Our quality assurance scheme for childcare and education.

This is the basic standard. This builds on the registration process and ensures that the main policies and procedures are in place and links very closely with the requirements of the National Daycare Standards. This step is about planning the service.

Focuses on developing practice and builds on Step 1. It looks at the way that policies and procedures support good practice in the setting. This step concentrates on how the service is provided.

Celebrates top quality practice and builds on the previous two steps. It covers the way the setting evaluates and continues to plan their service to promote and maintain quality. This step focuses on the reviewing process.

There are 5 standard areas within each step:

		Setting management
		Staff development
		Environment
		Meeting individual needs
		Relationships

Steps to Quality links closely with national standards to support childcare and education providers in meeting Ofsted’s requirements and the conditions for receiving additional funding such as Nursery Education Grant.

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