Evaluation and improvement resource (NR:EI): introduction

Thank you for agreeing to be part of phase two of developing the draft Evaluation and improvement resource (NR:EI). As part of the pilot we are asking you to test the online resource itself, how useful it is and how it can be structured to provide simple and effective navigation for users. Over the next 6 months this will evolve alongside the work you are doing to develop and test the tools and approaches in your schools. Provide us with any feedback that can help us to shape and develop the online resource further.

Overview

Self-evaluation and improvement processes have become an intrinsic part of the work of all schools. Across Wales, there are many examples of highly effective school improvement work. The Evaluation and improvement resource (NR:EI) aims to draw on existing strengths to promote highly effective practice in all schools.

This resource has been developed by education practitioners from across Wales, Estyn, the regional consortia and local authorities, with additional input from the OECD. We are grateful to all for their valuable contributions, which ensure that this resource draws on existing best practice and presents practical guidance to support effective school improvement processes.

This resource shows how all tiers of the education system can work together successfully and puts the four enabling objectives of the national mission to work in combination. It promotes a culture of professional reflection, dialogue and learning. It is not a tick list of questions to be asked or jobs to be done. Schools can select the most suitable tools or approaches in the resource, adapt and use them in their own context.

This resource is being piloted during 2019 to 2020. We will continually refine it, based on the experience of schools and from evaluation feedback.

Setting the scene

Education in Wales: Our national mission is providing a clear strategic direction to the reform of education in Wales. We continue to work in partnership with education professionals from across Wales and beyond to develop:

• a high-quality education profession
• inspirational leaders working collaboratively to raise standards
• strong and inclusive schools committed to excellence, equity and well-being
• robust assessment, evaluation and accountability arrangements supporting a self-improving system.

We have developed new professional standards for teaching and leadership that promote career-long professional improvement and have developed a draft curriculum for Wales, which will be introduced from 2022 onwards. All of this work aims to help us to realise our vision for learners across Wales: that they become:

• ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
• enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
• ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
• healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

Developing self-improving schools is fundamental to achieving our aspirations for learners and we are committed to support all schools in the pursuit of this goal. This resource promotes a collaborative culture of continuous professional reflection, learning and improvement. Through practical guidance, it supports schools to deliver our national mission for the learners of Wales and support schools to become learning organisations.

Further context and rationale for change.

Schools as learning organisations (SLO)

Education in Wales: Our national mission outlined our ambition to develop all schools in Wales as learning organisations so that they improve learning and well-being of learners and staff.

The SLO model for Wales focuses the efforts of school leaders, teachers, support staff, parents/carers and (local) policy makers into realising seven dimensions in its schools. These seven dimensions and their underlying elements highlight both what a school should aspire to and the processes it goes through as it transforms itself into a learning organisation. The dimensions are:

• developing and sharing a vision centred on the learning of all students
• creating and supporting continuous learning opportunities for all staff
• promoting team learning and collaboration among all staff
• establishing a culture of inquiry, innovation and exploration
• embedding systems for collecting and exchanging knowledge and learning
• learning with and from the external environment and larger learning system
• modelling and growing learning leadership.

This model complements the content of the Evaluation and improvement resource (NR:EI) well. Above all, it promotes the positive and collaborative learning cultures that underpin effective school improvement.

Evaluation and improvement principles

When designing this resource, the practitioners involved committed to the principle that this resource should be of practical help in enabling schools to make real improvements – rather than just ‘looking better’.

Through engaging with the discussion prompts and undertaking the linked activities, schools can gather a great deal of evidence about learner progress and well-being, the effectiveness of their provision and the well-being of its staff.

The discussion prompts/linked activities section of the resource provides practical guidance to support effective school improvement work. It demonstrates how education professionals can find and use information to support improvement. It also highlights common pitfalls and misconceptions that can limit the effectiveness of improvement work.

Importantly, as well as promoting desired behaviours and practices this resource also aims to discourage less effective practices or ‘bad habits’. A summary of the aspects of improvement work that schools and their partners should strive to maintain and develop, and those that they should avoid is provided below.