Slight delay: Towards a shared inspection framework - ES and CI

The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland are working towards a shared inspection framework for ELC.  This has implications for AHDS members leading standalone nurseries or nursery classes in schools.

The expectation was that the new framework would be published at the end of this year.  The plan is now that a draft shared inspection framework will be consulted on in November/December 2023 with a new framework being published in January 2024 and for it to be piloted during a number of inspections in January.  The full implementation date has been delayed to the start of the new academic year (Sept 2024) following feedback from the ELC sector.  For more details visit: Shared inspection framework | News | Education Scotland 

A joint statement on progress was published on 29 August and can be found here: Joint statement from the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland

A key element noted in the statement is a commitment already enacted that the organisations will not (unless in exceptional circumstances) visit a setting within 18 months of one another.  Here is an important extract from the page linked to above:

"Last year, following feedback from the sector we announced that neither organisation would inspect a service within an 18-month period of each other. We have continued to review how well this is working and have agreed that the 18-month period will remain unless there are exceptional circumstances. So, unless risk and intelligence indicate that an inspection needs to be carried out sooner, if you have been inspected by the Care Inspectorate or Education Scotland then you will not receive another inspection by either organisation within that period.

We know that this period between inspections has implications for primary school nursery classes. Therefore, this may affect you if you are a headteacher of a primary school with a nursery class. If Education Scotland plans an inspection in your setting within 18 months of a previous visit, your nursery setting will not be inspected unless you choose for this to happen or there is risk or exceptional circumstances. We would encourage you to discuss this option with your local authority."