The Power of Efficient & Effective Self Evaluation

Course introduction

Driving school improvement & secure successful Ofsted/Estyn inspection

This course provides school leaders with a structured, evidence-informed approach to self-evaluation that drives meaningful and sustainable school improvement. Participants will develop a clear understanding of how to align evaluation processes with the expectations of the Ofsted and Estyn frameworks, ensuring that self-evaluation is both efficient and impactful.

Through practical tools, shared language, and defined team roles, the course supports leaders to move beyond compliance-driven activity towards a culture of forensic, evidence-based reflection. Delegates will learn how to design and implement an annual evaluation calendar, strengthen collective accountability, and translate evaluation findings into precise, strategic improvement actions.

A comprehensive set of resources will be provided to support implementation within participants’ own settings.

As part of the course, delegates will also receive a free demonstration of LENS School Evaluation(https://www.schoolevaluation.co.uk), an innovative platform designed to power a self-improving school system. LENS provides a smarter way for schools to understand themselves, learn from one another, and act with purpose by bringing together self-evaluation, evidence gathering, collaboration, school improvement planning, and Ofsted/Estyn inspection readiness within a single framework.

This practical demonstration will show how digital evaluation tools can support leaders in developing a more strategic, efficient, and evidence-rich approach to school improvement, while strengthening their preparation for Ofsted and Estyn inspections.

What we will cover throughout the day

Design and implement a strategic self-evaluation calendar that ensures systematic, manageable, and cyclical review of key school priorities.
Define and distribute roles and responsibilities across teams to promote accountability, consistency, and shared ownership of evaluation processes.
Develop and embed a shared language of evaluation aligned with Ofsted/Estyn expectations to improve clarity, coherence, and professional dialogue.
Apply a forensic understanding of the Ofsted/Estyn framework to accurately evaluate provision and identify strengths and areas for development.
Translate self-evaluation into targeted school improvement actions ensuring that findings lead to measurable impact on teaching, learning, and outcomes.

Target audience

This course is designed for education professionals who are responsible for leading, contributing to, or quality assuring self-evaluation and school improvement processes. It is particularly suited to headteachers, executive headteachers, deputy and assistant headteachers, and other members of the senior leadership team, as well as middle leaders with responsibility for curriculum areas or phases. The course will also benefit school improvement leads, quality assurance coordinators, trust leaders such as CEOs and Directors of Education, and governors or trustees with oversight of standards and accountability. It is especially relevant for those preparing for an Ofsted or Estyn inspection, or for schools seeking to strengthen the rigour, consistency, and impact of their current self-evaluation systems.

Trainers for this course

Gareth Combes

Gareth is an experienced headteacher, school inspector, educational consultant and leadership specialist, working with schools to strengthen leadership, improve teaching, and build sustai...nable systems for long-term success. He is Chief Executive of Stratagem Ltd. (formerly Strategol Ltd) and co-director of Teaching Continua, an online platform designed to support schools in developing high-quality teaching and learning through practical, evidence-informed approaches. Gareth has worked extensively across the UK and internationally, including in the UAE, Pakistan and Myanmar, supporting schools, leaders and organisations in a wide range of contexts. Prior to his consultancy work, Gareth was a successful primary headteacher for eight years and later served as an Educational Adviser, including leading the Primary Team for Newport Local Authority Advisory Service. He is also a trained inspector, with a strong understanding of both Ofsted and Estyn frameworks. Gareth is a regular speaker at regional and national conferences and is known for delivering practical, insightful and engaging professional development.

See what others have to say about us

Don’t just take our word for it, visit our social media pages for live feedback.

Lens is so easy to use for all of SLT. We love the infographics created as provides great visuals for governor feedback and discussion. Also the alignment with the inspection framework.

Greenhill School

At All Saints Primary School, we have found Lens to be an extremely valuable tool in supporting our self-evaluation and school improvement processes. Its clear alignment with the Inspection Framework helps provide clarity, supports distributed leadership across the school and enables evaluation activity to be both efficient and purposeful.

All Saints Primary School

I’ve been using Lens for several years now, and it’s an excellent tool for organising monitoring outcomes under Inspection framework headings, supporting clear identification of strengths and areas for improvement, while producing a comprehensive summary for SMT, Governors, and as a valuable discussion document for Inspection visits (even when not required).

Santes Fair School