Non-maintained settings

The inspection of non-maintained nursery education by providers included in the local authorities' Early Years Development and Childcare Plans is governed by the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998. The Act requires the Chief Inspector to keep the Welsh Assembly Government informed about:

• the quality and standards of nursery education; and
• the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children for whom nursery education is provided.

Currently, these settings are inspected within a six-year cycle which started in 1999. In undertaking the inspections, registered nursery education inspectors are required to comply
with Estyn's Framework for the Inspection of Educational Provision for Children Before Compulsory School Age.

Estyn is responsible for:

• training and registering nursery education inspectors;
• monitoring the quality of inspections and inspection reports; and
• corroborating judgements where the quality of educational provision is considered to be substantially below that required.

notification of developments in early years provision and the foundation phase, including training of inspectors.

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