Identifying Priorities/ SEF
Overview
Key Idea:
Working together to focus on principles behind the issues can help to maintain perspective and stop the improvement plan being reduced to a set of actions to implement rather than something you are working on together to develop
When starting to work with another schools it might be useful to consider the phases of work forming a cycle as shown above. This section offers advice and resources to support the evaluation of current practice and the identification of key priorities.
Who
Whole School/SLT – whole school priorities
Subject leader/ Head of Department – phase/ key stage priorities
Teacher – individual priorities
Effective Practice/Self Evaluation (EiML)
Key Idea
Working together to use a range of information about the school or department to build a picture as to their current position provides a collaborative way to agree a baseline. A framework of good practice can provide an external point of reference to ensure parties work together effectively.
Meeting and working with a new school or department can lead to a large number of identified priorities and, in order to maintain perspective and stop the improvement turning into a ‘tick list’ of jobs to be done, it can be useful to look at the principles behind these issues.
These activities have been designed to explore different ways to work with a group of people to identify the right priorities.
(Put up the activities on the page not just as links)
SWot Reflective activity 9 – Self Evaluation Tool
EiML – Section 1 - SEF
SWoT- Reflective activity 7 – Various Self Evaluation Tools
Strategies/advice (probes/prompts) (SWoT section 1 scenarios)
(Put up the activities on the page not just as links)
The first step in supporting a department is likely to be to work with the department to identify where they are - in particular celebrating what's working well and recognising areas that could be improved. Whether this is a general review with the subject leader to identify areas to work on or an exploration of a particular identified issue might affect the ways that you work with the department to establish a baseline.
Strategies that you could consider using include
- Structured discussions with small groups of students
- Looking at achievement data with the subject leader
- Joint observation of some lessons (with the subject leader, the mathematics line manager, etc)
- Carry out a work scrutiny of students’ books with a member of the department
- Carry out a learning walk with the Subject Leader or a member of SLT
- Meet with the mathematics line manager/member of SLT linked to the mathematics department
SWot Reflective activity 8 – Excellence in Mathematics Leadership
SWoT Reflective activity 10 – priority cards
Reflective Activity 15 – Final Reflection and Evaluation
Resources (Portal > resources > microsites)
(Use this page as links as long as they are clearly labeled!)
Developing the use of the content knowledge Self-evaluation Tools withpractitioners in the EYFS
NCETM self evaluation tool
Middle Leaders Self Evaluation Tool
Consider the use of resources and advice for working with special schools – p levels etc.