Ian Hart Consultancy – Services
One-off self-evaluation and SEF work
Fed up with going on a course and being told how to do it and then returning to school with a day’s work to catch up on before even starting on your SEF? Can you see your holidays, vital in order to manage your own stress levels and recharge, being dominated by having to update or write your SEF and analyse your data?
Then let us help take some of the pressure away from you with only two days of your time needed. Over two days (either face to face or through a series of online meetings, or a mixture of both) we will talk at length through the entire evaluation schedule so that we have all of the information necessary to produce a first draft SEF. By the end of day one, we will have had comprehensive discussions around the context of the school, discussed historical performance information in depth and fully discussed the quality of education provided by the school. This will be underpinned by a comprehensive three-year IDSR/Performance Summary Report data analysis which will have been completed prior to our meeting, followed by a discussion at length around your curriculum offering and how well this is being implemented and monitored. Members of your SLT are welcome at any point over the two days, so not only is the job done but also a significant amount of CPD can be delivered, whilst completing one of the major jobs facing headteachers. Day two focuses on behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management. All through the process, we will discuss particular issues surrounding the school and ways in which we have seen them addressed successfully in other schools around the country. These range from small village primaries to very large urban primaries with very high levels of mobility and deprivation.
We will then take all of the information gathered away and fully write a first draft SEF which will be back with you within ten working days. You then have as much time as you need to include staff, governors etc. before returning it for me for a final draft. Over 200 headteachers nationwide over the last ten years have regained their holidays and peace of mind. They have found the combination of time saving, stress relief, the chance to talk through the whole framework with someone who is well acquainted with the inspection system, whilst combining it with CPD for themselves and staff has been money very well spent.
Furthermore, as schools remain legally obliged to provide evidence of their own self-evaluation to inspection teams, schools are expected to find their own formats for regularly changing frameworks and expectations. Producing a SEF with us, ensures that you have already marshalled your evidence and are well prepared for any type of external evaluation which greatly reduces the chance of unforeseen surprises.
We have considerable experience in self-evaluation and SEF writing, as well as having a close working knowledge of the inspection system. We can provide you with a robust self-evaluation framework and help you to write a comprehensive document that will tell the story of your school. We will help ensure your judgements are robust, well-evidenced and within the current framework guidelines. We will work with you to achieve your expectations and finish the day having accomplished much, rather than you then having to go away and wrestle with applying generic training to your own context.
School Improvement Advisory Work.
I currently work with over 30 schools across the country who have asked to continue the relationship in order to provide on-going challenge and support. Many schools that I work with feel that the LA SIP model or equivalents are too parochial and they welcome the added dimension of support and challenge that has a wider view point than LA level. I also work with Multi-Academy Trusts to provide external support and challenge to again assist in ensuring the evaluation is robust and ideas are flowing in from outside the immediate organisation. Whatever the reason, the impact of having someone else to take some of the paper work burden off over stretched headteachers is one that is universally appreciated by the schools we work with as well being able to talk confidentially, openly and honestly. There are two-day on-site packages which focus in the first visit solely on data and outcomes, with the second being to update the other areas of the SEF. There is also a three-day on-site version which includes middle leader training and focus on all areas of the school self-evaluation. We can also provide HT appraisal through appropriately qualified and experienced colleagues. Whichever option you choose, you know that not only will you be keeping regularly up to date with what is happening nationally, but you will be on top of the most complex and time consuming areas of school improvement and accountability.
Performance information training
There is a rich variety of data available to schools to aid them to judge standards and trends and to identify areas of improvements. The ASP site and in particular the IDSR and Performance Summary documents are chief among these as well as being a crucial document in the inspection process and any judgement regarding a school’s effectiveness. Many find the wealth of information and presentation confusing and difficult to access and so I stand ready to help you, your staff and your governors make the most of the information. Others find that having the job done by with an up to date knowledge of the inspection process not only helps them confirm the validity of their judgements and keeps them up to date with the ever-changing Ofsted framework but also takes away a significant job and saves time (and hence money). I help schools to achieve these goals by sharply focussing on the headline performance information and showing how this affects the judgement making process both in terms of self-evaluation and school development planning. I then boil down the data into a straightforward format which bring clarity and ease of use and can be used in reports to Governors, SIP and SIA reports and the SEF. Where challenges exist, I have extensive knowledge of how other schools have tackled a similar issue and if necessary, can pair schools up who are happy to share their expertise.
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