Middle leaders' self-evaluation guide

About this guide
This guidance is aimed at middle leaders in secondary schools: subject and
year leaders, SENCOs and other coordinators of aspects of school improvement.
It provides guidance for middle leaders in evaluating the performance of their teams
and the teams’ impact on pupils. It is designed to support middle leaders’ contribution
to the school self-evaluation process, and the inspection process, through evidence
gathering and making judgements. Middle leaders play a crucial role in developing
and sustaining the nature and quality of pupils’ learning experience. Within their area
of responsibility, they shape and lead the quality of provision and standards pupils
achieve. They influence outcomes in other areas of the school. They can act as the
gatekeepers of standards and innovation; they are the leaders closest to the classroom.
It is essential to school improvement that they participate fully in school self-evaluation
to decide priorities and next steps for the school improvement plan.
Self-evaluation is fundamental to school improvement and raising standards.
It is also now a significant aspect of school inspection. This guide helps middle
leaders to develop and refine their evidence and analytical processes. This can ensure
that leadership, management, teaching and learning are systematically monitored and
evaluated and findings acted upon, and that this leads to further improved outcomes
and raised standards for pupils. Middle leaders will wish to contribute to senior
leadership teams’ monitoring and evaluation processes.
This guide:
• sets out some underlying principles in relation to the inspection
self-evaluation guidance and requirements;
• sets out the responsibilities of middle leaders in contributing to school
self-evaluation and in using it to ensure improvement;
• provides examples and guidance on self-evaluation.
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Secondary National Strategy © Crown copyright 2005
Middle leaders’ self-evaluation guide 2076-2005DCL-EN