9.1 Ofsted no longer provide a single overall grade of effectiveness during inspections under the renewed framework.
9.2 The EYFS Statutory Framework is mandatory for all schools and Early Years providers registered with Ofsted or with an Ofsted registered Childminder Agency in England. . The EYFS sets the standards that all providers must meet, to ensure that children learn, develop well, and are kept healthy and safe.
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK
9.3 The local authority can only rely on the Ofsted (or an independent inspectorate where relevant) inspection outcome of the provider or the childminder agency, or the childminder agency’s reasonable opinion of the childminder, as the sole benchmarks of quality, in line with the Early Education and Childcare statutory guidance for local authorities, when securing quality for the free entitlements.
9.4 The local authority has a legal duty to secure information, advice and training as set out in the Early Education and Childcare statutory guidance for local authorities. However, the local authority can only require providers to undertake training or quality improvement programme when the setting has received an inspection judgement of not met for safeguarding or less than expected standard in leadership and governance by Ofsted or by an independent inspectorate using Ofsted’s inspection framework (see Appendix 2).
9.5 The local authority will fund places for children eligible for the weekly funding entitlement or working parent entitlements at any provider who has received expected standards in inspection judgements (see Appendix 2 for specified grades) by Ofsted.
9.6 The local authority will fund new providers who are registered both with Ofsted and the local authority, until the provider's first full Ofsted inspection judgement is published or at a childminder who is registered with an agency, until the agency's first full Ofsted inspection judgement.
9.7 The local authority will notify providers of any restrictions imposed on them for the delivery of the early years’ entitlements to eligible children under statutory school age, following publication of an Ofsted inspection or childminder agency judgement where the grade has not reached the expected standard as outlined in Appendix 2.
9.8 The local authority has a legal duty to provide information, advice and training on meeting the requirements of the EYFS, meeting the needs of children with SEND and on effective safeguarding and child protection for providers who have received less than expected inspection judgements as outlined in Appendix 2 or newly registered providers.
9.9 Early years’ provision must be offered in accordance with the national parameters on quality as set out in the Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities and the EYFS statutory framework.
9.10 Unless otherwise permitted by the local authority, the provider shall only deliver the Services as outlined in Appendix 2 following a published inspection report.
9.11 Where a childminder is registered with a childminder agency, the agency should notify the local authority where a childminder has ceased to provide childcare of a satisfactory quality in line with the Early Years Statutory Framework for childminders. In this case the local authority reserves the right to cease the Early Years Entitlement funding to the childminder.