How to evaluate the effectiveness of your department

Read on for details of 8 key actions to take when evaluating your subject department, with tips from our experts on analysing results, conducting pupil voice surveys and creating an action plan.

Last reviewed on 13 June 2023
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 1619
Contents
  1. Analyse and evaluate your department’s results
  2. Use pupil voice
  3. Scrutinise pupils' work
  4. Focus on your subject's particular features
  5. Observe teaching and learning
  6. Evaluate the impact of your leadership
  7. Complete a self-evaluation form each year
  8. Create a departmental action plan

Analyse and evaluate your department’s results

Your analysis will depend on the measurements you use for attainment and progress over time.

You can compare pupil attainment data year on year, and with other schools. Your analysis will also help you see where individual teachers are being most effective.

If you use teacher assessment as part of the progress measure when analysing pupil progress, triangulate this with work scrutiny and moderated work analysis, to help make sure you can be confident the analysis is correct.

Read more about using data to support school improvement.

If your school has Whole School membership of The Key, with access to The Key CPD, take a look at our live leadership courses for school leaders on Monitoring, evidence and data (primary) and Monitoring, evidence and data (secondary). Master proven tactics to deepen your oversight and learn how to really make a difference