Developing a framework for early learning and childcare: Background

In 2022, Professor Ken Muir’s report, Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education, was published and set out a vision for the future of Scottish education. One of the recommendations from Professor Muir was for Education Scotland’s inspectorate to work more closely with the Care Inspectorate, developing a unified inspection framework that will ease the burden on early learning and childcare (ELC) practitioners and centres.

In response, Education Scotland’s HM inspectors and the Care Inspectorate worked together to begin planning the joint framework. An External Reference Group was established to guide and support both organisations throughout the process, ensuring it met the needs of the sector.

To engage directly with those working in the sector, both face-to-face and online discussions were held. A draft of the new framework was shared with the sector and a consultation period allowed for valuable feedback to be gathered. A team of co-opted professionals was identified to work with Education Scotland’s HM Inspectors and the Care Inspectorate to help shape the final framework.

Webinars were also held to communicate the plans with the sector, with over 2,600 attendees joining the sessions. The final Quality Improvement Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Sectors is now available online for centres to familiarise themselves with the detail. However, the new framework will not be implemented in inspections until September 2025, giving time for the sector to become familiar with the new framework.