Continuous improvement in the quality of service offered to children, young people, parents and carers has been a key priority of the education system in Scotland over many years. Scottish pre-school centres and schools have well-established processes for self-evaluation based on the quality indicators in "How good is our school?" (1996, revised edition, HM Inspectorate of Education 2002) and the performance indicators in "The Child at the Centre" (Scottish Office Education and Industry Department 1998). These key publications have been widely welcomed by pre-school centres, schools and education authorities as important tools in their drive to improve quality and deliver excellence for all young people in Scotland. HM Inspectorate of Education places the quality of service which establishments offer to parents/carers and their children, and their capacity for improvement, firmly at the heart of its work. These same values are central to the Investors in People Standard, the national approach to supporting and recognising the provision of quality services by public sector organisations. The Scottish Executive's National Priorities for School Education recognise certification as a valuable contribution to improving the framework for learning within Scottish schools. All these approaches to improving quality focus on evidence of clear measurable outcomes for children, young people and their families. This guide brings together those approaches to improving quality in Scottish pre-school centres and schools, and shows how they provide a practical basis for achieving recognition through the Investors in People Standard. The guide: (1) should be used selectively, not read from beginning to end; (2) is designed to stimulate questioning and discussion within the school or pre-school centre; and (3) is intended to encourage a self-evaluative approach to continuous improvement.