Quality improvement framework for early learning and childcare sectors
We collaborate closely with His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to ensure that early learning and childcare services high standards of quality and learning.
We published our Quality Improvement Framework for early learning and childcare sectors in September 2025.
If you want a printed copy of the framework you can download these from our resources section.
During our workshops and webinars, stakeholders raised some key questions with us. You can read these along with the answers below. We will keep these FAQs updated as new questions arise.
Inspections by the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectors have been carried out using the previous frameworks up to and including 18 September 2025. Thereafter, all inspections were undertaken using only the new framework.
The Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectors undertook pilot visits/inspections to test the quality indicators of the new Quality improvement framework for early learning and childcare sectors. In total, 75 pilot visits/inspections took place across 28 local authorities between February and April 2025.
Piloting the new framework allowed the Care Inspectorate inspectors and HM Inspectors to test it in live settings – from exploring the use of individual quality indicators to gathering feedback.
Thank you to every setting that volunteered to be part of these pilots.
Yes, HM Inspectors began using the Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors in their pilot inspections from the 22 September 2025.
From October 2025 our inspectors and HM Inspectors both use the Quality improvement framework in all shared inspections.
The further inspection or follow up inspection will focus on the areas for improvement and or requirements from the previous inspection. These will have been noted in previous letters and/or inspection reports.
Both inspectorates have reviewed shared inspection approaches to increase collaboration and reduce unnecessary duplication. One of the changes being made to help reduce pre-inspection workload is that we will not ask for a self-evaluation paper in advance of inspection.
Yes, when we say the framework is digital, we are referring to the Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors (a shared framework) being hosted online.
The digital nature of the framework offers several advantages: it simplifies searching for individual quality indicators, provides easy access to best practice guidance and ensures you always have the most current version when accessed online.
There is an option to download a printable PDF copy of the quality framework directly from the framework itself.
For those who prefer a printed PDF version of the framework, it's important to be alert to framework update communications so you can keep your printed PDF version up to date.
Yes. From 22 September 2025, the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectors have been using the new ‘Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors’ only. This framework replaced both How good is our early learning and childcare and A quality framework for daycare of children, ‘childminding and school-aged childcare.
To meet user accessibility requirements, quality indicators are not numbered, and we encourage using their full titles.
We encourage you to focus on the wording of each quality indictor, for example, 'nurturing care and support'. However, if developing a coding system is helpful in your setting, you are free to do so.
We understand the framework may still feel unfamiliar, making it challenging to grasp initially. To help, we have created visual tables of the framework's headings and quality indicators. We hope these visuals support you in seeing the holistic nature of the framework and how all the different quality indictors contribute to quality practice.
The Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectors issued a joint statement on 24 June 2025, specifying the quality indicators each inspectorate intends to inspect against.
All themes under each of the inspected against quality indicators will be considered.
Yes, reports from both HM Inspectors and the Care Inspectorate will reflect the ‘Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors’.
Inspection reports are updated to align with the Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors. They will continue to offer a summary of inspection findings to support your continuous improvement journey.
Yes, both organisations will continue to undertake their own inspections, as well as shared inspections.
Both organisations will retain their current roles and responsibilities. The Care Inspectorate will continue to inspect all early learning and childcare (ELC) settings, including childminders and school-age childcare, regardless of whether they provide funded ELC or not.
HM Inspectorswill inspect settings providing funded ELC (excluding childminders).
Both organisations will use the new framework for single and shared inspections.
The Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectors worked together to develop shared criteria. The criteria has been refined following the pilot inspections and will be integrated into the framework for its launch in September.
While we will share an evaluation criteria, the frequency of inspections based on evaluations will continue to differ based on each inspectorate roles and responsibilities. For example, if a funded provider of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) does not achieve "good" or higher evaluations from the Care Inspectorate, the Care Inspectorate will aim to revisit the service within the following inspection year. This approach is designed to align with the Scottish Early Learning and Childcare National Standard.
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland delivered sessions on self-evaluation using the new framework.
We have also held a number of webinars and in-person sessions.
You can watch our range of sessions on our YouTube playlist.
Yes you can download this from our resources section.