Practical Whole School Self-Evaluation: Part 1

This document is a practical guide to self-evaluation for leadership teams within primary and secondary schools in England (UK), with a particular focus on the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) and Ofsted Inspection.

Extract from Part 1: Self-evaluation

1.1 Principles – in brief

Self-evaluation is a philosophy, not a form which you fill in for inspection. Good schools have been doing it for years.

To work well, it needs to part of the school’s culture at all levels – including pupils and parents as well as staff. It will be most effective where there is a strong collaborative and inclusive ethos which is focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for pupils. This is usually characterised by

devolved responsibility – to all staff, and, indeed, to pupils - for quality
a willingness to discuss quality openly and honestly
a willingness to try things, with a “no blame” culture if something doesn’t work
strong mutual support, with a commitment to professional development and the sharing of successful ideas
learners’ understanding of the vital role they have in their own learning.

Self-evaluation can work without some of these features, but it will tend to be a top down model which may prove effective for monitoring quality, but tends not to translate easily into good evaluation and impact.

1.2 What is self-evaluation?

It is knowing how well the school is performing and translating that into priorities and actions which will raise standards. It should be an integral part of the school’s planning cycle. These elements should be in every school’s calendar:

Review of outcomes (eg exams and tests, assessments, attendance, exclusions, progression rates).

Monitor the quality of provision (teaching and learning, curriculum, care, guidance and support).

Analyse the main features which emerge from the assessment of outcomes and quality (eg key strengths and areas to improve, relative performance of different key stages, areas, subjects and groups of pupils).

Evaluate the reasons for the differences in performance (eg by tieing the performance outcomes to the findings from the monitoring of provision).

Plan what needs to be done – decide and focus on the few most important things which will make the biggest difference.

Act - ensure that planned actions are carried out and are monitored and evaluated as part of this cycle.

Part 2 >>>

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