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School reviews inform parents of progress

Mon, 08 Apr 2019

The Quality Assurance of Schools in the Isle of Man has been highlighted in the latest external school validations.

Bunscoill Rhumsaa, Ballaugh, Henry Bloom Noble, and Ramsey Grammar School have informed parents of the results of the external validation of their School Self Review Evaluation (SSRE). 

Geoff Moorcroft, Director of Education at the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) said:

‘All schools on the Isle of Man conduct an SSRE. This enables them to evaluate themselves against a Quality Assurance framework, which sees each school rate itself in on a scale from ‘not yet effective – urgent action required’ through to ‘inspirational’. The framework includes a number of criteria, including the attainment and achievement of pupils, as well as an evaluation of pupils’ personal development, of the leadership of the school, and the quality of teaching.

‘By doing this schools can be aspirational for their pupils, and the framework, which is regularly reviewed, enables them to keep abreast of educational developments and ensures that education is kept up to date with the needs of the economy and wider society, which is vital to equip pupils with the skills needed in adult life. 

‘The External Validation takes place over a three-year cycle and reviews the school’s SSRE to ensure that judgments and evidence are both accurate and robust, and that the school is in a good position to improve.

‘A typical visit may include a school tour, lesson observation, meetings with parents, pupils and staff, or other, relevant activities. 

‘The validation outcome will either confirm the school’s judgments or help to re-evaluate them. Any areas that may be identified as areas for improvement are included in schools’ improvement plans and supported by the schools’ improvement advisors.

‘When a validation team makes a judgment about how well a school knows itself it uses agreed criteria that are based on the extent to which a school uses the SSRE procedures to review and evaluate itself. In evaluating this, along with other areas, the team focuses on the school’s capacity to improve, without external support or resources.’ 

The school validations are undertaken by ‘Graham Reeves Ltd’, who employs experienced school leaders to ensure objectivity and rigour during the External Validation judgements.

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