How our school visits will support curriculum reform

It’s not an inspection

We’ll be in touch around 10 days before we visit. But there won’t be a formal notification period because it’s not an inspection.

During our visits, we’ll encourage, reassure, probe and provide a fresh perspective to staff on their journey to fulfilling the aims of the new curriculum.

There won’t be a written report for each school – the key outcome for us is that we gather important information about how the Curriculum for Wales is being progressed in schools across Wales.

Planning the visit

Before we arrive, the inspector will call the headteacher to agree a broad outline for the day. Activities will include discussions with senior leaders, governors, staff and pupils and we’ll also visit lessons and talk to pupils about their work.

Making the most of the visit

It’s a valuable chance for schools and HMI to have an open, trusting and professional conversation. Our experienced inspectors will be a sounding board for schools to share their early plans and initial developments.

The school can explain any obstacles to progress and explore with us possible approaches to overcoming these challenges. Inspectors will have observed other schools in similar circumstances facing similar challenges and will be able to signpost the school to interesting practice elsewhere.

Professional conversations between inspectors, leaders and other school staff are a key feature of the visit. 

On the visit it’s important that schools direct us to particular developments that are progressing well and highlight emerging practice across the school.  Our conversations with the school around what the visit looks like are important and will help to make sure that we all gain maximum benefit.

But we don’t expect schools to prepare specifically for the visit.  For example, we won’t be asking to see any documents unless the school wants to share these. Schools can get the best out of engagement visits by thinking generally about their challenges and successes in relation to curriculum reform.

In addition, we’ll share with schools our plans for inspections from 2021 as well as other activities happening in the transition year whilst inspections are partially suspended. These will include conferences and training opportunities where we’ll share effective practice to support schools with curriculum reform. 

After the visit

We’ll share regularly the national picture with the Welsh Government about how much progress schools are making in their curriculum for Wales work. This will help the government to be flexible if there needs to be additional support or resources to help schools with the developments. We will publish update reports and explore ways to share interesting practice so everyone has a common understanding of progress. 

Until then…

Between now and 2020, we’ll continue to pilot our engagement visits, increasing our sample and trying them out in different types of schools, for example all-age and federated schools. We will also publish our ‘Engagement visit guidance’ on our website towards the end of the spring term.   

Schools have given us very positive feedback following the pilot visits. Rhian James-Collins, Head teacher of Ysgol Gymraeg Bryn y Mor told us that:

…the visit prompted us as a school to evaluate where we are on the journey in relation to the introduction of the New Curriculum for Wales and to reflect on the impact of the strategic priorities in preparation for change. It was also an opportunity to share what we have done so far

John Kendall, head teacher of Risca Comprehensive School felt that:

… the engagement visit was very useful and we were pleased to be chosen to be part of the pilot.  There was no excessive preparation required, but we had plenty of notice to think about what we wanted to discuss. Even though it was just one day, the activities we worked on with the HMI during that time were very productive. The learning walks, book looks, and meetings with both staff and pupils were followed by really constructive and helpful feedback. The day was conducted in a supportive and collaborative way, leaving us feeling both confident in what we are already doing and with some useful ideas about other ways in which we can help move the school forward.”

We’ll be working closely with local authorities and regional consortia on how we can share the broad findings from the engagement visits with them so that they can also see and understand the progress being made by schools.  

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