstanding. In exceptional circumstances,
one of the key judgements may be good as
long as there is convincing evidence that
this area is improving rapidly and securely
towards outstanding.

Safeguarding is effective.

There are no breaches of statutory

requirements.

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Grade descriptors for the effectiveness of leadership and management:

Outstanding Descriptors

This is in place, because?

What I need to put in

placeStep-by-step process, systems ,
resources, date achieved and by whom

The pursuit of excellence in all of the

settings activities is demonstrated by an
uncompromising, highly successful drive
to improve achievement or maintain the
highest levels of achievement for all
children.

Incisive evaluation of the impact of

staffs practice leads to rigorous performance
management, supervision and highly
focused professional development.
As a result, teaching is highly effective or
improving rapidly.

Leaders and managers actively seek,

evaluate and act on the views of parents,
staff and children to drive continual
improvement.
Highly effective monitoring identifies where
children may be slow to develop key skills so
that specific programmes of support are
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implemented to help them catch up. Gaps in

achievement between different groups of
children, especially those for whom the setting
receives additional funding, are negligible or
closing.

The provider has an excellent knowledge of the

requirements of the Early Years Foundation
Stage, and implements them highly effectively.

Leaders deep understanding of the curriculum

and how to apply it to meet the needs and
interests of children results in all staff
planning highly effective activities. As a result,
children are exceptionally well prepared to
move on, including, where appropriate, to
school.

Leaders set high standards for childrens

behaviour at all times. Exemplary relationships
between staff provide an excellent model for
childrens behaviour towards each other.

Highly effective partnership working leads to

improvement in provision and outcomes for
children and their families.

The promotion of equality, diversity and

British values is at the heart of the settings
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work. It is demonstrated through all its

practices, preventing including tackling any
instances of discrimination and being alert to
potential risks from radicalisation and
extremism.

Safeguarding and welfare meet statutory

requirements. Leaders and managers have
created a culture of vigilance where childrens
welfare is actively promoted. Children are
listened to and feel safe. Staff are trained to
identify and support children who may be at
risk of neglect or abuse and they report any
concerns. Work with partner agencies to
safeguard childrens welfare is effective.

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Grade descriptors for teaching, learning and assessment:

Outstanding Descriptors

This is in place, because?

What I need to put in placeStep-by-step process, systems , resources, date

achieved and by whom

All practitioners have very high

expectations of what each child can
achieve, including the most able and
the most disadvantaged.

Teaching is consistently of a very

high quality, inspirational and
worthy of dissemination to others;
it is highly responsive to childrens
needs.

Practitioners use their expert

knowledge of the areas of learning
and deep understanding of how
children learn to provide rich,
varied and imaginative experiences
that enthuse, engage and motivate
children to learn.

Accurate assessment, including

through high quality observations,
is rigorous and sharply focused and
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includes all those involved in the

childs learning and development.
Where appropriate, children are
involved in the process. Information
from assessment is used to secure
timely interventions and support,
based on a comprehensive
knowledge of the child and their
family.

Provision across all areas of

learning is planned meticulously and
based on regular and precise
assessments of childrens
achievement so that every child
undertakes highly challenging
activities.

Highly successful strategies engage

parents, including those from
different groups, in their childrens
learning, both in the setting and at
home.

Practitioners provide an exceptional

range of resources and activities
that reflect and value the diversity
of childrens experiences. They
actively challenge gender, cultural
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and racial stereotyping and help

children gain an understanding of
people, families and communities
beyond their immediate experience.

The extremely sharp focus on

helping children to acquire
communication and language skills,
and on supporting their physical,
personal, social and emotional
development, gives children the
foundations for future learning.

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Grade descriptors for personal development, behaviour and welfare:

Outstanding Descriptors

This is in place, because?

What I need to put in placeStep-by-step process, systems , resources, date

achieved and by whom

The highly stimulating environment

and wide range of activities ensure
that children are highly motivated
and very eager to join in. They
consistently show the
characteristics of effective
learning. They show high levels of
curiosity, imagination and
concentration. Older children listen
intently and are highly responsive
to adults and each other.

Childrens health, welfare and wellbeing are significantly enhanced by

the vigilant and highly consistent
implementation of robust policies,
procedures and practice. High
standards of care and hygiene
practice support the personal care
needs of babies and toddlers.

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Practitioners are highly skilled and

sensitive in helping children of all
ages form secure emotional
attachments. This gives children a
strong base for developing their
independence to explore their
world and increases their
confidence in their own abilities.

Children increasingly show high

levels of confidence in social
situations. They develop a positive
sense of themselves and their place
in the world. They develop a very
good understanding of how to keep
themselves safe and how to manage
risks and challenges.

The strong skills of all key persons

ensure that all children are
emotionally well prepared for the
next stages in their learning.
Practitioners skilfully support
childrens transitions both within
the setting and to other settings
and prepare them for the move to
school.

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Children demonstrate exceptionally

positive behaviour and high levels of
self-control, cooperation and respect
for others that are appropriate for
their age. They do not distract
others or become distracted
themselves.

Childrens welfare and personal

development are central to
everything practitioners do. They are
very effective in supporting childrens
growing understanding of how to keep
themselves safe and healthy.

Practitioners give children a wide

range of experiences that promote
understanding of people, families and
communities beyond their own. They
teach children the language of
feelings and give them opportunities
to reflect on their differences.

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Grade descriptors for outcomes for children:

Outstanding Descriptors

This is in place, because?

What I need to put in placeStep-by-step process, systems , resources, date

achieved and by whom

Children make consistently high

rates of progress in relation to
their starting points and are
extremely well prepared for the
next stage of their education.

Almost all children in the provision,

including disabled children, those
who have special educational needs,
those for whom the setting
receives additional funding and the
most able, are making substantial
and sustained progress that leads
to outstanding achievement.

Gaps between the attainment of

groups of children in the setting,
including those for whom the
setting receives additional funding,
have closed or are closing rapidly.
Any differences between outcomes

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in different areas of learning are

closing.
Children are highly motivated and
very eager to join in. They
consistently demonstrate the
characteristics of effective
learning.

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Essential resources to print and share with staff:

Staff must have an understanding of the statutory guidance and make sure that all of the legislation requirements are in place at all
times. You could introduce a few documents at a time within staff meetings, equally, reflecting on the evidence that the inspector will
focus on in evaluating the inspection.
Press control (ctrl button) and click over the document at the same time, to open up in your web browser:

Development Matters
Early Years compliance: guidance for Ofsted staff
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Early Years inspection handbook
Early Years Outcomes
Fundamental British Values in the Early Years
General awareness training preventative duty
Guidance for practitioners on the Integrated Review
Information on Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
Inspecting safeguarding in Early Years, education and skills settings
Keeping children safe in education
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Latest Ofsted reports, via Watchsted

Leadership and quality video
Learning, Playing and Interacting
New Mobile Learning App Child Development 0-6 Years
Ofsted early years report 2015
Ofsted good practice videos
Peer-to-Peer Observation clip
Preventative duty guidance
Quality Improvement Principles
Raising Complaints against Ofsted
SEF evaluative writing
SEF and guidance
SEND
Teaching and play in the Early Years: a balancing act?
The common inspection framework: education, skills and Early Years
Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning audit

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Training and More bespoke continuous professional development resource

Twitter weekly chat - #EYTalking
Working together to safeguard children
What to expect when? A parents guide

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