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Nurseries will be given no notice of inspections from April 2005, early years watchdog Ofsted has announced, writes Amy Taylor.

Childminders will be contacted by telephone a few days before Ofsted plan to visit, to check the nursery is open for the inspection to take place.

Childminders and nurseries currently get 4-6 weeks notice on when they are going to be inspected and they are told the month within which it will take place, but not the actual day.

The National Childminding Association said it welcomed the introduction of shorter notice periods for inspections as it will drive up standards and help to keep children safe.

The new measures, which cover England and have come out of a consultation on the future of early years held by Ofsted, also include a new grading scale that is the same as the one used in school inspections.

The format of inspection reports is also going to change to focus on the five outcomes for children set out in the children’s green paper.

The Future of Early Years Inspection – Results of the Consultation from: www.ofsted.gov.uk