Siolta promotes continuous quality improvement. This means that the curriculum can’t be stagnant and must evolve over time. Each service is at differing stages with their practices and documentation. Services move through the cycle of improvement prompted by a change of team members, after inspiring training or perhaps from reflecting on a parent complaint. For even the services that have been assessed as exceeding, it is important to remember that you have not reached a destination. Your team will continue on the cycle of continuous improvement and it is ok to make changes and ‘improvements’ on the very practices that you were assessed on.
To provide the best service possible we all need to be committed to making changes, reflecting on our practices and processes. We need to be open to trying new things and to making changes regularly.
Professional Critical reflection is key to continuous improvement. Engaging in conversations with educators about the curriculum elements will support educators to enhance their practices and to think about the ‘why’ not just the ‘how’.
- Meet with your team regularly Use their reflections as a basis for your discussions and together set goals with each educator/room
- Develop a culture of professional enquiry by providing articles about relevant topics for your team
- Try new things! Don’t stick to something just because that is the way that it has always been done.
- Celebrate Success. Remember to be proud of your achievements and that of your team along the way.
- Reflect with the children. Consider how you seek the children’s opinions and ideas.
- Be Proactive not reactive. Take time to stop and think about the way you are doing things and why. Be open to new ideas.
- Communicate with families. It is important to be open with families and to invite their input into your programme.
