Audits

“Highly effective use is made of evidence to draw conclusions about the quality of the provision and identify suitable approaches to improvement.”

“Highly effective strategies are used to monitor and evaluate the impact of change, drawing on a range of evidence, including self-evaluation and inform future actions.”

(A Quality Improvement Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Sectors, Sept 2025, p5 & p17)

Audits provide a means for settings, schools and practitioners to identify where they are in their practice or provision, identify areas for improvement and identify the impact of any changes implemented.

Practitioners decide as a team which area is the focus for improvement.
Practitioners work as a team to use an appropriate audit tool sharing their observations, knowledge and ideas to create a cohesive picture of the current provision.
Once the audit is completed, identify which areas are working well and which areas need improvements and why.
Practitioners categorise the improvements into ‘quick fix’ with minimal effort and which improvements need a greater input.
Practitioners decide on one or two things to change using the PDSA methodology.
As part of the plan, practitioners consider possible barriers such as time, money, resources or training and how these may be addressed. It is important that all practitioners are involved in this plan and understand why changes are being made.
Part of the plan should identify who in the team is responsible for making which changes.
The plan should also set out a time frame for improvements to be reviewed to ensure they are having positive outcomes for all learners.

Please also refer to the self-evaluation page.