Quality improvement
Using self-evaluation for continual improvement
The cycle of self-evaluation should be an embedded part of a continuous quality improvement process for all providers. Services for Young Children encourage settings to reflect on practice, self-evaluate their provision, make developments, and regularly review these as essential aspects of quality improvement.
Settings carry out these activities to ensure all young children and families they serve are accessing high-quality early years education. Accessing relevant training, keeping up to date with good early years research and continuous professional development are also essential aspects in enabling each setting to continuously develop practice and provision for quality improvement. Ofsted promotes the process of self-evaluation to improve provision and practice.
What does OFSTED say?
Leaders and managers of settings should have an accurate view of the quality of their provision and know what to improve. They do not need to produce a written self-evaluation but should be prepared to discuss the quality of education and care they provide – and how well they meet the needs of the children – with the inspector.
The Early Years Inspection Handbook provides guidance regarding what the inspector will consider, including the effectiveness of leadership and management in evaluating practice and securing continuous improvement that improves children’s life chances.
Childcare providers do not need to produce any self-evaluation documentation, but managers and staff should be able to discuss the setting with the inspector. Inspectors will ask staff about the quality of care and experiences they provide, and how effectively the setting is meeting the learning needs of all children. Childcare providers may find recording information to support their judgements useful.
What does OFSTED say?
During the inspection, inspectors will use the information provided to test whether the provider’s view of the quality of the setting is realistic and to gauge what needs to improve.
Self-evaluation and quality improvement can be supported using audit tools and training which can be purchased from the Hampshire Early Years Advisory Team to support settings to carry out audits effectively. To find out more visit the Hampshire Early Years Shop for the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale or contact [email protected].
To support quality improvement all Hampshire group settings are offered a 'Shared Conversation' support visit in a three-year cycle. The Services for Young Children Advisory Team has been offering Shared Conversations since September 2021. This process focuses on supporting group settings to continue to develop and improve their practice and provision, working together in a proactive way with the Advisory Team.
Shared Conversations are undertaken through a half day, face-to-face visit within the setting, working closely and alongside the manager. The process includes discussions with the staff team, a ‘learning walk’, self-evaluation discussion and the joint identification of strengths and areas for action.
Shared Conversations predominantly focus on all aspects of learning and development, however there are opportunities for brief discussions around safeguarding, inclusive practice and sustainability allowing effective signposting to take place, as necessary. The visit is centrally funded and therefore no direct cost to the setting. It enables setting leaders to have a supportive dialogue around quality with another early years professional.
Services for Young Children support settings with quality improvement through access to:
- Our core offer – centrally funded termly networks, briefings and surgeries to support leadership and management, sufficiency, learning and development and inclusion. See: Young Children Calendar of Events (hants.gov.uk)
- SfYC Moodle – free to access resources including videos, articles, modules, website links and documents across all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage. See: Services for Young Children (hants.gov.uk)
- Hampshire Early Years Training and Consultancy (HEYTC) – a range of purchasable training and support offers for early years settings on a wide range of themes, such as good practice in learning and development and inclusion. See: Learning and Development training – (hants.gov.uk)
- Healthy Early Years – a range of free to access resources on the SfYC Moodle focused on all aspects of the health and wellbeing of young children. Early Years settings can work towards gaining the Healthy Early Years Award. See: Heathy Early Years Award and resources (hants.gov.uk)