What and how we inspect Archives - Estyn

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page
Adult and child mixing soil during an outdoor learning activity in a nursery or childcare setting.

This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the three inspection themes in non-maintained nursery settings. It explains ‘What we inspect’. The guidance is essential reading for inspectors and all other members of the inspection team. It may also be useful for providers to support their understanding of the inspection guidance. There is separate guidance that explains the inspection process and methodology, ‘How we inspect’. The three inspection areas are set out below:

Theme 1: Well-being and Care
Theme 2: Teaching, Learning, Play and Development
Theme 3: Leadership and Development.

There is further information about inspections on our websites www.estyn.gov.wales and Care Inspectorate Wales.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page
Adult and child mixing soil during an outdoor learning activity in a nursery or childcare setting.

This guidance sets out the way that Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and Estyn will inspect care and education in funded non-maintained nursery and childcare settings who provide part-time education.

These joint inspections will evaluate the care provided for all children up to the age of twelve and the education of three and four-year-old children that do not receive education in a maintained setting.

The guidance should be read alongside ‘What we inspect’ which outlines the inspection framework.

Settings can use this guidance to see how inspections work.

The purpose of joint inspection is to:

  • provide sufficient assurance that the setting is safe and operates in line with regulations
  • assess whether the setting is still fit to be registered
  • provide an evaluation of quality to the users of settings and other stakeholders through published reports
  • evaluate the quality of nursery education
  • promote improvement in care and education
  • inform the development of national policy by the Welsh Government

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This document sets out Estyn’s arrangements for inspecting schools in situations which may appear not entirely straightforward, such as when new schools are established, schools work collaboratively, or schools work in federations. In addition it sets out Estyn’s approach to the cancellation, deferral and re-scheduling of schools inspected under section 28 of the Education Act 2005.

Although the term ‘school’ is used throughout, the guidance applies equally to pupil referral units (PRUs)

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out our approach to inspecting apprenticeship programme providers from 2024 onwards. It explains how we inspect. The guidance is essential reading for reporting inspectors and all other members of the inspection team. It may also be useful for providers to support their understanding of the inspection mind-set and methodologies.

The guidance should be read alongside ‘What we inspect’ guidance in work-based learning apprenticeship programme providers, which outlines the inspection framework. Providers can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-assessment and improvement processes.

Where the inspection identifies practice worth sharing, inspectors will invite the provider to write a case study that we will publish on our website. Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, we will arrange follow-up activity to support improvement. Guidance on follow–up activity is presented at the end of this document.

There is further information about inspections on our website www.estyn.gov.wales

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the four inspection areas in work-based learning apprenticeship providers. It explains ‘What we inspect’. It should be read in conjunction with the document ‘How we inspect’, which sets out our approach to inspection. There is a separate handbook entitled ‘How we inspect’ that explains the inspection process and methodology.

The guidance is essential reading for reporting inspectors and all other members of the inspection team, including the nominee. It may also be useful for providers to support their understanding of the inspection guidance. There is a separate handbook that explains the inspection process and methodology, ‘How we inspect’.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the three inspection areas in adult learning in the community partnerships. It explains ‘What we inspect’. The guidance is essential reading for reporting inspectors and all other members of the inspection team, including the nominee. It may also be useful for providers to support their understanding of the inspection guidance. There is a separate handbook that explains the inspection process and methodology, ‘How we inspect in adult learning in the community partnerships’.

The three inspection areas are set out below:
IA1 Teaching and learning
IA2 Well-being, care, support and guidance
IA3 Leading and improving

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out our approach to inspecting adult learning in the community partnerships from 2024. It explains how we inspect. The guidance is essential reading for reporting inspectors and all other members of the inspection team. It may also be useful for partnerships to support their understanding of the inspection mind-set and methodologies.

The guidance should be read alongside ‘What we inspect’ guidance for adult learning in the community partnerships, which outlines the inspection framework. Partnerships can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-evaluation and improvement processes.

Where the inspection identifies practice worth sharing, inspectors will include a spotlight on this practice as part of the inspection report. Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, we will arrange follow-up activity to support improvement. Guidance on follow-up activity is presented at the end of this document.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out our approach to inspecting further education colleges from 2024. It explains how we inspect. The term ‘provider’ is used throughout this document to refer to the college or any group of colleges that operate under a single group structure. The guidance is essential reading for reporting inspectors and all other members of the inspection team. It may also be useful for providers to support their understanding of the inspection mind-set and methodologies.

The guidance should be read alongside ‘What we inspect’ guidance in further education, which outlines the inspection framework. Providers can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-evaluation and improvement processes.

Where the inspection identifies practice worth sharing, inspectors will include a spotlight on this practice as part of the inspections report. Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, we will arrange follow-up activity to support improvement. Guidance on follow-up activity is presented at the end of this document.

    Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

    Share this page

    This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the three inspection areas in Further Education (FE). It explains ‘What we inspect’. The guidance is essential reading for reporting inspectors and all other members of the inspection team, including the nominee. It may also be helpful for anyone who wants to better understand our approach to inspection. There is a separate handbook entitled ‘How we inspect’ that explains the inspection process and methodology.

    The three inspection areas are set out below:

    IA1 – Teaching and learning
    IA2 – Well-being, care, support and guidance
    IA3 – Leading and improving

    Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

    Share this page

    This guidance sets out the way we will conduct inspections of local government education services (LGES) from September 2024. Please read this in conjunction with our guidance on ‘ What We Inspect in LGES inspections.

    Local government education services cover statutory education functions of the local authority for children and young people up to age 25. This includes education services provided on behalf of a local authority by:

    • a school improvement service
    • a partnership between two or more local authorities
    • another organisation commissioned by the local authority (for example, a voluntary organisation or a private company)

    These other providers or shared services may be inspected separately from a local authority, and are referred to in this guidance as ‘other education services providers’. In such inspections, inspectors would only apply the sections of the framework that cover the relevant education services.

    The guidance sets out how we will follow-up with local authorities, commissioned services or partnership services causing significant concern. Local authorities and their partners can use this guidance to understand how we will conduct inspections. It may also help them self-evaluate and plan for improvement.