07 July 2006
Ofsted has urged schools, colleges and local authorities to follow the example of the best and make self-evaluation an integral part of their management systems.
A survey published by the education watchdog this week said self-assessment should be part of a continuous process for schools and dictated by the needs of the institution itself rather than the demands of external bodies.
David Hinchliffe, Ofsted's deputy director of education, said: 'It is vital that schools, colleges and local authorities have a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses in order to drive forward improvements in teaching and learning, which is why Ofsted inspections now place considerable emphasis on self-evaluation.'
The July 4 report found that successful self-evaluation resulted from the high priority placed on it by senior managers.
In the best organisations, head teachers, principals and education managers shared a belief that to bring about improvement it was essential to have a clear picture of where strengths and weaknesses lay.
The full participation of people at all levels of the organisation, including councillors and governors, was also identified as a significant contributing factor to good self-evaluation.
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