What and how we inspect Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Estyn

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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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

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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

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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

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Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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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).

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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This guidance sets out the way the inspectorate will conduct inspections of independent specialist colleges from September 2017. It sets out the inspection arrangements for independent specialist colleges and offers guidance to inspectors on making inspection judgements.

Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, the inspectorate may arrange to conduct an early monitoring visit to support improvement.

Independent specialist colleges can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in carrying out their own self-assessment and improvement processes.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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This guidance sets out the way the inspectorate will conduct inspections of PRUs from September 2017. It sets out the inspection arrangements for PRUs and offers guidance to inspectors on making inspection judgements.

Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, the inspectorate will arrange to conduct follow-up activity in the PRU to support improvement. Guidance on the different types of follow-up activity is available on Estyn’s website.

PRUs can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-evaluation and improvement processes.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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This guidance sets out the way the inspectorate will conduct inspections of all-age schools from September 2017. It sets out the inspection arrangements for all-age schools and offers guidance to inspectors on making inspection judgements.

Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, the inspectorate will arrange to conduct follow-up activity in the school to support improvement. Guidance on the different types of follow-up activity is available on Estyn’s website.

All-age schools can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-evaluation and improvement processes.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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This guidance sets out the way the inspectorate will conduct inspections of secondary schools from September 2017. It sets out the inspection arrangements for secondary schools and offers guidance to inspectors on making inspection judgements.

Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, the inspectorate will arrange to conduct follow-up activity in the school to support improvement. Guidance on the different types of follow-up activity is available on Estyn’s website.

Secondary schools can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-evaluation and improvement processes.

Inspection Guidance Type: What and how we inspect

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This guidance sets out the way the inspectorate will conduct inspections of primary schools from September 2017. It sets out the inspection arrangements for primary schools and offers guidance to inspectors on making inspection judgements.

Where the inspection identifies important concerns in relation to standards, quality of education and training or leadership and management, the inspectorate will arrange to conduct follow-up activity in the school to support improvement. Guidance on the different types of follow-up activity is available on Estyn’s website.

Primary schools can use this guidance to see how inspections work and to help them in strengthening their own self-evaluation and improvement processes.