Isle of Man Guide

THIS week the Education Support Centre will share the comments of an external validation of its School Self Review and Evaluation (SSRE) with parents.

The process of SSRE is continuous and entails schools and other sections of the education service reviewing their work and making judgments about what they are doing well and where they need to take action to secure improvement, explained Martin Barrow, Director of Education with the Department of Education and Children.

The possible judgments are outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate.

‘This process supports schools/services in having a clear view of how to build on their current strengths to ensure they continue to offer the best possible learning opportunities to pupils,’ Mr Barrow said. ‘The Department of Education and Children believes that this process is proving very effective in helping schools to improve their practice.’

To support schools/services in confirming that the judgments they have made are accurate, the process has an external element built in to it.

Since September 2008 a validation cycle has been taking place in primary schools, Mr Barrow explained. It involves an external validator, together with a Department of Education and Children Adviser, spending time working with headteachers to review the evidence schools have used to make judgments and to quality assure their accuracy.

Any areas for improvement or further dissemination of best practice are then identified in the annual School Improvement Plan and supported by the school’s link adviser.

Autumn 2009 saw validations commence in secondary schools and other aspects of the education service as well.

The first full cycle of SSRE validations is now complete with the publication of the Education Support Centre’s outcomes and the Department is evaluating the SSRE process and will commission further external validations when schools have had the opportunity to implement any changes to that process.

Mr Barrow said:

‘The main aim of the validation process is to provide professional support to schools/services to help them to refine their own judgments. In addition, when a school/service has been involved in this validation process they will take the opportunity to share key outcomes with parents by summarising them in a newsletter.’

Details of validations from Ballacloan Infants’ School, St Mary’s RC Primary School, Marown Primary School, Kewaigue Primary School and Murray’s Road Junior School were published at the end of the autumn term 2008. Click here.

They were followed in the spring term 2009 by Ballasalla Primary School, Braddan Primary School, Peel Clothworkers’ Primary School, Sulby Primary School and Victoria Road Primary School. Click here.

In the summer term 2009 it was the turn of Ashley Hill Primary School, Ballacottier Primary School, Laxey Primary School, Michael Primary School and Rushen Primary School, as well as the Pre-School Assessment Centre, to share with parents the outcomes of external validation visits. Click here.

In the autumn term 2009, SSREs were published for Andreas and Bride Primary School, Dhoon Primary School, Foxdale Primary School, Scoill Vallajeelt, Willaston Primary School, Ramsey Grammar School and Primary Modern Languages. Click here.

The outcomes of validations at Scoill Phurt le Moirrey, Bunscoill Ghaelgagh and the Manx Language Unit were published in the spring term 2010. Click here.

The outcomes of validations at four more schools, Arbory Primary School, Ballaugh Primary School, St Thomas’s CofE Primary School and Ballakermeen High School, were published in the summer of 2010. Click here.

Also in summer 2010, the outcomes of validations at Anagh Coar Primary School, Fairfield Junior School, Manor Park Primary School, Onchan Primary School and Scoill Ree Gorree were published. Click here.

Queen Elizabeth II High School shared the outcome of its validation with parents in April 2011. Click here.

In June 2011, Castle Rushen High School published the outcome of its validation. Click here.

In July 2011, it was the turn of St Ninian’s High School to share the outcome of its validation with parents. Click here.

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