The Bristol Standard

The Bristol Standard is a self-evaluation framework which Ernesettle Community School use to improve on our previous best. It involves everyone working together on developments to improve outcomes for all children and families.

In using the Bristol Standard, Ernesettle Community School’s Early Years Team have been part of a process which protects and celebrates the wonder of childhood through well-informed and reflective practice.

At Ernesettle Community School, we all strive hard to support our children’s learning and we are pleased to have been awarded the Bristol Standard award for March 2020-2021 in recognition of this.

Bristol Standard Purposes

These purposes are underpinned by Quality. The purpose of the Bristol Standard is to:

  • Achieve high quality provision for all children from birth in a culture of inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Work together collaboratively, have a voice and learn from each other.
  • Celebrate current good practice and develop the quality and effectiveness of provision through a process of reflection.
  • Enable settings to develop and improve the quality and effectiveness of their practice to benefit all children from birth.
  • Support the development of genuine partnerships with children’s families or carers, other professionals and the local and wider community.
  • Promote leadership which is motivational and inclusive that demonstrates a commitment to sustain continuous improvement and contribute to professional development.
  • Enable change through clear leadership and a shared vision which values individual strengths.

The History of the Bristol standard

The first edition of the Bristol Standard was launched on the 16th November 2000 and was an example of Bristol’s pioneering work to improve Early Year’s provision. It was developed to give practitioners a framework to help them evaluate the quality of provision and through the ten dimensions enhance practice in a manageable way. The Bristol Standard has been recognised nationally as an example of excellence and has been adopted by a number of other local authorities in the South West. It has been endorsed by the National Quality Improvement Network as a collaborative and rigorous process which has been underpinned by their twelve Quality Improvement Principles. The Bristol Standard wheel of quality is based on research from the Effective Early Learning Project (EEL) which took place at University College, Worcester and was headed up by Professor Chris Pascal and Tony Bertram.

The Bristol Standard is reviewed every three years and the 5th edition of The Bristol Standard for Birth to Five was launched in July 2013. Today the Bristol Standard is acknowledged as a ‘jewel in the Early Years crown’ and has played a key role in raising standards in a significant number of diverse and exciting play and Early Year’s settings.

The information written has been gathered from : https://www.bristol.gov.uk/resources-professionals/bristol-standard