The Alliance has over 20 years experience delivering successful quality improvement initiatives. It has a record for developing flexible programmes tailored specifically for the early years sector.

Reflecting on Quality, the Alliance's accreditation scheme, supports early years settings to deliver the highest possible standards of education and care for children. By achieving Reflecting on Quality, settings can demonstrate to parents, professionals and the wider community that the service offered is of a consistently high standard.

In a competitive marketplace, this kind of recognition enables a setting to consolidate their position by adding extra value to the service and this, in turn, increases their long-term sustainability.

Core principles and beliefs

Reflecting on Quality is based on the Alliance's core principles and beliefs that:

• parents are children's most important teachers and practitioners work with them
• children learn through play and by becoming involved in activities
• learning occurs in social groups and the settings is a learning community for children and families

The scheme supports:

• involvement of parents and children in the quality improvement process
• practitioners' active work-based learning
• communication that encourages practitioners to share new learning about effective practice

Continuous Improvement

The scheme supports the 'observe, reflect,  improve, review' process and involves the following aspects of continuous quality improvement:

• listening to parents and children's views on quality
• enhancing what is done to promote the best outcomes for children
• developing a clear vision and sense of purpose
• adopting a whole setting approach
• sharing knowledge and the development of a learning culture
• commitment to continuous professional development
• reflection and self-evaluation as a continuous process
• identification of strengths and the prioritisation of areas for development
• sharing and celebrating effective practice within and between settings

Resources

Reflecting on Quality includes a range of resources to support self evaluation and quality improvement. These can be used flexibly on their own or with other materials.

• Planner to help you involve the whole setting including parents and children to help in the quality improvement process
• Guidance on what you need to do at each stage
• Prompts and guidance on individual and group activities that encourage talking, listening and thinking about the quality of the services you provide
• Mentoring guidance
• Templates to help you record your progress and create evidence of your involvement in quality improvement
• External verification, assessment and accreditation to recognise and celebrate quality improvement

Review

To read a review of Reflecting on Quality by Laura Henry, Managing Director and founder of Childcare Consultancy, click here

Logo

If you're an active member of the scheme, and would like to download a copy of the logo for use on your publicity, please click here

Find out more

For more detailed information about Reflecting on Quality, click here
To make an enquiry about the scheme, click here.