School self evaluation and extended services

School self-evaluation and extended services This document provides checklists for schools to use as part of the self-evaluation process, in order to help them consider the effectiveness of the extended services the school provides and the contribution that these make to school improvement. The document has been produced for ContinYou by Sandra Teacher and Sue Alton. If you would like to give us feedback on your use of this document, or if you have suggestions for improvement, including any new questions, please email Sue Alton at sue.alton@continyou.org.uk. Please note that the copyright for this document lies with ContinYou. However, individual schools may reproduce it for use within their own institution, as long as its source is acknowledged. It can be downloaded from ContinYou’s website at www.continyou.org.uk/esdocs. 17 Old Ford Road London E2 9PJ Tel: 020 8709 9900 Fax: 020 8709 9933 Email: info.london@continyou.org.uk Website: www.continyou.org.uk School self-evaluation and extended services Questions specifically related to extended services are in red and community cohesion in blue. Those in black are to help with more general writing. 1 Characteristics of the school It is important to include the main features of your extended services programme in this section. 1a Main characteristics of learners Questions to consider: • What are your standards of attainment on entry to the school? Have there been any changes? • What is your free school meals entitlement and has this changed at all? Describe them briefly. • What is your catchment area like? (Deprivation?) • Do you have any children and young people who would be classed as vulnerable? Describe briefly. • Do you have children and young people with English as an additional language? What percentage? How fluent are they in their own language and in English? Which languages are most frequently spoken? • Do you have any particular groups within the school? (Refugees? Assylum seekers?) Has the intake changed over time? • Do any of your children and young people have special needs? What percentage? Describe these briefly. • What is your baseline information/evidence for the extended services you are providing – that is, what is your rationale for providing these activities? 1b Distinctive aims and special features Questions to consider: • What are the school’s aims? (State these briefly. If you wish to include more detail, you could cross reference to a full description in your evidence) • Is the school a faith school? Describe briefly. • Is the school a specialist school? • Have you carried out a baseline assessment of your extended services? What did it tell you? • What are the aims of your extended services? • Are there any special units attached or part of the school? • What additional community services are provided? • How do you offer childcare provision? • How are you meeting the core offer? • Do you have any significant partners with other providers or agencies, such as shared arrangements for the curriculum or partnerships with employers? Evidence and where it can be found: 1c Context, aids and barriers Questions to consider: • Is there anything significant about the school roll? • Is there a mobile population? Describe briefly. • How long has the headteacher been in post? • Have there been any significant changes in the SLT recently? • Are there any difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff? • Is the staff stable? • Are there vacancies on the governing body? Is recruitment of governors easy? • Has the school been reorganised recently, or is it likely to be in the near future? • Where do you fit within your cluster? • Who leads extended services? • Who manages extended services? Evidence and where it can be found: 1d Additional characteristics • Does the school have a particular focus which it wishes to celebrate? • Which initiatives is the school currently involved in, how were they selected and what impact have they had? • Is the school involved in special activities such as initial teacher training? • Is the school offering extended services? • How does the school celebrate it successes as regards Community Cohesion? Any additional matters to draw to the inspection team’s attention such as workforce remodelling, extended services and community cohesion. Evidence and where it can be found: 1e Main priorities for improvement You may wish to complete this section following your self-evaluation. This section would refer to the priorities from self-evaluation and the School Improvement Plan. You should briefly describe how and why they were prioritised, proposed action, resources and timescales. Record any progress and the evidence for this. Evidence and where it can be found: 2 Views of learners, parents/carers and other stakeholders 2a Mechanisms for gathering impartial views Questions to consider: • How do you seek the views of pupils, parents, carers and other stakeholders? • How do you use this information to develop services and activities? • How do you feedback to these people? • How do you consider the pupils’ voice? • How do you seek the views of those who do not usually respond? • How often do you do this? • How do you ensure that the views of all groups are gathered? Evidence and where it can be found: 2b Views of learners, parents, carers and stakeholders Questions to consider: • What do the views of stakeholders tell you about the school’s strengths and weaknesses in standards? • What do the views of stakeholders tell you about the school’s strengths and weaknesses in personal development and well-being? • What do the views of stakeholders tell you about the school’s strengths and weaknesses in the school’s provision? • How effective are your processes for gathering the views of learners, parents and carers and stakeholders? How do you know? • Have you analysed your surveys to see if different groups have different perceptions? What have you done with this information? • How do you gather the views of partners and other agencies? • How do you ensure the views of the local and wider community are considered? Evidence and where it can be found: 2c Mechanisms for sharing views Questions to consider: • How do you communicate with parents and carers? • How do you report back to parents, carers, pupils and other stakeholders on their views? • Do you work closely with representative groups of parents and carers to do this? • How do you provide information on extended services? • How effective is the school in sharing views? How do you know? • What impact have your actions had? • How do you provide information on community cohesion? Evidence and where it can be found: 3 Achievement and standards 3a Learners’ achievements and standards Questions to consider: • How effective is the school in raising standards? How do you know? • Have you identified current issues for the school in raising standards? What have you done to address these? • Are there any subject areas or key stages which are particular strengths or weaknesses? What have you done about this? • Are there any particular groups which underachieve? What have you done about this? • How have you used extended services to support improving standards for individuals and groups? What impact has this had on learning? • How have you used data to target extended services activities? • How are the school’s strengths used to support extended services within the school or cluster? • How are extended services used to address weaknesses in attainment within the school or cluster? • How effective is your delivery of the core offer? (For example, what has been the impact of family learning?) • What impact is this having on achievement? • How do you know? • How do you ensure the common vision for community cohesion takes into account achievement and standards? • Are similar life opportunities available to all? How do you know? Evidence and where it can be found: 3b Achievement in the sixth form Questions to consider: See 3a Evidence and where it can be found: 3c Achievement in the Foundation Stage Questions to consider: • How effective is the school in the Foundation Stage and how do you know? • How well are you working with children’s centres and other providers to ensure smooth transition, plan the curriculum and to transfer information? • How do you use information from Foundation Stage assessment to inform the provision of extended services in this age group? Evidence and where it can be found: 3c Priorities for development You may wish to complete this section, following your self-evaluation. Question to consider: • How have you decided on these priorities? Evidence and where it can be found: 4 Personal development and well-being 4a Adoption of healthy lifestyles Questions to consider: • What opportunities are there for physical education and sport involving a range of pupils? • What has the school done to ensure that children and young people eat and drink healthily in school? • How effectively have you involved parents in this process? • Have you received any awards or recognition in this area? • How effective are the school’s policies for sex education and drug education? • How do you link extended services to personal development and well-being? How effective is this? • How do extended services support improvements in PE? How do you ensure participation? Do you know who is not involved and what do you do about this? • How do extended services support pupils and parents in learning to eat and drink healthily? • How do extended services help to address issues of emotional health and well-being? • How have you decided your priorities? • How effective are your partnerships with other organisations and agencies in supporting personal development and well-being? Evidence and where it can be found: 4b Feeling safe and adopting safe practices Questions to consider: • How do you know you are effective in this area? • What have you done to improve effectiveness? • How does the school ensure that children and young people adopt healthy practices and can recognise risks and deal with them? • How do you know your child protection procedures are effective? • What are the standards of behaviour in lessons around the school? • How effective are your anti-bullying and anti-racism policies? How do you know? • How effective is your provision for specific groups, including EAL, SEN and ‘looked after’ children? How do you know? • How effective are your induction and transition arrangements? How do you know? • How are extended services used to help pupils adopt safe practices, recognise risks and how to deal with them? • How well does the school work with other agencies to support child protection? • How are extended services used to support improvements to behaviour and to combat racism and bullying? • How do extended services support effective transition and induction arrangements? • How are extended services used to support specific groups including those who are vulnerable? Evidence and where it can be found: 4c Learners’ enjoyment Questions to consider: • How do you know that your provision for spiritual, moral, emotional and cultural development is effective? • Have your attendance and punctuality improved? Why/why not? • How are children and young people encouraged to take responsibility? • How good are relationships between children and young people and with adults in the school? • How well are vulnerable young people supported? • How well does homework or home learning contribute to children and young people becoming independent learners? • How well does the school involve parents in their children’s learning? What efforts are made to communicate with those who are reluctant to be involved? • How effective is your provision for those children and young people who are gifted and talented? How do you know? • If attendance, behaviour or punctuality are issues, how have you used extended services to support improvements? How effective has your approach been? How do you know? • How are extended services used to effectively support vulnerable pupils? • How are extended services used to support homework? • How are extended services used to support pupils who are disaffected? • How effective is your delivery of the core offer? How do you know? (Consider how you are measuring the impact of a varied menu of activities? How varied is it? Do you know who doesn’t attend and what do you do about this?) • Are you considering the five outcomes of Every Child Matters in all you do? • How have you used Every Child Matters and the core offer to raise standards? • How do you value and appreciate the diversity of student’s backgrounds? • Are similar life opportunities available to all? Evidence and where it can be found: 4d Learners’ contribution to the community Questions to consider: • How does the school plan its work within the community and how effective is this? • What opportunities does the school provide for children and young people to work with and within the community? How effective is this work? • Do children and young people show respect for the community and local environment? How do you know? • Is the school involved in any charity work? • How do you decide which activities to provide to enable children and young people to develop their social and emotional skills? • How does the school’s provision for Every Child Matters and the core offer support this area? • How well do you work with the community and encourage pupils to become involved? What impact does this have on pupils? • Do strong and positive relationships exist between different groups? How are they developed in the school, local and wider community? • How effectively do you provide opportunities for interaction between students of different backgrounds? Evidence and where it can be found 4e Learners’ preparedness for economic well-being Questions to consider: • How does your school encourage parents to be involved in their children’s learning? How effective is this? • Do you have a careers programme? How does this work effectively for children and young people of all ages? • How do you prepare pupils for learning about the world of work? (Primary and secondary schools) • What is the impact of work-experience and work place learning? How do you know? • How well does the participation by pupils in extra curricula activities, community activities and work related activities support the development of skills? How do you know? • Are pupils reaching age-appropriate standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT? How do extended services support this? • How does the school support parents and carers who wish to return to work? (For example, childcare, information on family support services, after school activities?) Evidence and where it can be found: 4f Learners’ personal development and well-being in the sixth form Questions to consider: (See also 4e.) • How does the school provide information on healthy lifestyles, including being safe from bulling and racist incidents? How effective is this? • How are older pupils given opportunities for responsibility and work experience through extended services provision? • How are extended services used to support PE and health related activities? • How effectively are extended services used to support transition and induction? Evidence and where it can be found: 4g Learners’ personal development and well-being in the Foundation Stage Questions to consider: • How effective is your personal and social curriculum? • How do you ensure that children are safe from bullying and racist incidents? • Are attendance and punctuality good? What have you done to support this? • How does the Foundation Stage support children to express their views and participate? • How effective is your programme for physical exercise and healthy eating? • How do you support families in understanding healthy lifestyles? • How do you use extended services to promote good attitudes, behaviour and attendance? • How do extended services support pupils’ spiritual, moral, emotional and cultural experiences? • How have you decided on ES priorities in the Foundation Stage? • How well do you work with parents? How do you know? Evidence and where it can be found: 4h Key priorities for development You may wish to complete this following your self-evaluation. Questions to consider: Evidence and where it can be found: 5 The quality of provision 5a Teaching and learning Questions to consider: • How effective is teaching and learning in the school? How do you know? • What areas of teaching and learning have you identified as strengths or for improvement? How have you identified these and what action have you taken? • Which subjects are the school’s strengths and why? • Which subjects need improvement and what have you done about this? • What are your current areas for improvement? How were these identified? What action are you taking? How do you know this is making a difference? • Are all pupils appropriately challenged and engaged? How do you know? • How effective is planning and differentiation to meet the needs of all pupils? • Have you made any adjustments to the curriculum? How do you ensure these are effective? • Are you involved in any initiatives related to teaching and learning? Why did you select these? How do you know they are making a difference? What impact are they having? • How do you ensure pupils behave well and respect others? • How effective is assessment? How do you know? • How well do pupils with special educational needs/English as an additional language/gifted and talented progress? How do you know? • How do you review the progress of individuals and groups? How do you know this is effective? • To what extent do homework and other extension activities enhance learning? • How do you ensure the effectiveness of extended services activities when other providers are involved? • How do you track outcomes when using other providers, including the voluntary sector? • How do you engage parents in their children’s learning? How do you know your approach is effective? • How effectively do you target activities for individuals and groups, including those who are gifted and talented? • How effectively does teaching and learning promote community cohesion? Evidence and where it can be found: 5b The curriculum Questions to consider: • How effective is your provision for the core subjects and ICT? How do you know? • Does the curriculum, including RE, meet statutory requirements? • Have you made any revisions to the curriculum? How do you monitor the effectiveness of this? • What are your plans for introducing a modern foreign language? (Primary) • How have you embedded the five outcomes of Every Child Matters within the curriculum? How do you know this is effective? • How do you ensure equal opportunities and inclusion in the curriculum? • How effective is the PSHE curriculum? How do you know? • How effective is your citizenship programme? How do you know? • How effectively do resources (including ICT) support learning? • How effective is your provision for groups including EAL, SEN and gifted and talented? • How effective are your out-of-school-hours learning activities? How do you know? What is their impact on achievement? How do you ensure that those who need to attend have access? • How do you use out-of-school-hours learning to raise standards? • How is the curriculum enriched by extended services and out-of-school-hours learning? How do you know? • How does the school ensure that extended services are responsive to local and national needs? • How are extended services used to support the delivery of PSHE, SMSC and citizenship education? • What have you done to ensure the curriculum promotes community cohesion? How effective is this? • How have you decided on these priorities? Evidence and where it can be found: 5c Guidance and support Questions to consider: • How effective are your child protection procedures? • How effective is your support for vulnerable pupils and/or those with SEN/EAL? • How effectively have you used targeted extended services to raise standards for individuals and groups? • How effectively do you use baseline assessment and tracking to monitor the effectiveness of extended services? • How effectively do you work with other providers to support pupils? • How are extended services used to support transition? • How effective are your induction and transfer arrangements and how do extended services support this? • How effective are links with feeder schools and those to which pupils transfer? • How effective are links with other organisations for child protection? • How effective are arrangements for working with external agencies and parents to ensure pupil well-being? • How are external sports coaches or clubs involved with pupils? • What additional services are used to support learners? • How do you ensure a common vision for community cohesion so that all are fully included? • How effectively do you value and appreciate the diversity of student’s backgrounds? • Do strong and positive relationships exist? How effectively are they developed within the school and the community? Evidence and where it can be found: 5d Sixth form provision Questions to consider: See 5c Evidence and where it can be found: 5e Foundation Stage provision Questions to consider: • How do you encourage parental support and involvement in learning through extended services? • How effectively do you work with other providers to ensure smooth transition and induction? • How effectively do you use assessment and tracking to plan extended services provision? • How effectively do you work with other organisations and agencies to provide support for children and families? Evidence and where it can be found: 5f Key priorities for development You may wish to complete this after you have finished your self-evaluation. Question to consider: • How have you decided on these priorities? Evidence and where it can be found: 6 Leadership and management 6a Effectiveness of leadership and management Questions to consider: • What are the strengths in leadership at all levels? • What areas of leadership have been identified for improvement? How have you decided what to do? • How do leaders at all levels work together to promote school improvement? • How effective are the school’s monitoring, evaluation and review processes? How do you know? • How does professional development link to school improvement priorities? • How is the School Improvement Plan devised? Who is involved? How is it monitored and evaluated and by whom? • How do leaders at all levels work together to support school improvement? • How do the headteacher’s targets link to whole-school priorities? • How effective are the governors and how involved are they in setting the strategic vision for the school? • How do governors carry out their strategic role? • Are statutory responsibilities met? How do you know? • When you identify areas for improvement, what action do you take and how do you ensure it is effective? • How effective are the school’s policies for inclusion, racial equality and anti-discrimination? How do you know? • How effective are support staff? How do you know? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the accommodation? • How well resourced is the school? How have these resources (particularly those purchased recently) impacted on learning? • How are decisions made about allocating the budget and spending? Who is involved? How effective is this process? • How effectively is the budget monitored and by whom? Extended services: • How effective is your leadership and management of extended services? Who is involved? What is the role of middle managers in extended services? How effective are your partnerships? • How are governors involved strategically in extended services? • How effectively is your cluster working? What is your contribution? • Is the governor/headteacher’s vision for extended services known and understood by all stakeholders and partners? • How do you prioritise decisions around extended services provision? • How do you monitor the effectiveness of extended services provision? • What has been the impact of remodelling on staff and the development of extended services? • How well used are the school’s resources outside school hours? • What is the impact? How do you know? Community cohesion: • How do you ensure a common vision of community cohesion? • How is this linked to your policy for racial equality? • How do you ensure that the diversity of pupils’ backgrounds are valued and appreciated? • How do you ensure similar life opportunities are available to all? • How are strong and positive relationships promoted in the school, the local and wider community? • How effectively do leaders provide opportunities for interaction between pupils and families of different backgrounds? • How have you identified the aspects of your work which already support community integration and community harmony? • How do leaders ensure community cohesion contributes to student’s well-being, ECM and extended services agendas? • How effectively do governors and multi-agency team leaders audit the school’s existing practice in relation to community cohesion? • How do governors and multi-agency team leaders, discuss and plan how this can be further developed? • How effectively do leaders link community cohesion to teaching and learning, curriculum, inclusion and extended services? • How do you know your school or agency works effectively in partnership with the local authority, non-religious or religious organisations, SACREs, voluntary and community organisations to promote community cohesion? Evidence and where it can be found: 6b Effectiveness of sixth form leadership and management See section 6a. Question to consider: • How effectively are sixth formers involved in the governance of extended services? Evidence and where it can be found: 6c Effectiveness of the Foundation Stage leadership and management See also 6a. Question to consider: • How effectively does the Foundation Stage work within the development of extended services and within the community? How do you know? Evidence and where it can be found: 6d Key priorities for development You may wish to complete this following your self-evaluation. Question to consider: • How have you decided on these priorities? Evidence and where it can be found: 7 Overall effectiveness and efficiency 7a Overall effectiveness, including main strengths and weaknesses This section should be a summary linked to what has been said before. Questions to consider: • What are the school’s strengths? (achievement and attainment, personal development and well-being and leadership and management) • What are the school’s main areas for improvement? • How effectively have you linked the development of extended services to your whole-school priorities? • How have you incorporated extended services into your School Improvement Plan, including measurable success criteria? • How effective are your extended services in raising standards? How do you know? Evidence and where it can be found: 7b Effectiveness of steps taken to promote improvement Questions to consider: • As a result of what you have done, what improvements have there been in: - the quality of teaching - the quality of leadership and management - monitoring and evaluation - SATs/GCSEs/A level results - attendance, exclusions, behaviour, and so on. • How effective are extended services in supporting the school’s improvement activities? How do you know? • What are your current challenges and what actions do you intend to take through extended services to address these? Evidence and where it can be found: 7c Capacity to improve further Questions to consider: • How effective is leadership at all levels and how do you know? • How effective are the school’s systems for self-evaluation and taking action? • How effective are the school’s processes for change management? How do you know? • How effectively does the school use extended services to improve the school’s performance? How do you know? • How skilled are leaders at diagnosing the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the action needed to raise standards and improve performance using extended services? What impact has this had? How do you know? • How good are leaders at all levels at managing change, related to extended services? • Do all stakeholders and partners have a shared understanding of the need and rationale for further improvements? • How effectively is the performance of staff monitored, including those delivering extended services? Evidence and where it can be found: 7d Links with other organisations to promote learner well-being Questions to consider: • How effective are the school’s links with other organisations and agencies? • Does the school have specific curriculum links with other schools, colleges and organisations? How effective are these to promote well-being? • How effective are links with health services to support healthy lifestyles? • How effective are links with the local police? • Does the school use external providers for supporting targeted groups of pupils? How effective is this? How do you know? • How effective are links to support vulnerable pupils, for example, children in care, travellers, refugees and asylum seekers? How do you know? • How effective are your links within the community, including those with ethnic minority groups? Evidence and where it can be found: 7e Steps needed to improve further This should include a summary of the school’s improvement priorities and any key weaknesses recorded in 7a. This should be specifically linked to achievement and personal development and include any progress to date. Evidence and where it can be found: 7f Sixth form effectiveness Questions to consider: See 7a, b, c and d. Evidence and where it can be found: 7g Foundation Stage effectiveness Questions to consider: See 7a, b, c and d. Evidence and where it can be found: