QUALITY CONTROL

What is accreditation? What is affiliation? What is the difference?

Affiliation

In order to gain affiliation all that is necessary is to fill in an application form, pay an annual fee per student to the affiliating body, and perhaps submit the qualifications of staff working in the pre-school. Whether the staff are really working in the pre-school and whether qualified staff are replaced with qualified staff when they leave is never seriously checked. There is no visit to the school, neither is there any compulsion for such an inspection to be carried out in the future. Pre-schools that are affiliated usually receive a periodic magazine from the affiliated body. There are hundreds of such bodies. Parents seeing the advertising of a pre-school that is affiliated are misled if they feel that this infers higher standards or independent quality control.

Accreditation

Accreditation is altogether different and does provide parents with a large degree of quality assurance. Preparing a pre-school for an accreditation inspection takes most schools about a year. All aspects of the schools operation are audited by the accrediting organisation. A comprehensive written submission is necessary detailing the school’s curriculum, its safety precautions, management principles, and the qualifications and experience of all staff and management. Additionally a full set of operating manuals must be submitted. This paper inspection is conducted in liaison with parents. Proformas are sent to parents at the beginning and end of the accreditation process and the results are examined by the accreditation body. Following the preparatory phase a physical inspection by an inspector of the accreditation body takes place. Usually an inspection takes a full working day. Staff, parents and school management are interviewed as part of the process. A report is compiled and submitted to the accrediting body and a board of review is held. If the inspection is successful an accreditation certificate is awarded. Periodic additional inspections take place as may be necessary. Our affiliation and accreditation certificates are proudly displayed in all the Woodland Group schools. Our traditional schools are accredited by the The Pre-School Learning Alliance (London), and our Montessori schools are accredited by the Montessori Centre International (London).