Opinion

Editor's view - A conversation should be a two-way process

The Ofsted Big Conversation meetings held across the country on the weekend of 13-14 September were a triumph of organisation, commitment, passion and positivity.

It is remarkable that nurseries and childminders, often working in relative isolation, managed to set up so many well-attended meetings, sticking to one agenda, through the power of social media. The idea sprang from LEYF's June O'Sullivan posting a question about concerns with recent inspections on NW's LinkedIn group. A flood of responses followed, along with Twitter exchanges on #ofstedbigconversation and action began.

You can read our reports of the meetings and the unanimity about what people want to change.

What matters now, however, is how Ofsted responds. Its comments about the Big Conversation have not made the best start, unfortunately, beginning with 'we make no apology for wanting the best for children', and going on to suggest that all it is doing is rooting out bad practice.

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