What and how we inspect Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Estyn

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This supplementary guidance aims to support inspectors as necessary in evaluating providers’ safeguarding arrangements when carrying out inspections.


In all aspects of our work, the needs interests and well-being of children, young people and vulnerable adults must be put above the needs and interests of all others. Hence, our Safeguarding Policy and the guidance contained within it must have priority over all other policies and advice. Through this guidance and through appropriate training we will raise the awareness and understanding of our staff to potential abuse, neglect and unsafe professional practice both within settings we inspect and within other settings we visit.


The supplementary guidance should be used for reference during inspection alongside our Policy and Procedures for Safeguarding. This guidance does not cover how inspectors should deal with allegations in respect of safeguarding received during an inspection. Inspectors must be familiar with our Policy and Procedures for Safeguarding (see above), which covers children, young people and vulnerable adults. All inspectors should be aware of what to do in the event of receiving allegations in relation to safeguarding, and the requisite actions are outlined in this document.

Supplementary-guidance-Safeguarding-in-post-16-providers

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out the inspection process for the inspections of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) from September 2022. 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’, which outlines the inspection framework. Where the inspection identifies practice worthy of dissemination, inspectors will invite the partnership to write a case study that we will share 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 the different types of follow-up activity is available on page 14 of this handbook.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the five inspection areas in maintained schools (primary, secondary, all-age and special schools) and pupil referral units. It explains ‘What we inspect’. It should be read in conjunction with the document ‘How 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’.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

Our inspection guidance explains What we inspect and How we inspect. However, we also produce supplementary guidance to help inspectors to consider specific aspects of education and training further.

The supplementary guidance documents set out some key principles, considerations, and resources for inspectors. They relate to all sectors that Estyn inspects, unless they state that they are for a specific sector. They expand on certain aspects of education/training (e.g. the inspection of literacy) or on ways of conducting inspections (e.g. the use of learning walks) or specific inspection arrangements (e.g. guidance on inspecting church schools).

The supplementary guidance documents do not aim to be comprehensive. Inspectors are not required to work through them exhaustively when covering any specific aspect on an inspection. However, inspectors may find them useful when responding to specific emerging questions that arise during inspections or when they wish to reflect or investigate further.

The supplementary guidance documents may help providers gain an understanding of Estyn’s inspection arrangements. They may also be helpful to providers in evaluating specific aspects of their own provision.

Our inspection work is based on the following principles:

  • Inspectors will approach inspection with a positive mindset to ensure it is the best possible professional learning experience for the staff in each provider
  • Inspectors will take a learner-led approach to inspection
  • Inspectors will always focus strongly on the quality of teaching and learning
  • Inspectors will seek out well-considered innovative practice
  • Inspectors will tailor the inspection activities according to the circumstances in each provider as far as possible
  • Inspectors will be agile and responsive to emerging findings and will use the increased range of inspection tools and approaches available
  • Inspectors will consider everything in the inspection framework, but will only report on the key strengths and weaknesses within each provider

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

The main purpose of the story is to show children what inspectors do when they visit the setting. We want to share the message that it is a normal day and that the inspectors are showing an
interest in the children and are looking forward to talking to them about their activities. How about asking the children to observe the inspectors within the story? Discuss what they are doing,
for example: chatting to children, looking at their drawings, and sharing a book. You can also encourage children to search for the hamster on every page. In addition, there are great opportunities
for children to identify with the events within the story and for further discussions within your setting.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This guidance supports inspectors in evaluating the outcomes and provision for learners who have additional learning needs (ALN). It includes helpful information to support the inspection of outcomes and provision for learners with ALN.

Inspectors should use this guidance alongside the Joint Inspection Guidance handbook for inspecting care and education in regulated non-school settings eligible for funding for part-time education.

Inspectors should also familiarise themselves with The Additional Learning Needs Code, issued under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (“the Act”).

The Act, together with this Code and regulations made under the Act, provides the statutory system for meeting the additional learning needs (ALN) of children and young people. It places the children’s views, wishes and feelings at the heart of the process of planning the support required to enable them to develop effectively and achieve their full potential.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the five inspection areas in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) from September 2022. 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 framework. There is a separate handbook that explains the inspection process and methodology, ‘how we inspect’.

The five inspection areas are set out below

Inspection Areas

IA1 Learning

  • 1.1 Standards and progress overall

IA2 Well-being and attitudes to learning

  • 2.1 Well-being
  • 2.2 Attitudes to learning

IA3 Teaching and learning experiences

  • 3.1 The breadth, balance and appropriateness of the curriculum
  • 3.2 Quality of teaching and mentoring

IA4 Care, support and guidance

  • 4.1 Personal and professional development, and the provision of learning support
  • 4.2 Safeguarding

IA5 Leadership and management

  • 5.1 Quality and effectiveness of leaders and managers
  • 5.2 Self-evaluation processes and improvement planning
  • 5.3 Professional learning

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This handbook sets out what inspectors need to consider when evaluating the five inspection areas in further education colleges. It explains ‘What we inspect’. It should be read in conjunction with the document ‘How we inspect’, which sets out our approach to inspection in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 colleges to support their understanding of the inspection guidance. There is a separate handbook that explains the inspection process and methodology, ‘How we inspect’.

The five inspection areas are set out below.

Inspection areas

IA1 – Learning

  • 1.1 Standards and progress in learning and skills

IA2 – Well-being and attitudes to learning

  • 2.1 Well-being
  • 2.2 Attitudes to learning

IA3 – Teaching and learning experiences

  • 3.1 The breadth, balance and appropriateness of the curriculum
  • 3.2 The quality of teaching and assessment

IA4 – Care, support and guidance

  • 4.1 Personal development
  • 4.2 Safeguarding

IA5 – Leadership and management

  • 5.1 Quality and effectiveness of leaders and managers
  • 5.2 Self-evaluation processes and improvement planning
  • 5.3 Professional learning

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Share this page

This supplementary guidance is aimed at supporting inspectors to:

  • evaluate the extent to which leaders and managers plan strategically purposeful opportunities for pupils to develop their Welsh language skills in formal and informal situations and implement these plans effectively
  • evaluate the extent and quality of the school’s provision for the development of Welsh language communication skills in formal teaching activities and in informal situations
  • evaluate how well the school teaches pupils about the advantages of learning Welsh and being bilingual
  • where appropriate, inspectors should consider how well the proportion of teaching in Welsh matches the school’s official language categorisation
  • evaluate pupils’ ability to speak and respond to spoken Welsh compared with pupils in schools in similar contexts and their starting points
  • evaluate the progress pupils make in developing their communication skills in Welsh for their learning across the curriculum and in more informal contexts.

When inspecting literacy skills (Welsh) in Welsh-medium, bilingual and English-medium schools and PRUs, you should also refer to the supplementary guidance: Supplementary guidance for the inspection of Welsh and English literacy in schools and PRUs which can also be found on Estyn’s website

The revised Inspection Framework (September, 2021) sets a requirement for inspectors to evaluate and comment on the Welsh language in:

5.1 (Quality and effectiveness of leaders and managers, including the governing body),
3.1 (The breadth, balance and appropriateness of the curriculum), and in
1.1 (Standards and progress in learning and skills [listening and reading, speaking and writing]).

The report has been presented in this way as 5.1 incorporates the strategic vision of leaders for Welsh in their settings in addition to the self-evaluation processes, priorities and professional learning in order to support the teaching (3.1) and learning (1.1). In addition, inspectors are free to report on aspects related to Welsh that are linked to inspection area 2 (Wellbeing and attitudes to learning) and inspection area 4 (Care, support and guidance).