How our quality marks work
Independent accreditation that recognises and strengthens what your setting does well. Ten quality marks, each awarded at Established, Advanced or Leading, and one clear, supportive process from registration to report. Everything you need to know is on this page.
The quality marks
Choose the area that matters most
Ten areas, each assessed on its own against the same six-area framework. Hold one, or build a picture across several over time.
Many schools begin with the mark they already feel strongest in, because the process is easier to learn on familiar ground and the result gives the staff involved something to be proud of early. Others start where they know there is most to do, and use the assessment as the push to sort it. Both work. What we would not recommend is taking on several at once in a difficult year, because each one deserves proper attention from the people who lead that area.
Why it works
What makes a Jarvis Quality Mark different
A quality mark starts with your own honest self-evaluation, not with ours. You rate yourself against the standards, your reviewer assesses the same standards on a visit, and where the two differ, that difference is usually the most useful conversation of the whole process.
Independently reviewed
No self-certification. Every award is validated by an experienced reviewer who has led, inspected or supported schools and settings.
Supportive, not punitive
The process is built to recognise strengths and identify next steps — a genuine professional conversation, not an inspection.
Clear, structured framework
Six areas, thirty-six standards, each rated red, amber or green. You always know what is being looked at and why.
Credible at every level
Established, Advanced and Leading reflect genuinely different standards of embedded practice — not just more paperwork.
A report worth sharing
Quality-checked before it reaches you, covering every area with specific recommendations — ready for your governors.
Built to drive improvement
Annual check-ins keep your award current and the recommendations live, so accreditation leads to real change.
From our experience, schools value the certificate because it matters to families and commissioners, but the part that changes practice is the visit itself: somebody asking the questions nobody internally has time to ask.
The process
From registration to report, step by step
Every quality mark follows the same six-step process. Here is what happens at each stage, and what is expected of you.
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01
Register and choose your mark and level
Complete the registration form and tell us which quality mark you want and which level you are aiming for. We get back to you with your named reviewer and the next steps.
Not sure which level fits? We start with a short call. Established suits settings earlier in this work; Advanced and Leading suit settings that have been at it a while and can show what has changed.
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02
Complete your self-evaluation
We send the framework tool for your chosen mark — a structured document that walks you through all six areas, section by section. You rate how your setting is doing and point to the evidence.
Most leaders spend eight to twelve hours on this over a few weeks. You are not creating anything new, just drawing together what already exists and being honest about what it shows. Your reviewer will quickly spot scores that are too generous — honest self-evaluation is itself the sign of a school that knows what it is doing.
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03
Send your evidence before the visit
Your reviewer reads everything before they arrive, at least two weeks ahead. They are not starting from scratch — they already know your setting, so the visit becomes a genuine conversation rather than an information-gathering exercise.
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04
Your reviewer visits for the day
They look at lessons, sit with a group of pupils, speak to staff and families, and work through your documents. It is a structured day but not a rigid one, and they adapt to your timetable. At the end they share what they found and a provisional view on the level.
At Leading level, two reviewers attend the visit day.
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05
Your report arrives
Within around ten working days, and quality-checked by a senior member of the team before it reaches you. It covers every area of the framework — what was strong, what needs attention, and specific recommendations — the kind of thing worth putting in front of your governors.
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06
Annual check-ins keep your award current
Your award lasts three years. In years two and three you send us some documents and we check you are keeping things up — no visit required. Renew at any level when you are ready.
How scoring works
A simple red, amber, green rating
Every standard is rated red, amber or green against the level descriptors. Your setting completes an honest self-evaluation; your reviewer rates the same standards on the visit, and their ratings set the award.
Green
Meets the descriptor at this level — secure, consistent and evidenced across the setting.
Amber
Developing — in place in parts, but not yet secure across the whole school.
Red
Not yet in place, or a significant gap to address.
The three levels
What each level asks of you
Established
Secure and consistent
No reds, and at least 30 of the 36 standards green. Up to six ambers are allowed, with no more than two in any one area.
Advanced
Sustained impact
Established is met first, then at least 27 of 36 standards green against the Advanced descriptors, with no more than two ambers in any area.
Leading
Impact beyond your setting
Advanced is met first, then at least 30 of 36 green against the Leading descriptors, with evidence of impact beyond your own setting.
Safeguarding is judged the way Ofsted judges it — met or not met — so every standard must be green, with no tolerance for ambers.
Show what you have achieved
Your digital accreditation badge
Every setting that achieves a quality mark receives a digital badge in the colour of the mark, showing your level and your name. It is yours to display — proof of the work you have done, recognised independently.
On your website
Add it to your homepage, your about page, or a dedicated accreditation page — and link it back to us so visitors can see what the mark stands for.
In email signatures
Include it in staff email signatures so every message that leaves your setting carries the recognition. We provide a sized version made for signatures.
On paperwork and documents
Use it on prospectuses, newsletters, policies, headed paper and reports to parents — anywhere you want the accreditation to be seen.
Examples shown. Your badge carries your own name and the mark and level you are awarded.
Badges are supplied as high-resolution PNG and scalable SVG files, so they stay sharp at any size — from a small email signature to a printed banner.
On the day
What the visit day looks like
A typical visit day runs from morning to mid-afternoon. It is structured, but your reviewer adapts to your timetable.
- Reviewer arrives and gets set up
- Meeting with the head or lead and the relevant subject lead — overview of the setting and your self-evaluation
- Lesson visits — at least three classrooms across different year groups
- Document review — policies, plans, data and training records
- Pupil group — six to ten children whose experience is most relevant to the mark
- Staff conversations — teachers, support staff and pastoral leads
- Lunch and further document review
- Governor or trustee meeting (Leading) or senior leader conversation (Established and Advanced)
- Parent or family conversations — at least three families, in person or by phone
- Reviewer write-up and cross-checking of the self-evaluation
- Feedback to leadership — what was found and a provisional level
What it costs
Clear pricing, no surprises
The same pricing applies across all 10 quality marks: one fee for the review, and an annual fee in years two and three to keep the award current. Figures shown are a guide — confirm current fees with us.
Established
One reviewer, one day in school
£1,350
Then £250/year in years 2 and 3
- Self-evaluation tool for all six areas
- One named reviewer
- Full-day independent visit
- Written report and award mark
- Annual document check in years 2 and 3
Advanced
One reviewer, one day in school
£1,950
Then £295/year in years 2 and 3
- Everything in Established, plus:
- Governor or trustee conversation
- Commendations in the report
- Directory listing
Leading
Two reviewers, one day in school
£2,750
Then £350/year in years 2 and 3
- Everything in Advanced, plus:
- Two reviewers on the visit day
- Annual impact summary in years 2 and 3
For trusts and groups
Running a trust or group of schools?
Multi-academy trusts, independent school groups and groups of alternative provision settings all qualify for our group programme: the same criteria across every school, one agreed schedule, and an overview report for your board.
- Individual reviews for each school at their chosen mark and level
- An overview report for governors and the CEO or head of group
- A group-wide training session based on the findings
Group discounts
Overview report and training session included.
Accredited schools
The quality mark directory
Settings awarded a quality mark at Advanced or Leading are listed in our public directory, so families, commissioners and partners can see the work that has been recognised.
Recognising the work already happening in your school
Ready to register?
Tell us which quality mark you want and we will be in touch to talk through the next steps for your school, setting, trust or group.
Register your schoolTalk to us about the quality marks
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- Initial conversations are always free
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