diocesan education service inspection 2012 s48 diocesan inspection

DIOCESAN EDUCATION SERVICE

Inspection 2012Inspection 2012

S48 Diocesan Inspection


AgendaAgenda

• The changes in the 2012 Framework

• Implications for governors


2012 changes: why?2012 changes: why?

• Reports tell us little about what constitutes good or better quality of Catholic life/RE, why quality and standards are or are not as they should be, or how good schools achieve their outcomes

• Inspections of individual schools increasingly repetitive – good schools 3 years ago are generally good schools now: reports read the same

• Self-evaluation now strong in many schools – we need to reflect this in the way we inspect

• As self evaluation is now strong, inspection often reduced to telling the school what it already knows; rarely any surprises as there were in 1990s


What change?What change?Ofsted: two forms of inspection –

a. inspection of standards and quality which tell us about individual schools

b. Surveys of themes or subjects which tell us about standards & quality and about successful and unsuccessful practice across a range of schools

s48 inspection 2012 in the diocese will seek to blend the two forms of inspection used by Ofsted


Framework 2012Framework 2012

Looks and is significantly similar to 2009 framework – 3 main judgements

Ofsted s48

Achievement Outcomes

Quality of teaching Provision

L&M L&M

Behaviour & Safety

Overall effectiveness Overall effectiveness


Main changes to inspection scheduleMain changes to inspection schedule

• More emphasis on pupils’ spiritual, moral and vocational development

• No separate judgement about governors

• Separate paragraph on community cohesion removed

• Curriculum requirements re-defined

• No separate judgement about capacity for sustained improvement

• Key judgement about the effectiveness of the school’s self evaluation included


Exempt schoolsExempt schools

• Schools judged by Ofsted to be outstanding will be exempt from further inspection – they will not be exempt from s48 and canon law inspection

• A proportion will be inspected in each of the five years of the inspection cycle, normally five years after the s5 inspection which judged them to be outstanding


ExceptionsExceptions

• The Diocesan Education Service reserves the right to inspect schools according to the regulations and framework January 2012 under the following circumstances:• A school fails to provide satisfactory evidence of self

evaluation• Complaints about RE or the Catholic life of the school from a

significant number of parents, governors or other stakeholders

• Persistent and major weaknesses in Catholic life or religious education

• An inspector’s visit raises major concerns about a school: following support and advice, a full inspection would be undertaken at a later date.


The new inspection processThe new inspection process


Two parts to inspectionTwo parts to inspection

• Inspection – effectiveness of the school judged by validation of the school’s self evaluation

• Survey – gathering of thematic and subject evidence


JudgementsJudgements

• Inspectors will not directly make judgements about the school, about the quality of RE and Catholic life

• They will seek to validate the school’s judgements about itself

• This will be by a. evaluating the SSE (SEF)

b. Testing aspects of it in school through observations, interviews, work scrutiny


ReportingReporting

Report will be written with two sectionsa. Quality of the school self evaluation

b. Judgements about the rest of the required elements in the framework in conformity with the school’s own judgements if the self evaluation is judged to be reliable


ReportsReports

• The report arising from this kind of inspection is necessarily technical

• Intended for schools not parents

Therefore:• Inspectors will write a letter for parents in

addition• If parents want the full report they can

request it from the school


Main Finding

In its self evaluation xxxxxxx High School judges itself to be an outstanding Catholic school. In respect of its Catholic ethos, provision for and response of the students to liturgy, and the outcomes of public examinations in religious education, its judgement is fully justified. The senior leadership group has vast experience in the school and knows it intimately; governors also know the school well with a long-serving chairperson; and pupils and parents hold the school and the provision for RE in very high regard. There are aspects of Catholic life and RE that stand in need of development: time for form collective worship is too limited to allow opportunities for pupils to organise and lead an extended prayer or other form of worship; excellent practice in assessment in Key Stage 3 is not matched by that in Key Stage 4 in RE; and more formal monitoring and evaluation processes would provide more secure evidence of the Catholic life.


SurveySurvey

Different aspects of RE and Catholic life each half term – e.g. collective worship this next half term

At the end of each year evidence gathered from the surveys will be published for schools. This document should provide information about good practice in schools in respect of aspects of religious education and Catholic life.


Implications for governorsImplications for governorsInspectors will have a very short time available for talking to governors – meeting needs to be focused:

• How are governors fulfilling their canonical responsibilities for RE and Catholic life – in current climate, defence of Catholic education?

• Governors’ role in school self evaluation:• Knowledge of strengths and needs of Catholic life• Knowledge of quality and outcomes from RE• How do Governors know – responsibility for

oversight and approval of SSE• Need for complete openness in self evaluation


Evaluating Catholic lifeEvaluating Catholic life

• Mission – how well does the school share in the mission of the Church?

• Ethos – the school’s living according to the teaching of Jesus and the Church and promoting the development of the virtues

• Leadership which promotes the development of the whole person – “slave leadership”: judged by impact

• Eucharist at the centre of the school’s life• Witness to the beliefs and values of the Faith• Commitment to the common good


Is the emphasis on Catholic life realistic today?Is the emphasis on Catholic life realistic today?Inspection 2005-2009Inspection 2005-2009


Resources e.g.Resources e.g.


DES website – www.bdes.org.ukDES website – www.bdes.org.uk


Preparation summaryPreparation summary

• Review self evaluation process – Catholic life and RE

• Ensure that SSE:• clarifies the process

• is accurate in its judgements

• presents the findings of self evaluation clearly

• informs improvement planning

• Review practice in relation to the theme

diocesan education service inspection 2012 s48 diocesan inspection

Documents