Management Information Sheet
Agenda for Primary School Improvement Partner (SIP) - Summer Term Visit(s) including the Annual Commentary to Governors
This term's SIP visit focuses on two key activities.
Please click here for the guidance, templates and relevant documents.
The first activity is to support headteachers and middle leaders in monitoring some aspect of provision. The SIP's role is to validate the school's view of provision and its impact upon pupils' achievement. This activity needs to be organised with the SIP prior to the visit and should be linked in some way to School Development and Improvement priorities and activities undertaken this last academic year. To support leadership development, headteachers may wish to organise monitoring activities with the SIP that involve other members of the senior leadership team or wider leadership team as well as themselves. Suggested activities might be a learning walk, scrutiny of a sample of pupils' work or two or three lesson observations with a focus on pupils' learning and progress. Schools familiar with the Improving Schools Programme (ISP) may also wish to involve the SIP and a governor in a termly review of progress with the Single Plan/Raising Attainment Plan (RAP). Headteachers are encouraged to read the current national guidance called 'The quality of teaching and the use of assessment to support learning' and use it as a focus for discussion with staff embarking on monitoring activities in school. Please click on the above link to this guidance and an optional proforma for schools to customise for their own use.
The second element of the visit is the preparation and delivery of the SIP Annual Commentary to Governors. The SIP will use elements of previous visits to inform this commentary and highlight progress with key actions linked to school improvement and development over this last year. The report will also contain a 'Key Data' section. The SIP will check the accuracy of this data during the visit and it is important that the headteacher is well prepared for this, possibly by completing their own version of the data grid, using the information that they hold, prior to the visit.
It is important for the Chair of Governors (or a representative) to be present at this summer meeting as the second element of this term's agenda is the presentation of the agreed draft of the Annual Commentary, by the headteacher, Chair of Governors and SIP, to the whole governing body or, if it would be more appropriate, to a group of governors. Presentation to the whole governing body could take place at a regular meeting or at a meeting specially called for the purpose. Ideally the two elements of the SIP Agenda would be completed on the same day. A group of governors could be made up of members of one of the committees or the committee chairs, for example. The blank summer term Record of Visit (containing more detail about the agenda) and Annual Report forms are also available by following the link above.
Organisation of SIP summer visit
Headteachers are asked to contact their SIP to confirm the date and details for the monitoring activities. The SIP has one day equivalent for a standard visit including the meeting with the governing body. Therefore schools in consultation with their SIP may wish to organise for both activities to be completed on the same day, as appropriate.
Please click here for the guidance, templates and relevant documents.
The first activity is to support headteachers and middle leaders in monitoring some aspect of provision. The SIP's role is to validate the school's view of provision and its impact upon pupils' achievement. This activity needs to be organised with the SIP prior to the visit and should be linked in some way to School Development and Improvement priorities and activities undertaken this last academic year. To support leadership development, headteachers may wish to organise monitoring activities with the SIP that involve other members of the senior leadership team or wider leadership team as well as themselves. Suggested activities might be a learning walk, scrutiny of a sample of pupils' work or two or three lesson observations with a focus on pupils' learning and progress. Schools familiar with the Improving Schools Programme (ISP) may also wish to involve the SIP and a governor in a termly review of progress with the Single Plan/Raising Attainment Plan (RAP). Headteachers are encouraged to read the current national guidance called 'The quality of teaching and the use of assessment to support learning' and use it as a focus for discussion with staff embarking on monitoring activities in school. Please click on the above link to this guidance and an optional proforma for schools to customise for their own use.
The second element of the visit is the preparation and delivery of the SIP Annual Commentary to Governors. The SIP will use elements of previous visits to inform this commentary and highlight progress with key actions linked to school improvement and development over this last year. The report will also contain a 'Key Data' section. The SIP will check the accuracy of this data during the visit and it is important that the headteacher is well prepared for this, possibly by completing their own version of the data grid, using the information that they hold, prior to the visit.
It is important for the Chair of Governors (or a representative) to be present at this summer meeting as the second element of this term's agenda is the presentation of the agreed draft of the Annual Commentary, by the headteacher, Chair of Governors and SIP, to the whole governing body or, if it would be more appropriate, to a group of governors. Presentation to the whole governing body could take place at a regular meeting or at a meeting specially called for the purpose. Ideally the two elements of the SIP Agenda would be completed on the same day. A group of governors could be made up of members of one of the committees or the committee chairs, for example. The blank summer term Record of Visit (containing more detail about the agenda) and Annual Report forms are also available by following the link above.
Organisation of SIP summer visit
Headteachers are asked to contact their SIP to confirm the date and details for the monitoring activities. The SIP has one day equivalent for a standard visit including the meeting with the governing body. Therefore schools in consultation with their SIP may wish to organise for both activities to be completed on the same day, as appropriate.