School Inspection and Assessment
Improvement can only be measured by the effective assessment of performance: it is only when there is clarity about what is being done well, and what needs to get better, that people are able to focus on the change that is necessary. Ideally, people working in a particular field will be adept at assessing their own performance honestly and accurately, for such self-evaluation provides the strongest motivation for real and deep-seated change. Systems of assessment and inspection are at their best when they work in ways which promote the development of the se self-evaluation skills.
However, very few educational institutions – schools, colleges or universities – are able to carry out such effective self-assessment in all of their areas of activity. They need the input of skilled people from outside both to provide an independent view of their work, and to support and improve their own self-review systems. Developing the processes and staff that are required for effective systems of inspection and assessment is a key part of overall educational improvement.
Merganser Consulting has wide experience of different approaches to inspection and assessment in both national and local contexts, and in both schools and Higher Education. Some colleagues have worked as school inspectors and advisors, both carrying out inspections and helping schools develop their own evaluation systems; some have been intimately involved in this work in schools; some have played important roles in the creation of overall systems. Our experience provides a number of important lessons.