diocese of hexham and newcastle - …edurcdhn.org.uk/inspection/newdownloadsjuly12/s48 - g… ·...

Section 48Guidance for Inspectors

Reviewed: 13 January 2012

ContentsContents...........................................................................................1

Section One: Introduction................................................................2Introduction.....................................................................................................................2Code of Conduct for Inspectors.......................................................................................3

Section Two: Pre-inspection.............................................................4Procedures for arranging inspections..............................................................................4Request for Documentation............................................................................................4Preparing for Inspection..................................................................................................5Planning the Inspection...................................................................................................5Using the Section 48 SEF..................................................................................................7

Section Three: During Inspection.....................................................8Inspecting - The Catholic Life of the School.....................................................................8Inspecting - Curriculum Religious Education..................................................................10Conducting Interviews...................................................................................................15Evaluating Overall Effectiveness....................................................................................17

Section Four: Writing the Report...................................................19Writing Reports..............................................................................................................19Monitoring of Inspection and Reports...........................................................................19Schools Causing Concern...............................................................................................20

Section 5: Appendices....................................................................21Appendix 1: Correspondence.........................................................................................21Appendix 2: Timetable for Inspection............................................................................23Appendix 3: Using the Evidence Form...........................................................................27Appendix 4: Report Writing Guidance...........................................................................33Appendix 5: The Code of Canon Law.............................................................................44Appendix 6: Education Act 2005....................................................................................45Appendix 8: Extract from A statement on Religious Education issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.................................................................................52Appendix 9: Extract from the Curriculum Directory.......................................................53Appendix 10: A Statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales – Low Week 2000...........................................................................................................55Appendix 11: Guide to House Style................................................................................59

S48 Guidance for Inspectors RCDHN

Section One: IntroductionIntroduction

The main purpose of inspection is to provide the school with a clear independent evaluation of its strengths and the areas in which it needs to improve. This is now focused upon the school’s self-evaluation of its strengths and development needs. In addition, inspection provides parents and the diocese with information about the quality of its Catholic life and Religious Education. Section 48 Inspection, therefore, complements section 5 inspections, but should be seen as dealing with matters fundamental to the Catholic school.

Relationships with the school

Diocesan inspection is a partnership between the diocese, represented by the Diocesan Spirituality, Formation and Education Service (S, F & E Service), the inspectors and the school. Relationships with the governors, headteacher, staff, pupils and parents should be conducted in the light of this partnership. The inspector should at all times, act in accordance with the principles of the Code of Conduct and the mission of the Diocesan S, F & E Service:

Acknowledgement

This document draws significantly upon Guidance for Inspectors: Conducting the Inspection (Ofsted 2005).

Section 48 and Section 5 Inspections

Since it is the intention that wherever possible the two inspections will take place either concurrently or sequentially, a protocol defining the relationship between the inspectors for the dioceses and Ofsted has been agreed.

Inspectors should be aware that while section 5 inspection is described as being “emphatically not a subject inspection”1, section 48 remains an inspection of three things: the Catholic life of the school, collective worship and Religious Education. Inspectors should be very sensitive to the fact that they are involved in the only individual subject inspection in the school. This is according to Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 (see Appendix 6: Education Act 2005), but it is also because the inspector is undertaking a Diocesan Canon Law Inspection at the same time (see Appendix 5: The Code of Canon Law).

1 Conducting Inspection (Ofsted, 2005)


Code of Conduct for Inspectors

Before the InspectionInspectors must: use the school’s self-evaluation form and Inspector’s Notebook to note any pre-inspection

hypotheses for each section of the report to be shared with the school;

make the necessary contact with the school’s headteacher to confirm the date of the inspection and the inspection programme.

During the InspectionInspectors must: evaluate the work of the school objectively and impartially;

report honestly and fairly, ensuring that judgments reflect reliably and accurately, what the school does;

treat all those they meet with courtesy and sensitivity;

act with the best interests of pupils and staff as a priority;

observe the normal codes and practices of the particular school;

maintain purposeful dialogue with staff and communicate judgments without fear or favour;

respect the confidentiality of information;

at the end of the inspection present an oral report to the chair of governors, headteacher, senior management team and head of department/Religious Education coordinator to share the outcomes of the inspection and offer an opportunity for clarification;

compile a well-organised evidence base that can be consulted by appropriate personnel from the Diocesan S, F & E Service.

fill in the Inspector’s Notebook and maintain a coherent set of Evidence Forms (EFs) – please see Appendix 3: Using the Evidence Form

After the InspectionInspectors must: ensure that the governing body of the school are clear about their responsibilities with regard

to disseminating and acting upon the report

draft the written report in the order of the inspection schedule, in a clear and comprehensive style appropriate to its wide readership;

send a draft copy to the Diocesan S, F & E Service within five working days of the inspection;

be available for discussion of draft copy

The Spirituality, Formation and Education Service will: finalise the report in consultation with the inspector;

offer the pre-publication text of the report to the school for a final check on factual accuracy

send the report to the governing body of the school within fifteen working days of the inspection.

S48 Guidance for Inspectors 3 RCDHN

Section Two: Pre-inspectionProcedures for arranging inspectionsIn accordance with the protocol agreed with Ofsted, schools must inform the Diocesan S, F & E Service as soon as they hear from the Regional Inspection Service Provider (RISP) that they are to be inspected. The Diocesan S, F & E Service will only speak to the school concerning Section 48 Inspection after notification of the section 5 inspection has been given.

As the responsible person at the Diocesan S, F & E Service will have information about when and where inspections are to take place inspectors will be asked to be available on particular dates to conduct an inspection. They will only know where this will be after the school has been notified.

Wherever possible, inspections will be conducted either concurrently or sequentially, depending on the exact timings of the section 5 Inspection. Most section 48 Inspections will normally take place two weeks after the section 5 Inspection.

Inspectors, where they are currently in service or are retired from schools within the diocese, will not be asked to inspect schools in their own local authority area nor any schools with which they have or have had significant contacts.

The Diocesan S, F & E Service will notify the name of the inspector to the school.

When the Diocesan S, F & E Service notifies the name of the school to the inspector, the previous inspection report and section 48 SEF will be sent immediately assuming that the school has deposited the latter with the Diocesan S, F & E ServiceThe inspector should contact the school immediately to discuss arrangements and the timetable for the inspection with the headteacher (see appendix). The headteacher should be asked to arrange the inspection interviews (see Appendix 2).

The inspector should explain what the inspection will involve: there will be a selection of lesson observations; interviews will take place with pupils, staff, governors and the priest with pastoral responsibility for the school; there will also be a scrutiny of pupils’ work.

Request for DocumentationThe headteacher should be asked to send documentation to the Diocesan S, F & E Service electronically so as to make the inspection possible. The documentation should be:

the school’s own self-evaluation documents for section 5 and section 48;

Raiseonline and LAT/sixth form PANDA for schools with sixth forms;

School Improvement Plan;

section 48 Inspection report will be sent by the Diocesan S, F & E Service;

timetable for Religious Education – the inspector should indicate that not all teachers may be observed; the teachers to be seen will be selected by the inspector and discussed with the headteacher or head of department at the beginning of the inspection;

a staff list with accompanying staffing structure;

a plan of the school showing room numbers and other key rooms.

No other documentation should be requested though other documents may be seen during the inspection.

No preliminary visit should be made to the school prior to the inspection.


Preparing for InspectionThe section 48 SEF, as the summary of a school’s process of self-evaluation, is at the heart of the new inspection arrangements – it serves as the main document when planning the inspection and provides crucial evidence in evaluating the quality of leadership and management and the school’s capacity to improve.

When preparing for the inspection, the inspector will evaluate the school’s view of itself as expressed in the SEF48 under the headings of the evaluation schedule and explore the extent to which this is compatible with the other documentary evidence. Issues for inspection will arise from important inconsistencies between the SEF48’s conclusions and the evidence and also from significant matters that the SEF48 seems to have omitted.

The conclusions in the SEF48, in the light of the pre-inspection analysis and hypotheses, should be discussed at the first meeting with the headteacher and the Religious Education coordinator/head of department. Inspectors should also ask about the self-evaluation process and how it led to the writing of the SEF48, and ascertain the extent of involvement of governors (who have final responsibility for it).

Following the discussion with the headteacher and coordinator/head of department, the inspector(s), in consultation with the school, will formulate strategies for inspection, focusing on any discrepancies between statements in the SEF48 and the evidence.

In any meeting between the headteacher and the reporting inspector, there should be discussion of the conclusions in the SEF48 in the light of the gathering inspection evidence.

Where there is more than one inspector, the SEF48 should be discussed between them in order to see whether inspection evidence reflects its conclusions.

Inspectors should always consider that the SEF48 is merely a summary of the outcomes of a school’s self-evaluation process. The quality of the SEF48 is a good guide to the quality of the whole process but it is not an infallible one. It is an important part of the inspection to determine whether the SEF48 really does represent the school’s fully considered view of itself and whether the wider process of self-evaluation is one that leads to genuine and sustained improvement.

If a school has not completed a SEF48, the inspectors contact the Diocesan S, F & E Service.

Pre-inspection preparation should be recorded in the Inspector’s Notebook which will form a key part of the inspection evidence. The notebook should include analyses and evaluation of the section 48 SEF and the other documents provided for the inspection. Inspectors should take care to ensure that evaluation at this stage leads to hypotheses and not judgments. The notebook is organised around the headings from the evaluation schedule.

The notebook should identify any significant issues that are to be explored during the inspection together with some analysis of why these are seen to be issues. The main issues and any hypotheses should be briefly listed and they should be shared with the headteacher at the start of the inspection.

Continuous prose is not required. Notes and bulleted points are sufficient, but they must be clear for another reader.

The notebook must be submitted to the Diocesan S, F & E Service with the draft report at the end of the report writing process.

Planning the InspectionPlans for evidence collection will be influenced by the pre-inspection hypotheses and discussions with the headteacher. However, the recommendation of the Diocesan S, F & E Service is that evidence collection should include:


Collective worship – both a class liturgy and a larger instance of collective worship for part of or the whole school. Collective worship observed during the inspection will be used to confirm the school’s own judgment. If there is a Mass in a primary school on that day, extra time for work scrutiny and lesson observations must be discussed with the headteacher and reflected in the timetable. In forming a judgment about the quality of collective worship and the Catholic life of the school, it is important that the inspector seeks evidence. Work scrutiny – in depth scrutiny of Religious Education books (upper/middle/lower ability) from every class. Conversations with pupils – these may occur during lesson observations or in arranged interviews.Interviews with – headteacher, governors, curriculum co-ordinator for RE, chaplain etc.Lesson Observations – Inspectors should seek to observe a range of year groups and ability groups but without imposing a particular burden on any one teacher.


Using the Section 48 SEFThe school’s review process should be concerned with:

a. the quality of leadership and management of the Catholic life of the school;

b. provision for, and quality of, prayer, liturgy and collective worship;

c. how the school promotes community cohesion;

d. attainment and achievement in Religious Education – knowledge, understanding and skills;

e. effectiveness of learning and the quality of teaching as a contributor to that learning;

f. quality of the curriculum in Religious Education;

g. leadership and management of the subject.

The inspector needs to ask a series of questions in using the SEF48 during pre-inspection preparation and in pursuing its conclusions during the inspection:

1. Is the school asking the right questions of itself?

2. Is it supporting its judgments with relevant and specific evidence?

3. What processes does the school have in place to evaluate its effectiveness in the Catholic life and Religious Education?

4. Does the evidence mean what the school thinks that it tells them?

5. Is the school distinguishing between strong and weak evidence?

6. Are there significant matters that are glossed over?

7. Is the school identifying aids or barriers to improvement?

and then:

8. Is the evidence shared amongst staff and with governors? Are governors taking final responsibility for the self-evaluation?

9. Are the outcomes prioritised?

10. Is the school identifying key priorities for improvement arising from the evaluation?

11. Is there evidence of school action to make improvements?


Section Three: During InspectionInspecting - The Catholic Life of the School

Outcomes for pupilsEvidence for the quality of outcomes for pupils with regards to the extent to which they contribute to and benefit from the Catholic life of the school should be sought through:

pupil interviews;

observation of collective worship and assemblies;

observation of other activities that reflect the school’s ethos and values;

evidence of the quality of relationships and behaviour both in and out of the class room.

ProvisionEvidence for the effectiveness of provision in promoting the Catholic life of the school will include:

Schemes of work

Chaplaincy action plans, procedures and organization

Monitoring systems for collective worship

Evidence to validate the SEF48 on collective worship will be drawn from interviews with headteacher, teachers, pupils, parish priest and where appropriate, chaplain. The inspector should establish how far the practice observed during the inspection is characteristic of normal school activity and the experience of pupils across the school.

Some effort should be made to determine the quality of the prayer life of the school using the frequency and quality of provision, the response of pupils and the judgments that are made by all those involved.

Leadership and ManagementEvidence to support and validate the school’s own judgment on the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the Catholic life of the school will be drawn from interviews and conversations with the headteacher, senior staff, teachers, pupils, other adults in school, priest/chaplain, along with:.

documentation e.g. school improvement plan;

any monitoring evidence.

The inspector should establish:

the extent to which the school’s Mission Statement is consistent with the Church’s vision for education;

the impact of the leaders’ vision and direction on the Catholic life of the school;

how well leaders enable the work of chaplaincy and links with the parish and wider community;

the effect the monitoring systems have on the development and promotion of the Catholic life of the school;


the impact of the governing body’s contribution to the Catholic life of the school.

Evidence to support the SEF48 on community cohesion will be drawn from:

statistical evidence;

school’s engagement with the community;

support given to pupils of other faiths in terms of collective worship;

what is being taught in Religious Education and other curriculum areas;

interviews with parents from other faith and cultural backgrounds.

Inspectors should evaluate the school’s contribution to the promotion of community cohesion through its links with the parish, local and wider communities. They should determine if there is a common sense of belonging, inclusive values, commitment to serving the common good and the inclusive nature of the provision for prayer, collective worship and liturgical life of the school and how far the Religious Education curriculum promotes community cohesion.


Inspecting - Curriculum Religious Education

Outcomes for pupils in Religious EducationIn both primary and secondary schools, inspectors should draw on the full range of evidence to arrive at a judgment about attainment and progress in Religious Education. The evidence, additional to data about examinations is in work scrutiny, lesson observations, discussions with pupils, and school portfolio/assessment file.

The inspector should assess:

the progress pupils make in relation to attainment set by the National Levels of Attainment in Religious Education both within years and between years and key stage;

the progress of pupils of different capabilities, especially those having special educational needs;

the relative progress of boys and girls, and different groups and individuals, including those of different ethnic backgrounds;

the depth of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the teachings, beliefs, values, and way of life of Catholic Christianity and, where appropriate, of other faith traditions;

pupils’ understanding of religious concepts and ability to communicate their knowledge and understanding in appropriate forms including different forms of extended writing.

In addition, in secondary schools data must include: KS3 records of attainment based on Bishops’ Conference levels of attainment. Analysis of results in GCSE and Advanced Level examinations in comparison with other

schools Analysis of how well the department is performing in comparison with other subjects

within the school.

Inspectors should seek to establish trends in results over recent years using Raiseonline and, where appropriate, sixth form Panda/LAT data. The school’s own analysis will be informed by and compared with the inspector’s analysis. Any differences should be discussed with the school. Various factors will contribute to differences: a school’s judgment about its attainment will be based upon the work of pupils currently in years 7-13 rather than just those who have completed their examination courses.

Scrutiny of workThe purpose of the work scrutiny is to form a judgment about the attainment and progress of the pupils within and between years and key stages. This judgment is then the basis for testing the school’s own judgments about pupils’ attainment, teachers’ accuracy in assessing pupils’ work and progress recorded in the SEF48.

The work scrutiny is a critical activity for forming accurate judgments about attainment and progress of pupils of different abilities, about the quality of teaching over time and about the taught curriculum and its relationship with that which is planned.

The scrutiny of a sample of pupils’ work complements the discussions with pupils about their work and lesson observations. Inspectors should take every opportunity during lessons to look at pupils’ work and, if appropriate, talk to them about it.

They should examine the work of those pupils whom they interview, but should also look particularly at any year groups which they do not see being taught. Schools should be asked to provide Religious Education books and samples of work for higher, middle and lower achieving pupils. Their work should be scrutinized against the strands and levels - Learning about Religion: Knowledge and Understanding of (AT1) and Learning from Religion: Reflection on Meaning (AT2).


Inspectors should investigate the school’s own work scrutiny in Religious Education, the processes used and the outcomes of the sampling.

Inspectors should also examine the school’s portfolio of pupils’ work.

All evidence gathered from work scrutinizes should be recorded on the S48 Evidence Form. See Appendix on using the Evidence Form.

Quality of teaching in Religious EducationThe single most important point is that teaching must be judged by its impact on learning, attainment and progress. Teaching is assessed through work scrutiny, lesson observations and pupil discussions about their work

The inspector should test the school’s view of the quality of the teaching in Religious Education, the way information is gathered about it over time, and the effectiveness of action to bring about improvement including professional development. Together these will also provide good evidence about the quality of leadership and management of the subject at both subject leader and senior management levels.

The key matters that inspectors should look for are: secure knowledge and understanding of the faith being taught; the ability to reflect on the meaning of faith being taught; high expectations of all pupils appropriate to their abilities; tasks that enable pupils to apply their learning in new contexts rather than merely

transferring information already learned; assessment for learning which enables pupils to understand how well they are doing and

how to improve.

Lesson observationLesson observations must be seen as a means of validating the school’s own judgments about the quality of teaching and learning in Religious Education. They are not the only source of judgments about teaching and learning. The sources are:

the section 48 SEF and other evidence of evaluation provided by the school; work scrutiny; lessons observed during the inspection; conversations with pupils.

Inspectors must be aware – and should explain to the teachers – that they are not there to judge the individual teachers; that the impact of teaching is their main concern and that it is the impact of teaching across the school that will be the subject of the report. External factors can always influence the success of a lesson – wind, wet lunch-times, movement around the school, presence of the inspector, disruptive pupils. Inspectors should look for the way the teacher seeks to handle these factors. They should always have a conscious awareness of when they have themselves fallen short in their teaching.

Whether whole lessons are seen is left to the discretion of the inspector, but in principle inspectors should see some whole lessons. An inspector must remain in a lesson for at least 20 minutes.

All teachers should be asked to provide the inspector with a lesson plan and the planning for the term.


Joint lesson observationsHeadteachers might ask if they or another member of the senior team can join the inspector for lesson observations. If they do observe then the focus of the observation becomes the headteacher’s judgment as well as the quality of teaching and learning in the lesson itself. Therefore:

the inspector would note the steps the joint observer takes during the lesson;

at the end of the lesson, the inspector would not give a judgment on the lesson but would ask the joint observer what his/her view of the lesson was. Then the inspector would share his/her own judgment and differences could be explored;

in the circumstance of a shared observation, the senior manager should give feedback to the teacher, not the inspector. The inspector will observe the feedback to inform the leadership and management judgment.

when the inspector completes the observation form a judgment should be made about the quality of the joint observer’s evaluation.

NBBefore commencing lesson observations the lead inspector should check with the headteacher whether there are any good reasons for not observing a particular member of staff.

Teachers who are undergoing disciplinary/capability procedures should not be observed.

All lesson observations should be recorded on the S48 Evidence Form (EF). See Appendix on using the Evidence Form.

Evidence of the Quality of Teaching and Learning during a lesson observationThis is not a description of the lesson. It is an account of what is happening throughout the school to bring about the learning of the pupils. While no particular style or structure of a lesson is expected, observation will normally seek to identify the presence of:

sharing learning objectives or outcomes in order to ensure that the pupils understand what they should achieve and how they will achieve it. The impact will be a judgment on the extent to which pupils did understand expectations and seek to meet them;

drawing the lesson together at the end (plenary) to assist the pupils in evaluating the progress they have made and the extent of their achievement. The impact is judged by how well pupils are able to reflect upon the learning that has taken place;

the methods used by the teachers to ensure that all of the pupils are learning as effectively as they can. The methods include questioning techniques, management of the pupils, effective use of resources, range of teaching techniques appropriate to the pupils, pace, relationships, use of humour, pattern of the lesson and balance of talk and activity, use of knowledge and use of enquiry. The impact should be judged in each case – e.g. questioning encourages the pupils to think deeply and improve their responses or is targeted to involve all of the pupils in the learning experience; or pace keeps all of the pupils on task and learning at a rate appropriate to their ability; or the use of humour defuses potentially difficult situations; and so on….;

assessment in the lessons enable the teachers to identify how well pupils are learning and influences the pattern, pace and methods employed. The impact is judged by the way that pupils grasp things that were proving difficult and are able to make progress as a result of the teacher’s support and guidance. Prior assessment should influence the way the lesson is planned and taught;


effectiveness of planning anticipating the learning needs of the pupils and any potential difficulties in the material. The impact is judged by the way that all pupils learn at a level appropriate to their capability and achieve as well as they can;

teachers have high expectations of all pupils and provide tasks that challenge them to make progress. The impact is judged by the extent to which pupils of different abilities achieve the lesson objectives (assuming these are suited to their abilities), by the way in which they are made to engage in new learning or apply learning in new contexts or to consolidate earlier learning. Learning which involves the pupils in time-filling exercises or ones which merely transfers information already learned is unchallenging and unlikely to be satisfactory;

teaching which is creative and imaginative should be recorded providing that it is effective in producing good learning.

The evidence form must indicate clearly to the reporting inspector what pupils know, understand and can do as a result of the lessons. Without this, it is hard to write an effective report based on evidence of all lessons.

Inspecting curriculum provisionInspectors should check that the school complies with the requirements of the Bishops’ Conference that there should be 10% of classroom time allocated to Religious Education except in the sixth form where there should be 5% for general Religious Education for all registered students.

The curriculum in Religious Education should be discussed with the Religious Education coordinator/head of department to ensure consistency with diocesan requirements and how its effectiveness is monitored. In primary schools there should be discussion of how the primary programme is used, whether tasks are selected to meet the needs of the pupils in the school, how progression is secured within and between years, and how it is resourced.

Inspectors may identify how the curriculum in Religious Education contributes to pupils’ spiritual and moral development. The evidence for this should be in the curriculum plans but also derived from pupils’ work, discussions and staff interviews.

Inspectors must determine whether or not Religious Education is given core subject status.

Leadership and Management of Religious EducationInspectors need to draw evidence from:

an interview with the subject leader;

documentation e.g. monitoring and assessment data;

other staff;

a governor.

Inspectors must evaluate;

the leader’s sense of direction and understanding of how to bring about improvement and its impact;

the leader’s ability to lead and develop staff;

the quality and effectiveness of monitoring and assessment procedures;

the suitability of staff, resources and accommodation;

how well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled;


how well governors discharge their responsibilities.

Key information inspectors need:

monitoring programme for teaching and learning – lesson observations, planning, work scrutiny;

how is assessment managed – see school portfolio (portfolio should contain three levelled pieces of work of different abilities from each teacher per term from the assessed topic. Along with a record of the school’s in-house moderation meeting);

how professional development needs are identified and met;

how resources are managed;

the subject leaders’ knowledge of strengths and weaknesses and plans for improvement.


Conducting InterviewsHeadteacher: First, the SEF48 and the issues and hypotheses from the pre-inspection analysis will form the main focus of the discussions with the headteacher. The purpose should be to permit the headteacher to indicate where evidence relating to the issues may be found and to provide his/her own perspective on the issues.

The headteacher needs to know that the onus is on the school to provide inspectors with the evidence to justify the judgments made in the school’s self-evaluation or suggest where the evidence may be found. If inspection evidence is not consistent with the judgments in the section 48 SEF, this should be raised at the first meeting with the headteacher after inconsistencies have made themselves evident. The head teacher and senior staff should be given the opportunity to provide further evidence to support their view. This evidence must be tested.

Second, the interview should address the evaluation processes which lie behind the SEF48: how the Catholic life of the school and Religious Education are evaluated?

who is involved?

how often processes such as lesson observations take place?

how performance management contributes to evaluation of the Catholic life of the school and Religious Education?

what kind of overall structure for evaluation is in place?

how the outcomes are fed into the school improvement plan?

how governors are involved?

Attainment and achievement in Religious Education must be discussed.

The inspector should aim to keep the headteacher informed throughout the day of findings of the various aspects of the inspection.

Chair of governors: the chair of governors – or another governor if the chair is unavailable – should be invited to explain how the governors fulfill their responsibilities as leaders of a Catholic school. How far are governors aware of the strengths and development needs of the Catholic life and Religious Education? How are they involved in monitoring these? This will often be achieved by discussing appropriate sections of the SEF48, particularly those about the leadership and management of the school. Final responsibility for the SEF48 rests with governors.

The inspector will need to establish whether governors are holding the headteacher to account for the leadership and management of the Catholic life of the school and ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Bishops’ Conference and the diocese. This should include a performance management objective. Further evidence is an up to date completed SEF48.

Parish priest: An interview with the parish priest will not usually be a part of inspection of secondary schools. In a primary school the parish priest would be asked questions about his impression of the school; the quality of sacramental preparation in the school and to what extent it follows the diocesan guidelines and programme. The interview should also seek to establish the quality of the partnership between school and parish. The inspector must remember that s/he is not inspecting the parish priest or other member of the parish. The only exception to this would be if a priest was teaching a lesson during the inspection. If seen, this would be judged in the same way as other lessons.

If, as sometimes occurs, there are difficulties between the school and parish, this should not form a part of the report. Inspectors may feel that there is a need to bring the matter to the attention of the Diocesan S, F & E Service so that suitable support or guidance might be given to the school.


Chaplains: the same kind of questions as are appropriate for the parish priest in primary schools should also be asked of the school chaplain. As the chaplain is a diocesan appointment to the school, the involvement of the chaplain should be greater and additional lines of enquiry would be followed in the interview and scrutiny of the catholic life of the school. The inspector should seek evidence of what the chaplain does, how s/he has access to the senior management team, what the impact of her/his work is on the Catholic life of the school and particularly its collective worship and liturgy. His/her judgments must be clearly supported by evidence if they are to have significance for the inspection. The inspector should make judgment about the impact of leadership and management on provision.

Head of sixth form: will be a source for judgments about the Catholic life and opportunities for students in the sixth form. Interviews should seek further information about provision for sixth formers, how the Catholic life is evaluated and the recruitment for, and evaluation of, religious studies post-16.

Member of senior leadership team responsible for spiritual development: as with the headteacher, discussions will be concerned with the ways in which the Catholic life of the school is planned, developed and evaluated. Delegation of clear responsibility for spiritual development to a deputy in a secondary school is in itself often a good indication of the high status accorded to the school’s mission, though obviously not at the expense of the headteacher’s involvement.

Head of department/Religious Education coordinator: the issues discussed with the headteacher should also be explored with the head of department/Religious Education co-ordinator – the monitoring and evaluation of Religious Education, the processes involved, the extent of the subject leader’s involvement and development planning in the subject. The head of department should have a firm grasp of attainment and achievement in Religious Education as well as the quality of teaching and learning and curriculum development in the subject.

Pupil interviews: will normally take place on the day when the inspector is observing lessons. Those selected should have their exercise books or folders with them for the discussion. The selected pupils should number no more than six and should meet two criteria: they should represent a range of ability in the class and they should be sufficiently confident to talk to inspectors.

During the interviews the inspector should explore pupils’ experience of Religious Education and worship in the school by direct reference to their work: How do they learn in RE? Do they know how to improve their work? e.g. ask the pupils to choose a piece of work they were pleased with and tell you about it (what was good?) – others will have done the same piece of work and can chip in to the discussion; examples of work that could have been better (how?). Ask how the work was produced – what did the teacher do? This will be the longest part of the discussion, but potentially the most useful, as pupils will talk about specific pieces of work and reveal their knowledge and understanding as well as ability to talk about their work and think about it in response to inspector’s questions.

NBAll interviews should be recorded on the S48 Evidence Form. Please see appendix on using the Evidence Form.


Evaluating Overall EffectivenessThe judgment on overall effectiveness should be the last one that is made, since it takes account of all other evaluations about the school’s performance;

Inspectors should arrive at their judgment by weighing all of their judgments and assessing their relative significance;

The report should make it clear to readers why inspectors have arrived at the overall judgment in terms that are particular to the school inspected. Where the judgment differs from the school’s own assessment of its performance, the reasons should be made clear.

Evaluating progress since the last inspectionThe purpose of this section is to determine whether the school has made improvements in those areas felt to be in need of development since the last inspection. Where the inspection has not taken place for a number of years, the whole context of the school may well have changed so that the areas for development are no longer of any real significance. However, the inspector should identify issues from the last inspection report and, through the SEF 48, interviews and observations, form a view about whether those issues have been resolved. This will provide indications of the leadership and management of the governors and senior management team.

Evaluating capacity to improveThe major factor in any judgment about the school’s capacity to make further improvements in its Catholic life and Religious Education is the quality of the school’s self-evaluation. (Remember, this is not to be equated with the SEF48 unless the SEF48 is the only form of self-evaluation in the school.)

Other factors are:

leadership of the Catholic life across the school;

leadership of Religious Education;

quality of governance;

improvement planning arising from self-evaluation;

clear priorities;

tracking pupils’ progress in Religious Education;

trends in results;

use of data;

improvement since the last inspection.

Factors which might limit the school’s capacity to improve (other than negative judgments about the above):

shortage of Religious Education staff or Catholic teachers;

Religious Education not given core status;

staff absence;

lack of commitment from school’s leadership.


Feedback to Headteacher and Senior StaffAt the end of the inspection feedback should be given on the main conclusions of the inspection to the headteacher, Religious Education coordinator/head of department and chair of governors.

The inspection findings should not come as a surprise to the headteacher at the end of the inspection. Even when the inspection takes place on a single day, the headteacher should be kept abreast of the emerging conclusions. Of course, in a single day inspection, there may be factors arising late in the day which have an effect on the levels of confidence in a judgment. The inspector will need to discuss with the headteacher and make a decision based on the evidence and the discussion.


Section Four: Writing the ReportNote: The process to publish the report takes 15 days

Writing ReportsThe draft report should be written by the lead inspector immediately after the inspection. It should then be sent electronically, to the Diocesan S, F & E Service within 5 working days.

It is important that the inspector is available for 5 days for discussion/ re-draft of the report with the Diocesan S, F & E Service.

When writing the report it is important to be succinct and evaluative.

It is important to acknowledge how well the school knows itself. While it is not necessary to refer to the school’s view of itself in each section, this will often occur. Inspectors should ensure that priority is given in the writing of the report to their own judgments, not those of the school.

The quality of the school’s self-evaluation (not just its outcome in the form of the SEF48) should be clearly evaluated in the leadership and management section of the report. It is important to make the report specific to the school inspected and not to be formulaic.

Once the report has been reviewed at the Diocesan S, F & E Service and any changes made in consultation with the lead inspector, the draft report will be sent to the school with a request that it should be returned within 3 days to the Diocesan S, F & E Service. Requests from the school for amendments will be dealt with in the first instance by the inspector.

Once all corrections and amendments have been made, the inspector’s notebook must be sent to the diocese.

Once the report has been finalised, it will be published by the Diocesan S, F & E Service and copies (one unbound) will be sent to the headteacher, the chair of governors and the local authority. Publication of the report will occur within 15 working days from the last day of the inspection. Schools should distribute the report to parents and carers within five working days. An electronic version of the report will be placed on the diocesan website (www.rcdhn.org.uk ) shortly after its distribution to parents and carers.

Please see appendix on report writing guidance.

Monitoring of Inspection and ReportsA proportion of inspections and all reports will be subject to quality assurance by the Diocesan S, F & E Service. This is to ensure consistency between inspectors, fairness to schools, and accuracy in the judgments that are made. A school visit during an inspection will be supportive of the inspector(s), particularly where an inspector is conducting his or her first inspection, and dedicated to ensuring high quality inspections for the benefit of the schools and the professional development of the inspectors.

If an inspector feels the need for advice or support during an inspection, a call should be made to the Diocesan S, F & E Service or to a named senior inspector. This should not be seen as an expression of weakness on the part of the inspector.


http://www.rcdhn.org.uk/

Schools Causing ConcernThe diocese will not have categories for schools on the section 5 model. Schools who receive any inadequate judgments will be enrolled in a diocesan support programme. This can be of varied length depending on the individual needs of the school.

If there is a concern that the Catholic life of a school or the provision for Religious Education is unsatisfactory, the matter should be discussed with the Director of the Diocesan S, F & E Service. Beyond this, the matter should be treated with full confidentiality.

Inspectors should be conscious that on occasion when they go into a school, there may have been a recommendation from section 5 inspectors just before the section 48 inspection that the school is to be placed in a category. The inspector should be sensitive to the concerns of the school on this matter, but conduct a rigorous inspection nonetheless. Schools giving cause for concern to Ofsted may not provide the same concerns to section 48 inspectors because of the different focus of the inspection. There have been cases in recent years where the Catholic life of a school and the quality of provision of Religious Education have been stronger than other aspects of the school. However, it is likely that certain weaknesses identified by Section 5 will be reflected in the findings of section 48.


Section 5: AppendicesAppendix 1: Correspondence

Primary

[DATE]

[Headteacher]

Dear [name]

Denominational Inspection (Section 48)

Further to our telephone conversation, I am writing to confirm that the Denominational Inspection will take place on [inspection dates]. The diocesan inspector(s) will be [name of inspector]. [Name of inspector] can be contacted on [inspector’s telephone number].

Please send an up to date copy of your Self-Evaluation Form (SEF48), SEF, RAISE online and School Improvement Plan by [date] to: [email protected].

Copies of all inspection guidance can be found on the website www.edurcdhn.org.uk/section48.htm.

[Name of inspector] will be contacting you shortly to discuss the inspection programme and any queries you may wish to raise.

Would you please forward the enclosed contract to the chair of governors for signing and return to the Spirituality, Formation & Education Service prior to the inspection.

Yours sincerely

Joe HughesDirector


http://www.edurcdhn.org.uk/section48.htm

Secondary

[DATE]

[Headteacher]

Dear [name]

Denominational Inspection (Section 48)

We have been notified that [school] is to be inspected by Ofsted on [inspection dates]. In line with the Education and Inspection Act 2005 a Denominational Inspection is also required. This will take place on [section 48 date]. The Denominational Inspectors will be [names of inspectors]. [Name] will lead the inspection. [S/he] can be contacted on [tel. no/email address].

This inspection will follow the new inspection schedule. To ensure a process as smooth as possible, I would like to invite you, the Head of RE and any other senior member of staff you wish to bring to a meeting on [date] at [time] at [venue]. Please confirm your attendance with our secondary inspections administrator.

Please send a copy of your SEF, SEF 48, School Improvement Plan, RAISEOnline data, a school timetable, an RE timetable and any information regarding Acts of Worship scheduled for [date of Inspection] to [email protected] by [deadline date].

Would you please forward the enclosed contract to the chair of governors for signing and return to the Spirituality, Formation and Education Service prior to the inspection.

Yours sincerely

Joe HughesDirector


mailto:[email protected]

Appendix 2: Timetable for Inspection

PRIMARY - TIMETABLE FOR INSPECTION

DAY 108.15 Arrival/meeting with headteacher08.45 Meet staff

09.10 – 09.30 Attend worship09.30- 10.30 Work scrutiny10.30- 10.45 BREAK

Brief headteacher10.45- 12.00 Lesson observations

Conversations with pupilsConversations with teachers

12.00 LUNCH BREAKBrief headteacher

1.00- 1.30 Interview with headteacher – SEF1.30 – 3.30 Interviews with:

RE coordinator chair of governors parish clergy staff parents pupil groups

3.30 Brief headteacher – Feedback on the day’s findings

DAY 208.15 Brief headteacher – feedback /judgments09.00 Worship09.30 Further checks/unfinished business/meetings11.30 Feedback to headteacher, chair of governors, RE coordinator, parish

priest


SECONDARY – TIMETABLE FOR INSPECTION

Name of SchoolSection 48 Inspection Draft ProgrammeInspectors: Name of Lead Inspector Name of Team Inspector

Date DAY ONE8.00 Arrival and inspectors’ meeting8.15 Brief headteacher

Lead Inspector Team Inspector8.45-9.00 Registration and collective worship Scrutinise students’ work and RE

documentation9.00-10.00 Scrutiny of documentation Lesson observations

10.00-10.30

10.30-11.00

Meeting:

Meeting:

Lesson observations

11.20-11.50

11.50-12.20

Meeting:

Meeting:

Lesson observations

Meeting:

12.20-13.15 LUNCH13.15-13.45

13.45-14.15

Lesson observations

Lesson observations

Meeting:

Meeting:

14.15-15.35 Brief headteacher and other senior leaders if required15.35-16.05 Inspectors’ Meeting16.05-16.30 Brief headteacher


Date DAY TWO

8.00 Arrival and inspectors’ meeting8.30-8.40 Meeting with headteacher to clarify arrangements

Lead Inspector Team Inspector8.45-9.00 Registration and collective worship9.00-9.30

9.30-10.00

Meeting: Lesson observations

10.00-10.30

10.30-11.00

Lesson observations Meeting:

Meeting:

11.20-11.50

11.50-12.2012.20-13.15 LUNCH13.15-15.00 Inspectors’ meeting15.15 Feedback to headteacher, chair of governors, head of RE department, members

of leadership team

Individuals/groups to meet Lead InspectorChair/vice chair of governors and parent governor/sChaplain/Chaplaincy Team2/3 classroom support staff3 heads of department or equivalent middle managers3 most recently appointed members of teaching staff4 Key Stage 3 pupils (2 from Y7)4 Key Stage 4 pupils 4 Sixth Form students

Total meetings = 8

Individuals/groups to meet Team InspectorHead of departmentKey Stage co-ordinators or 2nd in department4 Key Stage 3 students4 Key Stage 4 students4 Sixth Form students (not AS/A2 students)

Total meetings = 5


Documentation requested for scrutiny during inspection

school brochure/prospectus examples of any documents referred to in SEF48; previous Denominational Inspection Report; policy statements for worship/any aspect relevant to school’s Catholic character; documents relating to RE departmental evaluation and development plans; pupil/student tracking data, including sixth form; samples of students’ work from each year group, categorised into above average,

average, below average. Please ensure that samples cover students of each teacher of Religious Education and that the sample is equally divided between gender. The work sample should be labelled by the school so that it can easily be seen which sample belongs to which teacher and which books represent which ability range within the sample.

the schemes of work; monitoring and tracking records for teaching and learning; lesson observation records; responses to questionnaires from parents, pupils, staff.


Appendix 3: Using the Evidence Form

General guidance on recording inspection evidence1. The evidence form (EF) remains the document for recording all first-hand evidence.

2. Lesson evidence forms will generally contain personal data (and, by implication, other information concerning the performance of an individual being observed). As such, they may be accessible under the Data Protection Act to the individual teacher who has been observed and should be completed with this in mind. They should be clearly written in a way that another person will be able to understand. However, teachers should have no need to ask for EFs to be disclosed if feedback is informative and helpful.

3. Since lesson EFs contain personal data, inspectors should take care how they report back on lesson observations, including dual observations, to headteachers and others. Although it would be appropriate to discuss strengths and weaknesses in teaching generally, inspectors should be cautious about sharing grade data from individual lessons. In particular, inspectors should not share information for the purposes of performance management and should make clear that inspection evidence must not be used in this way.

4. When completing lesson evidence forms, including those that cover a number of short sessions, inspectors are asked to:

make clear in the context box if the session is not being led by the teacher/trainer

make clear in the context box if the lesson is being taught by a newly qualified teacher

ensure that the writing is legible and that any underlining is marked in pen (felt highlighters will not show up if the EF is photocopied)

avoid the use of colloquial language; write in a professional manner with the assumption that the EF might be seen by the teacher concerned

as far as possible, do not write anything that could identify individual learners

provide a clear, evidenced analysis for the grades awarded; this will form a useful basis for feedback to the teacher.

5. The information contained within evidence forms may be open to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, especially where they do not comprise personal data.

Completing an evidence form6. The ‘header information’ on the EF should be completed fully, using the attached coding,

where relevant. This is important information for the analysis of lesson observations, for instance. Please note the following sets of codes should only be used for lesson EFs:

grouping

present/number on roll

observation times.

7. All EFs should be given a unique EF number that is able to be cross-referenced in an inspection notebook. If there is only one inspector then this can simply be a number. If there is more than one inspector, then this should be a combination of the initials of the inspector recording the evidence and a number (e.g. AN1, AN2, etc)


8. All EFs should contain a statement of the main focus of the evidence-gathering activity which relates to one or more of the inspection issues. In the case of an interview, there may well be more than one focus.

9. When recording evidence that is not a lesson observation, the context should indicate what the evidence collection session is about, for example its objectives.

10. The evidence section is for brief evaluative comment which makes clear the evidence on which judgments are based. Where teaching is evaluated, a connection should be made to the impact it has on learners’ behaviour, progress, and the quality of learning, making specific reference to different groups of learners wherever possible. Inspectors should use the outline guidance and grade descriptors to guide their observations and to support their judgments on the quality of what they see in lessons. There will always be a particular focus on learning and progress, behaviour, and the quality of teaching and the use of assessment to support learning. Where possible, inspectors should seek to confirm judgments about attainment.

11. Inspectors are asked to record any further evidence of particular significance relating to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development under the heading evidence of SMSC.

12. The section headed evaluation for session observations should identify clearly (perhaps by using bullet points) the main strengths and weaknesses that can be fed back to teachers and used for an analysis of whole school issues. All EFs, including those used for evidence collection sessions that are not lesson observations, should contain an evaluation. After a discussion with a senior manager, for example, there might be an evaluation of how well the provision is led and managed on the basis of that conversation. The accurate completion of this section is a most important contribution to the overall view of the school and what it needs to do to improve.

13. There are boxes which correspond to the main headings of the S48 inspection framework in which grades can be put where possible. The grades are as follows:

OUTSTANDING 1

GOOD 2

SATISFACTORY 3

INADEQUATE 4

14. All grades awarded should be consistent with the text, and justified by it. Where there is insufficient information to grade, a box should be left blank.

15. When EFs are used to record evidence sessions that are not lesson observations, such as discussions with staff and learners or analysis of work, complete only the relevant grade boxes. For example, a discussion with a manager should result in an evaluative summary that supports a grade relating to leadership and management, and possibly other grades that relate to the main framework headings that were covered in the discussion.

16. The EF should also be used for logging the main points raised at meetings with the school’s senior management team and for synthesising evidence that underpins important judgments, especially those that might be disputed by the provider or when inspectors arrive at a judgment.


Example Evidence FormEvidence form – S48

Date Time of day Inspector

Evidence Type

(see codes below1)

EF №:

/ /Focus (inspection trail or main purpose of the activity)

Context (lesson objective or description of activity)

Information gathered for lesson observations onlyTeacher:

Yeargroup

(s)

Grouping (see footnote2)

MC

SU

SA

SL O Gend

er B G MI

Present /NOR

Evidence (continued overleaf if necessary)

Evidence of SMSC

Evaluation

Use for grades if there is sufficient evidence:Time spent in this

lesson (mins)

1 Evidence codes: I = Interview; L = Lesson Observation; D = Documentation; W = Work Scrutiny; A = Assembly and Collective Worship; F = Form Class/Registration; X = Extra-curricular; H = Head Teacher; R = RE Co-ordinator, Head of Department or other person with responsibility for RE; C = Chaplain; T = Teacher; G = Governor; P = Pupil; PP = Parish Priest. NB these codes can accumulate. E.g. an interview with the headteacher would be coded as IH and so on.2 Grouping codes: MC = Mixed ability class; SU = Setted, upper ability; SA = Setted, average ability; SL = Setted, lower ability; O = Other


School’s Capacity for Improvement Outcomes for Pupils

Quality of Provision Leadership and management

EF №:


Evidence (continued)


Filling in an Evidence Form

Evidence form – S48Date Time of day Inspector Evidence Type

EF №:

Give the evidence form a unique reference (see point 7 above)

Enter Date Enter Time or Lesson Period

Enter Name of Inspector

Enter Evidence Type using codes listed below

FocusSee point 8 above.

ContextSee points 4 & 9 above.

Information gathered for lesson observations onlyTeacher: Teacher’s name to be recorded here

Yeargroup (s)

GroupingGender

Present /NOR

Enter the year group observed. For vertically grouped classes, use the code V, followed by the year groups covered

Group information should be recorded here according to the codes given below

Gender Information given here, according to codes given below

Number of students present in a lesson observation should be recorded along with the number of students on roll (NOR)

EvidenceSee point 10 above

Evidence of SMSCSee point 11 above

EvaluationSee point 12 above

Time spent in this lesson (mins) Log here the length of time spent in a lessonSchool’s capacity for Improvement Outcomes for Pupils

Quality of Provision Leadership and management

For evidence grades see points 13 & 14 above.

Evidence form codes: I Interview;

L Lesson Observation;

D Documentation;

W Work Scrutiny;

A Assembly and Collective Worship;

F Form Class/Registration;

X Extra-curricular;

H Head Teacher;


R RE Co-ordinator, Head of Department or other person with responsibility for RE;

C Chaplain;

T Teacher;

G Governor;

P Pupil;

PP Parish Priest;.

NB these codes can accumulate. E.g an interview with the headteacher would be coded as IH and so on.

Grouping codes: MC Mixed ability class;

SU Setted, upper ability;

SA Setted, average ability;

SL Setted, lower ability;

O Other


Appendix 4: Report Writing GuidanceThe front page should contain the contact details of the school, names of the inspectors and the date of the inspection:

DENOMINATIONAL INSPECTION REPORT (Section 48)

on

THE CATHOLIC LIFE OF THE SCHOOL AND RELIGIOUS

EDUCATION

School:

Address:

Telephone Number:

Email address:

School URN:

Headteacher:

Chair of Governors:

Lead Inspector:

Team Inspector:

Date of Inspection


INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Describe the main factual characteristics of the school and note particularly any significant changes since the last inspection.

Include a comment about the size of the school compared to others of the same type – for example, ‘xxx is larger than the average sized primary school’.

Include information on important features, whether it is part of a children’s centre or part of a federation. These must be commented on in the report.

Include information on recently accredited and significant awards.

Include information on any alternative provision that is used by the school.

Avoid making judgments, which includes any commentary on attainment on entry or attendance, in this section.

Do not repeat information contained on the front page of the report but note, where appropriate, aspects of the school’s context, such as pupil mobility or significant staffing issues, which set the scene.

In particular, avoid commentary which may be construed as negative and/or may offend parents and carers. For instance, quote the percentage of pupils in a particular group without stating ‘A minority of…’

Pupil CatchmentNumber of pupils on roll:Planned Admission Number of Pupils:Percentage of pupils baptised RC:Percentage of pupils from other Christian denominations:Percentage of pupils from other World Faiths:Percentage of pupils with no religious affiliation:Percentage of pupils from ethnic groups:Percentage of pupils with special needs:

StaffingFull time teachers:Part time teachers:Percentage of Catholic teachers:

RE Department StaffingNumber of full time RE teachers:Number of part time RE teachers:Percentage of Catholic teachers:Percentage of teachers with CCRS:

Percentage of learning time given to Religious EducationFSYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4


Year 5Year 6Year 7Year 8Year 9Year 10Year 116th Form

Parishes served by the schoolHere include details of the parishes served by the school.


OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

How effective the school is in providing Catholic education

The school’s capacity for sustained improvement

MAIN FINDINGSWrite approximately 100 words covering the key features and spirit of the school,

Write approximately 100 words on pupils’ outcomes,

Write approximately 100 words on provision for Catholic education.

Write approximately 100 words on leaders and managers, including the school’s capacity to improve in these aspects


What the school needs to do to improve further

List up to three areas where the school could still make further improvements. Each improvement point should be made in the form:

xxx school needs to:

by:

Make up to three improvement recommendation, with up to three methods for each.


PUPILS

How good outcomes are for pupils, taking particular account of variations between different groups

how well pupils achieve and enjoy their learning in Religious Education

the quality of pupils’ learning and their progress

the quality of learning for pupils with particular learning needs and/or disabilities and their progress

pupils’ attainment in Religious Education

the extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic life of the school

how well pupils respond to and participate in the school’s collective worship

Write approximately 200 words in total evaluating learning, progress, achievements of pupils with particular learning needs and attainment in RE at each key stage

Write approximately 100 words in total evaluating how well pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic life of the school

Write approximately 100 words in total evaluating how well pupils respond to and participate in the school’s Collective Worship


PROVISION

How effective the provision is in promoting Catholic education

the quality of teaching and purposeful learning in Religious Education

the effectiveness of assessment and academic guidance in Religious Education

the extent to which Religious Education curriculum meets pupils’ needs

the quality of collective worship provided by the school

Write approximately 100 words evaluating the quality of teaching and purposeful learning in Religious Education

Write approximately 100 words evaluating the effectiveness of assessment and academic guidance in Religious Education

Write approximately 100 words covering the extent to which Religious Education curriculum meets pupils’ needs

Write approximately 100 words evaluating the quality of Collective Worship provided by the school


LEADERS AND MANAGERS

How effective leaders and managers are in developing the Catholic life of the school

how well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for the Catholic life of the school and plan improvement to outcomes for pupils

how well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for Religious Education and plan for improvement to outcomes for pupils

the extent to which the governing body provides effective challenge and support for the Catholic dimension of the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory and canonical responsibilities met

how well leaders and managers develop partnerships with other providers, organisations and services in order to promote Catholic learning and well-being

how effectively leaders and managers promote community cohesion.

Write approximately 100 words evaluating how well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for the Catholic life of the school and plan improvement to outcomes for pupils

Write approximately 100 words evaluating how well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for RE and plan for improvement to outcomes for pupils

Write approximately 100 words covering the extent to which the governing body provides effective challenge and support for the Catholic dimension of the school so that areas for development are tackled decisively and statutory and canonical responsibilities met


Write approximately 100 words evaluating how well leaders and managers develop partnerships with other providers, organisations and services in order to promote Catholic learning and pupil well-being

Write approximately 100 words evaluating how effectively leaders and managers promote Community Cohesion


Overall effectiveness

The school’s capacity for sustained improvement

How good outcomes are for pupils, taking particular account of variations between different groups

how well pupils achieve and enjoy their learning in Religious Education

the quality of pupils’ learning and their progress

the quality of learning for pupils with particular learning needs and/or disabilities and their progress

pupils’ attainment in Religious Education

the extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic life of the school

how well pupils respond to and participate in the school’s collective worship

How effective the provision is in promoting Catholic education

the quality of teaching and purposeful learning in Religious Education

the effectiveness of assessment and academic guidance in Religious Education

the extent to which Religious Education curriculum meets pupils’ needs

the quality of collective worship provided by the school

How effective leaders and managers are in developing the Catholic life of the School how well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for

the Catholic life of the school and plan improvement to outcomes for pupils how well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for Religious

Education and plan for improvement to outcomes for pupils the extent to which the governing body provides effective challenge and support

for the Catholic dimension of the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory and canonical responsibilities met

how well leaders and managers develop partnerships with other providers, organisations and services in order to promote Catholic learning and well-being

how effectively leaders and managers promote community cohesion.

Please note: The overall effectiveness grade is a reflection of the headline judgments in:

Capacity to improve

Pupil outcomes

Provision for catholic education


Leadership and Management of Catholic Education

And only these headline judgments

Please also note that the headline judgment on pupil outcomes is a reflection of the following judgments:

Achievement in Religious Education

Contribution and benefit from Catholic Life

Collective Worship

And only these judgments.

The sub-judgments of learning and progress in RE; learning and progress of particular groups in RE; and attainment in RE only make a contribution to the achievement in Religious Education judgment.


Appendix 5: The Code of Canon Law

Book III The Teaching Office of the ChurchChapter 1

Schools

Can.803 81 A Catholic school is understood to be one which is under the control of a competent ecclesiastical authority or of a public ecclesiastical juridic person, or one which in a written document is acknowledged as catholic by the ecclesiastical authority.

82 Formation and education in a catholic school must be based on the principles of catholic doctrine, and the teachers must be outstanding in true doctrine and uprightness of life.

83 No school, even if it is in fact catholic, may bear the title “catholic school” except by the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority.

Can.804 81 The formation and education in the catholic religion provided in any school, and through various means of social communication, is subject to the authority of the Church. It is for the Episcopal Conference to issue general norms concerning this field of activity and for the diocesan Bishop to regulate and watch over it.

82 The local Ordinary is to be careful that those who are appointed as teachers of religion in schools, even non-Catholic ones, are outstanding in true doctrine, in the witness of their Christian life, and in their teaching ability.

Can.805 In his own dioceses, the local Ordinary has the right to appoint or to approve teachers of religion and, if religious or moral considerations require it, the right to remove them or to demand that they be removed.

Can.806 81 The diocesan Bishop has the right to watch over and inspect the catholic schools situated in his territory, even those established or directed by members of religious institutes. He has also the right to issue directives concerning the general regulation of catholic schools; these directives apply also to schools constructed by members of a religious institute, although they retain their autonomy in the internal management of their schools.

82 Those who are in charge of catholic schools are to ensure, under the supervision of the local Ordinary, that the formation given in them is, in its academic standards, at least as outstanding as that in other schools in the area.


Appendix 6: Education Act 2005

Chapter 18PART 1, SCHOOL INSPECTIONS AND OTHER INSPECTIONS BY SCHOOL INSPECTORS

Chapter 6

Inspection of religious education

47. Meaning of “denominational education”

In this Part “denominational education”, in relation to a school, means religious education which:

(a) is required by section 80(1)(a) or 101(a) of the Education Act 2002 (c.32) to be included in the school’s basic curriculum, but

(b) is not required by any enactment to be given in accordance with an agreed syllabus.

48. Inspection of religious education: England

(1) It is the duty of the governing body of any voluntary or foundation school in England which has been designated under section 69(3) of the School Standards and Framework Act 198 by the Secretary of State as having a religious character to secure that:

(a) any denominational education given to pupils; and

(b) the content of the school’s collective worship.

are inspected under this section.

(2) An inspection under this section is to be conducted by a person chosen:

(a) in the case of a voluntary controlled school, by the foundation governors after consultation with any person prescribed for the purposes of this subsection in relation to the religion or religious denomination that is specified in relation to the school under section 69(4) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and

(b) in any other case, by the governing body after consultation with any person so prescribed.

(3) Inspections under this section must be carried out at such intervals as may be prescribed.

[These must be completed for all schools by 1 August 2009 and, following that inspection, the school should be inspected within three school years from the end of that school year in which the last such inspection took place.]

(4) It is the general duty of a person conducting an inspection under this section:


(a) to report on the quality of the denominational education provided by the school for any pupils to whom denominational education is given by the school; and

(b) to report on the content of the school’s collective worship.

and any such person may report on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school.

(5) A person conducting an inspection under this section may do so with the assistance of such other persons chosen by him as are in his opinion fit and proper persons for carrying out the inspection.

(6) In this section and section 49:

“Collective worship” means collective worship required by section 70 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c.31).

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

48. Procedure for inspections under Section 48

(1) An inspection under section 48 must be carried out within such period as may be prescribed

(2) When the inspection has been completed, the person conducting the inspection must, before the end of the period prescribed for the purposes of this subsection, prepare in writing a report of the inspection [15 working days].

(3) The person conducting the inspection must, without delay, send the report to the governing body of the school concerned.

(4) The governing body must:

(a) make any such report available for inspection by members of the public, at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable;

(b) take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that every parent of a registered pupils at the school:

(i) for whom the school provides denominational education; or

(ii) who takes part in acts of collective worship the content of which falls to be inspected under section 48, as the case may be, receives a copy of the report as soon as is reasonably practicable. [within 5 working days of the receipt of the report]; and

(c) provide such a copy of the report, free of charge or in prescribed cases on payment of such a fee as they think fit (not exceeding the cost of supply) to any other person who asks for one


Appendix 7: Protocol for the relationship between Section 5 and Section 48 inspections

THE INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS WITH A RELIGIOUS CHARACTER IN ENGLAND (THOSE SCHOOLS SUBJECT TO INSPECTION UNDER BOTH SECTIONS 5 AND 48 OF THE EDUCATION ACT 2005)

FROM SEPTEMBER 2010

PROTOCOL FOR INSPECTORS

Purpose1. The intention of this protocol is to ensure that, where a school is to be inspected under both sections 5 and 48 of the Education Act 2005, appropriate arrangements are in place for the inspections to be carried out simultaneously; or for the section 48 inspection to take place after the section 5 inspection. This is in order to minimise the volume of inspection in the school. This version of the protocol is between Ofsted and the Roman Catholic Church’s Catholic Education Service. This protocol also covers the inspection of academies sponsored by faith groups.

Background2. If a school has a religious character, as determined by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills under section 69(3) of the School Attainment and Framework Act 1998, denominational religious education and the content of collective worship are inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. Where religious education is required to be provided using the locally agreed syllabus relevant to the school, religious education is inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

3. The governing body of a school (or foundation governors in the case of a voluntary controlled school) is responsible (after consultation with the appropriate authority) for setting up the section 48 inspection and for appointing that inspector.

4. Ofsted and its inspection service provider (ISP) partners have no statutory remit in respect of section 48 inspections. This protocol is designed to assist in the manner in which section 5 and section 48 inspectors co-operate while remaining within the statutory requirements of each inspection, including the provision of separate reports.

5. Section 5 inspections are generally carried out by a team, one member of which is designated the lead inspector. The inspections may be led by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI), or an additional inspector from an ISP. Where a section 5 inspection is carried out by a single inspector, the term ‘lead inspector’ is used to describe the inspector in this protocol. Section 48 inspections are generally carried out by one inspector and the term section 48 inspector in this protocol refers to this person or the lead inspector where there is more than one inspector on the section 48 team.

6. In circumstances where a section 5 inspection is scheduled: alongside an inspection of boarding provision; or


with an inspection of the early years foundation stage taking place as part of that section 5 inspection; or

with an inspection of the early years foundation stage taking place as parallel inspection event alongside that section 5 inspection.

then a section 48 inspection may also take place concurrently. However, if a school’s leadership considers that such concurrency would place an inappropriate burden on the affected school, then the section 5 inspection of a school which has boarding provision will take precedence over the section 48 inspection, in that the section 48 inspection shall be postponed.

Scheduling the inspection7. Ofsted will make available to signatory organisations to this protocol the names of all relevant faith schools to be inspected in each ISP’s geographic area, and the dates of those inspections, in the term prior to the term of inspection. Each ISP will nominate an inspection liaison officer as the contact point for faith groups, and shall also nominate a senior manager to act as a liaison point on wider section 5 & section 48 matters. Ofsted will take appropriate steps to ensure that such notifications are made on a confidential and secure basis, in line with Ofsted’s policy on information assurance. The information to be shared is the names of faith schools and the proposed dates of inspection and carries the UK Government’s Protective Marking of ‘PROTECT-INSPECTION’. The information is issued by Ofsted and is to be used by the Catholic Education Service solely for scheduling inspections as described in relevant sections of the protocol. The Catholic Education Service’s contacts shall sign the confidentiality clause (attached at the annex), undertaking to maintain confidentiality concerning the provision of the information.

8. If the date of a section 5 inspection of a faith group school is changed, then the relevant ISP shall advise the affected faith group as soon as practical after the decision has been made to change the date of the section 5 inspection.

9. This information will only be used by the lead nominated officer and other nominated employees and members of the faith groups for the purpose of scheduling section 48 inspections. Nominees will be proposed to Ofsted by the signatories to this protocol. The names of schools to be inspected and the proposed dates of inspection will be kept confidential. A school’s name will not be revealed to any section 48 inspector until after the school is notified, nor will it be revealed to any member of any school, or any officer of the relevant local education authority, or any member of that school’s governing body either by nominees, members or employees of the faith group or by any inspectors appointed to inspect that school under section 5 or section 48, until the school and the relevant diocesan officer have received notification from the ISP of the date of the section 5 inspection. The relevant diocesan officer may be notified by email. By signing the protocol, the signatory binds her or his organisation to maintain the levels of confidentiality outlined in this protocol.

10. Information supplied to the Catholic Education Service will not be used for any purpose other than within the terms of this protocol. This protocol, or the supply of information, does not create any licence, title or interest in respect of any Intellectual Property Rights of the disclosing party. Where possible, information must be processed directly from the system. Where local storage, such as saving information from the system to a local computer is required, all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure only


authorised individuals have access, including limiting and removing access when it is not required; careful handling and disposal of any print outs; avoiding use of removable storage where possible, and encryption of storage devices. In the event that the Catholic Education Service discovers that materials provided under this protocol have been incorrectly released, then shall inform Ofsted immediately about that breach.

11. A proportionate approach to inspection is a principle of the new school inspection framework, and will be achieved by adjusting the frequency of inspections. In consequence, from September 2009, Ofsted has varied the frequency of schools’ inspections depending upon the results of their previous inspections and an annual assessment of their subsequent performance. Hence, in general terms, schools currently judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ at their previous inspection are usually inspected once within a five year interval unless there is cause for concern. Schools which were judged ‘satisfactory’ at their previous inspection are inspected within three school years from the end of the school year in which that inspection took place. The section 48 inspection will either be scheduled to take place concurrently with the school’s section 5 inspection or as soon as possible after the section 5, and within the period specified by the legislation. If the faith group with linkages to the school is able to conduct a section 48 inspection at the time of the section 5 inspection, the faith group inspectorate will be going ahead, and that the school has been, or will be, notified of the section 5 inspection’s date by the ISP. The faith group inspectorate will then contact the school after the school has been notified of the section 5 inspection, to appraise the school of the concurrent section 48 inspection, and of the form and nature of the section 48 inspection. The faith group must check with the ISP that the school has been notified, and that a section 5 inspection will go ahead; the ISP shall advise the faith group inspectorate of the lead inspector’s name.

12. Where a school is subject to a further inspection within the inspection interval under section 5 (for example, a second inspection of a school with a notice to improve), a further section 48 inspection would not normally take place at the same time. Should a faith group decide to conduct a section 48 inspection at the same time as the further section 5 inspection, the faith group should consult with Ofsted and the Department for Education.

13. Breaches of confidentiality over the scheduling of inspection will result in withdrawal of access to Ofsted’s information over scheduled dates of inspection for a period at the discretion of Ofsted. The determination of a breach of confidentiality will be made after the views of the relevant faith group have been taken into account: that process, and the decision on a withdrawal of access to that source of information, will be the responsibility of the National Director, Inspection Delivery, Ofsted. The decision letter will be issued to the relevant faith group inspectorate and copied to the Department for Education.

Relationship between inspectors14. Ofsted’s framework for inspection, its inspection guidance and instruments used under section 5, are available to section 48 inspectors, through access to Ofsted’s website.

15. Where a section 48 inspection takes place concurrently with a section 5 inspection the section 48 inspector, if it is requested, make available to the section 5 lead inspector


the evaluation scheduled to be used for the section 48 inspection and any supporting guidance.

16. The school may make its own self-evaluation form (SEF) available to the section 48 inspector without prior preference to the section 5 inspector. This may be done by the school providing a paper or electronic copy of the SEF.

17. Where either the section 48 or section 5 inspector, having read the SEF and/or having been in contact with the school, believes that a section 48 inspection has been wrongly scheduled, or a section 48 inspection has not been scheduled when one is needed, s/he should immediately seek advice from the relevant ISP to establish what action, if any, is needed.

18. Although the section 48 inspector will inspect acts of collective worship or those lessons designated as providing denominational Religious Education, section 5 inspectors and section 8 inspectors who monitor groups of schools, such as those causing concern, may attend acts of collective worship, and may observe lessons in which denominational Religious Education is provided. In such cases, the section 5 inspector will not inspect or report on matters which are the responsibility of the section 48 inspector. Finally, section 5 and section 48 inspectors should jointly take steps to avoid over-inspection of particular teachers.

19. In the case of concurrent inspections, to support their understanding of the school and its attainment and provision, section 5 and section 48 inspectors may discuss, within the terms of the Ofsted Code of Conduct for inspectors, inspection evidence and emerging judgments, providing that no inspector from either inspection shall seek to take part in decisions or influence judgments made by inspectors from the other.

20. In the case when the inspections take place within the same term, but the section 48 inspection taking place after the section 5 inspection, the lead inspector on the later inspection will consider the report of the earlier inspection.

Feedback and reporting21. Where section 5 and section 48 inspectors are undertaken concurrently, feedback on both inspections may take place at the same meeting, with the agreement of those receiving feedback, and provided that the feedback and subsequent discussions are conducted under the terms of the Ofsted Code of Conduct for inspectors. The timing of the feedback should be agreed beforehand by the inspection teams and the school’s leadership.

22. The existence of a section 48 inspection report on a school shall be acknowledged in the ‘Information about the school’ section of a section 5 inspection report.

Quality assurance and performance management23. Section 48 inspection reports shall not be subject to scrutiny by Ofsted or the ISP for the purposes of quality assurance, and section 5 inspection reports shall not be subject to scrutiny by section 48 inspectors or their faith groups for the purposes of quality assurance.


24. The work under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 of any section 48 inspector who also inspects under section 5 shall not be admissible in support of her or his performance management by Ofsted or his or her ISP.

Review of Protocol25. This protocol will be subject to collective review and amendment by Ofsted and other signatories from time to time.


Appendix 8: Extract from A statement on Religious Education issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Religious Education in the Curriculum

In addition, and in view of the importance given to Religious Education by the Bishops of England and Wales, they have said that ‘it requires the unequivocal support of the management of every Catholic school. It also requires 10% of the length of the taught week for each key stage of education (up to the end of compulsory schooling). This is what we reaffirm and expect.’1 The requirement for General Religious Education in Year 12 and Year 13 is 5%.

1 A Statement on Religious Education in Catholic Schools - issued by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales


Appendix 9: Extract from the Curriculum Directory

The Aims of Religious Education in Catholic Schools

The Catholic vision of education promotes the dignity and freedom of every person as created in the image and likeness of God. This vision inspires and encourages the beliefs and values which are lived out in the daily life of the Catholic school. Within this vision, Religious Education is very much a journey of formation involving every member of the school community, together with a pupil’s family and parish community. It is in this context that the three elements of Religious Education, catechesis and evangelisation, co-exist, providing mutual support and reinforcement.

For all children Religious Education is a proper subject in its own right in the school’s curriculum. It is a rigorous academic discipline and as such it is to be taught, developed and resourced with the same commitment as any other subject. For those already engaged in the journey of faith Religious Education will be catechesis, and for some children and young people Religious Education will be evangelisation, the first opportunity to hear the good news of the Gospel.

Curriculum Religious Education in Catholic schools aims to promote:

knowledge and understanding of Catholic faith and life;

knowledge and understanding of the response of faith to ultimate questions about human life, its origin and purpose;

the skills required to engage in examination of and reflection upon religious belief and practice.

The objectives of curriculum Religious Education in Catholic schools are:

to develop knowledge and understanding of the mystery of God and of Jesus Christ, of the Church, and of the central beliefs which Catholics hold;

to develop awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief, understanding of its impact on personal and social behaviour and of the vital relationship between faith and life, life and faith;

to encourage study, investigation and reflection by the pupils;

to develop appropriate skills: for example, ability to listen; to think critically, spiritually, ethically and theologically; to acquire knowledge and organise it effectively; to make informed judgments;

to foster appropriate attitudes: for example, respect for truth; respect for the views of others; awareness of the spiritual, of moral responsibility, of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life and especially the challenge of living in a multicultural, multi faith society.


[Guidance on skills and attitudes in Religious Education is found in Broad Areas of Attainment in Religious Education, National Board of Religious Inspectors and Advisers, 1994].

The outcome of Religious Education is religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to think spiritually, ethically and theologically and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.


Appendix 10: A Statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales – Low Week 2000

Growing in Faith:

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ invites all who follow its teaching to the fullness of life. Discipleship in the Gospel is life-long, a journey of faith coming to complete fulfilment only in the presence of God in heaven. The entire life of the disciple is marked by learning and growth. Life-long growth in faith is to be a characteristic of Catholic life. An understanding of the educative task of the Church must start from this perspective and increasingly opportunities for life-long learning need to be developed for every member of the Church.

2. The first educators in the faith are parents. It is they, above all others, who establish in their children the first sensitivity and responsiveness to the presence of God, to the practice of prayer and to the patterns of life in the community of faith, the parish. By their example in the home and in their participation in the Mass and other sacraments, the foundation of life-long faith and discipleship in their children are laid down.

The Catholic School:3. This partnership between home and parish is enhanced by the role of the Catholic

school in which the educational mission of the Church finds a particular and important expression (Cf. General Directory for Catechesis n259). This educational mission entails the on-going development of the entire potential of every person. It seeks to promote the well0being and freedom of every person, made in the image and likeness of God and finding fulfilment in God alone. This is the vision, which shapes the daily life of a Catholic school as a community in which faith is expressed and shared through every aspect of its activity. Through the pattern of daily prayer, through the celebration of the sacraments of the Church, through works of charity, through a striving for justice in all it does, a Catholic school seeks to be a catechetical community in which the content and the life of faith is shared (Cf. GDC nos. 218 & 259). We recognise that in a Catholic school the witness of its life is, for some, a first announcing of the Gospel, or even preparation for that announcement. In these ways, the meaning of life, as understood in the Catholic faith, is explored and experienced by all those taking part in the life of the school, whether they are baptised Catholics or not, practising their faith in their own parish or not. This vision of the Catholic school lies at the heart of the firm expectation that Catholic parents send their children to Catholic schools, if at all possible. The partnership between home, parish and school is the best setting for the formation of maturing Catholic young people.

Religious Education:4. In the life of faith of the Catholic school, Religious Education plays a central and vital

part. At the heart of Catholic education lies the Christian vision of the human person. This vision is expressed and explored in Religious Education. Therefore, Religious Education is never simply one subject among many, but the foundation for the entire education al process. The beliefs and values studied in Catholic religious


education inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school. We are committed to classroom Religious Education, them, because all pupils have the fight to receive an overall education which will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope which is within them (1 Peter 3:15), Religious Education is, then, the core subject in a Catholic school.

5. In 1996, we published the Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools. This stated clearly the overall aims of classroom Religious Education and its more precise objectives. They can be summarised as stating that Religious Education in a Catholic school is the comprehensive and systematic study of the mystery of God, of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the teachings of His Church, the central beliefs that Catholics hold, the basis for them and the relationship between faith and life in a manner which encourages investigation and reflection by the pupils; develops the appropriate skills and attitudes; and promotes free, informed and full response to God’s call in Religious Education ‘is religious literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.’ (p.10)

6. In January 2000, we were able to host a Symposium on ‘Expectations of Classroom Religious Education in Catholic Schools’ to which we invited many diocesan Religious Education advisers, Religious Education teachers and representatives of Catholic colleges and institutions. This enabled us to look together at some of the issues surrounding Religious Education today and, in particular, the needs of our Catholic schools. We are grateful to all who took part in this Symposium, and to all who contributed to the consultation which preceded it.

Expectations of Classroom Religious Education:7. The Symposium emphasised the importance of the definitions of aims and

objectives of classroom Religious Education given in the Curriculum Directory, It also asked for greater clarity about the precise role of classroom Religious Education, in the context of our understanding of the catechetical task of the whole school. In this context we are clear that the specific contribution to the life of the Catholic school of classroom Religious Education is primarily educational, for its primary purpose is to draw pupils into a systematic study of the teaching of the Church, the saving mystery of Christ which the Church proclaims., Excellence in Religious Education, then, will be characterised by a clarity of succinct religious learning objectives and of key content, by appropriate methodologies, rigour, richness of resources, achievement of identified outcomes and accurate methods of assessment, Classroom Religious Education will be a challenging educational engagement between the pupil, the teacher and the authentic subject material.

8. Religious Education teaching in a Catholic school will be enlightened by the faith of the school community and by the faith of the Religious Education teacher. Its educational focus will be formed and enhanced by the vitality of faith. For some in the classroom, Religious Education may well be received as catechesis, deepening


and enhancing their personal faith; for some it will be evangelisation, the first time they will have been presented, personally, with the truths of living faith. Nevertheless its primary purpose is the step-by-step study of the mystery of Christ, the teaching of the Church and its application in daily life. The criteria by which it is to be judged are educational.

9. When classroom Religious Education displays these educational characteristics, then its specific contribution to the life of the Catholic school, which as a whole is a catechetical community, becomes apparent. Them the complementarily of the various roles which contribute to the life of the school is also clarified: the role of the leadership of the school as a catechetical community, the role of the chaplaincy of the school and the partnership in the religious life of the pupils between the school, the parishes and the families. All these have a part to play in the handing on of faith and its expression and exploration in daily life.

10. If this kind of classroom Religious Education is to be achieved, then it is to be taught, developed and resourced with the same commitment as any other subject. We are aware that sometimes classroom Religious Education suffers from low expectations and lack of challenge. Tasks given to pupils need to be clearly focused and sufficiently demanding. The objective or Religious Education is to include analysis and reflection, critical appreciation of sources and examples, and a real sense of progression through the different stages of education. As such it requires the unequivocal support of the management of every Catholic school. It also requires 10% of the length of the taught week for each key stage of education. This is what we reaffirm and expect.

The Role of the Teacher:11. The success of classroom Religious Education in our schools will also depend, as

does every subject, on the quality and dedication of the teachers. We are aware of the need to do all we can, as a church, to recruit, educate and support good teachers of Religious Education. We believe that the clarity of expectations, which can underpin Religious Education, will serve to enhance the attractiveness of the subject to potential teachers. We also recognise the need for Religious Education teacher to have particular opportunities to continue their own life-long formation in faith as well as for professional development. We need to make the best possible use of those diocesan resources given to the support of Religious Education teachers. We acknowledge the limitation of these resources, especially in the number of Religious Education Advisors in our Secondary schools, and we will look at ways in which their number and effectiveness can be enhanced. We are also grateful to all those who have been developing effective resources for Catholic Religious Education, and wish to encourage a lively exchange of good practice, not least by use of Internet sites and other modern means. Good teachers also always require the support of parents and the wider Church community. Learning in the faith is not completed when school years are finished as responsibility remains on every Catholic to continue their growth in faith throughout life.

12. The importance of the teacher of Religious Education cannot be exaggerated. We are most grateful to all those teachers who, week in and week out, have


contributed to the Religious Education of pupils in our schools. We recognise the difficulties that are faced in this task, especially in a society like ours, which does not encourage the natural religiosity of the individual, nor offer popular support for faithful adherence to the practice of faith., We salute the generosity of our teachers who have brought not only a love of their faith to their teaching but also a deep concern for the well-being of every pupil. We offer them every encouragement and support as they strive to develop their professional expertise in this vital subject. We also salute and thank the senior management teams and governors of our schools for their work in fostering our schools as communities of faith. We encourage them to give every possible support and importance to the Religious Education departments and Co-ordinators. A Catholic school, which promotes the best possible teaching of Religious Education, is fulfilling its true purpose.

Conclusion:13. Teaching is a noble calling and profession. It can be a source of great satisfaction

and we ask all Catholics to pray for our teachers and for vocations to the teaching life, ‘Teaching has an extraordinary moral depth and is one of our most excellent and creative activities. For the teacher does not write on inanimate material, but on the very spirits of human beings.’ (The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium: 1998: n.19)


Appendix 11: Guide to House Style

Abbreviations

1. When using an abbreviation, spell out the word(s) in full the first time and put the abbreviation in brackets after, for example the Department for Education (DfE). Avoid unnecessary abbreviations, especially if occurring infrequently in a document.

2. Avoid overloading sentences with abbreviations For example: ‘Schools sometimes see residential and off-site experiences as attempts to compensate for the lack of OAA content in PE or to support PSHE programmes.’

3. Do not use the abbreviations ‘e.g.’, ‘i.e.’ or ‘etc’. Always spell out in full: ‘for example’, ‘that is’, and so on’.

Capital letters

4. Use lower case letters when referring to a person’s post or office which is not placed by their name. For example, ‘In his address, the prime minister said….’

5. Posts such as headteacher, governor, key worker and team leader take lower case.

6. Use upper case for main words when the full title is used to refer to organisations, ministries and departments, for example, HM Treasury. Apply common sense. If ‘House’ (=House of Commons) has to have an initial capital letter for clarity, this does not mean that ‘diocese’, ‘bishop’ and associated words need an initial capital letter. The same rule also applies to levels and key stages, for example, key stage 1 (KS1), level 1, but lower case letters should be used when ‘key stage’ and ‘level’ are used generically. ‘Ofsted’ is upper and lower case. Never use ‘OFSTED’.

7. Use lower case for ‘church’ and ‘government’ except when part of a title.

8. Use lower-case initial when the connection with the proper name is remote or conventional, for example french (polish), roman (letters and numerals).

Days and dates

9. The correct order is day, month, and year. For example Monday 13 September 2004. Abbreviations may be used in figures and tables and other graphical material where economy of space is important (Mon 13 Sept 04). Do not use ‘-th’, ‘-rd’, ‘-st’.

10. Where a single financial year comprises parts of two calendar years, use an en rule (for example, ‘in the financial year 2001-02’). An academic or other period of one year comprising parts of two calendar years is expressed: ‘in the academic year 2002/03’.

Lists and bullets

11. Use paragraph numbers to refer easily and conveniently to the location of pieces of information and use subpoints using lower-case letters (a., b., c.). For subpoints of subpoints, use lower-case roman numerals (i., ii., iii.). Do not overdo this. Your aim is to clarify and to help the reader.

12. Where lists do not need to be numbered, use bullet points. This implies that there is no priority or other meaning in the order of appearance.

13. If each point in the list is a complete sentence or paragraph, as in the main findings or recommendations of reports and other publications, use square bullet points. These are aligned left. Use square bullets for questions as they are complete sentences. Start each


sentence with a capital letter and end with a full stop. The lead-in line must be a complete sentence with a full stop.

14. Round bullet points are short – a few words - usually without a verb. Each bullet point must start with the same part of speech (nouns or verbs). There is no punctuation at the end of each point except for the last point, which ends with a full stop.

15. A list in the body of a paragraph has a lead-in line followed by a colon, a semicolon follows each point, and the last point ends with a full stop. For example, ‘in some schools, distinctive features included: the use of self-review procedures; monitoring by the headteacher; specification of a common objective for all school staff; and the inclusion of non-teaching staff in the performance management process.’

Numbers

16. Write small numbers below ten in words. Use numbers for ten and above. Use a comma to separate thousands in numbers of four digits and above: 1,000: 10,000; 100,000.

17. Where numbers in the same paragraph fall below and above the chosen limit, use number for both. For example, ‘there were 2, 11 and 14 pupils involved in these activities.’ Not ‘there were two, 11 and 14 pupils involved…’

18. Use numbers for ages, for example, ‘5-year-old child’, not ‘five-year-old child’. Also use numbers when referring to the number of children as well as their age, for example, ‘the childminder may care for 6 children aged under 8 at any one time. Of these, no more than 3 may be aged under 5; and of these no more than 1 aged under 1’.

19. Avoid using a number to start a sentence. When it is necessary to begin a sentence with a number, write it as a word rather than as a numeral.

20. Express decimals in numbers and fractions in words, for example, two thirds. Do not hyphenate fractions.

21. Use numbers before abbreviations, for example, ‘5kg’, ‘6%’; remember that abbreviated units of measurement have no full stops and do not take‘s’ in the plural (64 lb).

22. Use the ‘%’ sign throughout (it is short and easily visible). Percentages are proportions, not exact number.

23. Avoid mixing numbers, fractions and decimals and percentages in the same sentence or paragraph. Avoid using percentages when expressing numbers below 100. For example, ‘in 15 of the 79 schools that were inspected…’


Proportions

24. If sample sizes are small, generally fewer than 100, scale is expressed using actual numbers of institutions to which particular judgments apply. Proportions, which are used with sample sizes are large, can be expressed in a number of ways: percentages, common fractions and general descriptions such as ‘majority’, ‘minority’ or ‘most’. When using general descriptions, the proportions should relate broadly to the percentages shown in the table below.

Expressions of proportions in words

Proportion Description

97-100% Vast/ overwhelming majority or almost all

80-96% Very large majority, most

65-79% Large majority

51-64% Majority

35-49% Minority

20-34% Small minority

4-19% Very small minority, few

0-3% Almost no / very few

Quotations

25. Use single quotation marks, except for quotations within quotations when double quotation marks should be used. When quoted material is more than two lines, italicise the text and indent to display it more effectively.

References

26. Publication titles should be italicised and in sentence case. Titles of journal articles or chapters within books should be in roman type, sentence case and in quotation marks.

27. Information on publications, such as publication dates and reference numbers should not be cited in the main body of the text. If three or fewer publications are citied, the publication details should be listed in footnotes. Use the following styles, noting the information that is required for each type of publication and the order which it should appear:

Outdoor education: aspects of good practice (HMI 2151), Ofsted, 2004, Success for all: reforming further education and training (Reference/ISBN number), DfES, 2002.

V Collier, ‘Age and rate of acquisition of second language for academic purposes’, TESOL Quarterly, 21, 1987, pp17-641.

Time

28. Use the 24-hour system, no am and pm. For example, 14.28, 15.37. Say ‘from 08.00 to 12.30’ rather than ‘from 08.00-12.30)’

Apostrophes

29. Use to indicate possession (the pupil’s book, schools’ plans). Possessive pronouns (its, his, hers, ours, yours, theirs) do not take apostrophes.

30. Apostrophes are used in terms of duration (for example, in three years’ time; four months’ experience).


31. Do not use to indicate plurals (1980s not 1980’s). ‘It’s’ is a contraction of the words ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. Avoid using contractions within written communications.

Colons

32. Use a colon to separate a clause that introduces a list, quotation or summary. Use a colon when the second half of the sentence explains the first half.

33. Never follow a colon with a dash.

Commas

34. Keep to a minimum. Use commas at both ends of an embedded clause in a sentence that could be removed leaving the sentence complete. For example, ‘The monthly newsletter, introduced in July, contains information for all staff.’

35. Use before and after connectives (however, therefore, consequently, moreover) when they are embedded in a sentence, and after connectives where the connective starts a sentence.

36. Only use a comma after ‘and’ (for example, in a list) if the meaning would be unclear without it. For example, ‘The pupils studied English, mathematics, science, and information and communication technology’ (where ‘information and communication technology’ is one item in the list).

Ellipsis

37. An ellipsis consists of three dots (…) and is used to mark an omission of one or more words from a sentence. It may be used at the end of a sentence to indicate that one or more sentences have been missed out. You do not need to precede or follow an ellipsis with full stops.

Full stops

38. Full stops are unnecessary in abbreviations (DfE, BBC, DTI, Ufi, LSC, ALI, RSA), contractions (Mr, Dr, Ltd) and after initials in names.

Hyphens (dashes and en rules)

39. It is not necessary to use hyphens in adjectival phrases (‘high quality’, ‘well planned’, ‘well established’), except to avoid ambiguity (‘whole-school improvement’ rather than ‘whole school improvement’).

40. Never hyphenate adverbs that end ‘-ly’, for example, ‘newly qualified teacher’.

41. Floating hyphens take the following form:

� three and four-year degrees.

� Three and four-part lesson structures.

42. The ‘en rule’ (sometimes ‘en dash’) is another type of dash. Use an en rule to indicate a range of numbers for convenience, for example, ‘the 16-19 age range…’, although wherever possible use words, for example, ‘the 16 to 19 age range’).

Quotation marks

43. Use single quotation marks (‘xxx’) to mark the beginning and end of a reported speech. Use double quotation marks (“xxx”) when a quotation appears in a quotation.

Semicolons

44. Semicolons separate strings of clauses or phrases, especially when the clauses and phrases are long and when they contain commas. They are also used for breaking up lists after a colon in a paragraph.


Word list - Some spelling and capitalisation guidance

additional inspectorcooperatecoordinatedatabaseday careearly excellence centreemailEducation Action ZonesExcellence in Citiesgovernmentheadteacherinternetlocal authorityonlinereinspectionrole playsection 5section 48self-esteemtimescaleunderachievingwebsitewell-being


diocese of hexham and newcastle - …edurcdhn.org.uk/inspection/newdownloadsjuly12/s48 - g… ·...

Documents