School improvement
Writing a school improvement plan
Guidance on writing effective school improvement plans [39.3 KB] [docx]
This guidance explains how to write an effective school improvement plan (SIP). It includes an extract from a model SIP that shows the guidance in action.
Criteria for judging a SIP [23.1 KB] [docx]
SIP and self evaluation template [59.2 KB] [docx]
The criteria is useful for school leaders and governors when evaluating the effectiveness of their school improvement planning.
School improvement procedures
School improvement procedures [137.3 KB] [docx]
Actions for:
- East Sussex County Council
- individual schools
- school partnerships
These aim to secure ongoing improvement in schools and in outcomes for pupils.
Self-evaluation
Schools and academies do not have to complete a standard template to self-evaluate. However, they must have documentation to support this.
Guidance on self-evaluation (SEF) [24.3 KB] [docx]
Self-evaluation document [41.1 KB] [docx]
The Council and the Primary Board can commission a leadership review. There will be a leadership reviews for schools that:
- self-assess as category 3 or 4; and
- are at risk of an Ofsted judgement of Requires Improvement (RI) or lower
Schools can also broker their own leadership reviews. These reviews may be particularly useful for schools which are:
- midpoint between inspections
- under a new headteacher’s tenure
Ofsted has helpful resources on their Education inspection framework (EIF). These include:
- Inspecting schools: a guide for maintained and academy schools
- School inspection handbook
- guidance for schools on how inspectors will be inspecting the curriculum
- YouTube videos on curriculum and the EIF
- presentations on the EIF and deep dives
Read, review and use these documents alongside the school inspection handbook.
We recommend you write summary profiles at the end of:
- November and February for teachers who are not yet good
- November and June for teachers who are developing towards outstanding
To complete the strengths and areas for development in the profiles, use the school’s own:
- approach to analysing pupil progress
- criteria and recording sheets for lesson observations and book scrutinies
Guidance on completing a teacher profile [24.8 KB] [docx]
Teacher profile template [21.3 KB] [docx]
Example performance targets template [21.3 KB] [docx]
Headteacher reporting to the governing body
Headteacher reports to the governing body guidance [52.7 KB] [docx]
The guidance is from practice in schools judged by Ofsted to have:
- good leadership and management, including governance
- rapid improvement to the effectiveness of the school
Headteacher reporting template [58.3 KB] [docx]
There are two strategic bodies which oversee improvements to education settings in East Sussex.
- The Primary Board oversees early years providers and primary schools.
- The Secondary Board oversees all secondary schools and post-16 providers.
Each board covers local authority schools, standalone academies and schools within multi-academy trusts.
Their role is to:
- set the vision and priorities for improvement
- oversee the quality of education provided by schools
- hold the local authority, Education Improvement Partnerships (EIPs) and Learning Collaborative Network (ESLCN) to account
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