How to achieve the Primary Quality Mark

Who can Apply

The Primary Quality Mark is available to all maintained primary schools in England and Wales, including nursery, infant, first, junior, middle (deemed primary) and special schools with primary phase pupils. Independent primary, nursery and special schools can also be accredited.

Early years settings, including children's centres and those from the private, voluntary and independent sector, such as playgroups, are also eleigible. Additional guidance is available to support the interpretation of the Primary Quality Mark elements and their criteria in the context of the Foundation stage.

Each Primary Quality Mark is awarded for three years. At the end of that period the award can be renewed for a further three years (and subsequently every three years), providing the school or setting still meets the criteria for all 10 elements and provides evidence that holding a Primary Quality Mark has had a positive impact on its provision and practice in basic skills.

Who undertakes the assessment?

In England, a school or setting, whether maintained or independent, must be assessed by an assessor accredited by a local authority that has joined the Primary Quality Mark Partnership. In most cases this will be the school or setting's own local authority. Where the local authority is not in the Primary Quality Mark Partnership, the school or setting can negotiate its assessment by another local authority that is in the Partnership.

In Wales, all schools are assessed for the Primary Quality Mark by their local education authorities.

The recommendation for a Primary Quality Mark award can only be made by an accredited assessor. There is no deadline for applications and most local authorities assess Primary Quality Mark applications throughout the year.

Local Authorities have differing procedures for managing, promoting, supporting and assessing the Primary Quality Mark. Schools and settings interested in seeking accreditation will need to contact their own local authority to find out how assessment is undertaken and what support is available.

The details of designated Primary Quality Mark contacts can be found by searching under the name of the relevant local authority on www.qmdatabase.org or by sending an email enquiry to qualitymark@basic-skills.co.uk

What has to be demonstrated?

A school or setting has to show that at the time of its assessment:

• it meets the criteria for all 10 elements of the Primary Quality Mark;
• there is a whole school commitment to improving basic skills;
• the performance of learners in basic skills is improving.

While schools or settings may spend varying amounts of time working towards accreditation, a Primary Quality Mark cannot be gained merely through making commitment to meet all elements in the future. An improvement in basic skills has to have taken place because a school or setting has added value through the quality of its provision. Any improvement will also need to relate to a period longer than a single academic year, in order ti show that there is an upward trend.

Evidence to demonstrate that a school or setting is meeting the criteria for each element may come from a range of sources, some of which are suggested in the guidance for each element.

Documentary evidence can be presented in any format that makes it easy for the assessor to identify planning, provision and evidence of impact in basic skills. Most of what will be needed to demonstrate that the criteria are met will already be available to the school, as it will have been gathered for other purposes. Core documentation may either be presented in a specific portfolio or made available by highlighting sections in existing school files.

An assessor will also seek evidence through discussion with key stakeholders, such as staff, parent/governor representatives or pupils. Additional evidence may also be gathered through the observation of teaching and learning in lessons or intervention groups, or from taking a 'learning walk' around the school.

How is achievement of a Primary Quality Mark recognised?

The Primary Quality Mark is a registered logo that can only be used by currently accredited award holders. Individual schools and settings are entitled to display this logo., which is supplied electronically, on information and publicity materials, such as letterhead, prospectus or advertisement. Award holders also receive a Primary Quality Mark plaque, which can be wall mounted, an award certificate and materials to help publicise and celebrate the achievement, including badges, stickers, bookmarks and letters for distribution to parents and governors