knowing your school

1Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org

Knowing your school

Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org

Session outcomes

Governors will have an understanding of the strengths and

weaknesses of their school be able to determine priorities for action in

their school understand the school self evaluation

process and the information governors need begin preparation for an Ofsted inspection


Personal Action Sheet

In your booklet you have a page titled

“Personal Action sheet” (pg 11)

This is for you to note down any thoughts, ideas for action that occur to you as we go through the course

You can then take these ideas and decide how you might include them in the work of your governing body.


Information Sheets

At the back of this booklet you will find information sheets to help you develop this course at your school

School Self Evaluation Form (SEF) Primary version Parts A & C (pg19)

Ofsted fact sheets (pg38) School Summary for

governors (pg39)

Every Child Matters examples of evidence (pg 40)

Governor data sheet (pg 42) Extended Schools fact sheet

(pg 43) Headteacher report format

(suggestion) (pg 47) Checklist of governing body

effectiveness evidence (pg 52)

List of useful web sites (pg 12)


Governors’ Roles To set the strategic direction of the schooltherefore

You need to know what the vision and values of your school are

To be the critical friend to the schooltherefore

You need to ask for information on the school’s performance and evaluate it

To be accountable for the school’s effectivenesstherefore

You need to be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses of the school


Vision and values

The decisions we make today will affect the pupils that come to our schools in five years’ time, not those who come next year.

Any decisions we make need to fit the values of the individual school

“Where there is no vision a people perish.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

“You see things and say ‘Why?’; but I dream things that never were and I say ‘Why not ?’”

George Bernard Shaw


School Self Evaluation

Write down the three key strengths of your school three key areas for development.

(5 mins)

Keep these and we will revisit them at the end of the session.


The importance of School Self Evaluation

“More weight will be placed on a school’s own evaluation of how well it serves its pupils and its community as the starting point for planning, inspection and reviews with the School Improvement Partner… .The governing body will have ultimate responsibility for the main judgement in the self evaluation form.”

A new relationship with schools: Next Steps DfES/Ofsted March 2005


School Self Evaluation process

What is the current situation ? (baseline) What action are we taking ? (School Plan ) What evidence are we collecting ? (monitoring) What does this evidence tell us about the

impact of the actions ? (evaluation & analysis) What do we need to do next ? (changes to

School Plan) How does this feed into our School Plan ?

(review and setting of new priorities )


What do we need to know ?

1. What makes our school distinctive? 2. What do all our stakeholders think of our

school?3. What is the level of achievement and

standards in our school?4. How do we contribute to the five outcomes

of Every Child Matters?5. What is the quality of provision?6. How good is leadership & management?7. How good is our school overall?

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Specific aspects of the school to consider

What is the impact of any extended services we provide?

How we take into account the pupil voice? How do we find out about the needs of the

local community? How good is the care and guidance we give

pupils? How are vulnerable pupils such as looked

after children catered for?


Role of the Head

With the staff and governors, to design an SSE timetable

Consult with the governing body and agree timetable

Implement the process and ensure evidence is gathered

Report to the governing body via the HT report and discussions at meetings

Complete and update the SEF.


Role of the Governors Ask about the process and its implementation Be involved in the L&M evaluation in

particular Understand the other sections of the self

evaluation form Ask the Head to report on the process and

outcomes Discuss SSE at each meeting together with

progress against the School Plan


The School Self Evaluation Form (SEF)

Good practice anyway ! Kept up to date in school and uploaded to

the Ofsted web site regularly Reviewed termly, annually at a minimum An “ever ready” document but never

finished ! This is an integral form of evidence for

Ofsted inspections


The SEF

Three parts:

A The evaluation of seven areas of school performance

B Factual data about the school

C Statutory requirements


Links with Ofsted inspections

SEF needs to be ready in school for short notice inspections (normally a day or so)

See information sheet on Ofsted Inspections in the course booklet

Governors need to know the content of the SEF in order to be ready to talk to the inspection team at short notice


How can we evaluate an area of the school’s performance ?

Activity – 20 minutes

In groups of 4, use post-its and poster paper

ACHIEVEMENT AND STANDARDS – SEF 3

Current situation What is the current situation in your school? Work individually and add your post-its to

the first column on the paper, then discuss


Evidence – Write on post-its, add to column 2

Where might you be able to find evidence of the standards achieved in your own school?

Compare notes.Issues – Write on post-its, add to column 3

What does the evidence show about any issues arising for you, for example achievement of different groups e.g. boys/girls, LAC, SEN etc on standards of learning

What other factors need to be considered, when assessing any issues for your school – discuss?

Activity – Achievement and Standards cont


Activity – Achievement and Standards cont

Actions – write on post-its, add to column 4

What actions are needed to improve standards in your school?

Discuss What evidence of progress will governors

want to see – in what timescale? How will you ensure that the revised actions

are incorporated into the School Plan

Group feedback – 10 mins


The process of self evaluation

What is the current situation?

What have we/are we doing?

What evidence do we have of impact?

What do we need to do next?


What evidence should we ask for and evaluate?

Main sources of evidence Headteacher’s report Governor visits Performance data School Effectiveness Adviser visits Parent and pupil views


Group activity

Find Sections 4a-e of the SEF on the Every Child Matters five outcomes

Work in groups to identify the evidence governors

might expect and where it will come from

Then assess any issues for you and the actions you might want to take.

(20 minutes)


Headteacher’s reports

Main source of information for the governing body

Needs to be evaluative and talk about impact and not just actions

Needs to highlight issues and possible solutions


Activity

In pairs, reflect on what we have covered so far and draw up a list of items you would want a Headteacher’s report to cover.

Look at the two reports and decide whether these would meet the requirements

From these two reports, identify good and poor practice.


What actions do you now need to take ?

Revisit your key strengths and areas for development – what evidence can you produce to “prove it”?

Are there any implications for the work plan for your governors’ meetings?

What changes might you want to make to any reports you get e.g. the Headteacher’s report ?

Anything else?


Actions you might take

Plan SSE into your agendas for all meetings, including committees

All governors have a copy of the SEF Have a regular review of governors’

knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school

Evaluate the pupil performance data Undertake a review of governing body

effectiveness


Specific issues for the governing body

How can you provide evidence of governing body effectiveness ?

Can you show that you have considered issues of Best Value when making resource decisions ?

Can you evidence your evaluation of evidence/information you have asked for ?

Are you all ready to explain the effectiveness of the school to an Ofsted team ?


Governing Body evidence

Minutes – do they show you have asked the critical friend questions? Is there evidence of strategic discussion?

Governor visits – are they linked to the School Plan and SEF ? Do they link back to the work of the committees ?


Revisit the outcomes of the session

Governors will have an understanding of the strengths and

weaknesses of their school be able to determine priorities for action in

their school understand the school self evaluation

process and the information governors need be ready for an Ofsted inspection.

knowing your school

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