Introduction

InSET for Secondary and Post-16

If you would like more information on InSET for Secondary and Post-16 please contact Graham Loach.

Some recent quotes:

'The evening went very well with many positive comments from teachers after the event. It certainly fulfilled my expectations by laying a solid foundation to start with ALIS within the sixth form.’

‘Many thanks for all your help & advice yesterday. It was extremely helpful to have such a clear exposition and some practical help to groups. Looking at the feedback sheets, most groups achieved something extremely worthwhile’

Challenges and Opportunities :

The misunderstanding and misuse of raw examination data and crude league tables have been long-standing concerns for many colleagues in the education sector. There is now government recognition of this and, although the methodology may be flawed, the DfES does produce value-added indicators across the different key stages.

The changes in Ofsted inspection practice together with threshold assessments, advanced skills teacher posts and the emphasis on school evaluation have also impacted on schools.

The ‘institution centred’ approach taken by CEM in developing performance indicators that are widely used in school and colleges across the UK has been greatly welcomed.

Unfortunately the many other initiatives and external demands placed on schools have sometimes resulted in schools having the data and not using it to full effect; colleagues often being unaware of the potential for use or lacking the confidence to move forward.

User feedback and our own observations indicate that understanding and constructive use is increased and improved by support from CEM staff and experienced users.

Why we may be able to help:

We can explain the various systems in terms which teachers understand, emphasising the cautions in their application.

We can stress that such systems offer insights to everybody - they are not just a "management" tool.

From our own experience of working already with hundreds of schools and colleges, we can offer guidance on the most effective use of the information provided by our indicator systems to bring about school improvement.

We can suggest ways in which the systems may be used in preparing for OFSTED inspections. The data provided by CEM will help schools to provide much of the information now required, tracking performance over a number of years.

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