governors
Writing a SEF that works
There is no perfect SEF and inspectors know this. There are however, several factors to take into account to make sure your SEF does its job well. Your SEF should:
- convey a clear picture of how well the school is doing
- provide proof of how you know what you know
- show what you are doing to build on successes and remedy weaknesses.
Before you write anything
Think... what are the key messages you want to convey? How you would summarise the findings for a new governor or interested parent?
Browse... the interactive SEF website, it has lots of useful information.
Read... our guidance and look at the way schools in the pilot inspection programme have tackled the SEF (illustrative extracts) In Appendix A of: A New Relationship with Schools: Improving Performance through School Self-evaluation
Work your way through the tutorial before you start. You may think you know how to fill in the SEF because you have done them in the past, but there are lots of new features.
When you start to write
Think about the outcomes for pupils.
If you are clear about the progress pupils make in their learning and personal development you’ll find it easy to make links with the other sections. For example, inspectors will expect to see a link between the progress pupils make, the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of leadership and management. Leave the overall effectiveness section until the end.
Inspectors will analyse and draw hypotheses from data before the inspection. They will expect you to have used the data well. There is no need to repeat it, but you should show what you make of it and what action you have taken as a result of your analysis. You will have data that is not in the public domain; there is no need to repeat the data, but explain what it tells you and what use you make of it.
Evaluate
The SEF is meant to be evaluative; it is not meant to provide a descriptive commentary on the school’s history. If you cannot say what you need to in about 20 pages, you are probably describing what you do rather than analysing the impact of what you do. Remember you are trying to convey what parents, pupils and other stakeholders think of the school and give a succinct evaluation.
Make sure you understand the key questions you have been asked to address in the SEF. These are drawn from the evaluation schedule in the Framework for Inspecting Schools. Your answers will guide inspectors. Jot down the few most important points you want to include in answer to each question. Use the bullet point prompts in the SEF to help you to flesh out your response.
When you are judging your provision and leadership and management, it is important to link them to impact. If the pupils are doing well, what role are you playing in facilitating their achievement?
Be as exact and as honest as you can. Base your judgements on evidence; not on what might be or what you intend to happen.
Be clear. The summary you record and the few key priorities you identify should be easily read and recognisable to staff, governors and other stakeholders.
The ECM agenda is new. You need to be conscious of it throughout your evaluation. Think about what difference your provision has made and how do you know? Some parts of the agenda, such as physical well being are easier to evaluate than those aspects that deal with personal development. Even though it may be more difficult, you should make sharp judgements and find factual evidence to support them.
Please think carefully about the information you put into the annex as this is needed to help inspectors to set up your inspection. If you provide day care please note the name of the Registered Person and be specific about who manages the provision. For example, is it managed by the governing body or a private company? If you do not provide this information it makes it difficult for Ofsted to coordinate an inspection of your day care at the same time as the school inspection.
Read through each section before you complete the overall effectiveness. What messages are coming through about the impact of leadership and management and provision on the outcomes for pupils? What have you done to bring about improvement in the past and what are you doing now?
Be specific. Have you conveyed what makes your school tick, what makes it special, what makes it as it is?
Before you submit
- Read it through
- Is it short and to the point?
- Have you answered all of the questions?
- Are your judgements clear?
- Have you reflected stakeholders´ views
- Does it give a fair and honest picture of what the school is like?
- Have you been clear about actions being taken to improve?
- If you were an inspector what questions would your SEF lead you to ask?