PART 2
GETTING STARTED:
self-evaluation using performance indicators

Of the 7 Key Areas and 33 PIs set out in 'How good is our school?', 4 Key Areas and 15 PIs are particularly relevant to CWRP. In Part 4, practical examples, featuring good practice, take forward the CWRP Key Areas and PIs Grid to help you answer the 'How do you know?' question.

The ways in which you use the Broad View across all 4 Key Areas will vary according to, for example, the size and scale of the residential provision as a whole, including the number of pupils and houses/hostels, and staff experience of self-evaluation. The important thing is to get all staff involved as soon as possible and to foster an ethos of openness in the drive to improve CWRP.

In a small residence, you could discuss 'How are we doing?' using the PI Grid at a staff meeting. In a larger residence, you might divide into house/hostel groups or stage groups. In other circumstances, senior management might scan all 15 indicators while, for example, care staff choose a subset focusing on support for all pupils. You might decide, however, to take the Broad View by working together to look at the findings from different perspectives, for example, the staff as a whole, the senior staff, care staff, ancillary staff and staff by house/hostel.

When taking a Broad View, for example, you might decide to use the pupil questionnaire to get an overall feel for what pupils think about life in the residence in general. In the Closer Look, for example, on pastoral care, you might decide to home in on the questions relating to pastoral care as a way of sampling the views of pupils, parents/guardians and residential staff. Your approach on sampling will vary according to, for example, the size and scope of residential provision, the Key Area under scrutiny, experience of self-evaluation and other sources of evidence.

Just as with the CWRP PI Grid, you will need to think carefully about how and when in taking account of the views of pupils and parents. Self-evaluation, in particular feedback, is accompanied by a degree of anxiety and can be a sensitive exercise (for further advice see 'Using ethos indicators in school self-evaluation' (SOED), available from the Scottish Schools Ethos Network, Moray House Institute of Education, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ). It needs to be preceded by questions such as:

• what is the purpose?
• who is it for?
• who will carry it out?
• who will be consulted?
• how much time/energy will it consume?
• how will the results be shared?

The more that evaluation is a residence enterprise in which everyone feels that they have some investment, the more likely the chance of success.

• in which performance seems to be at level 1 or 2
• which relate to other current developments in the establishment
• which relate to a national initiative
• which have not been looked at closely for some time
• in which performance is at level 3 or 4, but where there are relatively straightforward ways in which a significant difference could be made for pupils.

If there are several aspects which merit a Closer Look, then you will need to weigh up the relative importance of the above factors before coming to a decision. Remember, the approach must be manageable and might require you, for example, to focus on a particular residence, or on a particular group of pupils,or a high profile national initiative.

For example, let us assume that your Broad View has indicated that there is a need to take a Closer Look at pastoral care. The illustration following gives one way of setting out your findings (considerations). These considerations allow you to draw up a plan of action to improve pastoral care. The same approach can be used in other areas (a guide to taking a Closer Look is given in 'How good is our school?', pages 15 to 31).

• Our child protection procedures are stated in the residence handbook but they need to be described in clearer terms.
• We need to develop a personal safety programme for pupils, which.....
• We need to check pupils' personal electrical equipment more frequently, for example, at the beginning of each new term.
• In their responses to questionnaires, pupils have indicated that staff are not consistent in their interpretation of the rules of the residence.
• Some pupils need more assistance from staff in order to plan their work and recreation time more effectively.
• 
  

To help you to make a rigorous evaluation such as a Closer Look, you will have to consider evidence. Sources of evidence could include:

• views from individual pupils, parents and teaching and care staff
• structured discussions with groups of pupils
• discussions with the Board of Governors and/or local authority managers and officials
• CWRP Questionnaires to pupils, parents and care staff
• comparison of practice against checklists
• observation, analysis (for example, of pupil interviews) and sharing of findings
• reports, records and logs kept by staff
• surveys of policy implementation

You will then be in a position to assign an overall level of performance 1-4, against each feature of good practice listed in the practical examples in Part 4:

• sum up your evaluations
• list strengths, for example, formal procedures are followed and informal opportunities taken for staff to share information and concerns about pupils
• list weaknesses, areas for development and resulting targets, for example, safety and emergency procedures are not well defined
• target: by end of....., to define clearly safety and emergency procedures, to ensure that all staff and pupils are aware of these and carry them out consistently, as shown by staff observation, and set evaluation clearly.

Your identified strengths, weaknesses, areas for development and resulting targets should be recorded carefully. Targets should be implemented immediately where necessary (as in the case above), or considered for inclusion in the development plan.

Annually, you may wish to review overall provision using the Broad View approach. However, all Key Areas of your overall CWRP provision should be evaluated (Closer Look) in turn within a regular cycle of review and development, for example, a three-year cycle within an annual development plan.

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