School self‐evaluation and its impact on teachers' work in England

Abstract

This study, based on in‐depth interview data from a sample of schools in the midlands of England, offers an analysis of UK teachers' perceptions and understandings of school self‐evaluation at a point when national accountability procedures have required that all schools complete and constantly update a web‐based self‐evaluation schedule, which is then used as the basis for high‐stakes external inspection. School systems and cultures of self‐evaluation were found to be diverse, complex and school‐specific. Three broad cultural categories are proposed as a heuristic to illuminate: issues of compliance and resistance, teacher motivation and behaviours, understandings of professionalism and leadership, school ethos, job satisfaction, and the use and interpretation of school level data in relation to school self evaluation.

Keywords:

• school self‐evaluation
• teachers' work

Notes

1. Specifically, the study takes account of the Index of Multiple Deprivation derived from the UK Census (2001); authorised and unauthorised pupil absence rates; percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals; percentages of 16–74 year olds without educational qualifications in the school's Super Output Area; value added scores for pupils' academic progress between 11–16, related to local and national averages; percentages of pupils attaining five or more A–C grades at GSCE (examined at 16, a national performance indicator). We also take account of school size and type, geographical location and the individual teacher's length of service in teaching and in the school, and his/her positioning within a department/faculty.

2. We have adopted the terminology for these posts currently prevalent in UK schools.