Is a 'two page SEF' an oxymoron?

3 SEF's in five years, 

then no SEF, then 3 SEF's in a year! 

No wonder Headteachers are frustrated.

So, the challenge is how to produce the necessary 'two page SEF', deemed most desirable by some Ofsted inspectors, that contains everything you want (or need) to say about your school. It is highly appropriate that inspections should focus on the educational capability of the school rather than a documentary synopsis, but Headteachers can be forgiven for thinking that a two page SEF might leave them short changed.

Of course, not all Headteachers are pressurised into producing this rather brief overview of such a complex, dynamic and unique establishment; but some are and many are rightly concerned about how they can be expected to dance to several tunes at any one time.

Our approach to supporting schools therefore attempts to meet the challenge head-on.

If the first stage of engagement is to present a two page synopsis then so be it; but that same synopsis must be 'expandable' in order that when questioned, the Headteacher can drill down into the detail and provide as much evidence-driven evaluation as may be necessary. Essentially, we enable schools (and that means everyone within a school community) to record all of their contributions to school improvement in such a way that the detail builds the bigger picture. Once a school achieves this, the bigger (two page) picture can be produced, secure in the knowledge that it is built upon solid foundations - foundations which are accessible at the click of a button and which demonstrate whole school contribution and robust, evidence-based evaluation at all levels.

Of course, this can all be done on paper; but paper based systems aren't sustainable, they don't support sound succession planning and ultimately they cost a lot more in terms of finance and stress.

In these times of knee-jerk changes in regulation, doesn't it make sense to have one, all-encompassing system that is driven by the need to lessen the impact of those changes?

First the SEF now SFVS… how many more plates to spin?

First the SEF now SFVS…

…how many more plates to spin?

Schools face many challenges today not least how to cope with the fallout of recent changes and cuts to budgets; there are clearly many decisions to be made which may significantly impact the school, its staff and students. Potentially all decisions will involve the governing body and it has never been more important that the decisions made must be well informed decisions.

Question: ‘How can we be assured we are well informed?’

Consider the revised SFVS framework which many schools must complete by the end of March 2012. This revision is intended to reduce the level of complexity associated with its predecessor FMSiS. We might look back and ask ‘what of all our past efforts in FMSiS?’ and look forward and ask ‘what if SFVS changes into something else, perhaps something even bigger and more complex than FMSiS?’

The challenge of catering for the future with regard to SFVS might not in itself be that big an issue. However, if we consider the bigger challenge of how to produce many self-evaluation reports, including whole-school inspections focussing on performance and improvement, then we begin to see how this aspect of school monitoring is akin to [pardon the pun] death by a thousand cuts.

In the past, the public sector, with a more centralised ‘control and management’ resource (now rapidly diminishing) didn’t always call for schools to adopt new ideas and mechanisms that would sustainably support their own operational efficiencies; the net result is that as schools become more independent and self-reliant, they may often lack the necessary ‘tools’ to survive in a challenging environment with regard to provision of coherent management information.

Microsoft Word or Excel (or similar products) will not, without high maintenance, connect your Strategic Development Plan to Performance Management dynamically and will not facilitate an automatic flow of information from your Development Plan to your Self-evaluation Report.

“… This is one of those products that really does deliver what it says on the can and is the first programme I have ever bought that really does significantly reduce my workload.”

Mark Edwards, Headteacher
Shire Oak CE Primary School

We genuinely believe there is a better way for people on the front line of accountability in schools to manage and reduce this workload:

“Our ability to secure accountability is significantly improved with Bluewave.SWIFT. Previously everything was coming into the Head teacher’s office and never going out.”

 

John Drake, Headteacher

Coppice Valley Junior School

We also believe there is a consensus developing that any school facing this myriad of challenges over the next few years will only succeed, in relative terms, if they adopt a modern, purpose-built, coherent and future proof approach.

Keith Wright has worked with schools for the past seven years offering front line support and strategic direction.

He is the Managing Director of Bluewave.SWIFT a company specialising in the field of school improvement management

www.bluewaveswift.co.uk

Implementing a Coherent Whole School Improvement system for Self Evaluation, Development Planning, Performance Management and Continuing Professional Development

ROYDS SCHOOL SPECIALIST LANGUAGE COLLEGE

Traditionally, schools have not fully grasped the way in which to evaluate the effectiveness of all that they do and we were one of those. Oh Yes – we evaluated Performance Management and produced reports for governors. We evaluated CPD and departments provided their analyses year on year. We drew up our School Development Plan with all the appropriate priorities, and departments provided their own plans to dovetail into this. We evaluated individual areas such as Behaviour and made improvements accordingly but, somehow, we were working in compartments rather than as a whole. We were using the Leeds Quality Standards Framework (QSF) which enabled us to start exploring many aspects of our activity. We saw packages on the market and tried them but they were, in many ways perpetuating what we were already doing. Bluewave SWIFT provided the answer through marrying the QSF with a sophisticated yet understandable whole school evaluation product which did what it said on the tin – it linked up all areas of school evaluation into a coherent whole.

We started with Performance Management as this was one area in which all colleagues annually participate and would be the means of introducing Bluewave SWIFT to them. Clear ‘click by click’ guides were provided to complement the User Guide already built into the process and all colleagues received training in how to use the module. We developed a ‘Preparation’ template which was completed by reviewees and emailed to their Reviewer two days before the review was held. Feedback testified to the efficacy of doing this as reviewees indicated that they felt it gave them a really positive control in the process. As part of the review, CPD needs were discussed in relation to the agreed objectives and these were entered, generating all the needs in a coherent manner for the CPD Co-ordinator to develop individual, departmental and whole school training plans. During the year, as colleagues’ generated evidence against their objectives, they evaluated their progress against the SWIFT statements linked to, for example, a Professional Standard. A survey of   teaching and support colleagues showed that 91% felt that they had been enabled to make a positive contribution to the process as seen from the following comments:

‘It allows for a more focused discussion to take place with regard to staff progress and development. Also it will be valuable as an online portfolio giving access to information in an electronic format.’

‘Using Bluewave makes it a more formal and professional process enabling me to track my progress through evaluating my achievements against clear statements.’

‘I feel the formal structure is good, it ensures that progress is made on CPD and it helps greatly in evidencing achievement.’

‘It was closely tied in with the School Improvement Plan and allowed for focussed discussion on staff and departmental needs.’

‘This is quick and easy to track. Also reminding me what my targets are. It is great to have all my progress in one place.... no more searching for bits of paper!’

At the same time, the Headteacher and Leadership team utilised the School Development Plan module for the last two of a three year plan. The SDP was converted into the Bluewave SWIFT format with great ease. We were able to feed into the process, information from RAISE ONLINE as a means of sharpening the focus of our project development. Data from the Local authority as well as our own internal data for monitoring student improvement also informs training needs and the meeting of targets both through Performance Management. All this development has been made possible because Bluewave always responded quickly and positively to comments and suggestions for improving the process and were very supportive in maintaining contact with us. For example, we were asked for ideas that would help them in developing Classroom Observation schedules, and, in a short time, many of these were in place enabling us to test out the process successfully.

Next Year we will be developing this further by training all Heads of Department in the process of putting their own plans onto Bluewave, linking them to the SDP. In order to make this more meaningful, the SEF headings provide the basis for all SDP planning.

REFLECTIONS

·        The success of the process lies in the systematic way of training and developing colleagues ‘a step at a time’. Through familiarisation with one module of Bluewave SWIFT, they came to see the real value of the others. We now have ‘Bluewave Champions’ in the school who are working with departments and individuals to guide them through each aspect of the programme.

·        The school needed to start somewhere and Performance Management proved to be a valuable vehicle for this. On reflection, however, in order to discover the power of the process we would recommend that it begins with completion of the new SEF which generates the priorities for the SDP. Projects based on these priorities would be established before the Performance Management Cycle begins so that when Objectives are being identified they can be directly linked to the school priorities through membership of a project. The CPD needs generated would be directly linked to school priorities and evaluation would seamlessly run throughout the process, evidence being generated from the individual, being available for promotion into SDP projects and ultimately to the SEF which is viewed by Ofsted.

THE NEXT STEPS

Through building up the use of Bluewave SWIFT, it is the intention that we will continue to develop expertise in each area of the programme, refining the links and using the new ‘Strengths and Weaknesses’ facility in the CPD module to further focus the projects in the SDP and the training received by individuals and focus groups in the school.

The ultimate aim over three years is to so inform and train colleagues that all business will be conducted using Bluewave SWIFT as the vehicle for all evaluation. Don Rolls, Performance Manager at the school commented:

 ‘It is terrific to see a product on the market that does what it says, which is sensitive to current trends and changes in education and which seeks to serve the needs of its clientele, through insightful ongoing refinements based on research amongst the shop floor users!’

Don Rolls – Deputy Headteacher

Royds School Specialist Language College, Leeds