03/08/2026
What do I actually look at during an early years provision audit?
A nursery provision audit is much more than checking paperwork or walking around the playroom with a checklist.
I look closely at the quality of children’s everyday experiences and whether the practice described in policies, planning and self-evaluation can genuinely be seen across the setting.
During a Piccola Early Years provision audit, I may explore:
• The quality of staff interactions with children
• Whether children are settled, secure and meaningfully engaged
• Staff positioning, deployment and supervision
• Nurturing care and support throughout the day
• The quality of play, learning and development
• Planning, observations, assessment and children’s next steps
• Personal plans and how they influence everyday practice
• The organisation and use of indoor and outdoor environments
• Routines, transitions and mealtimes
• Leadership, quality assurance and staff understanding of improvement priorities
• Evidence of self-evaluation and the impact of improvement activity
• Inspection readiness and alignment with the Quality Improvement Framework
The aim isn’t to catch practitioners out.
It’s to identify strengths, highlight inconsistencies and give leaders clear, practical recommendations that can improve children’s experiences and strengthen practice across the whole team.
Every setting can benefit from a fresh professional perspective, particularly when routines have become familiar or improvement priorities aren’t yet translating into consistent practice.
And did you know? All of the settings I’ve supported through a Piccola provision audit have gone on to improve their inspection grading.
If your nursery is preparing for a Care Inspectorate or HM Inspectors visit, reviewing quality across the setting or looking for a clear starting point for improvement, get in touch at [email protected] to discuss how a provision audit could support your team.
