A new government and the promise of a more user friendly way of inspecting schools. Well that’s the promotional puff but when you strip away the rhetoric Ofsted is still the vehicle and external inspection is still the process. A few rough edges may be smoothed but inspection by external personnel working to a framework will still be the only show in town. Does it really have to be this way? Of course not but if we wish to change it we have to trust the professionalism of teachers and remove the grubby paws of politicians from setting the agendas. Ofsted has become a political pawn and only a radical change of direction will restore credibility and in turn improve the life chances of our children and the morale of our teachers.
During TVEI Extension in the period 1989 to 1995 Hereford and Worcester County Council worked with partner schools on an establishment self evaluation project. These were tentative steps towards the ultimate goal of each establishment producing a bells and whistles whole school assessment which would stand up to external scrutiny. In the early stages schools were encouraged to evaluate particular activities such as a job share or a new Mathematics syllabus etc. In approaching it this way teachers and class room assistants were able to feel their way into the process and grow in confidence. Outcomes were also shared with other schools.
In the 1990’s Prime Minister, John Major, called for a reform of the schools inspection system because up to this point schools had been inspected by Her Majesty’s Inspectors(HMI’s). John Major wanted a more vigorous four yearly inspection system so OFSTED was born. In 1992 the common inspection framework was drawn up and in 1993 the first inspection took place. The rest is history with OFSTED becoming a national educational institution. No longer could schools be trusted to mark their own homework.
Now back in today and a rare opportunity to focus school improvement back onto the schools in away that has the potential to lift everyone in a manner that empowers and is developmental. We in the Robert Owen Society contend that school self evaluation can be a fundamental force in achieving school improvement.
School self evaluation’s is a process by which members of staff in a school reflect on their practice and identify areas for action to stimulate improvements in the areas of student and teacher learning. The dimensions within which this can take place include : summative-formative; internally-externally driven; and whether self evaluation is carried out as a top down or bottom up process. The advantages are that individual schools can pick and mix these dimensions to reflect on their context, their position and the particular focus of the evaluation .
Experience has taught us that in terms of school improvement, teachers and school leaders are the key change agents for improvement . Self evaluation is a very strong but not the total solution in pushing the move from knowing to doing. We would contend that there are five phases for school improvement activity :
● Specific intervention and understanding the importance of culture in the change process
● Driving teacher action research and school self-review
● Building outwards from the school effectiveness knowledge base at both micro and macro levels
● Scaling up the reforms and sharing good micro practice
● Systemic reform which is capable of external evaluation either on a peer group basis from partner schools and/or by OFSTED .
Carried out properly within supportive environments school self evaluation has the potential to support and raise pupil and professional learning way beyond the battlefield so often left behind following an OFSTED inspection. It is a regular process and takes us way beyond the four yearly or sooner OFSTED hit in a cost effective and empowering process.
Chris Morgan
Amelia Washbourne
September 2024.
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