Mary Jayne  
451 inspections (19 new, 1 old evaluated) · New Framework  
Generated 30 February 2026  
AllSeeingOFSTED · allseeingofsted.com  
Executive Summary  
Mary Jayne is a moderately strict inspector who grades slightly above national average in Inclusion (3.4 vs  
3.26) and Curriculum & Teaching (3.33 vs 3.15) but below national in Welfare & Wellbeing (3.0 vs 3.29),  
having not yet awarded Exceptional in any category across 5 new framework inspections. She has a  
distinctive focus on strategic barrier removal through hardship funds, awarding Strong Standard when  
settings 'create hardship funds and work with other professionals to identify children and families that may  
require extra support' which is 'used strategically and consistently so that children can attend trips, receive  
meals and access additional sessions'. Her most frequent criticisms centre on key person system  
breakdowns during transitions (flagged in 3 of 5 new framework reports), staff giving 'brief instructions rather  
than clear explanations' using phrases like 'be quiet' that 'do not always help children understand why they  
need to adjust their behaviour', and group activities that are 'too large and too long for some younger children'  
causing disengagement. She expects all staff to understand the graduated approach for SEND (not just  
SENCo), requiring 'regular and targeted training' so staff 'confidently assess, plan, do and review support',  
and she will issue statutory actions if SEND strategies are not shared across the team. Most critically, prepare  
to demonstrate strategic thinking about funding use with measurable impact, ensure every child has a named  
key person before room transitions with documented handover protocols, and train all staff to explain the  
'why' behind expectations (behaviour, hygiene, routines) rather than just enforcing compliance.  
New Framework Analysis  
19 inspections · November 2025 – February 2026  
Category Performance  
Inclusion  
3.4/5  
This inspector has been known to focus on the demonstration of strategic use of hardship funds and external partnerships to  
remove barriers, as seen in Q4 2025 where she praised a club's hardship fund enabling children to 'attend trips, receive meals and access  
additional sessions' so 'financial pressures never limit children's participation'. She expects leaders to show 'detailed perceptive analysis' of  
individual needs through multiple assessment tools (progress checks, speech/language screening, EHC plans) and requires staff training on  
SEND and the graduated approach to be 'regular and targeted' so staff 'confidently assess, plan, do and review'.  
Curriculum & Teaching  
3.33/5  
This inspector consistently evaluates whether curriculum is 'coherently sequenced' and 'closely matched to children's needs', awarding Strong  
Standard when teaching is 'adapted very thoughtfully' and staff use 'sustained interactions' to 'broaden children's understanding'. In Q4 2025  
she praised a setting where 'high-quality interactions promote children's communication very effectively' with staff drawing on children's  
interests (helicopters/aeroplanes) to 'prompt meaningful discussion about their own experiences'. She flags weakness when activities are 'not  
always appropriately matched to babies' developmental stages' with expectations either 'too ambitious' or lacking 'enough challenge'.  
Achievement  
3.25/5  
Closely monitoring when 'steady progress from their starting points' with specific skill development  
visible (e.g. 'babies gain physical confidence, moving from limited mobility to sitting securely'). She looks for evidence that children with SEND  
'make meaningful progress because support is closely matched to what they require' and that children 'leave as confident and sociable  
individuals, who are ready for the next stage of learning, including their eventual move on to school'. She does not award Strong Standard  
unless progress is 'secure and sustained' with children showing 'curiosity, confidence and resilience'.  
Behaviour & Attitudes  
3.4/5  
This inspector consistently identifies when 'clear and consistently applied' with children responding 'confidently and with  
familiarity' to transitions, as in Q4 2025 where she noted 'when staff signal transitions, such as tidying up or preparing to go outdoors, children  
respond confidently'. She downgrades to Needs Attention when 'key-person arrangements are not always secure during transitions, meaning  
that children do not consistently experience the same behavioural expectations' or when staff 'provide brief instructions rather than clear  
explanations' (e.g. phrases like 'be quiet' that 'do not always help children understand why they need to adjust their behaviour').  
Welfare & Wellbeing  
3/5  
This inspector grades strictly in this category, averaging below national. She awards Expected Standard when 'care practices meet children's  
individual needs well' with 'routines for sleeping, feeding and medication well organised', but flags Needs Attention when 'leaders do not yet  
have a consistent oversight of the key-person system' or when 'some children are not allocated a named key person in a timely manner,  
particularly when they move rooms'. In Q4 2025 she criticised a setting where 'opportunities to build children's independence within care  
routines, such as encouraging children to attempt to put their coats on for outdoor play, are not always maximised across rooms'.  
Leadership &  
3/5  
Governance  
This inspector awards Strong Standard when leaders demonstrate 'detailed perceptive analysis' with 'adaptive/responsive' approaches and  
'continuous improvement culture', as in Q4 2025 where she praised leaders who 'place children at the heart of their work' with 'clear, accurate  
understanding of strengths and priorities' and professional development 'purposeful and informed by leaders' understanding of practice'. She  
downgrades to Needs Attention when 'leaders now recognise that hygiene routines and the key-person system are not implemented reliably  
and understand that greater consistency in these areas is essential' or when supervision is not yet 'consistently embedded'.  
Grade Distribution  
This inspector's new framework grades cluster around Expected Standard (13 awards) and Strong Standard (10 awards), with 4  
Needs Attention grades and no Exceptional or Urgent Improvement grades. She has not yet awarded Exceptional in any  
category across 5 inspections, suggesting high standards for top grades.  
Urgent Improvement  
Needs Attention  
0 (0%)  
4 (15%)  
Expected Standard  
Strong Standard  
Exceptional  
13 (48%)  
10 (37%)  
0 (0%)  
Strongest: Inclusion (3.4 average, above national)  
Strictest: Welfare & Wellbeing (3.0 average, below national by  
Behaviour & Attitudes (3.4 average)  
(3.33 average, above national)  
Curriculum & Teaching 0.29) Leadership & Governance (3.0 average)  
Safeguarding: Safeguarding Met in all 5 new framework inspections (100%), matching national average of 97.7%. No  
safeguarding concerns flagged in recent reports.  
Trend: With only 5 new framework inspections spanning 8 weeks (November2025 - Feb 2026), there is insufficient data to  
identify meaningful trends. The inspector's grading appears consistent across this short period with no clear upward or  
downward pattern.  
What This Inspector Focuses On  
Key person system  
effectiveness and  
This inspector scrutinises whether key person arrangements provide emotional continuity,  
particularly during room transitions. In Q4 2025 she downgraded a setting to Needs Attention  
because 'some children are not allocated a named key person in a timely manner, particularly when  
they move rooms' and 'key-person arrangements are not always secure during transitions, meaning  
that children do not consistently experience the same behavioural expectations'. She expects  
settings to show how key persons 'check how younger children are feeling when they arrive, help  
them choose a manageable activity and stay close until they are ready to join their friends' to  
strengthen 'emotional security and trusting relationships'. She also criticises when 'information-  
sharing with parents about routines and next steps is also inconsistent' due to weak key person  
transitions  
Flagged in 3 of 5 new  
framework reports  
handovers.  
Q4 2025 Brookdale Day Nursery (Needs Attention for Welfare), Q4 2025 The Foxes (Strong Standard with  
specific praise for key person approach for younger children)  
Strategic use of  
This inspector specifically looks for evidence that settings use EYPP, DAF, and hardship funds  
'strategically and consistently' to remove participation barriers. In Q4 2025 she awarded Strong  
Standard to a club that 'created a hardship fund and work with other professionals to identify children  
and families that may require extra support' which is 'used strategically and consistently so that  
children can attend trips, receive meals and access additional sessions' ensuring 'financial pressures  
never limit children's participation or sense of belonging'. She expects leaders to articulate exactly  
how funding translates to outcomes: 'secure additional adult support hours or sensory resources that  
help children to remain regulated and ready to learn'. Generic statements about 'using funding  
additional funding and  
hardship support  
Praised in 4 of 5 new  
framework reports  
appropriately' do not satisfy her.  
Q4 2025 Morris Green Out of School Club (Strong Standard Inclusion), Q4 2025 Portico (Strong Standard  
Inclusion), Q4 2025 Total Tots (Strong Standard Inclusion)  
Quality and consistency This inspector frequently identifies inconsistent interaction quality as a weakness. She uses specific  
of staff interactions and phrases like 'at times, some staff do not fully consider the best possible way to pose questions to  
questioning  
children' (Q3 2025 Yew Tree Pre-School) and 'staff often asks children closed questions that only  
require short or one-word answers' with 'questions in quick succession, not giving children time to  
think' (Q3 2025 childminder). In new framework reports she notes when 'some staff provide brief  
instructions rather than clear explanations' using phrases like 'be quiet' that 'do not always help  
children understand why they need to adjust their behaviour or what they should do next'. She  
expects 'sustained interactions' that 'broaden children's understanding' and 'open questions that  
Criticised in 8 of 10 old  
framework reports, flagged in  
2 of 5 new framework reports  
encourage children to share ideas and talk about their thinking'.  
Q3 2025 Yew Tree Pre-School, Q3 2025 childminder, Q4 2025 Morris Green Out of School Club, Q4 2025  
Portico  
Graduated approach  
implementation for  
This inspector consistently checks whether staff understand and apply the assess-plan-do-review  
cycle. She awards Strong Standard when 'leaders ensure that staff receive regular and targeted  
training on special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the graduated approach, so they  
confidently assess, plan, do and review support and understand their role in reducing barriers for  
children with additional needs' (Q4 2025 Total Tots). She expects to see specific evidence: 'focused  
assessments such as the progress check when children are aged between two and three years,  
recognised speech and language screening tools and reviews linked to education, health and care  
plans' (Q4 2025 Portico). She criticises settings where 'agreed strategies to support children with  
SEND are not fully understood and implemented by all staff' or where information about SEND  
SEND  
Evaluated in all 5 new  
framework reports  
children is not shared across the team.  
Q4 2025 Total Tots (Strong Standard Inclusion), Q4 2025 Portico (Strong Standard Inclusion), Q3 2025  
Mulberry Roots (Requires Improvement, specific action required)  
Hygiene practice  
This inspector repeatedly identifies hygiene as an improvement area, using nearly identical phrasing  
across reports. She writes 'children are not always helped to understand why good hygiene is  
important. For example, they are not consistently reminded to cover their mouths when coughing to  
reduce the spread of germs' (Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery) and 'staff do not consistently support  
younger children to deepen their understanding. For instance, although staff wash their own hands  
after intimate care routines, they do not consistently encourage children to follow these good hygiene  
practices' (Q3 2025 Fernbank Nursery). She expects staff to explain the 'why' behind routines, not  
just enforce them, and looks for evidence that children can articulate reasons (e.g. 'wash away the  
consistency and child  
understanding  
Flagged as weakness in 6 of  
10 old framework reports  
germs').  
Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery, Q3 2025 Fernbank Nursery, Q3 2025 Corinthian Daycare, Q3 2025 Willaston  
Pre-school, Q3 2025 Habonim Nursery  
Dummy use impact on  
communication  
This inspector has a specific concern about dummy overuse hindering language development. She  
writes 'on occasions, the use of children's dummies to support emotional needs sometimes overrides  
the opportunities they have to practise their communication and language skills' (Q3 2025 Mulberry  
Bush Nursery) and 'dummies are used frequently by children and staff do not consistently respond to  
this reliance. This sometimes hinders children's communication and language development, limiting  
opportunities to support their emerging language skills' (Q3 2025 Corinthian Daycare). She expects  
staff to 'monitor the use of dummies to promote children's developing speech' and balance emotional  
development  
Flagged in 3 of 10 old  
framework reports  
comfort with communication opportunities.  
Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery, Q3 2025 Corinthian Daycare, Q3 2025 childminder (praised for supporting  
parents to reduce dummy use)  
Group activity  
This inspector frequently flags poorly organised group times as a weakness. She writes 'during larger  
group sessions, such as story time or focused tasks, some staff do not always adapt their teaching to  
ensure all children remain fully engaged' (Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery, Q3 2025 Habonim  
Nursery) and 'at times, group sessions are too large and too long for some younger children.  
Consequently, these children lose focus and do not fully benefit from the intended learning' (Q3 2025  
Mulberry Roots). She expects staff to 'review the organisation of group sessions, particularly for  
younger children, to ensure they fully benefit from the intended learning outcomes' and to adapt  
organisation and  
differentiation  
Criticised in 7 of 10 old  
framework reports, 2 of 5 new  
framework reports  
activities so 'all children remain fully engaged and benefit from the intended learning'.  
Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery, Q3 2025 Habonim Nursery, Q3 2025 Mulberry Roots, Q3 2025 Willaston Pre-  
school, Q3 2025 Amaryllis Day Nursery  
Mathematical language This inspector consistently evaluates whether mathematics is taught explicitly and embedded  
and explicit teaching  
Praised in 8 of 10 old  
framework reports, evaluated  
in 4 of 5 new framework  
reports  
throughout the day. She praises settings where 'staff prioritise mathematics consistently across the  
day' with children able to 'compare the lengths of familiar objects, name and compare shapes during  
construction and use positional language, such as under, behind and on top' (Q4 2025 Total Tots). In  
Q4 2025 Portico she noted 'staff model language purposefully. They introduce new vocabulary  
through play, such as when children explore warm and cold water, make movement on ramps or  
discuss textures in creative activities'. She expects to see evidence of counting, shape recognition,  
comparison vocabulary ('bigger', 'smaller', 'heavy', 'fast') and capacity/measurement exploration  
integrated into routines and free play.  
Q4 2025 Total Tots (Strong Standard Curriculum), Q4 2025 Portico (Expected Standard Curriculum), Q3 2025  
Fernbank Nursery, Q3 2025 Corinthian Daycare  
This inspector has a distinctive focus on the strategic use of hardship funds and financial barrier removal, which appears in  
multiple Strong Standard Inclusion awards but is rarely emphasised by other inspectors. She also has a specific concern about  
dummy overuse that appears across multiple reports with nearly identical phrasing. Her criticism of group activities consistently  
focuses on length and differentiation rather than content quality, and she repeatedly flags when staff give instructions ('be quiet',  
'tidy up') without explaining the reasoning behind expectations. Unlike many inspectors, she explicitly evaluates whether children  
understand the 'why' behind routines (hygiene, behaviour rules) rather than just compliance.  
Communication style: This inspector balances supportive recognition of strengths with specific, actionable criticism. Her praise  
is detailed and evidence-based, citing exact examples like 'hardship fund enables children to attend trips, receive meals and  
access additional sessions'. Her criticisms are constructive but precise, often using the phrase 'at these times' to acknowledge  
that weaknesses are situational rather than pervasive. She frequently writes 'staff do not always' or 'not consistently' rather than  
absolute statements, suggesting she recognises variability in practice. However, her improvement recommendations are  
directive and specific (e.g. 'support staff to monitor the use of dummies to promote children's developing speech'), leaving little  
ambiguity about expectations.  
Key phrases this inspector uses: “'strategically and consistently' (used when praising funding use and barrier removal)”,  
“'sustained interactions' (her standard for quality communication teaching)”, “'closely matched to what they require' (used for  
SEND support and curriculum differentiation)”, “'do not always help children understand why' (her criticism when staff give  
instructions without explanation)”, “'at these times' (her transition phrase when identifying inconsistent practice)”, “'consequently'  
(used to link weak practice to impact on children)”, “'thoughtful, proportionate adjustments' (her phrase for good inclusion  
practice)”  
What Gets Praised  
Common Criticisms  
This inspector awards Strong Standard when settings  
demonstrate strategic barrier removal through hardship  
funds, show comprehensive SEND support with all staff  
trained in the graduated approach, and provide 'sustained  
interactions' where staff draw on children's interests to  
broaden understanding. She particularly values settings that  
explain the 'why' behind expectations (behaviour, hygiene,  
routines) so children develop understanding rather than just  
compliance.  
This inspector downgrades settings when key person  
systems fail during transitions (leaving children without  
named adults or consistent expectations), when staff give  
instructions without explanations (e.g. 'be quiet' without  
saying why), and when SEND strategies are not understood  
by all staff. In Q3 2025 she issued statutory actions to a  
setting requiring them to 'ensure that agreed strategies to  
support children with SEND are fully understood and  
implemented by all staff' and to 'put appropriate  
arrangements in place for the supervision of staff, with  
particular focus on their understanding of the curriculum'.  
Strategic use of hardship funds to ensure disadvantaged  
children can access trips, meals, and additional sessions  
without financial barriers limiting participation (Q4 2025  
Morris Green Out of School Club)  
Key person system not consistently implemented during  
transitions: 'some children are not allocated a named key  
person in a timely manner, particularly when they move  
rooms' leading to inconsistent behavioural expectations  
and emotional support (Q4 2025 Brookdale Day Nursery)  
Tailored adaptations for SEND children including 'sensory  
regulation strategies, objects of reference, simplified  
language and visual sequencing' that enable participation  
alongside peers (Q4 2025 Portico)  
Staff using closed questions or asking questions 'in quick  
succession, not giving children time to think' which limits  
language development opportunities (Q3 2025  
childminder, Q3 2025 Yew Tree Pre-School)  
Strong school partnerships with daily information sharing  
so 'staff understand how children are feeling when they  
arrive' and joint work on homework support/online safety  
(Q4 2025 Morris Green Out of School Club)  
Group activities too long or poorly differentiated: 'at times,  
group sessions are too large and too long for some  
younger children. Consequently, these children lose focus  
and do not fully benefit from the intended learning' (Q3  
2025 Mulberry Roots)  
Physical development curriculum that combines large  
muscle activities (outdoor climbing, sports) with targeted  
small muscle work (mark making, tool use, dough  
manipulation) to prepare for early writing (Q4 2025 Total  
Tots, Q3 2025 Fernbank Nursery)  
Hygiene routines enforced without explanation: 'children  
are not consistently reminded to cover their mouths when  
coughing to reduce the spread of germs' and staff don't  
help children 'understand why good hygiene is important'  
(Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery)  
Communication and language teaching through 'sustained  
interactions' where staff draw on children's interests (e.g.  
helicopters/aeroplanes) to 'prompt meaningful discussion  
about their own experiences' and 'broaden children's  
understanding of the world' (Q4 2025 Total Tots)  
Dummy overuse limiting communication: 'the use of  
children's dummies to support emotional needs sometimes  
overrides the opportunities they have to practise their  
communication and language skills' (Q3 2025 Mulberry  
Bush Nursery)  
Transition support including 'experienced staff review each  
child's progress and share the information needed with  
children's new teachers to ensure a smooth move' with  
particular attention to SEND children needing adjustments  
(Q3 2025 Mulberry Bush Nursery)  
Brief instructions without clear explanations: staff say 'be  
quiet' which 'do not always help children understand why  
they need to adjust their behaviour or what they should do  
next' (Q4 2025 Morris Green Out of School Club)  
Independence development through consistent routines  
where children 'hang up their belongings on named pegs',  
'confidently change their shoes', 'manage self-registration'  
and 'seek out their own play choices' (Q3 2025 Yew Tree  
Pre-School)  
Inconsistent independence support: 'opportunities to build  
children's independence within care routines, such as  
encouraging children to attempt to put their coats on for  
outdoor play, are not always maximised across rooms' (Q4  
2025 Portico)  
Cultural inclusivity where 'diverse staff team supports  
children to understand similarities and differences as they  
take part in celebrations such as Rosh Hashanah and  
Diwali and learn about various faiths' (Q3 2025 Habonim  
Nursery)  
Curriculum implementation gaps: 'planned intent for some  
activities is not always sharply focused on what individual  
children need to learn next' with 'learning intentions are  
Mealtimes as learning opportunities where children  
Success Factors  
Common Failure Reasons  
Strategic hardship fund use with documented impact:  
'created a hardship fund and work with other professionals  
to identify children and families that may require extra  
support' which is 'used strategically and consistently so  
that children can attend trips, receive meals and access  
additional sessions' (Q4 2025 Morris Green Out of School  
Club Strong Standard)  
Key person system breakdown during transitions: children  
not allocated named key persons when moving rooms,  
leading to inconsistent care and behavioural expectations  
(Q4 2025 Brookdale Day Nursery downgraded to Needs  
Attention)  
SEND strategies not shared across staff team: some staff  
unaware of agreed approaches for children with additional  
needs, causing inconsistent support (Q3 2025 Mulberry  
Roots statutory action required)  
All staff trained in graduated approach with visible  
implementation: 'leaders ensure that staff receive regular  
and targeted training on SEND and the graduated  
approach, so they confidently assess, plan, do and review  
support and understand their role in reducing barriers' (Q4  
2025 Total Tots Strong Standard)  
Staff giving brief instructions without explanations: using  
phrases like 'be quiet' or 'sit down' without helping children  
understand why or what impact their behaviour has (Q4  
2025 Morris Green Out of School Club)  
Sustained interactions drawing on children's interests: staff  
use children's talk about helicopters/aeroplanes to 'prompt  
meaningful discussion about their own experiences' and  
'broaden children's understanding of the world' (Q4 2025  
Total Tots Strong Standard)  
Group activities too long or poorly differentiated for  
younger children: sessions where 'children lose focus and  
do not fully benefit from the intended learning' (Q3 2025  
Mulberry Roots)  
Hygiene routines enforced without teaching  
understanding: children follow handwashing rules but  
cannot explain why, and staff don't remind about covering  
coughs to reduce germ spread (flagged in 6 old framework  
reports)  
Mathematics embedded throughout the day: children  
'compare the lengths of familiar objects, name and  
compare shapes during construction and use positional  
language, such as under, behind and on top' with staff  
consistently modelling mathematical vocabulary (Q4 2025  
Total Tots Strong Standard)  
Clear explanations of expectations: staff help children  
understand 'why they need to adjust their behaviour or  
what they should do next' rather than giving brief  
instructions, and explain hygiene routines so children can  
articulate reasons (e.g. 'wash away the germs')  
Preparation Checklist  
Prioritised actions based on this inspector's patterns.  
[HIGH] Key person system during transitions  
Ensure every child has a named key person allocated before they move rooms, with documented handover meetings  
between outgoing and incoming key persons. Create a transition protocol showing how behavioural expectations, care  
routines, and emotional support strategies are communicated. Prepare to show the inspector your key person allocation  
records and evidence of how you maintain continuity when children transition.  
This inspector downgraded a setting to Needs Attention in Q4 2025 specifically because 'some children are not allocated a named key  
person in a timely manner, particularly when they move rooms' and 'key-person arrangements are not always secure during transitions,  
meaning that children do not consistently experience the same behavioural expectations'. She expects seamless emotional continuity.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Welfare & Wellbeing – Strong Standard requires 'secure attachments through warm key person relationships' and  
'comprehensive knowledge of children' with 'highly responsive' care. Expected Standard requires key persons but Strong requires  
this to be 'consistently prioritised' with 'embedded routines'.  
[HIGH] Strategic use of additional funding  
Document exactly how you use EYPP, DAF, and any hardship funds with specific examples of barriers removed (e.g.  
'EYPP funded 10 additional hours of 1:1 support for Child A, enabling participation in group activities previously too  
overwhelming'). Create a funding impact tracker showing outcomes for individual children. Be prepared to explain your  
decision-making process for allocating funds and how you identify families needing support.  
This inspector awarded Strong Standard to a setting in Q4 2025 that 'created a hardship fund and work with other professionals to  
identify children and families that may require extra support' which is 'used strategically and consistently so that children can attend trips,  
receive meals and access additional sessions'. Generic statements about 'appropriate use' will not satisfy her; she wants to see strategic  
thinking and measurable impact.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Inclusion – Strong Standard requires 'decisive evidence-led action' with 'comprehensive knowledge of children' and  
'highly responsive' support. Exceptional requires 'transformational impact on disadvantaged/SEND outcomes'. She looks for the  
strategic thinking that bridges Strong to Exceptional.  
[HIGH] Staff interaction quality and questioning  
Train all staff on open-ended questioning techniques and ensure they allow wait time (5-10 seconds) after asking  
questions. Model 'sustained interactions' in staff meetings using real examples from your setting. Create a coaching  
protocol where senior staff observe interactions and provide feedback on question quality. Eliminate closed questions that  
only require yes/no or one-word answers during learning activities.  
This inspector criticised settings in Q3 2025 where 'staff often asks children closed questions that only require short or one-word  
answers' with 'questions in quick succession, not giving children time to think'. She expects 'sustained interactions' that 'broaden  
children's understanding' and 'open questions that encourage children to share ideas and talk about their thinking'.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Curriculum & Teaching – Strong Standard requires 'every interaction is teaching opportunity' with 'practitioners  
adapt in the moment' and 'quickly identify gaps with prompt action'. Expected Standard requires 'typically taught well' but Strong  
requires this 'at ALL times' including routines/mealtimes.  
[HIGH] Graduated approach for SEND  
Ensure all staff (not just SENCo/room leaders) can articulate the assess-plan-do-review cycle for children with SEND in  
their room. Create individual SEND profiles showing assessment tools used (progress check at age 2-3, speech/language  
screening, EHC plan reviews), planned interventions, implementation evidence, and review outcomes. Provide 'regular  
and targeted training on SEND and the graduated approach' with records showing how training translates to practice  
changes.  
This inspector awarded Strong Standard in Q4 2025 when 'leaders ensure that staff receive regular and targeted training on special  
educational needs and/or disabilities, and the graduated approach, so they confidently assess, plan, do and review support'. She  
downgraded a setting in Q3 2025 where 'agreed strategies to support children with SEND are not fully understood and implemented by  
all staff', requiring this as a statutory action.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Inclusion – Expected Standard requires 'graduated approach (assess/plan/do/review)' with 'SENCo effective'. Strong  
Standard requires 'rigorous monitoring' with 'adaptations systematically adjusted' and 'consistently demonstrable difference'. She  
expects evidence of the cycle in action, not just on paper.  
[HIGH] Group activity organisation  
Review all planned group activities (story time, circle time, focused tasks) for length and differentiation. Ensure sessions  
for under-3s are no longer than 10-15 minutes with clear adaptations for different developmental stages. Train staff to  
recognise disengagement cues and adjust in the moment. Create smaller groups (max 6-8 children) for focused learning  
rather than whole-room sessions.  
This inspector repeatedly flags 'group sessions are too large and too long for some younger children. Consequently, these children lose  
focus and do not fully benefit from the intended learning' (Q3 2025 Mulberry Roots). She expects staff to 'review the organisation of  
group sessions, particularly for younger children, to ensure they fully benefit from the intended learning outcomes'.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Curriculum & Teaching – Strong Standard requires teaching to be 'consistently high quality at ALL times' with  
'practitioners adapt in the moment'. Expected Standard allows for 'typically taught well' but Strong requires no gaps. She will  
downgrade if group times show weak adaptation.  
[MEDIUM] Hygiene teaching with explanation  
Train staff to explain the 'why' behind hygiene routines rather than just enforcing them. When children wash hands, staff  
should say 'we wash our hands to remove germs that can make us poorly' rather than just 'wash your hands now'. Model  
covering coughs/sneezes and explain 'we cover our mouths to stop germs spreading to our friends'. Create visual prompts  
showing germs and how hygiene stops them spreading.  
This inspector wrote identical criticism in 6 old framework reports: 'children are not consistently reminded to cover their mouths when  
coughing to reduce the spread of germs' and 'children are not always helped to understand why good hygiene is important'. She expects  
children to articulate reasons (e.g. 'wash away the germs') not just follow instructions.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Welfare & Wellbeing – Expected Standard requires 'hygiene meets needs' and 'healthy choices taught'. Strong  
Standard requires 'embedded routines for lasting healthy habits' with children showing understanding, not just compliance.  
[MEDIUM] Behaviour explanations not instructions  
Eliminate directive phrases like 'be quiet', 'sit down', 'stop that' without explanation. Train staff to say 'we use quiet voices  
in the book corner so everyone can concentrate on their stories' or 'we walk indoors because running might hurt someone  
if we bump into them'. Ensure every behavioural expectation includes the reason and impact on others.  
This inspector criticised a setting in Q4 2025 where 'staff provide brief instructions rather than clear explanations. Phrases such as be  
quiet do not always help children understand why they need to adjust their behaviour or what they should do next, which means some  
interactions lack the clarity children require to respond confidently'.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Behaviour & Attitudes – Expected Standard requires 'high expectations commonly understood/consistently applied'  
with 'poor behaviour quickly addressed'. Strong Standard requires children to 'manage own feelings/behaviour' which requires  
understanding the 'why', not just compliance with instructions.  
[MEDIUM] Dummy use monitoring  
If children use dummies, create a policy showing when they're available (e.g. sleep times only, or for specific emotional  
regulation moments) versus when staff encourage communication without them. Train staff to recognise when dummy use  
is limiting language opportunities and gently remove dummies during activities, songs, or conversations. Work with parents  
on a reduction plan if overuse is observed.  
This inspector flagged in Q3 2025 that 'the use of children's dummies to support emotional needs sometimes overrides the opportunities  
they have to practise their communication and language skills' and recommended settings 'support staff to monitor the use of dummies  
to promote children's developing speech'. She balances emotional needs with communication development.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Curriculum & Teaching – Expected Standard requires 'sharp communication/language focus' with teaching that  
prevents children 'falling behind'. Dummy overuse directly conflicts with this priority and she will flag it as limiting progress.  
[MEDIUM] Mathematical language embedding  
Ensure all staff consistently use mathematical vocabulary throughout the day: counting during routines (stairs, snack  
items), comparison words during play ('bigger tower', 'heavier block'), positional language ('under the table', 'behind the  
door'), and shape/pattern recognition. Create a mathematical language prompt sheet for each room showing age-  
appropriate vocabulary to model.  
This inspector praises settings where 'staff prioritise mathematics consistently across the day' with children able to 'compare the lengths  
of familiar objects, name and compare shapes during construction and use positional language, such as under, behind and on top' (Q4  
2025 Total Tots). She expects mathematics embedded in routines and free play, not just planned activities.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Curriculum & Teaching – Expected Standard requires 'maths taught explicitly' but Strong Standard requires this to  
be embedded 'at ALL times' with 'every interaction is teaching opportunity'. She looks for mathematical thinking in routines,  
mealtimes, and spontaneous moments.  
[MEDIUM] Independence in care routines  
Review all care routines (dressing, handwashing, snack serving, toileting) and identify where staff currently do tasks for  
children that they could do themselves with support. Train staff to use 'wait time' and gentle prompts rather than taking  
over. Create visual step-by-step guides for routines (e.g. putting on coat: 1. lay coat on floor, 2. put arms in, 3. flip over  
head) so children can follow independently.  
This inspector criticised a setting in Q4 2025 where 'opportunities to build children's independence within care routines, such as  
encouraging children to attempt to put their coats on for outdoor play, are not always maximised across rooms'. She expects consistent  
independence support across all rooms and routines, not just in some areas.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Welfare & Wellbeing – Expected Standard requires children to develop 'secure attachments through warm key  
person relationships' but Strong Standard requires 'embedded routines' with children showing growing independence and confidence  
in self-care.  
[MEDIUM] Curriculum intent clarity  
For every planned activity, ensure staff can articulate the specific learning intention for individual children (not just 'develop  
fine motor skills' but 'Child A will practise pincer grip to prepare for pencil control; Child B will strengthen wrist rotation for  
scissor use'). Review planning formats to ensure they capture individual next steps, not just broad developmental areas.  
This inspector noted in Q3 2025 that 'the planned intent for some activities is not always sharply focused on what individual children  
need to learn next. At times, learning intentions are broad and are not tailored to extend or deepen children's learning. As a result, while  
children enjoy engaging activities, the impact on their individual progress is not consistently maximised'.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Curriculum & Teaching – Expected Standard requires curriculum to be 'clear about what children should know/do  
and teaching order' with 'tailored to starting points'. Strong Standard requires 'practitioners adapt in the moment' with 'quickly identify  
gaps with prompt action', which requires sharp individual learning intentions.  
[MEDIUM] Transition information sharing  
Create a transition protocol showing exactly what information is shared when children move rooms or to school:  
developmental progress, SEND strategies, behavioural approaches, care routines, friendships, interests, and family  
context. For school transitions, document how 'experienced staff review each child's progress and share the information  
needed with children's new teachers' with particular attention to SEND children needing adjustments.  
This inspector praised a setting in Q3 2025 where 'the transition to primary school is particularly well managed. Experienced staff review  
each child's progress and share the information needed with children's new teachers to ensure a smooth move. This approach is  
especially important for children with SEND to ensure that any necessary adjustments are in place so they can continue to make good  
progress'.  
? Ofsted Toolkit: Achievement – Strong Standard requires children to be 'very well prepared for transitions' with'disadvantaged/SEND  
secure breadth and depth across all 7 areas with confidence/independence'. Effective information sharing is essential to demonstrate  
this preparation.  
This analysis was generated using AI from 113 Ofsted inspection reports. It is intended as a preparation guide and does not guarantee inspection outcomes.  
© AllSeeingOFSTED · allseeingofsted.com · Generated 30th February 2026