for School

Leaders

2015 Spring term

Preparing for inspection A guide from The Key

Inside • Preparing for an Ofsted inspection: guidance for senior leaders • Questions from inspectors for the leadership team and other staff members • Pre-inspection checklist

Event from The Key: School inspection conference: demonstrating excellence and improving your approach to inspection 3 February 2015 I Central London See back cover for more information www.thekeysupport.com/events

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Who can use The Key for School Leaders?

The Key for School Leaders The Key provides answers to everything you need to know about school leadership. All the articles on our website have been researched and written in response to specific questions asked by our members. We provide practical guidance from authoritative sources, examples and case studies, original documents and templates, clear summaries of national policies and examples of innovative practice. All the material we publish is updated in a regular review cycle. It is also updated promptly whenever content or sources have been affected by changes to legislation, policy, or other factors.

PP Headteachers/principals PP School business managers/bursars PP Finance officers PP Deputy headteachers PP Assistant headteachers PP Heads of department PP SENCOs

Event from The Key: School inspection conference: demonstrating excellence and improving your approach to inspection 3 February 2015 | Central London

Contents Preparing for Ofsted: guidance for senior leaders (p.4) School leaders’ pre-inspection checklist (p.6) Questions from Ofsted inspectors for the headteacher and SLT (p.8)

We are bringing together inspiring school leaders, inspectors and other experts to share practical insights into school inspection and help you manage the inspection process with confidence. See back cover for more information

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Inspection questions for teachers and teaching assistants (p.10) Inspection questions for a SENCO (p.12) Inspection questions for an EYFS leader (p.13) Questions from Ofsted on child protection and safeguarding (p.14)

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Your guide to preparing for inspection

The changing world of inspection This year school leaders have been under pressure to manage some significant changes in the sector, not least the introduction of a new National Curriculum, performance-related pay and reforms to the system for special educational needs provision. Alongside these challenges, school leaders continually face the possibility their school could be inspected at any point. Receiving the call can be a stressful experience, so having clarity around what will happen during inspection and what you need to do to prepare for it is of paramount importance. On pages 4 and 5 of this booklet we set out guidance from one of our associate education experts – a school inspector – on how you can prepare. You will also find a pre-inspection checklist on pages 6 and 7. Additionally, 2014/15 has brought an increased focus on safeguarding, following the publication of new guidance from the Department for Education last April and the new expectation that schools have a clear strategy for promoting British values. Ofsted’s inspection guidance, updated in September 2014, reflects this increased rigour. You can look at the types of questions inspectors might ask on this topic on pages 14 and 15. Further changes to the accountability system are on the horizon. In the autumn term, Ofsted consulted on proposals for a new inspection framework, including a proposal to change the frequency of inspection for ‘good’ schools. The new framework is expected to be in place from September. In the meantime, members of The Key can keep up to date with news about this and any other

Receiving the call can be a stressful experience, so having clarity around ... what you need to do to prepare for it is of paramount importance changes through our website and by continuing to ask us questions. I hope you find the information in this booklet helpful for your own preparations for inspection. You may also be interested in our upcoming school inspection conference, which will provide you with further practical advice from headteachers and experts (see back cover). Elaine Fischer Researcher, school evaluation and improvement The Key for School Leaders

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Preparing for Ofsted: guidance for senior leaders Read Ofsted inspection reports Marilyn Nathan is a school inspector for both the primary and secondary phases. She was the external adviser for headteacher appraisal reviews in more than 70 schools across London.

This article was updated in response to a question from a school leader at a medium-size rural secondary school in the east Midlands.

Reading reports from local schools may help you to get a feel for what inspectors focus on. The reports are also useful for checking the strengths and weaknesses of similar schools. You can find reports on the Ofsted website using the name or postcode of the school. Link on our website

We worked with Marilyn Nathan, one of our associate education experts, to prepare this article.

What you can do before you are notified of inspection

Find an inspection report, Ofsted

Consider your last inspection

Familiarise yourself with the documents used in inspections

Read your school’s last inspection report carefully. Check that you have finished carrying out any improvements identified in the last report and that all key issues have been addressed thoroughly.

Having a good working knowledge of the three key documents that inform inspections will ensure you recognise current priorities and can prepare your staff.

Remember that your last inspection may have been carried out under a different inspection framework, and therefore the focus of inspection might be different.

The main documents are:

Marilyn advised that any failure to address the key issues could send a message to the inspectors that the school has no ethos of improvement, and might lead them to consider placing the school in a category of concern.

• The Framework for School Inspection • The School Inspection Handbook • The Teachers’ Standards You can download these documents from the following webpages: Link on our website The framework for school inspection, Ofsted

Ensure your self-evaluation is up to date Make sure that your self-evaluation documentation is up to date. If your self-evaluation form (SEF) is not on your website and already available to inspectors, you will be asked for it during the initial phone call from the lead inspector.

Link on our website School inspection handbook, Ofsted

Link on our website Teachers’ standards, GOV.UK – Department for Education (DfE)

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Although schools no longer have to complete the SEF template formerly produced by Ofsted, the self-evaluation document is still one of the main planks of the inspection. (The other is RAISEonline data.)

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Your guide to preparing for inspection

This booklet features a selection of articles we’ve written in response to school leaders’ questions. Over 3,000 up-to-date articles are currently available online on www.thekeysupport.com/SL

Any self-evaluation needs to be current, focused on outcomes, and easy for inspectors to navigate You can use whichever format you choose for your self-evaluation, but you will still be expected to provide it at inspection. Marilyn noted that any self-evaluation needs to be current, focused on outcomes, and easy for inspectors to navigate. Ensure that it is evaluative and analytical, and that you have avoided narrative description and unfounded assertions. Use your SEF to direct the inspection Using your self-evaluation to direct the inspectors to key sources of evidence will give you more control of the inspection. The Ofsted framework checks the rigour of the school’s own systems of self-evaluation. Marilyn advised that the inspection team will look for the impact of your actions and your leadership. When drafting your self-evaluation, check that initiatives have been evaluated for their impact. It is not enough to simply say: “Since the last inspection we have done ...”

Use evidence to back up your argument Ensure that the evidence to support your evaluation is available and well-presented, because the inspection team will not have much time. It makes sense to keep all documentation in computer files, if possible, so that it is easy to update. Involve the governors Ensure that the governors are fully aware of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and priorities. Briefing sessions on self-evaluation should form regular agenda items for the whole governing body or relevant committees. This will help you ensure that the governors are fulfilling their role in providing challenge and support.

The online version of this article also looks at what will happen during the inspection and how school leaders can respond. The full article, complete with hyperlinks to further sources of information, can be found on www.thekeysupport.com/SL Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 121, in the search tool.

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School leaders’ pre-inspection checklist This article was written in response to questions from several of our members on how they can best prepare for an inspection.

In the absence of a formal checklist for inspection, we worked with one of our associate education experts, David Driscoll, to produce a pre-inspection checklist to help school leaders prepare.

During the initial phone call This will usually take place between midday and 2 p.m. on the day before the inspection. If the school cannot be contacted, the inspection team may arrive unannounced. During the phone call you will need to note: Notes

P

The names of the inspectors, and when each of them will arrive and leave:

The times of the following: • The start and end of the inspection

• The meeting with the chair of governors and/or those responsible for governance

• The feedback meeting with the governing body (as many governors as possible)

The times of any other key meetings:

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After the initial phone call

On the morning of the first day of inspection

Provide the lead inspector with the following document:

You will need to provide:

P

The school’s self-evaluation

A summary of any school self-evaluation (if not already shared with the lead inspector)

The lead inspector will offer the choice of sending the selfevaluation as it is, sending it and discussing any amendments during the inspection, or having it ready when the inspection team arrives at the school

The current school improvement plan

P

You should also:

P

Place a notice at the entrance to the school and on the school website informing parents and carers of the dates of the inspection. There is no set format for this notice. Place a link on your school’s website to the Parent View website: http://www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk Distribute a letter to parents and carers (Ofsted provides a standard letter for this) Distribute the questionnaires to staff (if used) Collect the responses from staff. Do not open the envelopes, but simply have them ready for the arrival of the inspection clerical support on the morning of the first day of the inspection Notify the appropriate authority, usually the chair of governors. Arrange a time for the chair of governors and/or those responsible for governance to meet the lead inspector during the inspection Notify the local authority (LA), academy trust or other responsible body. Arrange a time for the representative to meet or speak on the phone to the lead inspector during the inspection (this does not apply to stand-alone academy convertors)

Arrange a room for the inspectors’ base, with arrangements for refreshments and lunch

School timetable information, the staff list and times for the school day Any information about pre-planned interruptions to normal school routines during the inspection The single central record, which summarises the checks and vetting of all staff working with pupils All logs of exclusions, pupils taken off roll, incidents of poor behaviour and racist incidents Records and analysis of bullying, including racist, disability and homophobic bullying A list of referrals made to the designated person for safeguarding in the school, and those that were subsequently referred to the LA designated officer, along with brief details of the resolution

Up-to-date attendance information Records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching Information about the school’s performance management arrangements, including the most recent performance management outcomes and their relationship to salary progression. Inspectors should make it clear that this must be provided in an anonymised format Documented evidence of the work of governors and their impact

The full version of this checklist is available to download as a KeyDoc from www.thekeysupport.com/SL, and includes tasks to carry out before the initial phone call. Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 6358, in the search tool.

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Reports of any external evaluation of the school, including any review of governance or use of pupil premium funding

David Driscoll is an independent consultant and a senior partner with an education consultancy. He has considerable experience of inspecting schools and colleges.

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Questions from Ofsted inspectors for the headteacher and SLT This article was written in response to questions from several of our members.

We asked one of The Key’s associate education experts, Alvin Jeffs, to suggest the sorts of questions that Ofsted inspectors might ask the headteacher and the senior leadership team (SLT) during an inspection.

Alvin says: The most successful inspections (whatever the outcomes) are those where the school has thought through what it wants to say and linked it closely to the areas of investigation within the framework for inspection.

Given that these are generic questions, it is worth remembering:

Achievement of pupils at the school

SLT

The questions below are a selection taken from the full list available on our website.

SLT

It is conceivable that headteachers and the SLT may be asked about almost any aspect of a school’s provision – the questions Alvin suggested are only those that are most commonly asked of senior leaders.

more important to focus on the point of a question rather than expect a given wording • It is always wise to back up a point with a specific practical example and the impact of an action

Headteacher

Guidance on using these questions

• Questions can be worded in many different ways, so it is

Headteacher

The questions listed here are a selection of those available in a downloadable KeyDoc in the online version of this article.

What conclusions have been drawn from the analysis of results and what action has been taken? How well are gaps narrowing between the performance of different groups? How well do pupils learn in a range of subjects and how do you assess this?

Quality of teaching How is homework used to encourage, enthuse and develop pupils’ skills and understanding? How do teachers contribute to achieving the targets set out in the school’s development plan? What measures have been put in place to increase the achievement of pupils receiving the pupil premium? How is this being modified in light of the previous year’s results? Are you satisfied that appropriate structures and arrangements are in place for pupils with special educational needs in light of the reforms from September 2014?

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

SLT

Headteacher

Your guide to preparing for inspection

Are appropriate safeguarding procedures in place? How does the school ensure consistent management of behaviour?

Headteacher

SLT SLT

Quality of leadership and management of the school

Headteacher

How are pupils’ attendance and punctuality monitored and acted upon?

How does the leadership and management demonstrate an ambitious vision for the school? How are high expectations for teachers demonstrated, monitored and assisted? What are the school-wide strategies for improving teaching and learning?

Capacity to improve Is your curriculum in line with the September 2014 National Curriculum? (Maintained schools only) Are all staff/departments up to date with the content of the September 2014 National Curriculum? (Maintained schools only) How do achievement, teaching, behaviour and leadership inform the school’s current evaluative grades?

Alvin Jeffs is a school inspector, and has worked in special education for over 40 years. This has included class teaching, assessment work, and developing and implementing programmes of work for students.

The full version of this article, complete with a link to a KeyDoc containing the full list of questions suggested by Alvin, and hyperlinks to further sources of information, can be found on www.thekeysupport.com/SL Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 6300, in the search tool.

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Inspection questions for teachers and teaching assistants This article was written in response to questions from several of our members.

We asked one of our associate education experts, Alvin Jeffs, to suggest the types of questions that Ofsted inspectors might ask teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) during an inspection.

EYFS TAs

The achievement of pupils at the school – Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

EYFS teachers

The questions below are a selection taken from the full list available to download as a KeyDoc from our website.

How are new children assessed and what does this indicate (for example, are there any changes in terms of a profile of needs)? How well do different groups of pupils adapt to schooling?

TAs

Subject teachers

Class teachers

Class teachers

EYFS staff

The achievement of pupils at the school – Key Stages 1-4 and sixth form

Subject teachers

How does the pupil profile compare with that of similar schools nationally?

What are the key changes for you as a result of the introduction of the September 2014 curriculum? (Maintained schools only)

The quality of teaching

TAs

How well do pupils progress, relative to starting points in English, mathematics and science?

What teaching strategies have been developed to engage pupils in learning? Are these shared? How is homework used to encourage, enthuse and develop pupils’ skills and understanding? How is ICT used to encourage, enthuse and develop pupils’ skills and understanding?

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EYFS staff

Class teachers

TAs

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Subject teachers

Your guide to preparing for inspection

How does the school ensure consistent management of behaviour? Are you clear about safeguarding procedures? Have you read Keeping Children Safe in Education (staff version)?

Class teachers

EYFS staff EYFS staff

Subject teachers Subject teachers

Class teachers

TAs

The quality of leadership and management of the school

TAs

How are pupils’ attendance and punctuality monitored and acted upon?

How does the school demonstrate high expectations for all pupils? How are high expectations for teachers demonstrated, monitored and assisted? How does leadership ensure and develop a broad and balanced curriculum?

Capacity to improve How well informed are staff about strategic goals?

Alvin Jeffs is a school inspector, and has worked in special education for over 40 years. This has included class teaching, assessment work, and developing and implementing programmes of work for students.

The full version of this article, complete with a KeyDoc containing these and additional questions suggested by Alvin, and hyperlinks to further sources of information, can be found on www.thekeysupport.com/SL Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 6779, in the search tool.

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Inspection questions for a SENCO Alvin Jeffs is a school inspector, and has worked in special education for over 40 years. This has included class teaching, assessment work, and developing and implementing programmes of work for students.

This article was written in response to a question from a deputy headteacher at an urban primary school in the west Midlands.

Possible questions for a SENCO We asked Alvin Jeffs, one of The Key’s associate education experts, to suggest questions that Ofsted inspectors might ask a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). He provided the examples listed below.

Alvin also suggested that if you feel that special educational needs (SEN) is a significant element of school life and likely to be a focus for Ofsted, it is advisable to have key paperwork to hand, as well as one or two examples prepared in relation to the headings below. Legal responsibilities • What changes have you implemented in light of new requirements for managing SEN provision from September 2014? • What is the procedure for informing, involving and learning from parents of pupils designated with SEN or additional educational needs? • How are the needs of pupils with statements met, and provision monitored? • How much progress have you made with implementing education, health and care plans as replacements for statements of SEN?

• How do you (as the SENCO) help colleagues to be realistic about pupils requiring individual plans under the ‘SEN support’ category?

Identification • How early are pupils with additional needs identified? • What role do parents have in the identification process? • How are staff supported in the effective identification of children with SEN within their classrooms?

School strategic goals • How is SEN provision contributing to the school’s strategic goals, as outlined in the self-evaluation form (SEF) and school improvement plan (SIP)?

Pupil care • How are the personal and emotional needs of pupils with SEN addressed?

The online version of this article also includes questions relating to equal opportunities and inclusion, working with partner organisations, and parental/pupil involvement. The full article, complete with hyperlinks to further sources of information, can be found on www.thekeysupport.com/SL Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 4193, in the search tool.

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Your guide to preparing for inspection

Inspection questions for an EYFS leader Underachievement Mary Myatt is a school improvement adviser and lead inspector. She has experience of recruiting school leaders.

Questions for an EYFS leader: suggestions from an associate education expert We asked one of our associate education experts, Mary Myatt, what questions inspectors might ask an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) leader during an Ofsted inspection. We have grouped Mary’s suggestions under the headings below, with further advice from Mary on what inspectors will be looking for. Mary said that questions might not be identical to those below, but will be designed to assess the impact the setting has on outcomes for all its children. Inspectors will also look at data on standards, observe lessons, examine work, and talk to parents and children. She added that there is no expectation for information and data to be presented in a particular way. It is up to the school to decide how it does this.

• Is achievement consistent across areas of learning, particularly in the prime areas, and the specific areas of literacy and mathematics?

Inspectors will be looking not just at whether underachievement exists, but also at how it is addressed in different areas. • Are any groups underachieving? If so, what interventions are in place to support them?

How does monitoring identify those children at risk of underachieving? What is the range of additional support provided? Teaching • How good is teaching of phonics? There is no preferred phonics programme, but inspectors will expect to see that its delivery is monitored. • How do you make sure that teaching in the early years meets the needs of all children?

Progress • What proportion of children have made at least typical progress from their starting points?

There is now an increased focus on meeting the needs of every child, including those supported by the pupil premium. Ofsted will look at whether children are encouraged to communicate carefully.

• How does children’s attainment at the end of reception compare with the national figures on the EYFS profile?

These questions are designed to find out how the school is assessing children’s starting points, whether moderation of these assessments take place, and how children’s progress compares with the national picture. • How do you work with parents to engage them in their children’s learning? How do you keep them informed about their children’s achievements and progress?

The online version of this article includes further questions on teaching, learning in the EYFS, and behaviour and safety. The full article, complete with hyperlinks to further sources of information, can be found on www.thekeysupport.com/SL Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 11192, in the search tool.

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Where schools are using online ways to contact parents, they need to ensure that all parents have internet access.

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Questions from Ofsted on child protection and safeguarding Alvin Jeffs is a school inspector, and has worked in special education for over 40 years. This has included class teaching, assessment work, and developing and implementing programmes of work for students.

• How do you link child protection to bullying, cyber-bullying and e-safety? Try to ensure that these policies and procedures are closely linked and the implications of each are understood by staff. A ‘help’ page on the school website would also be a strength.

Questions about staff and visitors This article was written in response to a question from a school leader at a medium-size urban primary school in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Questions on child protection and safeguarding We asked Alvin Jeffs, one of our associate education experts and a school inspector, what questions Ofsted inspectors might ask a child protection liaison officer during an inspection. Alvin explained that questions on safeguarding will generally cover procedural matters, or will be related to the school’s ethos and curriculum.

• How rigorous are the vetting procedures for adults working in the school? This will be to ensure that Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are up to date. • How can you be sure that everyone knows who to contact and how to act in the event of disclosure? Once again, accessibility and clear, simple guidance would be strengths. One good idea is to have a small ‘visiting card’ that has safeguarding procedures on it for all adults working in the school.

He suggested a list of typical questions, which we set out below, with an explanation of the purpose of the question and/or what an inspector might be looking for in your response.

• What are the procedures for visitors?

Policy-related questions

• Can you show me the safeguarding training register?

• How was the safeguarding policy devised?

A ‘good’/’outstanding’ school will have a range of levels of training, regular updates and refreshers for staff and volunteers.

This would be to see if there is wide involvement, including non-teaching staff and governors. • What were your priorities in drawing up your child-protection policy? Here it is useful to emphasise the clarity of the writing, accessibility (including on the school website) and regular reviews and updates.

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Ensure that signing in is rigorous and that all visitors (including governors) have badges while in the school.

• How do you make sure colleagues stay up to date with regard to safeguarding and related aspects? Having a staffroom folder and page on the website would be a strength. It is also recommended that safeguarding and health and safety are standing items at all staff and governor meetings.

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Pupil and site safety questions • How good is site security and what improvements are needed? Health and safety and risk assessment checks should figure here, as should the regular involvement of the headteacher and relevant governors. It is always good to have recent reports on this and small action points will show there is no complacency. • What practical arrangements does the school employ to ensure pupil safety? A good response here would emphasise punctuality, good communication, oversight of visitors, and attention to tidiness and clear lines of vision within the school. • How rigorous is the monitoring of attendance and punctuality? The emphasis here would be on daily monitoring, rapid follow-up (for example, phone calls to parents), and teachers ensuring punctual arrivals and departures. • What is the risk assessment regime? Inspectors would be looking for rigorous risk assessment of activities and trips. A strength here would be regular health and safety checks and follow-ups to ensure a safe environment.

The involvement of the health and safety governors (and copies of their reports to the full governing body) would show that the school is proactive. Curriculum-related questions • How is safeguarding built into the curriculum? This is important in demonstrating a safe ethos and attitude. Links to personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development, and classroom codes of conduct will demonstrate respect and a safe atmosphere. • Do you see any connections between the ongoing emphasis on SMSC development and safeguarding? It is good if staff demonstrate that standards of respect and behaviour contribute to a safe, unthreatening and inclusive school. The online version of this article includes guidance on using these questions and which members of staff should be prepared to answer safeguarding questions. The full article, complete with hyperlinks to further sources of information, can be found on www.thekeysupport.com/SL Members of The Key can find the article quickly by entering its reference number, 6530, in the search tool.

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Tuesday 3 February 2015 | Central London

School inspection conference Demonstrating excellence and improving your approach to inspection Since the 2012 framework was published, changes have been made to the process and priorities of school inspection. Most recently, the revised 2014 inspection handbook provides new guidance on no-notice inspections, observing teaching and learning, and how the removal of levels impacts on the reporting of pupil progress. Ofsted is now also consulting on its proposal for a new common inspection framework from September 2015. The Key’s one-day conference will provide you with highly practical advice from experts and school leaders with extensive experience of inspection. It will focus on the common priorities of ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ schools: effective management of data, rigorous self-evaluation, ensuring progression of key groups including those eligible for pupil premium funding, staff empowerment and development, and outstanding leadership and governance.

unts Disco r ble fo availa rs of be mem ey h T eK

Attendees will:

Who should attend?

• Have the opportunity for a 1-to-1 ‘surgery’ session with a lead inspector (places limited)

This event will be of particular relevance to senior leadership teams from primary and secondary schools that are nearing inspection, and those looking to learn from outstanding practice in other schools as part of their school improvement journey. We welcome registrations from:

• Learn about how to present progress data following the removal of levels • Gain practical advice on developing an accurate self-evaluation • Hear practical and inspiring insights from school leaders whose schools have been inspected under the current framework • Develop a checklist for leading and managing the inspection process ‘from the inspector’s call’

Speakers include:

Ofsted’s new inspection framework: Sean Harford HMI, national director for schools at Ofsted

Presenting data for progress and attainment: David Driscoll, lead inspector and The Key’s associate education expert

• Headteachers • Deputy and assistant headteachers • Governors • School improvement teams

For a full programme and to book a place online go to www.thekeysupport.com/events or call us on 0800 060 7739.

Strengthening school governance: Matt Miller, chair of governors at Highlands School, National Leader of Governance (London) and associate education expert for The Key

Completing an accurate self-evaluation: Mary Myatt, school inspector, independent consultant and associate education expert for The Key