Intro
I am a Nottingham-based Early Years consultant working with settings in the East Midlands and further afield to help them to achieve the best they can. With over eight years’ experience as a freelance consultant, undertaking 160 inspections for Ofsted and supporting over 250 nurseries and schools across the UK and overseas, I am now focussing on providing high-quality affordable support to local settings.
Services
From a single day to a full ongoing package of support, I am able to offer the following services, completely tailored to your individual requirements. Half-day rates for smaller settings, and reduced rates for regular clients are available.
Mock inspections
This is the service I am asked about most often.
Mock inspections are an incredibly flexible tool and are often the starting point for planning improvement. A mock inspection can help to identify the ways in which your setting can better showcase its strengths. It can also highlight opportunities to improve practice and to spot unexpected pitfalls for example where colleagues may not be following nursery policy. Mock inspections can also build team confidence through familiarity with, and understanding of the inspection process.
About Me
I started teaching in 1997 and spent over 10 years in schools before moving to an advisory role as a Children’s Centre Teacher for Nottingham City Council. For the next 5 years I worked across 4 children’s centres overseeing the quality of educational provision, supporting the attached daycare, and building positive partnerships with parents.
In 2013 I successfully applied to become a freelance Early Years inspector for Ofsted, undertaking over 160 inspections, whilst also working as a freelance consultant. Since 2013 I have provided consultancy support to over 250 settings across the UK and overseas, from those who had received Welfare Requirement Notices from Ofsted through to settings who wished to maintain their existing Outstanding ratings.
I have worked with some settings on an ongoing basis over a number of years and others for just a single day, successfully supporting a number of them to achieve Outstanding ratings for the first time. I also deliver training sessions and speak at conferences for both groups of schools and nursery managers.
I stopped inspecting in August 2018 in order to be able to provide much more direct advice to settings about how to achieve the best they can during inspection. I believe it is important that all owners and managers have the opportunity to have a thorough understanding of the process - not just those who are able to inspect alongside their day-job.
Further detail is available on my LinkedIn page:
Coaching and mentoring colleagues to achieve the best they can
I can support colleagues to focus on their own strengths, building their self-esteem and supporting well-being in the workplace.
We can all suffer from nerves during the inspection process, some more than others. I can work with teams and individuals to help them feel equipped to succeed with confidence.
Bespoke training sessions and staff meetings
Whilst preparation for inspection is incredibly important, obviously the outcomes for children are the most critical aspect of what we all do. I can design and deliver a full range of bespoke training sessions to meet the needs of your team to enhance the quality of your provision.
EYFS support in schools, including independent schools and British schools overseas
As a qualified teacher I have a broad range of experience having worked in and with schools for over 20 years. My support can be particularly helpful where a school is extending the age-range of their provision to include younger children.
I also have recent experience of successfully supporting the development of teaching and learning in a number of British schools overseas.
Teaching & Learning development
From joint observations to modelling best practice or delivering bespoke training sessions, there are many ways in which I can help to support the further development of high-quality teaching and learning in your setting.
Support before, during and after inspection
A mock inspection or a more informal initial visit can be followed-up with a collaborative action-planning exercise to prioritise areas of focus ahead of inspection. Colleagues can be coached to make the best impression possible, to understand what inspectors are actually looking for, and to manage and control any anxieties regarding the process.
Subject to availability I am also able to support existing clients during their inspection day if they wish.
Ongoing support can continue following inspection if required. It is often the case that I first begin working with settings following an inspection outcome which they wish to improve upon.
Audit and action-planning
A mock inspection is not always the right starting point for all teams, and I can offer more informal reviews / audits of current practice for example where team confidence may need a particularly gentle approach. Regardless of the initial process, prioritised action planning is key to making an actual impact on practice.
Contact
Please contact me on my mobile number below, or by using the form to send me a message. Please leave a message if I am unable to take your call.
Dawn