NMS introduction chapters: What do we mean by High Quality Provision

High-quality early years, childcare and playwork provision goes beyond meeting basic requirements. It creates warm, engaging, and reflective environments where babies and children feel safe, valued, and supported to thrive. At its core is a child-centred, rights-based approach, ensuring that every child’s needs, interests, and voices shape their experiences.

The Welsh Government’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) underpins this approach by ensuring:

• Safety and protection from harm (Article 19).
• Respect for children's voices in decisions affecting them (Article 12).
• Time and space for play, exploration of a wide range of activities supporting children to develop their abilities and interests (Articles 29 and 31)
• Emotional well-being and nurturing care (Article 24). 

Key Elements of High-Quality Provision

High-quality provision is child-centred, inclusive, and responsive, achieved through:

• Enabling Adults - who build strong responsive relationships and create a space where children can be curious and engage in their play preferences, supporting them to develop, skills knowledge and resilience
• Effective Environments that encourage exploration, a space to unwind/relax, independence, and a sense of belonging.
• Engaging Experiences that foster meaningful play, discovery, and problem-solving at each child’s own pace.

Characteristics of High-Quality Provision

Child minders and day care providers demonstrate high-quality provision by:

• Going beyond minimum requirements through continuous reflection and improvement.
• Achieving strong inspection outcomes that recognise their commitment to quality.
• Embedding best practices that support children’s holistic development.
• Using sector-endorsed frameworks such as the Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC) Quality Framework for 0-5 year olds, and Play Wales quality assurance framework ‘Chwarae a Safon’ recognising the importance of the Playwork Principles in supporting quality play experiences in all playwork settings, in Out of School Childcare and Open Access Play.

In practice, this means:

• Enabling Adults create secure relationships where babies and children feel seen, heard, and valued, encouraging confidence and problem-solving.
• Effective Environments support physical and emotional needs, inspiring play, creativity, and exploration.
• Engaging Experiences are shaped by babies and children’s interests, allowing for open-ended play and hands-on discovery.

Continuous Reflection and Improvement

High-quality provision is dynamic and evolves through ongoing reflection and engagement with babies, children and families. Enabling Adults should regularly assess:

• How relationships and interactions support emotional security, learning, and self-expression.
• Ways to create inclusive, responsive environments reflecting children’s interests and cultures.
• Strategies to extend learning through play, language, and exploration.
• How to ensure children’s voices shape their experiences.

Guiding Principles: Our Seven Core Aims for Children in Wales

The Seven Core Aims for Children and Young People in Wales, based on the UNCRC, guide high-quality provision:

1. A strong start in life with the best foundation for well-being.
2. Access to rich, meaningful learning experiences.
3. Good physical, mental, and emotional health.
4. Opportunities for play, creativity, and self-expression.
5. Being listened to, valued, and respected.
6. Growing up in safe, nurturing communities.
7. Support to overcome barriers linked to poverty and inequality.

By embedding Enabling Adults, Effective Environments, and Engaging Experiences into everyday practice, practitioners help ensure that all babies and children are empowered to flourish, play, and grow in confidence.

Supporting Quality Improvement

Quality improvement tools help practitioners reflect, refine, and enhance their provision, ensuring that all children receive the highest quality care and experiences.

Further Guidance and Support

For more information and guidance, visit:

• Early childhood play, learning, and care in Wales - Hwb
• Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) Inspection and Ratings Guidance
• Cwlwm
• Play Wales
• Social Care Wales