Transcript SPENDING FOR LEARNING

WRITING AN EFFECTIVE SEF
AND TAKING CONTROL OF
YOUR OFSTED INSPECTION
A New Relationship with Schools: Improving
Performance through self-evaluation
• Rigorous self-evaluation helps schools to improve
• Schools should shape for themselves a process that is
simple and integrated with their routine management
systems
• Schools must listen to and do something about the views
of their stakeholders
• The school’s SEF should include information about the
impact of its actions on learners, as intelligent
accountability should be founded on schools’ own views of
how well they are serving their learners
WHAT IS THE POINT?
ACCORDING TO OFSTED
Self-evaluation is only effective if it is
based on openness, honesty and trust
– balancing the desire to highlight any
barriers to learning facing the school
with the need to challenge and seek the
highest standards and levels of
progress possible.
Does this square with the reality of
inspection under the new framework?
QUESTIONS
•Do you have to complete a SEF?
•Do you have to complete all sections of the
SEF? A, B and C
•Do you have to complete it annually?
Key principles
• Involvement of all stakeholders
• Integration with performance management,
self-evaluation cycle and school improvement
planning
• Analysis of self-evaluation leads to wellplanned and well-documented action
• Keep up-to-date with OFSTED guidance,
especially concerning grade judgements
The Starting Point
– Some Basic ‘do’s and ‘don’t’s
• DO base everything on evidence, but DON’T give pages
of evidence – use evidence to support judgement
• DO be honest (NB relationship with SIPs)
• DO be very clear about HOW you will improve areas for
improvement
• DON’T be descriptive; be analytical
• DO focus on IMPACT
• DO read the whole form first; it is very easy to repeat
yourself, and may or may not be helpful.
It is all too easy to diagnose a weakness
and include that area for development
without diagnosing exactly what needs
to be done and why. An intelligent selfevaluation will identify the precise issue
that needs tackling and what to do
about it.
Making judgements and allocating grades
• Read the rubrics carefully – NB they are not
always consistent
• Use the Guidance for Inspectors of Schools
– OFSTED publications 2005
• Discuss with SIP/LEA advisers
• Make absolutely sure of grade to text match
• Ensure there is a clear and consistent ‘big
picture feel across all key sections’
Key sections of the form
May well be worth considering these areas
first:
•Achievement and Standards
•Personal Development and Well Being
•Quality of Provision – Teaching and Learning
•Overall Effectiveness and Efficiency
Give careful thought to consistency of judgement
across these sections
PRESENTATION
•Bullet points??
•Font size?
•Some repetition is useful – different readers
for different sections (see QE PIB)
•Length – 20 pages?
•Use the prompts but remember they are
only prompts
EVERY CHILD MATTERS
The Every Child Matters agenda covers issues
at the heart of the inspection of every school.
Issues that affect the well being of pupils have
always been central to inspection judgements.
Therefore inspecting Every Child Matters
outcomes is not new for inspectors….but is
more significant. In many ways, inspecting
Every Child Matters should not be regarded
as just a feature within inspection but as the
main focus of the inspection itself.
EVIDENCE AND IMPACT ON THE LEARNER
Final checks and proof reading
• Have you made the links clear between pupil
progress, quality of teaching and the
effectiveness of leadership and management?
• Does the overall effectiveness section provide a
consistent summary of the rest?
• Do your judgement match the other information
available to inspectors?
• Have you conveyed well what others – parents,
pupils and the community – think of the school?
OFSTED ADVICE – before you submit!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Read it through
Is it short and to the point?
Have you answered ALL of the questions?
Are your judgements clear?
Have you reflected stakeholders’ views
Does it give a fair and honest picture of
what the school is like?
Have you been clear about actions being
taken to improve?
If you were an inspector what questions
would your SEF lead you to ask?