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Solgrid for Solihull schools > Early Years and Childcare > Solihull support > What can settings expect?

What can settings expect?

Our aim is to secure good or outstanding  provision in all settings across Solihull. While settings are self-managing, and responsible for their own performance and improvement, Solihull Early Years’ Service has a role in supporting this.

Solihull setting improvement support may include: –

An introductory visit for new settings, or where an Early Years team member is working with a setting or provision for the first time.

A Solihull Setting Improvement Approach visit (SIA) to review, with settings, the quality of the provision offered to children and families.  This visit will include:

  • discussion about the strengths of the provision
  • areas for development
  • any support needs

The annual cycle runs from the end of August to the start of September the following year.  The discussion and ‘learning walk’ will be linked to the settings Ofsted registration requirements.

If plans for improvement need to be put in place, targeted support from the LA and/or partners will be determined. This will be in proportion to need.

Further information about support from Area SENCos in group settings is available here:https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/send/

Ofsted inspection feedback- please let a team member know if you have an Ofsted inspection and would like us to attend feedback. This is especially useful for Requires Improvement and Inadequate settings. We cannot guarantee we will be able to attend feedback but we will try our best.

Meeting with LA representatives– when a setting has received an Ofsted grade of inadequate, or there are concerns about the welfare and safety of the children in a setting, the LA will meet with key senior staff. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the setting’s quality improvement plans and to co-ordinate the LA support. Further meetings will be arranged to monitor the standard of the provision and to deploy support appropriately.

  • Support is also offered to Solihull maintained schools and governor run based early years provision.

Priority Ofsted settings include:

  • Those on the Early Years Register.  Particularly those who have not been inspected within the previous year and those who are not yet judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.
  • Settings requiring external support to improve.
  • New settings and those due an Ofsted inspection.
  • Ofsted childcare registered full year provision, and those settings offering Early Education Funded (EEF) provision EEF.