Key questions for Section 50 inspections
The principal objective of Section 50 inspection is to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a Church school.
The outcomes of a Church school’s improvement processes, verified by inspection, will seek to judge how well the school’s distinctive Christian character and values ensure the development and achievement of the whole learner.
Towards this objective, inspectors should seek answers to four key questions:
- How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners?
- What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?
- How effective is religion, values and ethics?
- How effective is the leadership of the school as a Church school?
Within each key question, there are a number of factors that inspectors should consider when reaching conclusions. Inspectors are asked to come to an overall conclusion for each Key Question and not for each factor.
A summary form is provided to support them in forming that overall conclusion.
Key Question 1: Christian Character
How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character meet the needs of all learners?
Factors to consider:
- How are learners and all members of the school community given opportunities through the school’s distinctively Christian values, to understand and celebrate their uniqueness and to develop their self-identity?
- How are learners given opportunities through the school’s Christian values, and through opportunities to engage in social action, to develop empathy, concern and compassion for those whom they know and for those whom they have never met?
- How are learners given opportunities to develop their relationships with others through teamwork?
- In what ways are learners encouraged to engage with the world around them to experience wonder of the beauty of the natural world and to have a sense of responsibility/stewardship towards it?
- How are learners encouraged to develop their own creativity and have opportunities to respond emotionally to the results of human creativity?
- To what extent, through the school’s distinctively Christian character are children, young people and all members of the school’s community given opportunities to develop an understanding of and engagement with the concept of the beyond/transcendental?
- How are learners developing an awareness of their place in the world and that life has a process?
Key Question 2: Collective Worship
What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?
This section deals with the impact of collective worship on all members of the school community. It considers how the importance of collective worship is demonstrated in the life of the school and how well it develops learners’ understanding of the traditions and practice of the Church in Wales.
Factors to consider:
- To what extent does collective worship maintain a consistent focus on the theological traditions of the school’s Christian foundation?
- How does collective worship support the social and emotional development of children and positive relationships with an emphasis on spiritual development for the school community as a whole?
- How does collective worship employ a blend of approaches relevant to the context and needs of learners?
- How does a blend of approaches to collective worship promote creativity and critical thinking, which offers all members of the school community the opportunity to develop their spirituality?
- What evidence exists of the school using authentic contexts for worship?
- In what ways does the school engage with issues and select resources for collective worship which are engaging and build on children’s previous knowledge, understanding and experience of Christian traditions?
- To what extent is the sense of cynefin rooted in school worship?
- How do the school’s leaders (including Governors) ensure that collective worship is inclusive, invitational and inspiring?
- In what ways does the school encourage learners to take increasing responsibility for their own learning through leading, monitoring and evaluating collective worship?
- How is collaboration encouraged through collective worship?
Key Question 3: Religion, values and ethics
How effective is Religion, values and ethics?
This section deals with the provision, quality of teaching and learning and levels of progress for learners in the school’s religion, values and ethics curriculum.
Factors to consider:
- To what extent does teaching in RVE provide appropriate levels of challenge and support and ensure that all learners, including those with ALN and those adversely affected by poverty and disadvantage make appropriate levels of progress?
- How well does teaching in RVE use questioning and feedback to support learners’ progress and help them to understand their own strengths and areas for improvement?
- To what extent does teaching in RVE provide learners with opportunities to work independently and collaboratively?
- To what extent is the learning environment stimulating and engaging reflecting the importance of RVE within the curriculum?
- To what extent does the curriculum provide learners with suitable breadth and depth of learning in RVE?
- To what extent does the RVE curriculum contribute to developing an understanding of linguistic heritage, ethnic diversity, identities and lived experiences and perspectives of their local area, Wales and the wider world?
- To what extent does the RVE curriculum support the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness?
- To what extent does the RVE curriculum foster positive and respectful attitudes?
- To what extent is the curriculum and teaching of religion, values and ethics objective, critical and pluralistic?
Key Question 4: Leadership
How effective is the leadership of the school as a Church school?
This section considers the impact and effectiveness of the leadership of a Church school. This will include the extent to which leaders at all levels, including governors, articulate and promote a distinctive vision for the school based on its Christian character.
Factors to consider:
- To what extent have leaders established and communicated a clear, theologically rooted Christian vision for the school, which is authentic to the school’s context and understood by all members of the school community?
- How well do leaders set high expectations for all members of the school community, including themselves and actively promote the well-being of all members of the school community, including themselves?
- How well do leaders engage all staff in professional learning that supports the development of their knowledge and understanding of religion, values and ethics and affords opportunities to develop their leadership skills in the context of Church school leadership?
- How well do governors and particularly foundation governors understand and discharge their responsibilities as governors specifically to what extent they:
- Fulfil their statutory responsibilities regarding Section 50 inspection
- Contribute to the development of the school’s Christian ethos
- Fulfil their statutory responsibilities as the Admissions Authority (VA)
- Support the school’s leadership team in maintaining the fabric of the building for which they have responsibility within the confines of budgetary restrictions (VA)
- How well do leaders establish and promote positive relationships with the local Church community, the diocese and Church in Wales and how do these relationships impact positively on the school vision and enable all to flourish?
- How well do the school’s leaders establish and promote positive relationships with families and the wider school community?