The Provider:

Anston Park Infant School, Rotherham

The school is average in size and attracts more than half of its pupils from outside its immediate area.  The majority of pupils are white British and all speak English as their first language.  There are below average proportions of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Summary:

• Self evaluation is key to everything in school.  All pupils, parents, staff and Governors are involved in the self evaluation process.  Every year the curriculum is monitored, evaluated and action plans written to address key areas for development.  As a result, the pupils, staff and Governors are motivated, inspired and all working towards the same goals. Demanding targets are set and careful monitoring means all pupils are aiming high.  By the end of Year 2 standards are high in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Ofsted recently said of our school - "It makes very good use of training and is able to sustain development as it constantly searches for ways to improve".

The Aim:

• As a school we feel we have embedded the self evaluation process and feel we would like to share our experiences with others.
• Ofsted commented: "The school knows exactly what it needs to do to maintain its outstanding performance so there are no issues to add"  and
• "Monitoring and evaluation are the cornerstone of the school's significant self-sustaining success".

What do you see in the school?

• All the work of the school is underpinned by high expectations and high standards and is exceptionally well evaluated
• A wide range of stakeholders, e.g. teachers, teaching assistants, administration staff, caretaker, governors, parents, pupils, are involved in identifying priorities for improvement
• Subject action plans are clear, focused on strengths and weaknesses and very well evaluated
• High priority is given to the continuing professional development (CPD) of all staff, which is closely linked to the cycle of improvement
• Targets are ambitious and challenging, very well understood and rooted in the school's determination to 'do even better'
• Roles, responsibilities and expectations in carrying out school improvement priorities are explicit and well understood
• The aims of the school are set within a culture of ensuring the highest possible standards for children
• The achievement of all children is a fundamental aspect of the evaluation process.  Robust systems are in place to track the progress of all ability groups, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and those who are gifted and talented (G&T)
• There is an excellent induction programme for all new staff.  Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) are particularly well supported in line with national requirements.  All meetings for these people are well planned and documented, with areas for development set out clearly
• The DEP identifies the ways in which progress against priorities and targets will be monitored and evaluated.  Success criteria are well focused and transparent
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have a relentless focus on raising standards and the well-being of all the children is at the forefront of all they do
• The senior leadership team (SLT) is pro-active in leading by example.  There is a strong team ethic, with all staff committed to reaching the goals set 
• Non-contact time is allocated for key staff to carry out their leadership and management responsibilities, including monitoring and evaluation
• School visit reports from the local authority (LA) are very positive and recognise the excellent work of the school, including systems and procedures for self-evaluation
• Good communication between all stakeholders is afforded high priority.  Parents/carers are very well informed about and involved with the development of the school
• Governors are extremely knowledgeable about the school and take a keen interest in its continued development
• Dates to monitor the impact of the main priorities in the DEP are set well in advance, prior to full evaluation at the end of the year
• Governors monitor an area of the curriculum each term through lesson observations and follow up meetings with subject leaders
• Teaching and learning is of a very high quality, well supported and extended by the rigorous system for monitoring and evaluation 
• TAs make a very positive and significant contribution across a diverse range of areas.  The effectiveness of their work is monitored regularly and targets for further development are set
• Ambitious targets are usually met, and sometimes exceeded, which contribute to the high standards that the school achieves
• Curriculum planning across all subjects is very well differentiated.  Regular monitoring and evaluation of planning, and adjustment where necessary, ensures the needs of all children are met
• Success criteria are identified in planning so that expected outcomes are explicit for all involved
• A recent review of the curriculum has led to a major change of emphasis from content to skills based teaching and learning.  Work by subject leaders to identify key skills to be taught in each year group, linked to this, is having a significant and positive impact on standards
• A rigorous and very wide-ranging monitoring programme, linked closely to DEP priorities, is systematically implemented and next steps for development identified
• An overview of progress against the key activities, linked closely to CPD and performance management (PM), is regularly updated by the SLT in conjunction with staff and governors
• The views of parents/carers are regularly sought on a range of issues through questionnaires, surveys etc.  Responses are evaluated by the SLT and any necessary action taken
• The school council meets regularly and contributes to the monitoring process by expressing and documenting the views of its peers
• Governors play an active part in the monitoring and evaluation process, e.g. by: receiving and commenting on monitoring reports from the headteacher and key staff; formally, and individually, making suggestions about priorities for improvement; attending and contributing to meetings where the DEP is formulated and agreed & participating in curriculum monitoring
• The school is part of a 'Primary Learning Network', designated for schools that are pursuing excellence, which is currently focusing on key skills in mathematics
• Recent changes in leadership at the junior school have resulted in a stronger partnership being established.  Through the self-evaluation process, issues related to transition have emerged which are now being addressed by both leadership teams
• The LA has linked the school with two others in the locality to support them in further developing systems and procedures for self-evaluation
• Good links with pre-school providers have been established and developed
• The school has two leading teachers who promote the benefits of rigorous self-evaluation in their work with other teachers 
• Good practice is shared in the school's work with other establishments/ networks, as outlined above
• Quality time is allocated for 'in-school' reflection and sharing of effective practice
• Regular workshops are arranged for parents/carers to learn and understand more about the school's work
• The termly newsletters celebrate successes and inform parents/carers about progress in relation to current priorities and targets
• Presentations to governors about the outcomes from self-evaluation activity are organised, as appropriate, and very well received

What difference does it make?

• The systematic tracking of pupils' progress and the setting of challenging targets contribute to the high standards across all year groups and areas of learning/subjects
• Information gained from monitoring and evaluation ensures that there is clarity about what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve further
• The process of self-evaluation promotes the culture of improvement that is fundamental to the school's aims.  'We're always looking for ways to get better' 
• As a result of the exceptionally wide-ranging self-evaluation activities, all stakeholders are well informed and knowledgeable about the identified priorities for improvement and have a shared enthusiasm for and commitment to bringing them to fruition
• It is a very open and welcoming school which is keen to share its own good practice and learn from others.  Visits and visitors are viewed as an integral part of growth and development
• 'Monitoring and evaluation are the cornerstone of the school's significant self-sustaining success'
• 'The school knows exactly what it needs to do to maintain its outstanding performance so there are no issues to add'

From where is evidence collected to prove the Leading Aspect?

• Annual work review records
• Assessment outcomes
• CPD programme
• Developing Excellence Plan (DEP)
• Discussions with deputy headteacher, teachers, TAs and parent
• G&T review documentation
• Governing body meeting minutes
• Key skills book
• LA school visit reports
• Minutes of governing body meetings
• Monitoring records of TA classroom roles and responsibilities during PPA time
• Monitoring reports
• NQT file
• Ofsted report
• Overview of key improvement activities
• Planning files
• Primary Learning Network agendas
• RAISEonline
• School aims
• School brochure
• School Council minutes
• SEF 
• SEN IEPs and review documentation
• STA results
• Subject/aspect action plans
• Target setting and tracking file
• Targets for reading, writing and mathematics, G&T targets, termly target sheet
• Termly newsletters
• Transition programme

The Verifiers Comment

• The whole school approach to high quality self-evaluation and the positive impact it has on continuing improvement
• The system for identifying priorities for improvement and the wide range of stakeholders involved in the process and in planning future action
• Improvement priorities that are exceptionally well planned, documented, monitored and evaluated
• The clarity of roles, responsibilities and expectations in carrying out school improvement work
• The well informed, involved and knowledgeable team of stakeholders who bring a high level of openness, trust and enthusiasm to the self-evaluation process
•  The culture of improvement and high quality that is transparent across all aspects of the school's work