What is the purpose?
This provides further guidance for inspectors to use alongside the sector guidance for inspection

For whom is it intended?
Maintained and independent schools, non-maintained settings and Post 16/FE

From when should the guidance be used?
September 2021

About this guidance

Overview

Our inspection guidance explains What we inspect and How we inspect. However, we also produce supplementary guidance to help inspectors to consider specific aspects of education and training further. 

The supplementary guidance documents set out some key principles, considerations and resources for inspectors. They relate to all sectors that Estyn inspects, unless they state that they are for a specific sector or sectors. They expand on certain aspects of education/training (for example the inspection of literacy) or on ways of conducting inspections (for example. the use of learning walks) or specific inspection arrangements (for example, guidance on inspecting church schools).

The supplementary guidance documents do not aim to be comprehensive. Inspectors are not required to work through them exhaustively when covering any specific aspect on an inspection. However, inspectors may find them useful when responding to specific emerging questions that arise during inspections or when they wish to reflect or investigate further. 

The supplementary guidance documents may help providers gain an understanding of Estyn’s inspection arrangements. They may also be helpful to providers in evaluating specific aspects of their own provision.
Inspection teams work according to several key principles. These include that inspection teams:

• take a learner-focused approach to inspection.
• always focus strongly on the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning
• ensure that inspection is responsive to the needs of all learners.
• focus each inspection on the specific provider and adapt their approaches accordingly.
• adopt a constructive approach that makes the interaction with the provider a professional learning experience for their staff and the inspection team as a whole.
• consider everything in the inspection framework but will only report on the key strengths and weaknesses.
• will seek out well-considered innovative practice. 
• ensure that evaluations are secure, reliable, valid and based on first-hand evidence.
• keep to a minimum any requirements for documentation and preparation by the provider.
• gain the perspective of learners and other stakeholders.

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Lesson observation: General principles

The aim of all inspection activity is for the team to gather sufficient evidence from lesson observations, learning walks and other activities to assess the validity and accuracy of the provider’s own evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses in relation to outcomes and the quality of its provision and leadership. 

During inspections, the reporting inspector (RI) will organise a number of lesson observations and learning walks. Members of the inspection team should not undertake lesson observations or learning walks on their own initiative but should always refer back to the RI for discussion and to secure their agreement. 

Learning walks give, inspection teams the opportunity to see a larger number of learners, classes, activities and teachers. There is no requirement on the inspection team to observe all teachers or all subject or learning areas. The RI and inspection team should not normally share the timetable of lesson observations and learning walks with the nominee unless there is a specific, persuasive reason to do so, for example to facilitate access to a designated area of the site or to ensure the health and safety of inspectors.

Estyn has no fixed template for the structure of lessons, or the teaching approaches required. Teachers should design learning experiences that they consider to be the most appropriate for the learners in the class and the learning objectives they wish them to achieve. Inspectors should only evaluate teaching in relation to how effective it is at helping pupils to secure learning and make progress over time. 

Inspectors will consider any planning that teachers may use for the lesson observed, but they do not require teachers to do any bespoke lesson planning specifically for the inspection. Inspectors wish to see the planning that teachers normally use to guide the teaching and learning. There is no desire to increase the bureaucratic burden on teachers or support staff because of inspection activity.

The inspection team gathers a wide range of evidence on the quality of teaching and the progress made by learners, for example through scrutiny of teachers’ planning and talking to learners about their work. Lesson observation and learning walks form only one part of that evidence. The focus of the inspection team will be to establish the prevalence and significance of the various strengths and weaknesses in learners’ progress and achievement, the quality of their learning experiences and the quality of teaching across the provider for discussion in team meetings. 

If inspectors are unable to gather sufficient evidence during lesson observations or through learning walks about learners’ standards, the progress that they make, their learning experiences and the quality of teaching, inspectors should speak with the nominee and request an additional sample of learners’ work, further discussion with learners and teachers’ planning for further scrutiny.

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Lesson observations

Lesson observations focus primarily on the work of a single class, session or lesson. Typically, they will involve an inspector observing learners in a classroom, laboratory or workshop setting. On occasions, the lesson observation may involve observation of learners outside the classroom, for example in outdoor areas, in a sports hall or performance space or in corridors. 

Inspectors undertake lesson observations for at least 30 minutes. In most cases, they will observe learning for longer than this. The usual time for a lesson observation is between 45-60 minutes, but it could be longer depending on the nature of the lesson and the evidence required by the inspector. On occasions, an inspector may spend 30 minutes with a class at the beginning of a session and return later to see other parts of the lesson. 

At the end of each lesson observation, the inspector will offer the teacher the opportunity for a brief professional dialogue on the lesson/activity observed. Where this is not possible, the inspector and the teacher should agree a mutually convenient time and location where the professional dialogue can take place. The inspector should always offer the opportunity for professional dialogue, but it is up to the teacher involved whether they wish to accept the invitation or not.

Professional dialogue with teachers should focus primarily on the work of the learners. Comments on the quality of teaching should relate to the strengths and weaknesses in the learning that took place and the contribution of the teaching to it. 

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Learning walks

Inspectors will carry out learning walks during inspections. Learning walks focus on a specific aspect of the work of learners across a number of classes, for example standards in literacy or ICT or the quality of support for learners with additional learning needs. One inspector may undertake a learning walk across a range of lessons, or a number of inspectors may visit individual classes, workshops or areas of a provider for a short period with a common focus or theme in mind. 

Due to the focused nature of the learning walk activity, and the spread of activity across a number of lessons/classes within a relatively short period, inspectors will not be in a position to offer professional dialogue to individual teachers after learning walks. During learning walks, inspectors may also not see very much whole class teaching at all. Inspectors on learning walks may focus on the work that learners undertake rather than the quality of the teaching. 

During most inspections, the learning walk activities will usually take place between the start and middle of the time that the inspection team are with the provider, though they can happen at any time during the inspection period. The outcomes of learning walks and other inspection activities may inform the focus of inspection activity on any following day(s). Reporting inspectors will need to be flexible in their timetabling of further observations and other activities in order to respond appropriately to the emerging findings from the evidence obtained from learning walks. 

There is no designated time allocation for a learning walk observation as the inspection focus may vary from learning walk to learning walk and from provider to provider. The RI should discuss the practicalities of learning walk activity with the inspection team and provide suitable guidance at the start of the inspection.

At the start of inspections, RIs will arrange for members of the inspection team to undertake learning walks at specific times and the RI will identify the specific focus for the learning walks. The RI will usually ensure that there is no overlap in the work of inspectors, for example. two inspectors observing the same activity in the same class. However, in open-plan learning environments, there may be occasions when inspectors may undertake observations and learning walks in similar areas, for example in a large, open-plan foundation phase area in a school, across a large workshop or performance space or in an outdoor area, such as a playground or playing field.

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Recording findings from lesson observations and learning walks

Inspectors should note emerging findings electronically in the relevant area of their electronic judgement forms (JFs) as they undertake inspection activity. 

In most cases, inspectors should note their findings in the ‘Observation notes’ section of the JFs, which focuses on standards and teaching. These can then form the basis for team discussion on the overall strengths and weaknesses in learning, progress, achievement and teaching within the provider.

Inspectors should record their findings on any other aspects of the provision, for example the breadth, balance and appropriateness of the curriculum, in the relevant section of their JF. 

About this guidance

Overview

Our inspection guidance explains What we inspect and How we inspect. However, we also produce supplementary guidance to help inspectors to consider specific aspects of education and training further.

The supplementary guidance documents set out some key principles, considerations and resources for inspectors. They relate to all sectors that Estyn inspects, unless they state that they are for a specific sector. They expand on certain aspects of education/training (e.g. the inspection of literacy) or on ways of conducting inspections (e.g. the use of learning walks) or specific inspection arrangements (e.g. guidance on inspecting church schools).

The supplementary guidance documents do not aim to be comprehensive. Inspectors are not required to work through them exhaustively when covering any specific aspect on an inspection. However, inspectors may find them useful when responding to specific emerging questions that arise during inspections or when they wish to reflect or investigate further.

The supplementary guidance documents may help providers gain an understanding of Estyn’s inspection arrangements. They may also be helpful to providers in evaluating specific aspects of their own provision.

Our inspection work is based on the following principles:

• Inspectors will approach inspection with a positive mindset to ensure it is the best possible professional learning experience for the staff in each provider
• Inspectors will take a learner-focused approach to inspection
• Inspectors will always focus strongly on the quality of teaching and learning
• Inspectors will seek out well-considered innovative practice 
• Inspectors will tailor the inspection activities according to the circumstances in each provider as far as possible
• Inspectors will be agile and responsive to emerging findings and will use the increased range of inspection tools and approaches available 
• Inspectors will consider everything in the inspection framework, but will only report on the key strengths and weaknesses within each provider

Introduction

The public sector equality duty creates a statutory requirement for providers to have due regard to the need to promote equality, eliminate discrimination and foster good relations on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’ such as race, gender and disability. More detail is provided in section two, but in essence inspectors should look for evidence – such as equality objectives and published relevant information – that providers are addressing key issues affecting different protected groups and have effective steps to address possible disadvantage experienced by them, such as differential attainment, rates of exclusion and bullying.

Aspects of equality and human rights are covered throughout the five inspection areas of the common inspection framework.

The first inspection area focuses on learning. Under this inspection area, Inspectors should evaluate the progress of all pupils across the school including that of different groups of pupils. Depending on the school’s context, this might include pupils eligible for free school meals, boys and girls, pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), pupils who are more able, pupils with alternative timetables or regularly receiving education off-site and those from minority ethnic groups. 

The second inspection area is about wellbeing and attitudes to learning. In this area, inspectors should consider how well all pupils are developing as ethical, informed citizens, for example through their awareness of fairness, equality, sustainability and children’s rights i Inspectors should consider the trends in the overall provider attendance rate and the most up-to-date information available, including any notable variations between particular groups of pupils and others, for example those eligible for free school meals. 

The third inspection area relates to teaching and learning experiences. When evaluating the provider’s curriculum, inspectors should consider how well:

• the provider develops the Curriculum for Wales to fully reflect the nature of the school’s context, including designing learning activities that reflect the cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity of Wales and the school’s local area
• the provider’s curriculum provides for specific groups of pupils, for example more able pupils, those with additional learning needs and pupils with English as an additional language. (In Welsh-medium schools or Welsh-medium streams, this might include provision for pupils with little prior knowledge of the Welsh language. In schools with pupils receiving part of their education off-site or on-site in nurture groups or inclusion provision, inspectors should evaluate how well this curriculum meets these pupils’ needs)

Inspectors should consider the extent to which teachers and other practitioners have high expectations of all pupils Inspectors should evaluate how well teachers develop a shared understanding of progression to ensure that their assessments are valid, accurate and reliable. When evaluating teachers’ use of the outcomes of their own and external assessments, inspectors should consider how well they use this information to:

• assess the progress and development of individuals and specific groups, for example those pupils at risk of underachievement or those who are more able

The fourth inspection area is care, support and guidance. Inspectors should consider how well the school or PRU:

• helps pupils, including those from different groups, such as those eligible for free school meals, to take on responsibilities and to play a full part in the school and wider community
• helps pupils to develop an understanding of their culture, the local community and the wider world
• helps pupils to understand issues relating to equality and diversity and develops the values of respect, empathy, courage and compassion
• fosters shared values, such as honesty, fairness, justice and sustainability, and helps pupils to understand the needs and rights of others, both locally and as members of a diverse world
• challenges stereotypes in pupils’ attitudes, choices and expectations, and how well it promotes human rights
• promotes principles that help pupils to distinguish between right and wrong
• provides effective opportunities for pupils to develop secure values and to establish their spiritual and ethical beliefs
• develops pupils’ ability to reflect on religious and non-religious responses to fundamental questions and to reflect on their own beliefs or values

Inspectors should consider how well the school or PRU:

• develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding (in line with their stage of development) of emotionally damaging or unsafe behaviours, for example grooming, harassment, discrimination, bullying and extremism
• keeps pupils safe from the dangers of radicalisation and exploitation
• responds to and manages any alleged incidents relating to prejudice-related bullying, harassment and discrimination, whether by staff or by fellow pupils, including onward referral and reporting where appropriate
• uses its arrangements to promote and support an anti-bullying culture and a positive approach to managing pupils’ behaviour
• records and addresses poor behaviour and specific types of bullying, included those involving protected characteristics, and how well leaders use the records to improve the provision

Inspection area five is about leadership and management. There are three reporting requirements, and implicit across them is the impact that leaders and managers have in meeting the needs of learners from the different groups. Inspectors should evaluate the extent to which leaders and managers have established and communicated a clear vision. They should consider whether there are appropriate aims, strategic objectives, plans and policies that focus on meeting all pupils’ needs to ensure that all pupils achieve at least as well as they should. They should consider the priority that leaders have given to ensuring that all staff understand and promote the school’s safeguarding culture. Inspectors should consider how well leaders and managers act in accordance with the principle of sustainable development and how well they make decisions, for example relating to spending, and set priorities for improvement that balance immediate, short-term needs with the long-term needs of pupils, the local community and Wales.

This supplementary guidance gives some further information for inspecting these areas. 

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Evaluating equality and human rights

Equality objectives and strategic equality plans – The Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) brings together and replaces the previous anti discrimination laws with a single Act.

The Act includes a new public sector equality duty (the ‘general duty’), replacing the separate duties on race, disability and gender equality. This came into force on 5 April 2011.

What is the general duty?

Public authorities  (providers) are required to have due regard to the need to:

1. eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
2. advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not
3. foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

This guidance refers to these three elements as the three ‘aims’ of the general duty and so when we discuss the general duty we mean all three aims.

The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation – age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity – but extends some protections to groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. These are now more commonly known as the protected characteristics and the groups are referred to as the protected groups. 

Note too in relation to the list of protected characteristics, that schools do not have to consider the protected characteristic of age when providing education to pupils s or when providing benefits, facilities or services to them. Schools do not therefore have to consider advancing equality of opportunity between pupils of different ages, nor consider how to foster good relations between pupils of different ages. This is a narrow exception that only applies in relation to age. Schools will still need to have due regard to the general duty in respect of each of the other protected characteristics.

Specific duties in Wales

There are also a range of specific duties that providers need to cover. The broad purpose of the specific duties in Wales is to help providers in their performance of the general duty and to aid transparency.

Equality objectives and strategic equality plans

The purpose of a strategic equality plan is to document the steps a provider is taking to fulfil its specific duties. 

• Providers must publish strategic objectives and have drawn up a strategic equality plan by 2 April 2012. Strategic objectives should be reviewed at least every four years. So for example, providers must have a current strategic equality plan dated from 2020 onwards. 
• Providers must also publish an annual equality report by 31st March each year, which includes details on progress towards fulfilling each of the equality objectives. 

Inspection checklist

For Estyn’s purposes, the main points you should consider are whether:

• the provider has published strategic objectives (must be reviewed at least every four years), a strategic equality plan and an annual equality report
• the plan includes a description of the provider and its equality objectives
• the steps it has taken or intends to take to meet its objectives and in what timescale
• its arrangements to monitor progress on meeting its equality objectives and the effectiveness of the steps it is taking to meet those objectives
• its arrangements to identify and collect relevant equality information; this includes information gathered from engaging with protected groups about how the work of the provider may relate to the general duty
• its arrangements for publishing relevant equality information that it holds and which it considers appropriate to publish
• its arrangements for:
  • assessing the likely impact on protected groups of any policies and practices that an authority is proposing, reviewing or revising 
  • monitoring their actual and ongoing impact 
  • publishing reports where an assessment shows a substantial impact (or likely impact) on an authority’s ability to meet the general duty
• details of how a provider will promote knowledge and understanding of the general and specific duties among employees, including through performance assessment procedures to identify and address training needs

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English/Welsh as an additional language

Reporting inspectors should ensure that they include in the section on the context of the provider, where relevant, reference to details of the languages spoken and the number of pupils for whom English/Welsh is an additional language. All team inspectors should ensure that they use the correct terminology, when referring to community languages and avoid common usage names where these are wrong. This guidance would also apply to Welsh medium-schools for those pupils who have a language other than English or Welsh as their first language.

In providers where the proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is a significant feature, comments on matters, such as standards, wellbeing, learning experiences etc, should be included in the relevant sections of the full report. 

Questions to ask in relation to English/Welsh as an additional language include: 

• Is there a whole provider policy for supporting pupils who learn English/Welsh as an additional language and, if so, is it implemented consistently?
• Is the environment welcoming for pupils for whom English/Welsh is an additional language?
• Do teachers use information about the languages spoken by the pupils?
• Do pupils with English/Welsh as an additional language have full access to the curriculum? 
• Have any mainstream staff undertaken training to help them understand the learning needs of pupils for whom English/Welsh is an additional language?
• How close is the liaison between English/Welsh as an additional language support staff and mainstream teachers? 
• How are lessons in mainstream classes and, where relevant, during any withdrawal sessions, structured to meet the specific needs of pupils learning English/Welsh as an additional language?
• Does the provider track the success of its English/Welsh as an additional language provision by evaluating pupils’ attainments and is it using the information to identify targets for improvement? 
• How does the provider meet the needs of pupils with English/Welsh as an additional language when no support staff are available?
• Does the provider provide translations of provider letters and documents in community languages? If not, how does it communicate with parents who have little or no English/Welsh? 
• How does the provider assess the needs of pupils with English/Welsh as an additional language when they are suspected of also having special educational needs?

About this guidance

Our inspection guidance explains What we inspect and How we inspect. However, we also produce supplementary guidance to help inspectors to consider specific aspects of education and training further. 

The supplementary guidance documents set out some key principles, considerations and resources for inspectors. They relate to all sectors that Estyn inspects, unless they state that they are for a specific sector. They expand on certain aspects of education/training (e.g. the inspection of literacy) or on ways of conducting inspections (e.g. the use of learning walks) or specific inspection arrangements (e.g. guidance on inspecting church schools).

The supplementary guidance documents do not aim to be comprehensive. Inspectors are not required to work through them exhaustively when covering any specific aspect on an inspection.  However, inspectors may find them useful when responding to specific emerging questions that arise during inspections or when they wish to reflect or investigate further.

The supplementary guidance documents may help providers gain an understanding of Estyn’s inspection arrangements. They may also be helpful to providers in evaluating specific aspects of their own provision.

Our inspection work is based on the following principles:

• Inspectors will approach inspection with a positive mind-set to ensure it is the best possible professional learning experience for the staff in each provider
• Inspectors will take a learner-focused approach to inspection
• Inspectors will always focus strongly on the quality of teaching and learning
• Inspectors will seek out well-considered innovative practice
• Inspectors will tailor the inspection activities according to the circumstances in each provider as far as possible
• Inspectors will be agile and responsive to emerging findings and will use the increased range of inspection tools and approaches available
• Inspectors will consider everything in the inspection framework, but will only report on the key strengths and weaknesses within each provider

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Inspecting numeracy

Numeracy is an essential skill that enables pupils to apply their numerical facts, skills and reasoning to solve problems. Although pupils usually learn these skills during mathematics sessions, to be fully numerate they must be able to apply these skills in other subject areas and a wide range of contexts.

The key tasks for inspectors are to judge:

• the standards of pupils’ numeracy skills 
• whether pupils have the numeracy skills needed to access the whole curriculum
• how well the whole curriculum develops pupils’ numeracy skills
• the quality of leadership in, and management of the co-ordination of numeracy 

Inspectors should report on pupils’ numeracy skills in every inspection and, where appropriate, report on any outcomes or indicators that relate to these skills.

The following guidance is intended to support inspectors in making judgements and reporting on standards in numeracy and on pupils’ ability to use these skills in work across the curriculum. Although the guidance contains information about the school’s provision for numeracy, inspectors should remember that the main focus should be on the impact it has on pupils’ standards

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Gathering and reviewing inspection evidence

The team will plan the inspection so that they can cover the reporting requirements within the five inspection areas. They will ensure that they have enough time to review the key evidence they need to make their judgements. Inspectors will undertake a range of activities to gather evidence for their evaluation of pupils’ progress and the quality of the school’s provision. This may include:

• samples of pupils’ work
  
  The team will use direct observation of pupils’ work wherever possible to gather evidence to support their judgements. Inspectors may select an additional sample of pupils’ work, if required, to further their investigation in a specific aspect.
  
  Points to consider:
  • Do pupils use a range of appropriate number and measuring skills?
  • Do pupils use an appropriate range of data handling skills (for example gather information in a variety of ways, record, interpret and present it in charts or diagrams, identify patterns in data and convey appropriate conclusions, select an appropriate graph to display the data, using an appropriate and accurate scale on each axis, and tell the ‘story of a graph’)?
  • Do pupils apply these skills in different contexts effectively to solve real-life problem (points to consider are relevance, challenge, planning, processing and reasoning)?
  • Are learning activities purposeful and do they build successfully on what pupils know?
  • Is there clear evidence of appropriate differentiation?
  • Does feedback help pupils to improve their work

• observation of teaching and other activities, including evidence gathered through learning walks
• discussions with stakeholders

1. discussions with pupils about their work.
   
   This is a key source of evidence for inspectors. Discussions with pupils both in the classroom and in focus groups, will provide an opportunity to explore pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their work. It will also help inspectors to gauge how well the school supports pupils and contributes to their progress and wellbeing. The questions in Document A could be used as a prompt when discussing numeracy with pupils.
    
2. discussions with individual teachers about pupils’ learning in their classes and how they plan work to meet their needs,
    
3. discussions with leaders, managers, governors, parents and others
   
   The team will need to consider stakeholders’ views on the school and test out the validity of those views during the inspection. These will include survey responses from pupils, parents/carers, governors, teaching and support staff and information from the local authority/regional consortium

• documentary evidence, including information on pupils’ performance and progress
  
  Schools should make information available to the inspection team about the standards achieved by pupils, particularly the results of any initial screening tests and other assessments. This will help inspectors to judge pupils’ progress, to come to a view about the standards pupils achieve compared to their starting-points and the way teachers use the information from assessment to influence their planning and their lessons

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During the inspection

IA1 Learning

Inspectors will judge pupils’ numeracy skills appropriate to their age and ability and the task, such as tackling problems in unfamiliar contexts and identifying which skills and concepts are relevant to the problem. They should judge whether pupils are over-reliant on support that prevent them from developing their independent number skills.

Inspectors should identify situations where pupils have difficulty with their numeracy skills which is a barrier to their learning across the curriculum. Inspectors will need to identify the possible causes for this. For example, lack of knowledge of number facts, multiplication tables, place value, estimation skills and routine checking methods.

Inspectors should consider how well pupils:

• use a range of appropriate number skills (for example four rules of number, place value, estimation and simple fractions and percentages and mental methods of calculation)?
• use a range of appropriate measuring skills (for example working with scales, units of measurements, time, and temperature)?
• use an appropriate range of data handling skills (for example gather information in a variety of ways, recording, interpreting and presenting it in charts or diagrams, identifying patterns in data and conveying appropriate conclusions, selecting an appropriate graph to display the data, using an appropriate and accurate scale on each axis, and being able to tell the ‘story of a graph’)?
• apply their skills accurately when working independently and with others
• evaluate their solutions
• draw on skills and concepts learned previously and apply it to their new learning
• apply their numeracy skills in different subjects and contexts and whether the skills are at the same level across the curriculum as they are in mathematics lessons

Sources of evidence include:

• samples of pupils’ numeracy and mathematics work
• learning walks and session observations to judge how well pupils apply their numeracy skills across the curriculum.
• discussions with pupils about their work.
• analysis of standardised numeracy scores of particular groups and their progress over time
• the progress of pupils on numeracy intervention programmes

IA2 Wellbeing and attitudes to learning

When considering pupils’ wellbeing and attitudes to learning, inspectors should consider:

• pupils’ attitudes to their numeracy work. For example, how well they engage in numerical activities, whether they are able to sustain concentration when tackling problems and how well they persevere with more challenging tasks

IA3 Teaching and learning experiences

Estyn has no preferred methodology for teachers to follow. Teachers should structure the lesson in the way that they consider is most appropriate for the learners in the class and the learning objectives they wish the learners to achieve. The inspector should judge teaching in the context of learning over time and in relation to the success of the learning and the progress made by learners, not on the methods used or the type or style of delivery by the teacher.

Inspectors should consider how well the teaching:

• promotes high expectations of pupils with clear progression in and between lessons including high standards of accuracy and precision and the use of correct mathematical terminology
• provides opportunities for pupils to develop and apply their number, measure and data handling skills in mathematics and across the curriculum
• makes effective use of formative assessment to ensure that pupils are using numeracy skills at an appropriate level and that there is good pace and an increasing level of challenge in tasks.
• makes frequent links across the curriculum, so that concepts and skills are developed further by being applied in different, relevant contexts
• uses mathematical information to improve pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills
• encourages pupils to talk about and explain their work, look for patterns, interpret and draw valid conclusions from their data
• uses probing questions to improve pupils’ understanding and encourage pupils to explain their thinking and make learning connections
• anticipates and addresses pupils’ misconceptions in a timely and effective manner, with errors providing productive points for discussion
• makes effective use of techniques to check for accuracy
• exploits the use of ICT to support the development of pupils’ numerical and problem solving skills where relevant

Inspectors should consider:

• How well the school tracks and monitors pupils’ progress in developing their numeracy skills as they move through the school, including pupils participating on intervention programmes
• How well staff adapt programmes of study when pupils are working significantly below or above expected levels of numeracy skills
• how well the school uses assessment data to identify pupils in need of additional support
• how effective the intervention programmes are to ensure that pupils make good progress
• how well information about pupils’ skills and progress is shared between staff
• how staff adapt teaching and learning strategies for pupils receiving intervention and what is the quality of the training that teaching assistants deliver the intervention programme receive
• how well assessment is used to inform decisions about whether pupils remain in support programmes or no longer need intervention work
• how the school ensures that classroom teachers are aware of the teaching and learning strategies and the resources used in the intervention programmes?  
• what strategies the school uses to ensure teachers confidently use similar strategies and resources in their lessons?

Inspectors should consider whether:

• there are clear whole-school policies to improve the teaching and learning of numeracy, and that the policies are implemented consistently
• information obtained from assessment is used to set clear targets for improvement in numeracy for individuals, groups of pupils and the whole-school
• teachers are clear about the learning objectives and progression in relation to the development of pupils’ numeracy skills and are well-placed to share this information with pupils and parents
• pupils are involved in the assessment of their own work in numeracy and in identifying objectives for improvement.
• there is coherent provision for the use and application of pupils’ skills in numeracy across the whole curriculum
• tasks set are matched appropriately to pupils’ developing needs and abilities  
• the school provides a good balance between structured activities for direct teaching of mathematical development and active approaches, such as in the foundation phase including play-based learning  
• in the foundation phase there are appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop their number, measuring, spatial and data handling skills in areas of continuous and enhanced provision both indoors and outdoors  

IA5 Leadership and management

Inspectors may hold discussions with leaders and managers to consider how well they initiate and support effective skills strategies and policies across the range of the school’s work.

Inspectors may consider:

• whether leaders are well-informed about developments in the teaching and learning of numeracy, provide strong leadership and convey high expectations about pupils’ achievements  
• how well leaders focus on raising standards and if they know how well pupils are progressing, including those receiving support or extension  
• how well leaders actively monitor and evaluate the quality of the numeracy provision throughout the school by considering its impact on pupils’ progress
• whether the development of numeracy skills has an appropriate level of priority in the strategic and operational planning
• how well the numeracy co-ordinator helps other teachers with their planning and shares good practice
• whether professional learning successfully develops staff skills to improve provision for numeracy including the sharing of good practice
• how well co-ordinators for other subjects are alert to the opportunities that exist within those subjects for improving pupils’ skills in numeracy
• how well parents are kept informed about the school’s policy for improving standards in numeracy and are encouraged to be involved through discussions at school and the regular use of homework.

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Document A: Questions for listening to pupils

Younger pupils in the foundation phase

• Can you play a game with me? Where would I be if I was (point): under the cupboard/on top of the chair/by the side of the whiteboard/inside the climbing frame? (positional language)
• Spread some objects out on a table: How many ‘books’ are there on the table? Pile/ group them carefully: how many are there now? (Can they count/conserve number?)
• What do you do if you cannot work something out?

Older pupils in the foundation phase

• What type of numeracy/mathematics do you like best – working with numbers, measuring, finding out about shapes or working with data?
• What do you find easy about numeracy/mathematics?
• What do you find difficult about numeracy/mathematics? 
• Do you know the pairs of numbers that go to together to make 10?  What about 20 or 100?
• Tell me what happens when you halve or double a number?
• Do you sometimes plan how to solve a number problem?  Do you sometimes plan with a friend or in a group?
• What do you do if you cannot work an answer out in mathematics?
• Do you sometimes do numeracy/mathematics work on the computer?
• Tell me how you worked this out.

Pupils in key stage 2

• What type of numeracy/mathematics do you like best – working with numbers, measuring, finding out about shapes or handling data?
• Do you use your numeracy/mathematics skills in others areas such as geography and science? If yes, can you think of an example?
• What do you find easy about mathematics?
• What do you find difficult about mathematics?
• Do you use the computer to create graphs, charts and diagrams?
• What do you do if you can’t work out an answer?
• Do you know what happens to a number when you multiply or divide it by 10 or 100?
• What strategies do you use to help you work out your times tables?
• How do you check your answers?
• Tell me how you worked this out.
• Can you show me a piece of work where you used mathematics outside of a maths lesson? Can you explain what you have done?
• Can you show me some work where you have solved a problem that involved numbers? Can you explain your thinking?

Pupils in key stage 3

• Are you making progress in improving your numerical skills?  How do you know?
• What is your attitude towards numeracy?  Do you think it’s important to have good numeracy skills?  Why?
• Do you know what you have to do to improve your numerical skills further?  Examples
• How often do you use your number work in other subjects? 
• Can you think of examples where you have used mathematics such as number work, graphs, shape, etc. in subjects other than mathematics? 
• How easy or difficult has this work been e.g. are you able to use a calculator when unsure?
• Do you think that subjects other than mathematics help you to reinforce and develop your number skills? 
• Do teachers let you explore on your own or with your peers how you might want to use different methods for calculating solutions to your problem?
• If you get a calculation wrong, do you have the opportunity to discuss this with your teacher and or peers, and to correct/improve your work? Can you show me some examples?

What is the purpose? 
This provides further guidance for inspectors to use for reference during inspection alongside the sector guidance for inspection, to support specific lines of enquiry. 

For whom is it intended? 
Maintained and independent schools, specialist colleges and pupil referral units 

From when should the guidance be used? 
September 2021