Is Your School Inspection Ready?

New Directions Education Ltd has been embedded within the education community across Wales since 1999. This year the business was awarded preferred supplier status throughout the country.

Throughout the year we aim to support schools and colleges across Wales with recruitment and training solutions. With a team of dedicated Account Managers we offer a unique relationship to each individual institution.

New for 2012 / 2013

This year New Directions Education has employed the services of Gwyn Thomas – a registered ESTYN Reporting Inspector. Gwyn will now be available for schools that have upcoming inspections, to help ensure that your team is ‘inspection ready’.

About Gwyn Thomas

Gwyn is a registered inspector with firm knowledge of the new inspection process and all that it entails. By understanding all of the aspects concerned with raising standards, he is able to contribute significantly to school improvement. Gwyn is able to help schools prepare for inspections, based on continuous improvement criteria.
New Directions and Gwyn Thomas can offer:
• Analysis and assistance in the compilation of a schools self-evaluation report and development plan highlighting, in particular the differences between standards and provision
• Undertaking a detailed analysis of KQ1 outlining which information is to be used in 1.1.1 to 1.1.5 and differentiating the comparison between performance within the family and the performance in similar schools
• Scrutinising the curriculum to identify strengths and areas for refinement
• Outlining the way in which essential skills should be developed and emphasising their contribution to standards, and how they impact key indicators
• Tracking pupils’ performance and introducing strategies for extending achievement as well as dealing with underperformance
• Conducting lesson observations in a coaching capacity
• Undertaking departmental and faculty / cluster reviews both in a developmental / coaching capacity, before a second visit to observe whether or not the advice given in the first session has been applied in the follow-up session
• Highlighting the importance of safeguarding and the significance of the questionnaire being introduced in 2012
• Interviewing senior and middle managers regarding their responsibilities, especially those involved in line management and quality assurance
• Training on issues arising from the interviews
• Whole-school and departmental / cluster evaluations – meeting with respective members of staff
• Delivering data analysis and training to senior / middle / pastoral and academic (progress leaders)
• Highlighting the connectivity between the key questions in the guidance for the inspection of secondary schools

Gwyn comments on his work with schools across Wales:

I believe that the positive manner in which I work and have worked with schools has led to improvement in standards, and placed them in a stronger position in readiness for future development and any impending inspection. However, the raining of standards is not an overnight activity; it is one which requires a sustained period of improvement with willingness on the part of all concerned to work positively in partnership

If your school is interested in hearing more about how Gwyn Thomas can help you become ‘inspection ready’, then contact our teams:

Cardiff: 029 2039 0133
Swansea: 01792 620180
Wrexham: 01978 884290
[email protected]