SINGAPORE PRESCHOOL ACCREDITATION FRAMEWORK (SPARK 2.0)

Self-Appraisal – A Reflective Process

Self-appraisal serves as a tool for maintaining and enhancing the preschool's quality whilst ensuring children's needs remain at the heart of all improvements. It enables preschools to evaluate their practices, programmes, and quality of care and education in a systematic manner. Through structured reflection and self-assessment, preschools can identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

Self-appraisal involves gathering evidence from multiple sources: classroom observations, documentation of children's learning, staff information, stakeholder feedback, and analysis of operational processes, to form a holistic understanding of the preschool's current state. These insights inform strategic planning and guide action planning and review, ultimately fostering a culture of continuous quality improvements that promotes children's holistic development and well-being.

Regular engagement in this reflective process helps the preschool to remain responsive to the evolving needs of children, families, and the community. The SPARK 2.0 tool provide a comprehensive framework that enables preschools to systematically evaluate and enhance their programme quality across key domains. The tool is also accompanied by a set of guiding questions that facilitate preschools’ meaningful reflection on their processes and practices throughout their continuous improvement journey. By leveraging the SPARK 2.0 tool and guiding questions, preschools can conduct regular self-evaluations that are both systematic and evidence-based.

SPARK-accredited preschools must conduct annual self-appraisals using the SPARK 2.0 tool as part of their quality improvement journey. For detailed guidance, preschools should refer to the “Guide to submit Self-Appraisal Report” in the Resources section in the Centre Management System (CMS).