Early learning and childcare quality indicators: Wellbeing, inclusion and equality

'Very good' positive relationships and wellbeing

We support children to understand and manage their emotions and behaviour in ways that promote positive relationships, engagement and inclusion. We understand fully that relationships lie at the heart of children’s development and lay the foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. The wellbeing of children and families is paramount and is central to the work of our setting.

Relationships are based on respect, honesty and trust and getting it right to improve outcomes for children and families. We actively support our children to be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. We can demonstrate the significant impact this has on our children’s social, emotional, and mental wellbeing as well as their development and learning.

Each child is valued by staff as an individual with their own personality, views, needs, and rights. We actively encourage children’s participation in a developmentally appropriate way. This enables children to communicate their views, in their own way, about their wellbeing and engage in decisions which affect them.

‘Weak’ Positive relationships and wellbeing

While relationships with children may be warm and friendly, we do not demonstrate a deep enough understanding of wellbeing, inclusion or equality. As a result, children are not consistently supported to feel safe, respected or included. Opportunities for children to express their views or participate in decisions that affect them are limited. This impacts their sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing.

'Very good' universal support

We provide all children with highly effective support and encouragement to ensure everyone is included. Inclusive practice is embedded across our universal provision, enabling children with additional support needs to access learning in a way that works for them. Almost all children participate fully and engage in exploration and play. They are supported by high-quality interactions, experiences, creative use of spaces, and technology.

Children’s individual needs are at the centre of planning and review processes. We work with families and other important partners effectively to take full account of the diverse range of children’s needs. We understand the positive impact highly effective collaborative working can have on children’s experiences, and in the individual ways they learn.

Children have high-quality individualised learning and development targets, which build on prior learning. These are reviewed and evaluated regularly with children and their families and when required, other important partners, with appropriate next steps identified. There are strong collaborative partnerships with all those supporting children, including during key points of transition.

‘Weak’ Universal support

We are not confident in our responsibility to provide inclusive, rights-based early learning and childcare. Our provision does not offer all children equitable access to high-quality experiences.

We do not consistently plan or adapt learning to meet the needs of individual children. We do not use space or resources well enough to support participation and engagement. Partnerships with families and other professionals are limited, and this impacts our ability to provide well-informed, consistent support across the setting

'Very good' identifying and assessing learning needs and targeted support

Children’s individual learning needs are identified early through careful observation and effective analysis of robust assessment information from a range of sources. This includes working in close partnership with parents/carers and colleagues to take full account of children’s prior learning and needs.

We make very effective use of the national wellbeing indicators to provide holistic assessment of children’s strengths and support needs. We ensure that children with additional support needs are identified early and supported through well-planned, regularly reviewed interventions.

Staff are confident in using a range of inclusive strategies and resources to meet the diverse range of children's needs. We ensure appropriate, proportionate, and timely support, including specialist input where required.

Our senior leaders and staff adhere fully to legislative requirements. We provide high-quality targeted support to all children who require additional support, including access to digital technology, to reduce barriers to inclusion and learning.

Children, families and partners are fully involved in reviewing children’s progress and making decisions about future learning and support. Targeted interventions are highly effective and lead to positive outcomes for children.

‘Weak’ identifying and assessing learning needs and targeted support

Our approach to identifying and assessing children’s additional support needs is not yet sufficiently developed. We do not always use observation or assessment information effectively to build a holistic understanding of children’s strengths and needs. As a result, targeted support is not consistently timely, proportionate or well matched to individual children.

We are not yet confident in how to meet legislative requirements, which means how we plan can lack clarity, impact or follow-through, limiting our ability to improve outcomes for children.

'Very good' inclusion and equality

Children and families are valued and treated with kindness, respect, and fairness at all times. We promote and support inclusion and children’s rights and encourage all children to be fully involved in the life of the setting. Our staff make use of technology to enable every child to participate fully in an increasingly digital world and support involvement and engagement of families.

We value diversity and challenge discrimination. Our staff work in partnership with parents/carers and partners to promote and support diversity and enrich children’s experiences.

Staff know all children and families very well. We understand the socio-economic, cultural, and linguistic context in which they live. Staff use this information to respond sensitively with well-timed support. This support takes account of the needs of children who are care experienced and the protected characteristics of all children and families. Highly effective strategies are in place to improve progress for all children with a clear focus on those facing challenges or barriers to their learning or inclusion.

‘Weak’ Inclusion and equality

We do not yet demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusion and equality in the life and work of the setting. Children with additional support needs are not always fully included, and we are not taking effective action to reduce barriers to participation. 

We do not always recognise or respond to discrimination, and we are not making effective use of data or local context to inform equitable practice.

The following challenge questions can support your self-evaluation:

• To what extent do our approaches to inclusion and equality positively impact on children’s wellbeing?

• How well do we meet the needs of individual children, including those facing additional challenges? How effective is our approach to planning for children requiring additional support?

• How effectively do we involve parents/carers and partners in planning and delivering targeted support for individual children?

• In what ways do we engage children, parents/carers and partners in reviewing the impact of targeted support?

• In what ways do we support children at key points of transition to ensure continuity in wellbeing and inclusion?

• How effective are our approaches to improving outcomes for children? To what extent are these underpinned by getting it right for every child?

• How well is the UNCRC understood and embedded within our practice?

• To what extent do we have regular, high-quality professional learning to support wellbeing, inclusion and equality? What impact does this professional learning have?

• To what extent do we have a comprehensive and shared, understanding of our legislative duties to support all children?

• In what ways do we encourage children to explore the feelings, attitudes, values and beliefs that influence their lives in a developmentally appropriate way?

• To what extent does our practice create an ethos that ensures equality and celebrates diversity?