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Guidance

Curriculum andStandards

Secondary schoolmiddle leadersStatus: Recommended

Date of issue: 12-2005

Ref: 2076-2005DCL-EN

Middle leaders’ self-evaluation guide

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© Crown copyright 2005 Secondary National Strategy2076-2005DCL-EN Middle leaders’ self-evaluation guide 1

Contents

About this guide 2

Middle leaders’ role in school self-evaluation 3

Roles and responsibilities 6

Views of stakeholders and pupil development (SEF 2 and SEF 4) 8

Achievement and standards (SEF 3) 12

The quality of provision (SEF 5) 15

Leadership and management (SEF 6) 19

Overall effectiveness and efficiency (SEF 7) 22

Further reading 24

About this guide

This guidance is aimed at middle leaders in secondary schools: subject andyear leaders, SENCOs and other coordinators of aspects of school improvement.It provides guidance for middle leaders in evaluating the performance of their teamsand the teams’ impact on pupils. It is designed to support middle leaders’ contributionto the school self-evaluation process, and the inspection process, through evidencegathering and making judgements. Middle leaders play a crucial role in developingand sustaining the nature and quality of pupils’ learning experience. Within their areaof responsibility, they shape and lead the quality of provision and standards pupilsachieve. They influence outcomes in other areas of the school. They can act as thegatekeepers of standards and innovation; they are the leaders closest to the classroom.

It is essential to school improvement that they participate fully in school self-evaluationto decide priorities and next steps for the school improvement plan.

Self-evaluation is fundamental to school improvement and raising standards. It is also now a significant aspect of school inspection. This guide helps middleleaders to develop and refine their evidence and analytical processes. This can ensurethat leadership, management, teaching and learning are systematically monitored andevaluated and findings acted upon, and that this leads to further improved outcomesand raised standards for pupils. Middle leaders will wish to contribute to seniorleadership teams’ monitoring and evaluation processes.

This guide:

• sets out some underlying principles in relation to the inspection self-evaluation guidance and requirements;

• sets out the responsibilities of middle leaders in contributing to school self-evaluation and in using it to ensure improvement;

• provides examples and guidance on self-evaluation.

Secondary National Strategy © Crown copyright 2005Middle leaders’ self-evaluation guide 2076-2005DCL-EN2

Middle leaders’ role in schoolself-evaluation

Effective school improvement through self-evaluation is essential in promotingthe achievement of high standards.

A New Relationship with Schools: Improving Performance through School Self-evaluation (DfES 1290-2005DOC-EN) explains the role of self-evaluation in school improvement as follows.

• Rigorous self-evaluation helps schools to improve; it should not be undertaken solely for the purpose of inspection.

• Schools should shape for themselves a process that is simple and integrated withtheir routine management systems.

• Schools must listen to and do something about the views of their stakeholders.

• The school’s recorded summary of its self-evaluation process (the inspection’s self-evaluation form) should be updated at least annually and include information about the impact of its action on learners; assertions and lists of initiatives are unhelpful.

The new inspection framework requires schools to undertake a process of annual self-evaluation, recording this by completing a self-evaluation form, the SEF. This SEFis made available to the inspection team at the time of inspection, but will contributeto annual discussions of the school improvement plan.

The SEF is ‘a summative document, intended to record the outcomes of this rigorousprocess’. A school will fit this process in with the normal cycle of review and planning.It needs to be an accurate diagnostic document supported by evidence. It shouldindicate strengths and weaknesses, and what needs to be tackled to improve.

The SEF asks the school to grade itself on aspects 2–7 below.

Key aspects

1 The main characteristics of the school2 The views of learners, parents/carers and other stakeholders3 Achievement and standards4 Personal development and well-being5 The quality of provision6 Leadership and management7 Overall effectiveness and efficiency

Grades

1 Outstanding

2 Good

3 Satisfactory

4 Inadequate


The middle leader’s role is to contribute to the evidence, comments andjudgements needed for their area of responsibility.

Middle leader roles can vary, as they can centre on subject or faculty, year or key stage,and different aspect coordination such as special educational needs (SEN), gifted andtalented (G&T), literacy, numeracy and ICT across the curriculum, English as anadditional language (EAL)/ethnic minority achievement (EMA), interventionprogrammes, or careers. Subject and year leader roles are clearly identified in thebooklet. However, other roles are explored. Each middle leader can identify their rolesfrom this booklet as appropriate to context and need.

Ofsted has said of subject areas where practice is effective:

• there is a systematic approach to the monitoring of teaching and learning and of progress in implementing action plans;

• departments evaluate regularly and pupil progress data is routinely analysed;

• there are clear lines of accountability and the structures for performancemanagement are known, understood and implemented;

• senior leaders support departments with planning, training and observation;

• analysis of pupils’ performance has improved and targets are set for individualpupils, validated against previous results;

• underperformance is tackled promptly and rigorously.

However, the use of a range of evidence including pupil progress data to monitorsubject performance is still undeveloped in many schools.

These subject area comments apply to other areas led by middle leaders.

Essentially, the middle leader contributes to whole-school self-evaluation by:

• judging standards;

• evaluating teaching and learning;

• securing improvement.

Individual middle leaders will have different perspectives on these three areas.

Key questions are always: How well are we doing? and How can we do better?


Recent research has found that:

• Middle leaders have a vital role in sustaining and developing all pupils’ learning

experiences and achievements and raising standards for all

• Senior leader teams need and expect all middle leaders to be engaged

in whole-school developments

• The most effective schools have leadership that stretches beyond the senior

team and includes various levels of leadership within the school

In their area of responsibility, middle leaders assess the impact on pupils and standards of:

• provision – teaching, curriculum, care, guidance, support;

• levels of management;

• aspects special to a school, e.g. ethnic diversity, specialisms, religious character;

• links between the school and other agencies.

Middle leaders develop monitoring processes to provide information on pupils andprovision that significantly contribute to whole-school self-evaluation. They ask thefollowing key questions.

• How well does the aspect (subject, year, initiative) serve its learners?

• How does it compare with the best schools and the best comparable schools?

• Is it integral to the school’s key management systems?

• Is it based on a good range of telling evidence?

• Does it involve key people in the school and seek the views of parents/carers,learners, staff, external agencies?

• Does it lead to action and fit the school’s longer-term development goals?

All staff will contribute to an understanding of and information about thecharacteristics of the school (SEF 1). They will do this partly through evidencegathered for the other questions. The following sections explore how middleleader roles and evidence contribute to the other questions and school evaluation. It is important to make connections between the evidence and analysis necessaryin each SEF question. To support this process, one section combines two questions:views of stakeholders and pupil well-being (SEF 2 and SEF 4).



Roles and responsibilities

The following Table 1 outlines key roles and responsibilities for senior leaders,middle leaders and teachers in contributing to school self-evaluation.

Table 1 – Roles and responsibilities

Judge standards

•Analyse and interpretdata on pupils’attainment in thesubject

•Review with teacherstheir assessments ofprogress for classes,identified groups andindividuals

•Sample pupils’ work

•Discuss work,progress andattitudes withsamples of pupils

•Construct and monitorstrategies to gatherthe views of otherstakeholders

Evaluate teachingand learning

•Evaluate schemesof work to ensurethat they focuson consistent andeffective teachingand learning

•Observe teachingand feed back tocolleagues

•Review teachers’planning

•Provide evidence ofsubject contributionsto learners’ personaldevelopment (pupilinterviews, pupil peerassessment and self-assessment, linkswith other subjects,promoting independentlearning)

Judge standards

•Manage the use ofpupil transfer dataacross years, keystages and subjectareas

•Lead the use of datawithin the school’sacademic review cycle

•Feed backimplications fromassessments, reports,communicationswith parents/carersto subject areas

•Analyse pupilassessment dataacross subjectsto establish cross-curricular provisionfor additional support,intervention orextension

•Lead on supportingstandards of pupilwell-being

Evaluate teachingand learning

•Work with othermiddle leadersto support good,consistent teaching

•Communicateoutcomes of pupilreviews to othermiddle leaders

•Monitor the impactof teaching andprovision acrossgroups of pupils andsubject areas

•Take into accountand constantly reviewschool contextualfactors and priorattainment whenplanning andteaching lessons

•Provide means ofgathering stakeholderviews in line withsubject and yearpolicies – pupil self-assessment,questionnaires,interactive lessons,fostering pupilviewpoint

•Keep records of testresults and teacherassessments tocontribute to schooland subject/yearevaluation

•Set pupils’ targetsand ensure thatprogress is trackedthrough a range ofstrategies in linewith the school-widesystem

•Reflect on theeffectiveness ofteaching strategies,individual lessons andschemes of work inmeeting the needs ofall pupils and ensuringthat progress is made

•Analyse and presentkey school contextualfactors that framedevelopment priorities

•Gather, analyseand take intoaccount views oflearners, parents/carers and otherstakeholders froma range of sources

•Provide overalljudgements ofachievement,standards and cross-curricularaspects based onexamination results,teacher assessment,PANDA, the PAT,lesson observationand other sources

•Gather a range of data on learners’personal development,including behaviourand attendance,progress andachievement incurricular and extra-curricular activitiesand judge theprovision against thequality of thisdevelopment

•Analyse hard evidenceon the quality ofprovision (teaching,resources, guidance)linked to the qualityof learning and pupiloutcomes, e.g. subjectand aspect reviews

Senior leaders Subject leaders Year leaders Teachers


Lead sustainableimprovement

•Lead discussion aboutpriorities

•Agree targets forraising attainmentwithin the context ofwhole-school targets

•Lead improvementin teaching

•Lead the review,construction andresourcing of thecurriculum

•Liaise with othermiddle leadersand teachers to shareand collaborate inapproaches that willsupport successin your own areafor pupils

•Liaise with and keepinformed schoolleaders

•Identify and providefor staff training anddevelopment needs

Lead sustainableimprovement

•Secure partnershipswith parents/carersin raising attainment

•Set targets for pupils’achievement acrossthe year group andwork with subjectareas to organiseappropriateintervention to addressunderperformance

•Lead on securingpositive attendance,attitudes and well-being to supportlearning andattainment

•Liaise with othermiddle leaders andteachers to shareand collaborate inapproaches that willsupport success inyour own area forpupils

•Liaise with and keepinformed schoolleaders

•Identify and providefor staff training anddevelopment needs

•Apply establishedguidance on effectiveteaching to yourlessons, to ensure useof appropriatepedagogy, teachingrepertoire andresources and feedback to colleagueson their effectiveness

•Evaluate lessons,incorporating pupils’views and responses,in order to reflect andact on strengths,achievements andareas for development

•Adapt lessons andidentify next stepsin response tomonitoring andevaluation,performancemanagementprocesses, schoolpolicy and findingsfrom any other reviewprocesses

•Engage in actionresearch in theclassroom to developand improve practice

•Encourage colleaguesto observe yourlessons and beprepared to observeothers to identify andshare good practice

•Deliver agreedschemes of work,lessons and pedagogyand ensure thatagreed pupil learningoutcomes are met

•Contribute to subject,year and otherreviews of provision –teaching, use of ICT,homework records,mentoring

•Judge the leadershipand managementof the school throughthe impact on pupilsand staff

•Ensure that the rangeof evidence is strong

•Ensure consistencyacross judgements

•Provide systems andprocesses thatsupport middleleaders and teachersin gathering andanalysing evidence,setting targets andprioritisingimprovements

•Bring together allthe above evaluationsto judge the overalleffectiveness of theprovision, determinethe steps neededto improve and buildcapacity for furtherimprovement

•Locate self-evaluationoutcomes within theschool improvementplan

Senior leaders Subject leaders Year leaders Teachers


Views of stakeholders and pupildevelopment (SEF 2 and SEF 4)

• What are the views of learners, parents/carers and other stakeholders?

• How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?

When schools make efforts to consult with and take note of ‘the pupil voice’, pupils tend to be more positive in their approach to learning and to school. The relationshipbetween a school and the community is most effective when parents/carers aresupportive contributors and partners rather than passive recipients and helpers.

Middle leaders can gain insights into the quality of provision in their subject or pastoral area by eliciting pupils’ views through informal and formal routes:

• pupil interviews, surveys and focus groups and the school council;

• homework diaries;

• parents’ evenings/progress and target-setting meetings;

• questionnaires;

• self-evaluation activities embedded in schemes of work;

The process should involve a variety of approaches to gathering views andperceptions from pupils, parents/carers and other stakeholders. It may involve:

• conversations about teaching and learning;

• seeking advice about new initiatives;

• inviting comment on ways of solving problems;

• inviting evaluative comment on recent developments in school or classroompolicy and practice.

The important issue is not how a school collects evidence, but what it already does andthe actions that are taken as a result of gathering the evidence.

In October the Year 7 coordinator sent a questionnaire to parents/carers to canvass viewson how well their children had settled into school, whether the induction process had beensuccessful and how their children were coping with the transition. One question was:On average, how long does your child spend each evening completing their homework?

Replies were received from a large proportion of the parents/carers. Responses to thisquestion varied so significantly that the year leader investigated further. He monitoredhomework diaries from each teaching group to check when homework had been set, whathad been assigned and whether there were any differentiated tasks. He talked to a sampleof pupils from each Year 7 teaching group. The process revealed that some teaching groupsreceived much less homework than others and there were a number of homeworkassignments set that simply required ‘finishing off’. The year leader worked with the subjectleaders and senior management team to ensure that the quality and consistency ofhomework improved.

A spring term survey of parents’/carers’ views showed improved consistency in time spenton homework. The parent/carer surveys provided valuable information that fed into theschool self-evaluation process.


The following Table 2 explores questions and evidence relevant to gathering, analysingand acting on the views of stakeholders (SEF 2) and pupil development (SEF 4).

Table 2 – Views of stakeholders and pupil development

Do you have any formal processesfor collecting pupil views aboutyour subject or development areaor year group experience?

What do you do with theinformation that you collect?

Do parents/carers feel welcomein the school and in your area?

What percentage of parents/carersattend parents’ evenings or pupilreview interviews?

What percentage of parents/carers attend the annual reportof governors? How manyparents/carers attend PTAmeetings or fundraising events?How does this compare withmeetings or events pertinentto your area of responsibilitythat you have organised?

What do parents/carers andlearners think of your schoolor curriculum area?

How do you collect evidenceabout your pupils’ attitudes tolessons in your curriculum area?Do pupils enjoy coming to learnin your subject or year?

Do year coordinators routinelyanalyse attendance data andidentify internal and externaltruanting? How are these issuesfollowed up at pupil level?

Do particular individuals or groupsof pupils reveal negative attitudesor poor behaviour? How have youinvestigated the causes?

Do year leaders promote healthychoices through assemblies, PHSEprogrammes and tutor time?

Have you identified those aspectsof your curriculum area that cancontribute to developing healthylifestyles?

Consult form groups, year orschool councils to gain informationand pupil perceptions. Buildopportunities for representativesto air views with their peers beforeand after meetings. Instigate actionbased on the opinions gathered.

Use surveys, questionnairesor pupil interviews to collectformal feedback.

Ensure that you consider a varietyof sample sizes and collectionmethods, e.g. organise a writtenevaluation or questionnaire froma small sample, a tick boxquestionnaire from a whole groupof pupils, a conversation withpairs of pupils.

Invite parents/carers and otherstakeholders to contributeto subject or year reviews.

Invite parent/carer feedbackon initiatives you have instigated.

Collect behaviour and attendancedata as additional evidence ofpupils’ enjoyment of school.

Keep records of incidents andissues dealt with at year leaderlevel and analyse for patterns.

Tackle negative attitudes to school through a varietyof strategies, e.g. assemblies,PHSE programmes, mentoring andbuddy systems. Monitor the effectand impact of your interventions.

Ensure that you ask supplyteachers about their views of thework set and the response of thepupils. An outsider’s perspective,particularly where the supplyteacher has worked in severalother schools, may help to identifyissues and solutions.

2 What are the views of learners,parents/carers and otherstakeholders and how do you know?

2a How do you gather the viewsof learners, parents/carers andother stakeholders, such as thoseaccessing additional services?How often do you do this and howdo you ensure the impartialityof information?

4 How good is the overalldevelopment and well-being of learners?

4a To what extent do learnersadopt healthy lifestyles?

• Do learners take adequate physical exercise and eat anddrink healthily?

• Do learners understand howto live a healthy lifestyle?

4b To what extent do learners feelsafe and adopt safe practices?

• Do learners feel safe frombullying and racist incidents?

• Do learners have theconfidence to talk to staff andothers when they feel at risk?

4c How much do learners enjoytheir education? Take account of:

• learners’ attitudes, behaviourand attendance

• learners’ spiritual, moral,social, emotional and culturaldevelopment.

SEF question Questions for middle leaders Possible sources of evidence


What do pupils and otherstakeholders feel needsimprovement and what action isbeing taken?

How do supply teachers feel aboutthe school and your curriculumarea in particular?

Do you involve and informparents/carers fully as partnersin providing for the particularneeds of their child?

Are parents/carers provided withgood quality information aboutyour subject or aspect and howwell their child is making progress?

Is the school code of conductbased on rules, rights andresponsibilities? How is thisapplied in your area?

Do links with parents/carers,such as the use of home–schoolagreements, contribute to policyand practice in your subject or area of responsibility?

Do you arrange regular pupilprogress reviews involving learnersand their parents/carers?

How is active participation inschool life encouraged at subject,year or other levels? What specificactivities do you organise orcontribute to?

Is the school council a genuineforum for discussion and potentialchange?

Are pupils involved in staffappointments?

Are there opportunities forlearners to contribute to writingtheir own reports and forparents/carers to comment?

Are pupil self-assessmentand peer assessment regularlyincorporated into schemes of work and lesson planning?

Undertake a mapping exercise withyear and subject leaders to ensurethat aspects of diet, nutrition andhealth are identified and omissionsaddressed.

Give parents/carers an opportunityto feed back and comment on thereporting process and what theythink of the quality of informationthey receive.

Encourage a dialogue betweenhome and school by invitingparents/carers to write inhomework diaries/logs andexercise books, where appropriate.

Ensure that lines of communicationare open.

Build pupil self-evaluationactivities into schemes of workin order to provide feedback on the curriculum and pedagogicalapproaches and their effectiveness.

Conduct sample interviews anddiscussions with groups of pupilson key aspects of school.

From lesson observations,identify views on learning andattitudes to inform future planning.

Year or subject grouprepresentatives and schoolcouncils can explore andcomment on pupil involvementin the community.

Keep records on the involvementof pupils in events and school life.

Keep records of all visitors’views of your school and areaof responsibility and how youfollowed them up whereappropriate, e.g. LA advisers,community visitors.

2b What do the views of learners,parents/carers and otherstakeholders tell you aboutlearners’ standards, personaldevelopment and well-being andthe quality of provision?

4d How well do learners makea positive contribution to thecommunity?

• How well do learnersunderstand their rights andresponsibilities and thoseof others?

• How well do learnersexpress their views and takepart in communal activities?



Is there regular communicationwith parents/carers and the widercommunity such as throughnewsletters or a school website?

Do pupils have responsibilityfor communication, for exampleby managing some pages of theschool website?

How do you seek out and sharesuccess in your subject or areaof responsibility?

When developing your curriculumaction plans, at what point in theprocess do you canvass the viewsof all stakeholders?

When and how might you adapta scheme of work, a policy orapproach as a result ofstakeholders’ views?

At what point in the school yeardo you review progress and how doyou build into the process furtheropportunities for communicationwith other stakeholders?

How do you demonstrateto stakeholders that their viewsare valued and that you will actupon them?

Make sure that you make a regularcontribution to newsletters aboutthe area for which you haveresponsibility.

Inform parents/carers, governorsand other stakeholders of mattersof interest, successes and resultsof surveys.

Use the school website to establish a partnershipin learning with parents/carers.Publish homework assignmentsand give advice to parents/carerson how they can support theirchild to complete these.

Build stakeholders’ views intothe annual review of your subjector area of responsibility. Reflecton the evidence and ensure thatthe information informs youraction plan.

Organise events designedto inform parents/carers aboutkey issues in your area ofresponsibility, e.g. hold a meetingto inform parents/carers of thedemands and expectations of aparticular course or to familiarisethem with aspects of learningin which pupils will be involved.

Invite governors to attendassemblies or events that youhave organised in your area.

Include external support in anyaction plan and evaluation, e.g.consultant support for teaching,LA review of your area.

2c How do you share withparents/carers and otherstakeholders the collatedfindings about their views?

2d Can you give examplesof actions you have taken basedon the views of learners, parents/carers and other stakeholders, withan evaluation of the effectivenessof what you did?

• Are there examples of actions you decided notto take (and why)?

• Are there examples of waysin which your stakeholdershave influenced priorities?



Achievement and standards (SEF 3)

• What are the standards that pupils reach in your subject or area of responsibility?

• Do learners achieve their targets and are the targets adequately challenging?

• How well do learners progress relative to their starting points and capabilities?

There is a range of indicators and evidence that might be used to help you to evaluateoutcomes for pupils. In particular, you should investigate any differences in standardsattained by different groups of pupils in your area of leadership, such as year, sets andclasses, girls, boys, pupils with SEN or EAL, G&T pupils, and pupils from particularcommunities. Consider trends over time and compare the standards attained by thesegroups with national and LA information as well as their achievements in other areaswithin your school. The important point here is that, once you have asked thequestions, undertaken the analysis and investigated your hypothesis, some actionrelated to teaching and learning is taken as a result.

The new head of history in school A undertook a detailed analysis of standards in historywith the support of a senior leader. A variety of evidence was used, including numericalassessment data, information from pupil work scrutiny and lesson observations. The dataanalysis revealed some large discrepancies in standards between some classes in Years 8and 9. Further investigation showed that standards overall were, in fact, in line with therest of the year group and with school and national expectations. However, two membersof the department required support with assessing pupils’ work. As a result, the headof department organised departmental moderation meetings to ensure more robustassessment and to develop clearer team understanding of standards and progressionwithin the subject.

The head of Year 8 reviewed progress across the year group in preparation for parents’evening. All subject staff completed reports which included assessment information as well as comments on progress, approaches to learning, homework and behaviour.The school used a software package for analysing numerical assessment data andtracking progress. The head of year and school data manager produced additionalanalysis of information about pupils’ progress from Years 6 to 8, and the progress of different groups of pupils. Having read through all the subject reports and consideredthe numerical data analysis, the head of year identified two main issues. A significantnumber of boys, particularly those in two teaching groups, were not making progressacross a number of subjects. There was also one subject where pupils’ attainmentwas significantly below attainment in other subjects.

These two priorities were investigated more thoroughly through discussions with staff,lesson observations, work scrutiny and pupil interviews. An action plan was put in placein order to address the issues of boys’ underachievement

The head of department, a new member of staff, was supported by his line managerto develop the action plan to address the issues.

The EAL coordinator used the PAT to review assessment data across each year group.This process enabled him to prioritise a particular group of pupils who would requireadditional support. It also demonstrated that some work in one subject area in theprevious term had had a significant impact on results in that subject. This confirmedthat the additional intervention should continue in the coming academic year.


The following Table 3 explores questions and possible sources of evidence to supportmiddle leaders’ contribution to SEF 3, the evaluation of achievement and standards.

Table 3 – Achievement and standards

What are the standards reachedin your subject, year or aspect?

Is attainment in your subject areain line with expectations and othersubjects in your school?

Compared with other areas in theschool, are there individual pupilsor groups of pupils who areachieving less well in your subject?

What range of evidence is beingused to monitor pupils’ progressin your subject or year group?

What does analysis of assessmentinformation tell you about pupils’learning in your subject or yeargroup? Are any strengths orweaknesses revealed?

Do reviews highlight individualsor groups achieving above orbelow expectations? ConsiderSEN, G&T, EAL, gender, ethniccommunity, teaching or formgroups.What actions are takento support and challengethese pupils?

Do teaching programmes giveopportunities to address all areasof weakness identified? If not,how will you address this?

Can weakness be addressedthrough cross-curricular links withother areas or staff in the school?

Do your subject, year or aspectmeetings allow time for discussionof information on pupil outcomesand how it is used to improveprogress?

Collect evidence, such asPANDA, FFT (Fischer Family Trust)benchmarking data, subjectsystems for tracking, school andcurriculum targets, analysis of IEPtargets and achievement, subjectresiduals.

Use the PAT or similar toolsto analyse statutory test resultsincluding item level analysis.Interrogate the data from otherforms of assessment such asoptional tests, progress testsand accreditation. Use value-added information. Benchmarkperformance.Analyse attendancefigures.

Include other assessmentinformation, such as end-of-termunit assessments, mockexaminations, coursework,portfolios of work, Yellis, CATs, -to give a more accurate snapshotof attainment. Use informationfrom peer assessment and self-assessment activities.

Complete a subject, year or aspect audit to identifystrengths, weaknesses and nextsteps, e.g. Key Stage 3 subjectaudit, ICTAC review, assessmentself-evaluation.

When appropriate, consider thelast Ofsted inspection judgements.How have you acted upon them?

Undertake a review of day-to-daymarking and assessment bycompleting a pupil exercise bookand work scrutiny.

Use review findings to identifyweaker aspects of provision,e.g. teaching, learning, guidance,welfare, and recommendadjustments to programmesas necessary. Provide leadershipand support for teachers whereappropriate.

3 How well do learners achieve?

3a What are the learners’achievements and standards intheir work? Take account of:

• the standards learners reachas indicated by their test andexamination results

• significant variations betweengroups of learners, subjects,courses and key stages; trendsover time; comparisons withother schools; whether learnersreach learning targets

• the standards of learners’current work in relation to theirlearning goals

• learners’ progress relative tostarting points and capabilities.

3b Where relevant: how well dolearners achieve in the sixth form?

3c On the basis of your evaluation,what are your key priorities forimprovement?



Work with teachers and tutorsto ensure that they understand thenature of pupils’ progression andexpected standards and areprovided with the data to informthat understanding.

Monitor pupils’ progresstowards targets regularly, usingcomparative data, work sampling,lesson observation, pupilinterviews.

Work with teachers and seniorleaders to provide interventionprogrammes where pupils’ needsare not met within normal lessonsor programmes.

Work with tutors to review pupils’progress across the school andacross a range of expectations.

Use information from academicreview days and academicmentoring to inform action.

Set up and/or support systems andopportunities for pupils to discussspecific and overall progress withtutors or teachers.



The quality of provision (SEF 5)

• How well do teaching and resources promote learning, address the full rangeof learners’ needs and meet National Curriculum and course requirements?

• Is suitable and rigorous assessment used in planning and monitoring learners’progress?

• How are additional learning needs diagnosed and provided for?

As a middle leader you will need to consider:

• how well teaching and resources promote learning, address the full range oflearners’ needs and meet course requirements;

• the suitability and rigour of assessment in planning and monitoring learners’progress;

• the diagnosis of, and provision for, additional learning needs;

• how you are going to get the evidence;

• what you are going to do.

A well-planned and detailed self-evaluation is essential to identify where strengths andweakness in teaching and learning lie, and to identify the right priorities for action. Thekey aspects of improvement that are prioritised will then form part of the action plan,linked with the school improvement plan, for your subject, year or area of responsibility.Collecting and making sense of your findings, diagnosing the precise nature of thestrengths and weakness and the implications for change and then setting prioritiescan be a complex task. However, the effective middle leader can develop a detailedunderstanding as part of a continuous, structured cycle over time if the approachis systematic and integrated into the routine management systems.

The G&T coordinator was asked to the review progress of G&T pupils as part of theannual school review process. Data analysis formed part of this review and the schooldata manager was helpful in providing a range of evidence that looked at the progress of the identified pupils against their peers. The G&T coordinator also arranged interviewswith a sample of pupils and teachers and some lesson observations. What emerged wasthat a number of the G&T pupils did not feel challenged or engaged in their lessons. Theirteachers often recognised this but were unsure how to tackle the issues.

The coordinator worked with a focus group of teachers to develop some teachingstrategies and resources as exemplars of good practice. The teachers presented theirideas in a staff meeting and departments were asked to include the issue in their nextmeetings. The G&T coordinator worked with heads of subject to ensure that schemesof work and teaching plans addressed the needs of the most able pupils. The G&Tcoordinator also observed a sample of lessons and supported one particular department in developing the schemes of work to address the needs of the pupils.

This process was followed up by further pupil interviews which revealed someimprovements. The G&T coordinator recognised the need to revisit the issue frequently.


The following Table 4 identifies questions and possible sources of evidencemiddle leaders can use to contribute to SEF 5, the quality of provision.

Table 4 – The quality of provision

Is pupils’ achievement in yourarea high?

Do pupils show engagement,application and concentration?

Do pupils acquire new knowledge,skills and understanding?

Are pupils able to discuss anddevelop their ideas?

Are pupils able to work bothcollaboratively and independently?

Are there good relationships in the classroom?

How well is pupils’ progressassessed and monitored?Are lesson plans adapted to take account of assessmentinformation?

Do teachers have excellent subjectknowledge and understanding?Are they able to make thisaccessible to pupils?

Do lessons have clear learningobjectives and use a wide rangeof teaching strategies to addressthe needs of learners?

Is classroom managementconsistently good with well-established routines?

Do pupils understand what isrequired of them, how well they aredoing and how they can improve?

Organise regular observationsof lessons or specific partsof lessons.

Arrange for year leaders toshadow a class across a numberof subjects. Focus on themessuch as consistency across andbetween subjects in managingbehaviour, lesson structure,pedagogy, expectations, paceand challenge.

Ensure regular discussion withyour team about teaching andlearning. Ensure that it is astanding item on team meetingagendas.

Provide opportunities for teachersto share good practice with othermembers of the team.

Create opportunities for formalfeedback from pupils aboutteaching and learning in yoursubject area or year group.

Clarify CPD requirements forstaff in your subject or year teamthrough performance reviews.

Ensure that CPD contributesto improvements in teaching andlearning. Create feedback timefor the subject or year team.

Build in time to share practice. Setup coaching pairs or trios to workon particular teaching techniques.

Invite team members to delivertraining, thus building capacity andutilising skills and knowledge.

Scrutinise lesson plans andschemes of work; organisecollaborative planning sessionsto address the weaknessesidentified.

Ensure that learning objectives andsuccess criteria are clear to pupils.

5a How good is the qualityof teaching and learning?Take account of:

• how well teaching meetsthe needs of the full rangeof learners and courserequirements

• the suitability and rigourof assessment in planninglearning and monitoringlearners’ progress

• the diagnosis of, and provisionfor, individual learning needs

• the involvement ofparents/carers in their child’slearning and development.



Are lessons well paced andappropriately pitched?

Are activities and demandsmatched to pupils’ needs?

Is teaching stimulating andchallenging for all pupils?

Is a variety of teaching methodsused?

Are lessons appropriatelydifferentiated to address the fullability range in your subject area?

As a year leader, are you confidentthat the needs of particular groupsof pupils are met across thecurriculum, e.g. G&T?

Are there opportunities to enrichthe curriculum by bringing inexpertise and experience fromoutside the school? What specificactivities have you organised inyour subject area or year group?

Have you made specific links withwork experience in your subject?Do you build on or incorporate anyactivities related to workexperience into your subject area?How does your subject contributeto the development of relevantwork-related skills?

Visit several lessons over thecourse of a week, a few minutesinto the lesson or at the end.On each occasion, ask pupilswhat they are learning today andhow they will know they havesucceeded.

Monitor and review the work ofteaching assistants in your subject.Talk to pupils about how effectivethey find any support given.

Scrutinise schemes of workand subject planning.

Regularly monitor a selectionof pupils’ exercise books andconduct work scrutiny.

Monitor homework diariesand planners.

Create opportunities fordiscussion with pupils.

Give parents/carers opportunitiesto contribute their views.

Investigate and review specificthemes, e.g. ‘opportunities to workin a team’. Year leaders are wellplaced to look at cross-curricularissues which may not beaddressed in single subject areas.Shadowing pupils, scrutinisingbooks, pupil interviews and focusgroups allow a range of evidenceto be gathered on specific themes.

As a year team, identify activities,trips and events involving outsideexpertise or links with the widercommunity. Map which classes,form groups, individuals or groupshave been involved. Have all pupilshad opportunities to participate?

Ensure that curriculum andpastoral support for absent pupilsare followed up and recorded.

5b How well do the curriculum andother activities meet the range ofneeds and interests of learners?Take account of:

• the extent to which thecurriculum or activities matchlearners’ needs, aspirationsand capabilities, building onprior attainment andexperience

• how far the curriculum meetsthe external requirements andis responsive to localcircumstances

• the extent to which theprovision enables andencourages learners to behealthy and stay safe

• the extent to which learnershave opportunities to developenterprise and financial skillsand work in teams

• the extent to which enrichmentactivities and, whereappropriate, extended servicescontribute to learners’enjoyment and achievement

• where appropriate, the extentto which employers’ needs aremet through developing work-related skills.



How does your team collaboratewith mentors, support assistantsand other professionals?

As year leader, how do youensure that school policies areimplemented across thecurriculum?

What arrangements are in placefor children who requirecounselling or other supportservices?

Are teaching assistants effectivelydeployed to support learning?

Are teaching assistants wellcoordinated and involvedin lessons?

In your area of responsibility howdo you support the most vulnerablepupils? Do you know whichlearners are looked-after children?

Are there clear lines ofcommunication and responsibilitybetween subject, pastoral andother development areas?

Ensure that middle leaders meet as a team and that there is nota pastoral/curriculum divide thatimpedes communication.

Plan strategies so that yourteam communicates and actsupon any information receivedfrom the SENCO, year leader andform tutors regarding issuesof pupil welfare.

Map opportunities in your areaof responsibility for ensuringthat pupils receive appropriatecareers guidance.

5c How well are learners guidedand supported? Take account of:

• the care, including asappropriate integrated daycare, advice, guidance andother support provided tolearners to safeguard welfare,promote personal developmentand allow them to make goodprogress in their work

• the quality and accessibilityof information, advice andguidance to learners in relationto course and programme,and, where applicable,career progression

• the extent to which the schooland any additional servicescontribute to learners’ capacityto be healthy, includingvulnerable groups such aslooked-after children.



Leadership and management (SEF 6)

• How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement andsupporting all learners?

This is a complex area for self-evaluation. Rigorous analysis and judgements need to be made. This includes making judgements on staff and organisational outcomes,and, importantly, pupil outcomes. All or most aspects of the area of responsibilitymust be effective for leadership and management to be judged effective.

Effective leadership entails a wide range of aspects that drive improvement andcontribute to evidence of school self-evaluation, including:

• having a long-term view;

• inspiring and enthusing colleagues and supporting professional development;

• evaluating schemes of work and curriculum provision;

• agreeing targets to raise pupils’ attainment;

• interpreting pupil attainment data and performance;

• evaluating teacher performance and feeding back;

• ensuring that school policies are applied;

• reporting to governors on standards;

• coordinating reporting to parents/carers.

Middle leaders need to explore, develop and make clear the strategies they useto monitor and evaluate their own leadership and management.

Many schools use external agency monitoring and evaluation to support their own:

• inspection reports;

• LA reviews of whole-school aspects or subject areas;

• LA advisers and consultants, e.g. in the areas of teaching and learning, behaviourand attendance, SEN, EAL and EMA, assessment, welfare;

• other ‘independent’ advisers or inspectors, e.g. those involved in HMI good practiceor subject visits, bought-in consultants.

Appropriate inclusion of these in any action plans will contribute to self-evaluation.

A school’s recent Ofsted inspection report identified two areas to improve – standards andteaching in a core subject, and attendance across Years 9 and 10. School self-evaluationrelied on evidence from middle leaders to record improvements. The core subject receivedsupport from a LA secondary consultant, working with teachers on key teaching strategiesand team consistency, and with the subject leader to develop monitoring of lessons. Thesubject leader collected evidence of improvements through lesson observation and the PATto analyse results class by class. The year leaders implemented strategies through tutorsand subject teachers to identify earlier patterns of poor attendance or disengagement,including learning targets for underperforming groups of pupils. They worked with the LAattendance consultant and EWO to target key classes where groups of pupils disengagedand lacked parent/carer support. Certain parents/carers were contacted more frequentlyto enlist support. The evidence was collected through a range of sources: attendancerecords, consultant monitoring, subject leader/teacher comment.

Both year and subject leaders monitored the impact of the external agents and their ownstrategies, supported by the SLT termly progress review. LA improvement agreementsalso included consultant and LAI contribution to the school’s evaluation.


The following Table 5 explores middle leaders’ contribution to evaluating leadershipand management, SEF 6.

Table 5 – Leadership and management

Is there sufficient staffing in placeto support the curriculum and meetpupils’ learning needs?

Are staff training needs identified?

Are training, follow-up andoutcomes monitored andevaluated?

Is performance management ofstaff in line with school proceduresand systematic? Does it produceimprovement for staff and pupils?

Are there sufficient resources tosupport the curriculum, effectiveteaching and the learning needs ofpupils, e.g. in ICT?

Are parents/carers systematicallyprovided with useful, relevantinformation, e.g. aims,programmes of study,expectations, standards andprogress, guidance?

Are parents appropriatelycontacted to convey extrainformation or seek furthersupport, e.g. on intervention,attendance, underachievement,homework, attitude andbehaviour?

Does your aspect provide aresource for or draw from the localcommunity?

Do you contribute effectively toschool transfer of pupils to ensurestrong continuity of learning andsupport?

Do you hold regular teammeetings?

Does your team contribute toleadership and management? Howdo you foster collaborativeapproaches in your aspect?

Do you show clear vision, a senseof purpose and high expectationfor the aspect and staff you lead?

Provide opportunities for regularand systematic team review ofprogress and priorities, e.g. teammeetings, group or one-to-onediscussions.

Use a range of strategiesto monitor and evaluate lessons,e.g. as part of performancemanagement, other observationsrelated to school developments.

Support and follow up externalagents’ comments and activities.

Involve others in aspects ofleadership and management,ensuring a sense of teamworkand collaboration.

Provide opportunities foridentification of training needs;follow these up with CPD(internal or external).

Support strategies fordissemination of good andconsistent practice.

Devise a development action planbased on pupil outcomes as partof the school improvement cycle.

Ensure that the school vision andpolicies are implementedconsistently and thoroughly.

Follow up any key issues arisingfor low performance amongteachers or other staff.

Liaise with other middle leadersto share and use information.

Work with colleagues to developa shared understanding of schooland aspect vision and policies,including a shared understandingof teaching and learningexpectations, e.g. NationalCurriculum levels, GCSE gradecriteria, pupil profiling, care andguidance, procedures for pupilabsence, homework, classroommanagement.

6a What is the overall effectivenessand efficiency of leadership andmanagement? Take account of:

• how effectively leaders andmanagers at all levels set cleardirection leading toimprovement, and promotehigh quality of integrated careand education

• how effectively performanceis monitored and improvedto meet challenging targetsthrough quality assuranceand self-assessment

• how well equality of opportunityis promoted and discriminationtackled so that all learnersachieve their potential (i.e.inclusion)

• the adequacy and suitability ofstaff, specialist equipment,learning resources andaccommodation

• how effectively and efficientlyresources are deployed toachieve value for money

• how effectively links are madewith other providers, services,employers and otherorganisations to promoteintegration of care, educationand any extended services toenhance learning

• the extent to which governorsdischarge their responsibilities.

6c On the basis of your evaluation,what are your key priorities fordevelopment?




Do you inspire, motivate andinfluence staff and pupils? Do you seek their views?

Do you systematically reviewprogress against a range ofevidence and set priorities forimprovement?

Do you and your team monitorqualitative and quantitativeperformance data, review patternsand take appropriate action?

Are these priorities set withinwhole-school priorities and theschool improvement plan?

Do your policies and practicessupport inclusiveness, whereindividuals matter?

Do you provide a good role modelfor other staff and pupils?


Overall effectivenessand efficiency (SEF 7)

• What are your strengths? How will you sustain, secure or further develop them?

• What are your weaknesses? What strategies will you use to address them andhow and when will you monitor and judge success?

• On the basis of your evaluation, what are the key priorities for development andwhat are your next steps?

If self-evaluation processes are effective, middle leaders will have gathered and usedall available evidence to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculumarea. Year leaders will wish to undertake the analyses from a different perspective,looking at particular form groups and year-related issues such as the well-documented‘Year 8 dip’, but nevertheless, will still be able to identify issues to be addressed. Fromthis, the important next step is to prioritise actions and resources. The results of youranalysis may reveal that some issues require further investigation and some of thefollowing areas may need to be considered.

• Schemes of work – are the necessary learning objectives covered appropriately?Are objectives matched to pupils’ standards and needs?

• Resources – how are you deploying your resources? Do particular year groupsor classes need additional resources to support their learning needs?

• Teaching and learning – are differences in standards attained by different groupsrelated to the quality of teaching and learning in those classes? Year leaders maybe interested in background learning issues that emerge across several subjectareas, such as behaviour for learning, study skills, literacy.

• Additional support – how are teaching assistants or other forms of supportdeployed? Are they used in areas of maximum need?

• Curriculum planning – are the proportion of the school week and the timingof lessons in your area impacting on attainment of particular groups?

Whether you are a subject leader, a year leader, a SENCO or are responsible foran aspect of the school such as EAL/EMA or G&T, it is important to view overalleffectiveness through a combination of the other strands of self-evaluation:

• characteristics of the school;

• views of learners, parents/carers and stakeholders;

• achievement and standards;

• personal development and well-being;

• quality of provision;

• leadership and management.

Essentially, this can be reduced to the three main questions rehearsed in A NewRelationship with Schools: Improving Performance through School Self-evaluation.The middle leader needs to contribute to the school’s understanding and response to:

• the overall effectiveness of the provision, including any extended services, andits main strengths and weaknesses;

• the effectiveness of actions to promote improvement since the last inspection;

• the school’s capacity to make further improvement


The following Table 6 identifies questions and sources of evidence that supportmiddle leaders’ contribution to evaluating overall effectiveness and efficiency, SEF 7.

Table 6 – Overall effectiveness and efficiency

Do you liaise with the SLT to ensure clear aspect prioritiesrelated to whole-schoolimprovement priorities?

Is there a clear review processof leadership and management,teaching and learning, standards,guidance and care and any otherkey aim of your aspect?

Do the plan and the monitoring and evaluation processes identifysources of evidence includingpupil outcomes?

Are there clear prioritiesestablished in plans to ensurerealistic outcomes?

Do you contribute to schoolrecruitment and retention and stafftraining and support to ensurecapacity for improvement?

Do you take into account and tryto compensate for any capacityissues?

Have you monitored and providedevidence of improvement on allrecommendations made during the last school inspection?

Have you addressedrecommendations made by schoolinternal reviews (SLT), reviews byexternal agencies (LA adviser orconsultant) or self-evaluations?

Collect the other self-evaluationcomments and judgements andanalyse them for consistencyand substantial evidence, bothqualitative and quantitative.

Be robust and candid aboutthe extent to which proposedimprovements have taken place,particularly since the lastinspection.

Make a clear and consideredjudgement on next steps,concentrating not only on whatneeds to improve as a next stepbut on the capacity of staff andother resources to meet thoseexpectations.

Ensure that the judgementsand action plan for improvementpresent the next steps in as muchdetail as possible, indicatingstrategies for achieving successand monitoring and evaluationprocesses.

Explore the rigour and continuityof your self-evaluation processesin line with school evaluationprocesses.

Take advantage of opportunitiesto seek a range of views, includingstakeholders, the SLT andexternal agencies.

7 How effective is the provisionof education, integrated care andextended services in meeting theneeds of learners and why?

7a What is the overall effectivenessof the provision, including anyextended services, and its mainstrengths and weaknesses?

7b What is the effectiveness of any steps taken to promoteimprovement since the lastinspection, and as a result of your self-evaluation?

7c What is the capacity to makefurther improvement?

7d How effective are links withother organisations to promote thewell-being of learners?

7e What steps need to be takento improve the provision further?


Further reading

A New Relationship with Schools: Improving Performance through School Self-evaluation (DfES 1290-2005DOC-EN)

Ofsted inspection framework and guidance 2005: www.ofsted.gov.uk

Tracking for success (DfES 1545-2005FLR-EN)

Subject Leader Development Programme (DfES 0389/2002)

Secondary National Strategy for school improvement: senior leader and subjectarea publications for English, mathematics, science, ICT, foundation subjects,inclusion and whole school initiatives: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3

Leading from the middle: www.ncsl.org.uk

Self-evaluation: a guide for school leaders: www.ncsl.org.uk

Teachers’ Standards Framework: www.teachernet.gov.uk

Local Authority publications, guidelines and CPD programmes to supportmiddle leadership


Copies of this document may be available from:

DfES Publications Tel: 0845 60 222 60Fax: 0845 60 333 60Textphone: 0845 60 555 60e-mail: [email protected]

Ref: 2076-2005DCL-EN

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