What and how we inspect Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Estyn

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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Adult learners participating in a classroom discussion.

This handbook sets out our approach to inspecting Welsh for Adults providers 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 providers to support their understanding of inspection arrangements, the inspection mind-set and methodologies.

The guidance should be read alongside ‘What we inspect’ guidance for Welsh for Adults providers, which outlines the inspection framework for full inspections. Providers can use this guidance to see how full inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-assessment and improvement processes. For themed inspections, we will write to providers annually outlining the focus for the year and our approach.

Where the inspection identifies practice worth sharing, inspectors will include a spotlight on this practice as part of the inspection report. We will showcase a range of these spotlights and, in some cases, more in-depth case studies on our website. Recommendations should give the provider a clear and specific indication of the areas for improvement that it will need to address. The progress against recommendations will be monitored in the subsequent inspection of the National Centre for Learning Welsh. Inspectors may also consider progress against recommendations within periodic evaluations of providers’ work.

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

The reporting inspector (RI) is responsible for the conduct and management of the inspection and for the inspection report. While this guidance focuses mainly on the role of the reporting inspector, all team members must comply with the same inspection requirements.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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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 Management.

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

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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

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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

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Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.