Filling in the Diocesan SEF

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Filling in the Diocesan SEF

• Proud to be distinctive

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Norfolk Mardlers Church of England Primary
School
Distinctive, special and unique!
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Why fill in a SEF?

• To identify good practice and inform the SIDP
• To reinforce the school aims and celebrate its
  ethos
• To alert the Diocese to issues common to many
  schools
• To help an inspector plan a Section 48 (SIAS)
  visit

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Remember!

• A section 48 inspection is designed to support
  the school and affirm what is good
• Do not be afraid to tell it like it is!
• No-one (except, perhaps, you!) is expecting
  perfection
• This is about your school and what makes it
  distinctive and special
• The SEF is a working document, not an exercise
  for an inspection

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What is the focus of the SEF?

• Church school distinctiveness
• Relationships every person matters
• Collective Worship
• Working with parents and the church community
• Religious Education as a contributor to school
  distinctiveness in all church schools and, in
  addition, as a discrete subject in VA schools
• Leadership including the role of foundation
  governors

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What kind of things can we include?

• Positive experiences for pupils
• Opportunities for developing spirituality and
  reflection
• Inclusive activities
• Links with other organisations
• Staff and pupil well-being
• Practical examples of how the schools Christian
  ethos is reflected in school life
• Parish/school links

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How do we tackle the key questions?

• There are 4 questions for VA schools and 3 for
  VCs (do not fill in the RE section). Each
  question is sub-divided into 3 or 4 separate
  questions to help schools focus on particular
  things
• The questions are designed to allow schools to
  identify what is good! Evidence can be written
  (such as a policy or minutes), visual (such as
  watching the School Council in action) or
  anecdotal (such as an example of a particular
  incident)
• Identifying something as an area for development
  in no way suggests that it is not already
  happening developments can be new or can build
  on existing practice to achieve excellence

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What about the grades?

• Assessment mirrors that of Ofsted and uses 4
  categories, with 1 being outstanding and 4
  being inadequate
• Schools should grade for each sub-question.
• The assessment grid allows the X to be placed in
  the centre or adjacent to either the grade above
  or below schools may find it helpful to be aware
  of this and to alert the inspector to its
  significance if appropriate
• When grading, be aware that assessment focuses on
  the effectiveness of what is currently in place
  use areas for development to indicate new
  initiatives or planned improvements

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What sort of things can I mention in each
question?

• Start by doing an audit what do you do that
  supports the objective of each question?
• Respond to the questions with statements
  supported by examples drawn from your audit
• Make sure that everything relates to the focus of
  the question

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Question 1 asks

• How well does the school, through its
  distinctive Christian character, meet the needs
  of all its learners?
• There will be plenty of evidence that the school
  meets the needs of learners but how is its
  Christian character central to that?

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What is the Christian character of your school?

• What are your Christian values?
• How are they reflected in your aims? Your rules?
  Your mission statement? Your practice?
• How are they expressed within the school
  community?
• How are they communicated to the wider community?

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• How do those values make an impact?
• Not just what you do but why!

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To what extent do all learners feel valued and
special? How well do the schools Christian
values impact on learners and enable them to
flourish as individuals?

• Procedures for induction/transition
• Celebrating achievement in its widest sense
• Emphasis on pupil behaviour reflecting Christian
  principles
• Behaviour awards
• Wording of the mission statement and/or school
  aims
• Ownership of the school/class rules
• Use of praise
• Sharing praise with parents
• Displays every childs work is special
• Awards for Effort
• Inclusion
• Extra-curricular activities
• Initiatives regarding bullying
• Press articles
• Breakfast/after school club

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How well does the Christian ethos support the
spiritual, moral, social cultural development
of all learners, whether they are Christian, of
other faiths or none?

• Circle time
• Prayer
• School council
• Links with schools with different cultures
• Visitors
• Observing national times of reflection
• Visits to places of worship
• Multi-cultural events/awareness
• Opportunities for reflection
• Encouraging empathy
• Encouraging consideration for others
• Fundraising for charities
• Developing a sense of awe and wonder
• Christian focus in cross-curricular learning

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How are Christian values evident in the
relationships between staff and learners, amongst
learners and between staff?

• Team work
• Staff well-being
• Consistent standards for all
• School council
• Class councils
• Mentors and buddies
• Clear and consistent sanctions
• Playground behaviour
• Relationships
• Perceived status of support staff

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How well is the school environment used to
encourage spiritual development?

• Christian symbols
• Christian art
• Display of ethos/aims/mission statement
• Classroom/corridor displays
• Prominent school prayer
• Quiet areas inside/outside/classrooms
• Buddy/friendship bench
• Wall hangings/banners
• Collective Worship themes displayed
• Opportunities for exploration

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Question 2 asks

• What is the impact of collective worship on the
  school community?
• Collective worship as distinct from assembly
  must have a discernable effect on the life of the
  school.
• Why is it an important part of your school life?

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How important is worship in the life of the
school community and how is this demonstrated?

• Set time for daily worship no other activities
  at this time
• Opportunity for prayer/reflection
• Services in church
• Respecting silences
• Collective Worship policy
• Termly worship plans
• Role of co-ordinator
• Evaluation and monitoring of worship
• Place in SIDP
• Role of Foundation Governors
• Funding
• Visitors and special services
• Opportunities for parents to be present
• Variety of approaches
• Christian symbols as part of worship
• Music singing

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How positive are the learners attitudes to
collective worship? To what extent do learners
and staff of all faiths derive inspiration,
spiritual growth and affirmation from worship?

• Pupil response
• Atmosphere
• Reverence
• Enjoyment
• Involvement participation
• Impact on attitudes behaviour
• Feedback from pupils
• Feedback from staff/visitors

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How well does collective worship develop
learners understanding of Anglican faith
practice?

• Celebration of major festivals
• Traditional prayers
• Christian greetings
• Clergy visits
• Use of church building
• Seasonal displays/liturgical colours
• Relationship to RE

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Question 3 (compulsory for VA schools only) asks

• How effective is the Religious Education?
• Following the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus is not
  enough!
• Think about effectiveness
• What do you do that a community school would not?

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How important is RE in the life of the school and
how is this demonstrated?

• Allocation of budget
• Time given to subject leader
• Profile of subject leader
• Monitoring arrangements
• Involvement/input of Foundation Governors
• Resources
• Special focus days
• Visits
• INSET
• Place in SIDP
• Profile in school brochure

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How effective are learning and teaching in RE?
How high are standards in RE and how well do
learners achieve?

• Arrangement for work scrutiny
• Lesson observations and feedback
• Pupil feedback
• Support for SEN
• Comparative standards with core subjects
• High expectations
• Reports to parents
• Knowledge evidenced across the curriculum
• Variety of teaching styles and approaches

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To what extent do learners and staff of all
faiths and of none demonstrate a positive
attitude towards the subject? How well does RE
contribute to the spiritual and moral development
of all learners?

• Confidence in expressing views
• Use of circle time
• Respect for other cultures
• Accepting each others differences
• Non-judgmental approach
• Recognition of importance of religious festivals
• Visits to places of worship
• Visitors from different cultures
• Multi-cultural activities
• Reflection during prayer

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To what extent does RE promote the distinctive
Christian character of the school, together with
an understanding of other faiths?

• Pupil behaviour reflects ethos
• RE emphasises common aspects of religions
• RE syllabus reflects Christian nature of school
• Other faiths and beliefs are respected
• Prominence of Christian symbols
• Pupils understand recognize Christian symbols
• Christian beliefs explored in RE and practised in
  school
• Visiting Christian visitors

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Question 4 asks

• How effective are the leadership and management
  of the school, as a church school?
• Think of all leaders and managers staff and
  governors
• Does the Head teacher have a Christian vision for
  the school and share it?
• What is this vision?

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How do the Headteacher and Foundation Governors
promote a distinctly Christian vision for the
school? How effectively do the Headteacher,
senior managers and Governors encourage, monitor
and challenge the school community to realise
this vision?

• Visible pride in the schools church links
• Christian focus of the prospectus
• Website
• Wording of mission statement
• Recruitment/conduct of staff interviews
• Discussing/sharing the vision
• Leading by example
• Conduct of performance management
• Annual reports to parents
• INSET
• Prayer

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How valued do staff feel and how involved in
putting the vision into practice?

• Positive role modeling
• Distributive leadership/ encouragement to lead
• Well-being and support
• Chaplaincy role of incumbent
• Shared reflection/time to talk together
• Perceived status

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How effective is the partnership between the
school, the church and the local community,
including parents/carers? To what extent are all
stakeholders, including learners and their
parents/carers involved in evaluating the
schools progress?

• Effective communication
• Use of feedback from parents/others
• Parish support for the school
• School support for the parish
• Inclusion of parents in activities
• Participation in each others worship
• Role/support of Foundation Governors
• Links with the Diocese
• Profile in the parish magazine
• Shared activities with other church schools
• Contact with other faiths