Together Towards Improvement – Pre-school - BELB

1 Together TowardsTogether TowardsImprovementImprovementA Process for SelfA Process for Self--EvaluationEvaluationDepartment of EducationPre-SchoolCONTENTSPageForewordb yChiefInspector,Mr Stanley Goudie1-2 Terms used in this ConductingSelf-Evaluation39-45 Appendices46-541 Together Towards ImprovementFOREWORDBYCHIEFINSPECTOR,MR STANLEY GOUDIEThe Education and Training Inspectorate (Inspectorate) developed Together TowardsImprovement Pre-school Education (TTI) in 2003 as a resource to support nursery schoolsand units schools, and other Pre-school settings, in the process of self-evaluation. It wasinfluenced by a similar resource for primary and post-primary staff and Improving Quality:Raising Standards (IQ:RS) which had been developed to support the self-evaluation processin Colleges of Further and Higher Education and large number of Pre-school centres have used the Pre-school version of TTI to help theirmanagement to evaluate the quality of their provision, the strengths of the school and whereimprovements need to be made.

2 This requires rigorous and honest self-evaluation and acommitment to follow through, putting in place processes to ensure that the strengthscontinue to flourish, and taking the necessary action to address the areas for improvementthat have been centres which have used TTI in the past will find that the arrangement of thematerials has changed. In the previous version, the initial focus was on creating a suitableclimate for self-evaluation, with an emphasis on the ethos in the classroom and the school ingeneral. However, in this version a much greater focus is given to the outcomes achievedby the learner and the quality of the leadership and management of the Pre-school emphasis reflects the extent to which the education service in NorthernIreland has developed its approach Towards self-evaluation. Those involved in themanagement of Pre-school centres are now expected to monitor and evaluate theeffectivenessof the work undertaken by the leaders and staff, and the extent to which this isreflected in the standards and outcomes achieved by the learners.

3 Such self-evaluationwithin the Pre-school centre should inform future planning and also reflect the direction takenby the Department of Education in its increased emphasis on achievements and outcomes,and its drive to raise standards overall, as set out in the policy Every school a Good school (Link), and the associated policies aimed at raising the standards in literacy and numeracy(Link).In addition, previous users of TTI Pre-school Education will see that, in this revisedversion, there is more detail in the section identifying the various quality indicators and thatthese indicators are based around questions to assist the user. These indicators are notmeant to be exhaustive, nor indeed to be used as a checklist. The schools involved inpiloting the resource reported that they found these to be most helpful when they weredevising their own self-evaluation procedures.

4 The quality indicators in this revised TTI Pre-school Education have been developed by inspectors and are based on observedpractice. They relate to five key questions, namely:2 Together Towards effective are leadership and management in raising achievement andsupporting learners? effective are teaching, training, learning and assessment? well do the learning experiences, programmes and activities meet the needsof the learners and the wider community? well are learners cared for, guided andsupported? well do learners develop and achieve?A key element in any self-evaluative process is the quality of evidence on which theevaluations are based. A range of sources can be used in this process including first-handobservation of learning and teaching and a thorough examination of the assessmentinformation that the Pre-school centre collates.

5 The interrogation of such information canprovide valuable areas for further exploration when conducting an evaluation. Of course,such assessment information on its own does not provide all of the answers, but it can directthose involved in the self-evaluation process to questions that need to be asked. The morerigorous and honest such evaluations are, the more useful will be the outcomes, and theseshould be used as the basis for securing more effective teaching and learning, and in raisingthe standards achieved by , when the Inspectorate conducts an inspection in a Pre-school , setting theinspectors ask the leader to share with them the findings of the organisation sself-evaluation. The quality of the self-evaluation reports has improved in recent years;however, there is still room for Improvement . The most significant areas for improvementare: the extent to which the evaluations are based on good quality, first-hand evidence andthe evaluation of the quality of outcomes for learners.

6 Judicious use of TTI Pre-schoolEducation, along with the other resources that are generally available,will help address thisimportant , I wish to re-emphasise an important point made in the earlier version of is not an end in itself. It is the self-evaluation process, and the actions whichfollow this process, that is most important in raising the standards attained by the learnersand in enhancing their life chances and their learning experiences. The Inspectorate willcontinue to work with all involved to promote a culture of self-evaluation within ourpre- school centres, and will do so with the interests of the learners at GOUDIECHIEF INSPECTOR3 Together Towards ImprovementTERMS USED IN THIS DOCUMENTT hroughout this document, the following terms are used: Pre-school centre an inclusive term for nursery schools, nursery units,playgroups, day nurseries or other preschools in thestatutory, voluntary, private or independent sectorswhich provide education for children in their pre-schoolyear.

7 Staff the adults who work with the children in pre-schoolcentres, whatever their qualifications. Teaching the skill of the staff in promoting the children s learningand all-round development, and all of the tasks andactivities in which they engage as part of this process. Leader the person with overall responsibility for leading thestaff in the Pre-school centre; this may be the principalof a nursery school ; the principal of a primary schoolwith a nursery unit or the teacher in charge of thenursery unit; or the leader, supervisor or person incharge of a playgroup or day nursery. Parents includes parents, those with parental responsibility, orother carers. Management group the management committee, or proprietor, or Board ofGovernors responsible for the organisation. Employing authority the organisation (or person) that employs the staff andis responsible for all aspects of Towards document has been designed to help all those involved with the provision of pre-schooleducation to improve their current practice through a process of self-evaluation.

8 Thematerials may be used on their own, or with other core aim is to improve the quality of the children s learning and development so thattheir Pre-school education is of the highest possible standard and provides them with a firmfoundation for future success in education and throughout basic questions lie at the heart of self-evaluation: How are we doing? How do we know? What action do we need to take to bring about Improvement ?It is recognised that the staff in many centres work with success to develop their provision. Itis hoped that these materials will build further on the expertise and commitment of staff, andthose who provide them with support and advice, in the processes of self-evaluation leadingto materials provide guidance on: the points to be considered by a Pre-school centre that is planning to use theprocess of self-evaluation; the key features of self-evaluation; identifying the focus for self-evaluation; indicators of quality; carrying out the process; and planning for Child at the Centre- Self-evaluation in the early years, Scottish Executive Towards ImprovementIt is recognised that many Pre-school centres already: review and evaluate their work; are becoming constructively self-critical; recognise where improvements are needed.

9 And implement programmes and processes which aim to improve their practice andraise which have already been published, including Evaluating Preschool Education , Evaluating Pastoral Care and Standards for Pre-school Settings , may be helpful to centresand staff who engage in self-evaluation DVD, Improvement ThroughSelf-evaluation Pre-school Education , is designed to help practitioners to reflect on, andimprove, the quality of the provision they make for young organisationshave published valuable self-assessment and quality assurance materials, or provideaccreditation need not be linked exclusively to the qualityindicators within this process can utilise a range of quality standards,accreditation schemes and other within the Pre-school sector, there is the realisation that sustained improvementin educational provision requires a culture of self-evaluation to develop within a result, self-evaluation should become an integral part of a centre s way Education and Training Inspectorate (the Inspectorate) is committed to developing theplace of self-evaluation in inspections.

10 Pre-school centres that recognise their own strengthsand areas for Improvement are in a better position to gain most benefit from inspection andto continue to develop their provision after the Towards is a process which helps the members of staff, and the management groupto: clarify what the centre is aiming to achieve; focus on the quality of the learning and teaching; reflect on the current practice; identify and celebrate areas where the provision is good and needs to bemaintained; identify and prioritise areas which need to be improved; plan for development; engage in personal and shared professional development; and raise the standards of the educational is a systematic process involving all the staff, the management group, andother members of the centre s community, including parents and process requires the staff to: review their work openly and honestly; reflect on the extent to which aims and expectations are beingrealised; and establish a clear vision and future direction for the Pre-school it is particularly successful, self-evaluation: is ongoing and sharply-focused; involves monitoring the effectiveness of the provision; informs, and influences positively, the staff s practice and the quality of learning.