School A had decided to look at the element ‘School ethos and pastoral care’. It devised the following prompt questions to help to gather and analyse evidence which would support self-evaluation.
- In what ways are high expectations of pupils consistently and clearly communicated?
- Is success in all fields recognised and shared, including achievements out of school?
- Are effort and perseverance rewarded as well as achievement?
- Are there systems in place to identify the particular social/emotional needs of pupils, to share information with staff, and to address these needs?
- Is there a range of practices to elicit pupil views about how they can best be supported in their learning, and is there evidence that this impacts on provision?
- Does the curriculum help pupils to develop effective learning strategies, for example resilience and negotiation skills?
The school gathered and analysed evidence from the following sources to answer its questions: paired class visits and observations; work reviews; the assembly programme; the rewards system and records; pastoral records; pupil surveys and focus groups; curriculum plans.
(Adapted from Gifted and Talented education: Guidance on addressing underachievement – planning a whole-school approach.
