| According to the latest results released by | | | | working together to make sure standards |
| the Office for Standards in Education, | | | | improve. |
| Children's Services and Skills (or OFSTED) 4% | | | | |
| of childminders, nurseries and creche | | | | The fact is most childcare facilities are run |
| facilities were deemed as inadequate for | | | | extremely well with hard working, dedicated |
| inspections carried out between April 2006 | | | | and totally professional staff who love what |
| and March 2007. | | | | they do and are good at their job. For the 4% |
| | | | of nurseries, childminders and crèches who |
| The good news of course is that 96% of | | | | remain unsatisfactory lessons could certainly |
| childcare providers inspected were deemed as | | | | be learnt from the vast majority who do such |
| adequate or better with 3% rated as | | | | an excellent job in educating and looking |
| outstanding, 54% good and 39% satisfactory. | | | | after our children. |
| | | | |
| However for the 4% of childcare providers in | | | | And for the good of our society as a whole it |
| the Getting on Well: Enjoying, Achieving and | | | | is imperative that standards amongst carers |
| Contributing report who were judged to | | | | and educators of children continue to |
| provide inadequate childcare some of the | | | | improve. This is because research shows that |
| reasons citied for their rating included: | | | | there is in many cases a direct link between |
| | | | high quality early years learning and care |
| 1. Insufficient range of toys and activities, | | | | and improved intellectual, social and |
| so that children wander aimlessly | | | | behavioural development in the future. |
| | | | |
| 2. Adults with lack of knowledge of how to | | | | Mark Burdett, Marketing Manager of The UK |
| guide children's learning | | | | Nursery Insurance Brokers Northern Counties |
| | | | had this to say about OFSTED's latest |
| 3. Lack of regular observation | | | | results, "We provide Nursery Insurance and |
| | | | other types of Business Insurance to many |
| 4. Lack of opportunities to engage children's | | | | different types of childcare providers and |
| interest | | | | what strikes me most is how hard people in |
| | | | the childcare industry actually work. It is |
| 5. Poorly-organised environment | | | | clear that if 4% of childcare providers |
| | | | aren't meeting certain standards then |
| Another piece of good news from the report | | | | improvements will need to be made but I don't |
| seems to be that once a childcare facility | | | | think the vast majority of parents should |
| has been rated as inadequate steps are often | | | | feel the need to unduly worry as the |
| put in place to bring it up to a satisfactory | | | | childcare facilities in the UK are amongst, |
| standard. This is highlighted by the fact | | | | if not the, best in the world." |
| that inspectors returned to almost 300 | | | | |
| childcare providers who were previously | | | | Mark went on to add, "Northern Counties |
| deemed as unsatisfactory and upon | | | | provide protection and peace of mind in the |
| re-inspection 85% of these had improved. | | | | form of Nursery Insurance and I know the vast |
| | | | majority of childcare providers are also |
| Clearly however the bad news is that 4% is 4% | | | | doing all they can to make sure the children |
| too many when it comes to inadequate | | | | in their care are happy, safe and develop in |
| childcare and therefore OFSTED, the | | | | the right way. |
| Government and Childcare providers are | | | | |