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Ofsted Tracker, Highlights & Insights

Welcome to SAfE’s latest Ofsted tracker, highlights and insights

This month, along with Ofsted data and inspection highlights, we are asking: How can senior leaders utilise their self-evaluation document/SEF to demonstrate the impact of effective leadership and management?

Download Surrey’s February 2025 Inspection Tracker to find your school and access data by phase and cross-phase.

Ofsted Inspection Highlights

  • This academic year there have been 32 inspections across Surrey Local Authority, this is a decrease in number of inspections as this time last year (42)

  • 41% of inspections have been in maintained schools.
  • 75% of inspections have been in Primary schools.
  • 53% of inspections have been graded (S5)
  • Schools previously inspected in 09-2019 are in the Ofsted window

*Data only references inspection in the 2024-25 academic year
*Data correct as of 30th January 2025, for published grades
*Data compares historic Ofsted outcomes, with graded (Section 5) outcomes since September 2022

0%
OFSTED inspections
0%
Increase
0%
OFSTED inspections
0%
Increase

How can senior leaders utilise their self-evaluation document/SEF to demonstrate the impact of effective leadership and management?

All school leaders are tasked with the fundamental role of achieving the best for all their pupils. One of the most effective ways of supporting this is through strong self-evaluation. Gathering and analysing evidence effectively and summarising it in a well-written SEF serves not only as a reflective tool but also as a showcase of strengths and areas for improvement, enabling leaders to accurately pinpoint next steps. An accurate and thorough SEF provides a clear picture of the schools’ current status, outlines future goals and demonstrates accountability and transparency, creating a robust link between monitoring, evaluation and school improvement priorities.

There are some key challenges in summarising evidence to demonstrate the impact of leadership actions. The summary below includes some suggestions to support Senior Leaders in tackling these potential issues:

The challenge here is that leadership actions can have many different effects, which makes it hard to sum up all the information clearly. A solution to this is to use both qualitative information such as staff feedback and quantitative evidence such as a formal survey to create a fuller picture of leadership impact.

The challenge here is that leadership actions can have many different effects, which makes it hard to sum up all the information clearly. A solution to this is to use both qualitative information such as staff feedback and quantitative evidence such as a formal survey to create a fuller picture of leadership impact.

The challenge here is that leadership actions can have many different effects, which makes it hard to sum up all the information clearly. A solution to this is to use both qualitative information such as staff feedback and quantitative evidence such as a formal survey to create a fuller picture of leadership impact.

The challenge here is that leadership actions can have many different effects, which makes it hard to sum up all the information clearly. A solution to this is to use both qualitative information such as staff feedback and quantitative evidence such as a formal survey to create a fuller picture of leadership impact.

There are some key challenges in summarising evidence to demonstrate the impact of leadership actions. The summary below includes some suggestions to support Senior Leaders in tackling these potential issues:

  • Plan and evidence your curriculum sequence, so that knowledge is refined and built on?
  • Ensure long term retention of knowledge through the inclusion of retrieval learning?
  • Create capacity in the curriculum to offer flexibility to adjust and meet cohort specific pupil needs (including SEND and disadvantaged pupils) and your school’s context?

How do leaders at all levels ensure they systematically check the impact of their curriculum in order to refine it so that pupils know and remember more?

Determining the effectiveness of a curriculum is a key component of rigorous school self-evaluation. The revised inspection framework has focused Headteachers on curriculum impact and the importance of curriculum sequencing to ensure all pupils learn in depth and retain learning. The quality of education measure used in inspections looks at how curriculum, teaching and assessment come together to set high expectations for all pupils.

Further Reading, Listening & Watching

  • Reading materials

  • Podcast

  • Video materials

Further Learning

  • Thinking Deeply about Primary Education: Summative Assessments Thinking Deeply about Primary Education: Retrieval Practice

  • Thinking Deeply about Primary Education: Assessment