1. Belfast Education and Library Board
Governors’ Programme
School Development Planning
Welcome and thanks for attending and for your work as a Governor
Introduction
Copies of other course materials at back of the room
Information pack
Evaluation form- particularly as we near the end of the school year and continue our planning for next year

2. Northern Ireland Educational Change
Performance Review Staff Development
Statutory School Development Planning
Self-evaluation
Entitlement Framework
SENDO
NI Curriculum
Teaching and Learning
ICT (Learning NI)
Demographic Trends
Every School a Good School

3. School Development Planning
Themes for the session
What is it?
Why do it?
What is the role of Governors?
Very important issue for all schools and central to your role
Important to know “what” and “why” in order to do justice to your role

4. The School Development Plan
Should answer these questions –
Where are we now?
Where do we want to be in 3 years time?
How are we going to get there?
How will we know if and when we get there?
It would appear that we are best at the first 2, not bad at the third and not good at the last one

5. The School Development Plan
Sets out the school`s curricular and other intentions
Is a good way to recognise the school`s achievements
Provides a context and a framework within which the school can plan for improvement
Helps direct change rather than react to it
Assists the school in identifying its strengths and weaknesses
Enables the school to harness the collective expertise of the staff and promote team working
First – self explanitory
Second- often overlooked, but can give an opportunity to appreciate the good things going on in school
Third – emphasises that all schools are unique while sharing common features
Fourth – Change is both constant and inevitable. Not an option to stand still as the world beyond school is changing very rapidly
Fifth – Only by doing an audit as part of this process does the school clarify strengths and weaknesses
Sixth – another “hidden” advantage of this process –staff development, staff morale and motivation, self esteem

6. Why A School Development Plan?
To make change manageable
To direct change rather than react to it
To give structure to the process
A central mechanism for coordinating planning
To establish where the issue is going
A means of establishing priorities
To focus energies specifically
To ensure progression and continuity
Aids effective teamwork
Procedure for identifying roles and responsibilities
To give all the opportunity for involvement and ownership
A method of recognizing achievements

7. Purpose
To outline the process that a school would undertake to produce a School Development Plan
The process is embedded within DE’s ESaGS Policy and supported by DE School Development Planning Guidance, 2010 and ETI’s Together Towards Improvement
The School Development Plan should reflect the language of school improvement

8. An Inclusive Process
“The principal encourages others to undertake a leadership role and supports a culture of self-evaluation in which there is a sharing of responsibility for monitoring and evaluating, from classroom teacher level to senior management level”
“There is appropriate consultation and involvement of others in the SDP process, including governors, pupils and parents”
DE School Development Planning Guidance, 2010 p3

9. The role of the Board of Governors
Actively involved with the school professionals who will have drawn up the draft plan
Bring an objective view to the discussion of the plan
Ask the questions which others have not asked
Keep an overview of the process as it rolls out
Contribute to the evaluation stage
Similar to other roles and responsibilities
Advantage that you are not personally involved and can therefore be objective
If the dev/action plan is not easy to understand by you chances are its not well thought out or written
The better you know and understand of the plans the better you will be able to contribute to the last 2 points
Exercise we will be doing will , I hope , help in this understanding

10. Department of Education Regulations
Publication of plan – a copy of the plan will be provided for each member of the Board of Governors, the principal, teachers and non-teaching staff.
A copy of the plan will be provided for the Education and Library Boards for the area or in the case of Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS)
Revision of School Development Plan
The Board of Governors will revise the plan every 3 years
Or no later than 6 months after an inspection

11. The School Development Planning Cycle
Stage 5: Take action and review progress
Stage 1: What is our vision for our school?
Stage 2: How well, based on evidence, are we doing?
Improving outcomes for all pupils
Stage 4: What must we do to make it happen?
Stage 3: What more do we want to achieve in 1 to 3 years?
Requirement 6
Every School a Good School

12. Every School a Good School
Requirement 6
Embedded within a consultative process...
6. The arrangements made by the Board of Governors to consult and take account of the views of pupils, parents, staff and other persons or bodies in the preparation of the plan
Every School a Good School

13. Every School a Good School
Requirement 6
Self-evaluation should be informed by the effective use of performance and other data, including inspection evidence, and by consultation with pupils, parents and staff, to identify those aspects of school life that are successful, and those where improvement is required. (Ref: DE School Development Planning – Regulation & Guidance Circular 2010/22)
SDP guidance pg 3 it is extremely important that the individual/group leading the preparation of the SDP involves teaching and other staff and consults with pupils and parents, and any others involved in the life and work of the school.
Pg 3 pt 3 There is appropriate consultation and involvement of others in the SDP process, including governors, pupils and parents.
Pg 7 Stage 2 How well are we doing? Qualitative data will include … input from teachers as reflective professionals and feedback obtained from consultation with pupils, parents, staff …
Every School a Good School

14. Pg 25 … it is a reflective process, involving all the staff (and, in the best practice pupils, parents and the community)…
Are procedures in place to facilitate meaningful dialogue between BOG, staff, parents and pupils?
Are parents and pupils consulted – e.g. surveys/questionnaires.
Is there an effective school/pupil council? Do members of the pupil council report to the BOG and vice versa? Are parents represented on the BOG – are their views and opinions take on board?

15. ETI Perspective
January 2012

16. SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 2010: Key points:
Key requirements of the Mandatory “Regulations”:
setting a school’s priorities and aligning resources (human and financial) over a 3 year period,
annual review of SDP
raising standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT
emphasising the importance of ethos and context
emphasising the importance of self-evaluation and evidence of and for improvement
outlining an improvement process and cycle - consultation, publication, monitoring, review
emphasising the key role of governors

17. “…and evaluation”
 A statement and evaluation of the ethos of the school.
 A summary and evaluation, including through the use of performance and other data, of the school’s approach to—
learning, teaching, assessment, and the raising of standards of attainment among all pupils;
providing for the special, additional or other individual educational needs of pupils;
promoting the health and well-being, attendance, good behaviour and discipline of pupils;
providing for the professional development of staff;
managing the attendance and promoting the health and well-being of staff;
promoting links with the parents of pupils at the school and the local community, including other schools, the business community and voluntary and statutory bodies; and
promoting the effective use of ICT, including its use to support learning and teaching, continuing professional development and school leadership and management.
Evaluation is the key change.
Raising standards - in particular in communication, using mathematics and using Information and Communications Technologies (ICT);

18. …school’s self-evaluation”
Identification of the areas for development, which shall be informed by the school’s self-evaluation and include –
the school’s key targets for the period of the plan;
the planned outcomes, including planned outcomes in learning, teaching and raising standards of attainment,
the actions to be taken to achieve the outcomes and final dates for completion;
the financial and other resources available to the school; and
the arrangements for the Board of Governors, in consultation with the principal, to monitor, review and evaluate progress made against the school development plan.
1. based on the Department’s priorities for education, in order of priority.
2. In the case of schools other than nursery and special schools, must include targets for raising standards of attainment in communication, using mathematics and using ICT;
4. to be used in support of the actions identified at sub-paragraph (c) to achieve the outcomes identified at sub-paragraph (b)

19. Action plans and indicators (of success)
Action plans need to be specific, precise, address the cause directly
“The work of improvement is learning” – first hand evidence
linked to a measurable indicator – “how do you know”?
Consistent flow – not just annual
“Data allows you to check if you were right”
Plans – both slim and SMART
Many are too vague and can’t be measured …
Continued to offer.., gave advice to…, provided more information, revised the scheme, incorporated rich multimedia
55 students (up 15%) passed Exam with 10% fewer timetabled lessons.
Increased uptake by 50% evidenced by attendance registers
3 additional schools – worked on new environmental project – sustained into 2nd year.
First time our school won national competition in….
The project featured on ZZZ’s website
Historical and consistent flow – not just annual
What’s the pattern? Up or down?
What was the result of last year’s actions? Did they ‘work’?
What do you project will happen next year?

20. Evaluate, don’t (just) describe
Much less descriptive language – too long-winded
Much more evaluative language – short executive commentary
Refer to your evidence sources (rather than including in the SDP file)
Give the evaluation headline: did it show cause? “Why”?
Be precise and specific – What did it tell you?
Data raises questions: evaluation should answer questions raised.
Vague language gives away poor evaluation
Much less descriptive language – too long-winded
Provided, delivered, met, talked, offered, promoted, re-wrote, researched, we are addressing, develop awareness, raise profile
Much more evaluative language – short executive commentary
Risen by x.., dropped x%, half the attendance, a third higher than last year, z% fewer are.., for the first time…
Refer to your evidence sources
Have available for ETI
Give the evaluation headline: did it show cause? “Why”?
Fewer are attending the homework club: evidence Register: Survey
Be precise and specific – What did it tell you?
Links with X School developed – increased pupil participation
improvement was evident
revised schemes were evaluated by book scoops

21. An enabling action isn’t an outcome
Distinguish between an enabling action and an outcome
Doing the enabling action is not an outcome
minutes of meetings/photos are not evidence of an outcome
What was the purpose of the enabling action
“So what”?
Distinguish between an enabling action and an outcome
We provided whiteboards, ran a revision club, are revising teaching scheme, using AFL in all lessons, appointed a coordinator, took the class on 2 industrial visits
Doing the enabling action is not an outcome
minutes of meetings/photos are not evidence of an outcome
What was the purpose of the enabling action
“So what”?
Improve independent information handling/study skills
Increase reading score by…
Get x % more to Level 5 in maths

22. Strategic planning and evaluation
Actions and causes group strategically
Many of the enabling actions aim to a common purpose
But most are reported in isolation
Rather than showing the strategic relationship
Related actions in Literacy Plan, the SEN plan, the Extended Schools plan, the ICT plan….
But are hardly ever connected
The test results show we remain below average.
Evidence from coordinator’s review of teachers’ plans; a teacher survey and a parent survey indicate the following relevant issues:

23. Summary - FLOW Slim, SMART plans
Follow the data: ask and answer the question
Evaluate, don’t just describe
Why?
Refer to the evidence
How do you know?
Enabling actions aren’t outcomes
So what?
Group causes/actions strategically
Report historically.
Be open, frank, specific and precise
Why? So what? How do you know?
Self-evaluation belongs to the individual school