Inspection of early learning and childcare and school age childcare services: consultation

Our Vision – the Guiding Principles of Inspection

Background

In 2022, we will be publishing a strategic plan setting out the Scottish Government's priorities for the ELC and school age childcare systems in Scotland until the end of this Parliament in 2026/27. The plan will set out the outcomes that the ELC and school age childcare systems helps to achieve for children and their families, and we will be engaging closely with the ELC and school age childcare sectors in the development of that strategic plan. We will also ensure that there are opportunities for those working in the ELC and school age childcare sectors to contribute to the wider national discussion on the future vision for the Scottish education and childcare system, which was one of Professor Muir's recommendations.

Childminders are an important element of the ELC sector and offer a unique experience of childcare for children and families. We are committed to building a vibrant, thriving childminding sector and to promoting childminding, along with other roles across the ELC sector, as a valued and fulfilling career choice. To support this we are working closely with the sector to take forward the programme of actions set out in Our Commitment to Childminding, published in January 2021, to address the challenges that childminders are facing, some of which existed prior to the pandemic.

As part of the Scottish Government's commitment to providing high quality, flexible ELC that is accessible and affordable for all families, we published our expansion of ELC in Scotland 'Quality Action Plan'. Within that plan, the essential characteristics of quality within nursery and childminding settings were:

• A high quality workforce
• Strong pedagogical leadership
• Warm and supportive interactions with children
• A holistic curriculum
• A focus on play-based learning
• Good access to outdoor play
• Supporting parents to engage in their children's learning
• Transitions that are well managed
• Professional collaboration
• Provision that is accessible to all
• High quality physical environments
• Clear quality standards and robust self-evaluation and quality assurance regimes

We know that school age childcare services also play a vital role in providing improved outcomes for children. High quality school age childcare and access to activities can benefit children by promoting positive social interactions and relationships, building social and emotional skills and confidence, and providing the opportunity for play in a safe environment. Due to the nature of school age childcare services and the age of the children attending these services, a high quality school age childcare service will not share all of the same essential characteristics as a high quality ELC service and therefore the inspection approach will be different. However, our ambition to ensure that inspection improves outcomes for children and ensures consistent, high quality care, is the same regardless of setting categorisation.

Our proposed vision for inspection

Inspection of ELC and school age childcare services is an integral tool for supporting settings to identify and implement improvements. All of these services, regardless of their service type or whether they provide funded ELC hours, should aspire to ensure high quality care, play and learning with nurturing experiences for all children who access them.

We have articulated our draft vision for the inspection of all ELC and school age childcare services as:

High quality early learning and childcare and school age childcare experiences are critical to giving children the best possible start in life. Inspection of ELC and school age childcare services encourages and empowers settings, practitioners and teachers to continually improve their service for the benefit of the children in their care, including through self-evaluation. It provides independent assurance to families and stakeholders, and supports settings to provide consistent, high quality services and experiences for all children. It takes a collaborative approach between the inspectorates, settings, practitioners and teachers, and respects children's rights. Quality expectations for settings are clear, consistent, evidence-based and proportionate.

Draft guiding principles

The Scottish Government believes that the approach to inspection of ELC and school age childcare services should:

1. Support our National Outcomes and improve children's life chances through the provision of high quality services, to ensure that our children's rights are respected, they grow up loved and safe, and can realise their full potential

2. Provide clarity to settings, practitioners and parents and carers on what standards they can expect and the roles and responsibilities of key agencies in delivering them

3. Support consistency in outcomes across services so that all children and families experience high quality provision, regardless of where it is accessed

4. Support continuous improvement within individual settings and add value to the delivery of services, including through building on settings' use of self-evaluation

5. Support collaboration and professional dialogue between providers, practitioners, teachers and staff working in settings, inspection bodies and local authorities

6. Listen to and take account of the views, experiences and needs of children and families

7. Be adaptable to respond to evidence and new policy developments

8. Be efficient, avoiding duplication and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy for providers

Figure 1: Overview of draft guiding principles for inspection of ELC and school age childcare services

Questions

The proposed vision

Question 1.1: To what extent do you support, or not support, the Scottish government's overall proposed vision for the purpose and aim of inspection of ELC and school age childcare services?

• Fully support
• Partially support
• Don't support

Can you tell us why you think this?

Question 1.2: Do you think the proposed vision is missing anything or contains something that you think does not reflect the purpose and aim of inspection of ELC and school age childcare services?

• Yes
• No

If yes, can you tell us what that is?

The draft guiding principles

Question 1.3: To what extent do you support, or not support, the Scottish government's draft guiding principles for inspection of ELC and school age childcare services?

• Fully support
• Partially support
• Don't support

Can you tell us why you think this?

Question 1.4: If you answered 'partially support', please can you tell us more about which principles you do and don't support?

Question 1.5: Do you think the draft guiding principles are missing anything?

• Yes
• No

If yes, please can you tell us what you think we have missed?