�㽶��Ƶapp

Early years providers are calling for single-word Ofsted judgements to be scrapped, as a new survey by leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance found that Ofsted inspections are the main regular cause of stress for early years providers. 

The survey, which ran online from 29 March to 27 April 2023, and received 1,910 responses found that around eight in ten (79%) nurseries, preschools and childminders said they were stressed about Ofsted inspections “fairly” or “very often”, while almost half of respondents (45%) have had a negative Ofsted experience.  

Around a fifth (21%) said they have filed a formal complaint, and more than half (52%) said the inspection judgements they received were unfair. 

In addition, the majority of providers believe that inspections do not have a positive impact on the provision of quality care and education. Only 14% said the current Ofsted inspection regime has had a positive impact on the provision of quality care and education while 37% ‘strongly disagreed’, and 26% ‘somewhat disagreed’, with the statement. 

The vast majority of the sector (77%) support the removal of the single-word Ofsted grading, with almost three in five (58%) ‘strongly’ supporting this. 

In recent weeks, questions have been raised over the impact of Ofsted inspections, especially on workforce wellbeing and mental health, following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. In April, “Beyond Ofsted”, an inquiry into the inspection system, was launched. However, the inquiry does not currently include early years settings within its scope.  

The Alliance’s survey also highlighted that, in addition to the impact of Ofsted inspections, working in the early years sector overall is having a significant negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the workforce. 

More than eight in ten (81%) respondents said they were regularly stressed about a work-related issue in the past month, with sector-specific government policy and pay listed as the most common causes of stress behind Ofsted inspections.  

Most early educators said this has had a knock-on impact on their physical health: in the past year, around two-thirds suffered with anxiety (67%), fatigue (65%) and loss of motivation (64%). 14% said that they had experienced panic attacks, while 3% said they had had thoughts of taking their own life. 

Overall, nearly six in 10 (59%) educators said they felt negatively about working in the sector (40% said they felt “somewhat negative” and 19% “very negative”). A third (35%) said they were considering leaving the sector due to stress and mental health difficulties. 

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:  

“The fact that working in the early years has left educators facing sleepless nights and suffering from anxiety and stress is not only deeply worrying; it’s completely unacceptable. 

"It’s clear that the early years is in the midst of a mental health and wellbeing crisis, and that Ofsted inspections are a key source of this stress for many in the sector.  

“If inspections are to achieve their aim of supporting and improving the provision of education, they must be a collaborative, supportive and positive experience. Instead, they are increasingly seen as something to dread, leaving educators stressed, exhausted and questioning their future in the sector – and while recent discussions on this issue have largely focused on the experiences of schools, this is just as true in the early years. 

“On top of this, years of severe underfunding and limited government support have taken its toll on early educators and – as our survey shows – contributed to the fact that so many in the sector are facing a range of mental health challenges.  

“Day after day, early years providers are forced to juggle wholly inadequate funding, overwhelming workloads and severe staffing shortages while continuing to deliver high-quality early education and care. Add to that the fact that, in the rare instance that the sector is included in government policy – such as the newly-announced 30-hour expansion – it often ends up heaping even more pressure on a sector that is already close to buckling, and it’s no surprise that so many are struggling. 

“Going forward, the mental health and wellbeing of early educators must be a key focus both when it comes to reforming the inspection system and in developing government policy. With a third of providers actively considering leaving the workforce, this is not an issue that can be ignored. The way the sector is treated must change, not only to protect the mental health of the workforce, but the future of the entire sector.” 

Survey comments: 

• “For small settings like us, it is a worrying and sad time. Funding does not cover staffing and small additional costs which has led to a lot of sleepless nights and has meant that I have often not been able to pay myself. I always want to make sure my staff are happy, paid and know they are appreciated but behind the scenes it is very hard. I’ve nearly given up a few times because of money issues and the stress it causes. But, I love my job and the kids, families and staff so I plod on with a big smile.” 
  
   

• “I love my job but I’m so frustrated and stressed. Not only am I trying to keep the business running sustainably with limited funding, but I’m also under pressure due to Ofsted inspections. I know we do a fantastic job, yet we are judged on one three-hour visit. I would much prefer our local authority to inspect us.”  
  
   

• “I feel deflated and unmotivated. I’m unable to get nursery practitioners to cover maternity leave because the pay is low, and the work is hard. I feel overworked and very stressed especially when considering this is a role that pays just above the minimum wage. I’m unable to sleep and spend my nights thinking of the tasks that have not been done. The nursery is failing financially at a time when more and more is expected of us.” 
  
   

• “I would like to start by saying that Ofsted inspections are a fantastic and necessary tool to help improve and ensure a high level of education and care. However, the looming Ofsted inspection causes a great deal of stress for me and other staff members, it has caused anxiety and sleepless nights for more than one member of my team, including me. I feel that the process and grading system is not always fair and can be handled in a better way.

         "If we had regular check-ins and support to allow us to show our process, plans and                      improvements, we would be able to provide an excellent level of education to the children            within our care. But, having to wait for a call every few years and then hope you have a                nice inspector is enough to give anyone a high level of anxiety. I have seen how much                  stress and strain this process has put on my team.   

         "It is a harsh way of doing things and if the end goal is to provide a high level of care, then           surely this can be done in a way that does not cause mental strain on those providing the           care and education.” 

 

• “Our setting is expecting an Ofsted inspection shortly which has really changed how I feel about my job and the workload. As a result, I feel this role is not sustainable for me, which is really sad as I love working in the early years but Ofsted places too much pressure on early years settings when it is already a very emotionally and physically demanding job. Although it’s extremely rewarding it pays poorly and really encroaches on my home life. I am part of an early years managers group on social media and it saddens me to hear from so many managers who feel they are unable to continue with their job due to the high pressure, workload and expectations.” 

 

EDITOR NOTES

  The survey was carried out from 29 March to 27 April 2023, and received 1,910 responses 

 

FULL SURVEY FINDINGS  

 

How would you best describe where you work in the early years? 

Nursery 31% 

Pre-school 47% 

Childminding professional 16% 

Maintained nursery school 0% 

Primary school nursery class 1% 

Out of hours club 1% 

Children’s centre 0% 

Specialist provision 0% 

Other (please specify 3% 

 

How would you best describe your role within your setting? Please choose the description that matches your current role most closely – if none are similar to your role, please choose ‘other’ and specify your role 

Owner only 5% 

Both owner and manager 20% 

Manager only 38% 

Deputy manager 8% 

Early years teacher/professional/Level 6 educator 6% 

Room leader 2% 

Level 4 or 5 educator 1% 

Level 3 educator 8% 

Level 2 educator 1% 

Level 2 assistant 0% 

Unqualified educator 1% 

Apprentice 0% 

Other (please specify) 9% 

 

[Excluding those who answered 'Owners Only' to the previous question] How regularly do you work outside of normal paid working hours? 

Very often 63% 

Quite often 19% 

Sometimes 11% 

Rarely 5% 

Never 2% 

 

 [Excluding owners] How many additional hours do you think this adds up to on average each week? 

Less than 5 hours 35% 

6 – 10 hours 39% 

11 –  15 hours 12% 

16 – 20 hours 7% 

More than 20 hours 7% 

 

[Excluding owners] How regularly do you work outside of what you would consider to be reasonable working hours? 

Very often 53% 

Quite often 21% 

Sometimes 15% 

Rarely 8% 

Never 3% 

 

How many additional hours do you think this adds up to on average each week? 

Less than 5 hours 33% 

6 – 10 hours 39% 

11 –  15 hours 12% 

16 – 20 hours 6% 

More than 20 hours 9% 

 

How long have you worked in the early years sector? 

Less than a year 1% 

1 – 5 years 5% 

6 – 10 years 11% 

11 – 15 years 17% 

16 – 20 years 19% 

More than 20 years 48% 

 

How would you describe how you feel about working in the early years sector at the moment? 

Very positive 5% 

Somewhat positive 20% 

Neither positive nor negative 16% 

Somewhat negative 40% 

Very negative 19% 

 

Thinking of your current early years role, how often over the past month have you felt stressed about work or an issue relating to work? 

Very often 54% 

Fairly often 27% 

Sometimes 15% 

Rarely 3% 

Never 0% 

 

[Excluding respondents who said they are never stressed about work/ a work related issue] How often do you feel the following are a source of stress? Please select the response that most applies to your current situation. 

 

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Fairly Often	Very Often
Administration and paperwork	2%	7%	28%	33%	31%
Workload-other than administration and paperwork	1%	9%	30%	33%	28%
Working Hours	5%	17%	32%	24%	22%
Pay	3%	7%	21%	24%	46%
Morale within your team or setting	8%	14%	32%	27%	20%
Relationships  with colleagues	23%	35%	25%	11%	6%
Relationships with parents	11%	37%	36%	11%	5%
Financial resources of the setting /provision	2%	7%	20%	26%	44%
Meeting the needs of children	9%	21%	30%	23%	18%
Ofsted inspections	2%	5%	13%	18%	61%
Government policy on early education and childcare	1%	4%	18%	26%	52%

 

How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “I believe that my work and non-work life are balanced.” 

Strongly agree 3% 

Agree 14% 

Neither agree nor disagree 21% 

Disagree 36% 

Strongly disagree 26% 

 

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms / health impacts due to work, or where work was a contributing factor, over the past year? Please select all that apply. (All individual responses in this survey are completely anonymous and confidential. However, we understand that you may not feel comfortable answering this question. If so, please select ‘Prefer not to say’ 

Insomnia  58% 

Depression 27% 

Fatigue 65% 

Anxiety 67% 

Panic attacks 14% 

Self-harm 1% 

Thoughts of ending your own life 3% 

Mood swings 30% 

Irritability 52% 

Withdrawal 18% 

Tearfulness 52% 

Loss of motivation 64% 

None of the above 4% 

Prefer not to say 3% 

Other (please specify) 7% 

 

Has stress or mental health difficulties caused by or related to work caused any of the following over the past year? Please select all that apply 

I have taken time off work 15% 

I have resigned from my job 6% 

I have been fired from my job 0% 

My work performance has been negatively affected 42% 

My personal relationships have been negatively affected 55% 

 

Have you spoken to anybody at your workplace about your work stress or mental health issues? 

Yes 53% 

No 47% 

 

[Asked to people who did speak to someone at work about work stress/mental health issues] Who did you speak to? 

My line manager 32% 

A senior staff member that wasn’t my line manager 11% 

A colleague 35% 

Other (please specify) 22% 

 

[Asked to people who did speak to someone at work about work stress/mental health issues] Did you feel you were given adequate support? 

Yes 73% 

No 23% 

 

Have you ever considered leaving the early years sector due to stress or mental health difficulties? 

Yes, I have already left 2% 

Yes, I have already confirmed that I will be leaving 4% 

Yes, I am considering leaving 35% 

Yes, I have considered it but I don’t think I will leave 38% 

No 20% 

 

Have you ever experienced an Ofsted inspection in an early years setting? 

Yes 96% 

No 4% 

 

[Asked to those who have experienced an Ofsted inspection in an early years setting] Thinking of your most recent inspection, how would you describe the experience? Please briefly explain your answer 

Very positive 12% 

Positive 28% 

Neither positive nor negative 28% 

Negative 16% 

Very negative 15% 

Unsure / Can't remember 1% 

 

[Asked to those whose most recent inspection wasn't negative or very negative and have experienced an Ofsted inspection in an early years setting] Have you ever had a negative Ofsted inspection experience? 

Yes 45% 

No 47% 

Not sure / Can't remember 7% 

 

[Asked to those who have experienced an Ofsted inspection in an early years setting] Have you (or any settings you have worked in) ever filed a formal complaint about an Ofsted inspection? 

Yes 21% 

No 72% 

Not sure 7% 

 

[Asked to those who have filed a complaint] What was the outcome? 

The complaint was fully upheld 10% 

The complaint was partially upheld 17% 

The complaint was not upheld 53% 

Not sure 21% 

 

Have you / any settings you have worked in ever received an Ofsted inspection judgement that you felt was unfair? Please briefly explain your answer. 

No 48% 

Yes, once 41% 

Yes, more than once 11% 

 

To what extent do you agree with the following statement: “The current Ofsted inspection regime has a positive impact on the provision of quality care and education in early years settings”? Please briefly explain your answer 

Strongly agree 2% 

Somewhat agree 12% 

Neither agree nor disagree 23% 

Somewhat disagree 26% 

Strongly disagree 37% 

 

There have been recent calls to overhaul the inspection system, and in particular, to remove the 'single-word grading' judgement approach currently taken which sees education and care settings receive an overall judgement of 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate'. 

Which of the below best describes your view on proposals to remove single-word Ofsted gradings? Please briefly explain your answer. 

Strongly support the removal of single-word Ofsted gradings 58% 

Somewhat support the removal of single-word Ofsted gradings 19% 

Neither support nor oppose the removal of single-word Ofsted gradings 18% 

Somewhat oppose the removal of single-word Ofsted gradings 4% 

Strongly oppose the removal of single-word Ofsted gradings 2%