Numeracy monitoring , evaluation & review support pack

Reporting on progress

What is a progress report?

Following any monitoring, review or evaluation activity it is important that you report on progress. A progress report can refer to:

Learner standards
Standards of teaching
Progress against strategic objectives in the area, for example amending schemes of work, developing new systems/arrangements etc.

The purpose of a progress report is to capture the findings of your monitoring, review and evaluation activity in order to identity strengths as well as areas for development. When you write your progress report it is important that you refer in depth to the enquiry question(s) and refer to the evidence seen during your monitoring activity that has informed your judgement. It is also important that you write evaluatively in order to ensure strengths / areas needing improvements are absolutely clear.

At the end of the report, setting out clear, actionable recommendations to further develop Numeracy (or sustain progress) would be beneficial. These recommendations should then be incorporated into your strategic plan, and you should detail the steps required to achieve the improvements needed and include a timeframe.

Guidance

Here are a few tips to assist you in writing a progress report:

Use concise and evaluative language at all times
Be clear about your judgement - use evaluative vocabulary to convey your judgement clearly, for example weak / strong / significant progress
Be honest - do not be afraid to include a negative comment. Any significant weaknesses need to be conveyed, as well as identifying strengths.
Do not use long sentences and vague language

Estyn's writing guide offers guidance on how to write successful reports. It is important that you try to use the same writing style as Estyn when drawing up your report. Here are a few of the main useful sections:

Here are some extracts from Estyn's school reports relating to numeracy. This might give you some ideas of specific areas to focus on in a Numeracy book review as well as offer additional examples of how to write an evaluative report. It's worth reading the last 3 pages in particular, as these are based on the current Estyn Inspection framework.

Evaluative words

• appropriate

• beneficial

• competent

• comprehensive

• efficient

• exceptional

• exemplary

• extensive

• highly effective

• inappropriate

• ineffective

• inefficient

• insufficient

• limited

• mediocre

• not fit for purpose

• outstanding

• poor

• positive

• purposeful

• relevant

• restricted

• satisfactory

• skilful

• solid

• sound

• strong

• successful

• sufficient

• suitable

• superb

• thorough

• unsuitable

• useful

• valid

• valuable

• weak

• well

• worthwhile

Quantities and Proportions

It is important to be careful when writing about various proportions of learners. Terms and expressions related to proportions can mean different things to different readers.

nearly all = with very few exceptions

most = 90% or more

many = 70% or more

a majority = over 60%

half = 50%

around half = close to 50%

a minority = below 40%

few = below 20%

very few = less than 10%

Personalisation

Do not refer to individuals by name in reports. As far as possible, you should also try to avoid making comments in reports that refer to specific teachers or learners or that might allow readers to identify specific individuals. In some cases, this is unavoidable as certain individuals have specific roles and responsibilities, for example the headteacher of a school or the principal of a further education college. However, the focus in these situations should be on the role, not the individual. If there is one pupil with a statement of special educational needs in a school or one pupil eligible for free school meals, it is important to write in a way that doesn’t identify that individual. Where the provider is very small, write in a way that avoids individuals being easily identified, particularly for comments on learning and wellbeing.

Examples

Example 1

Here is an example of a piece of a report for a Science book review, focusing on evaluating the quality of the numeracy related activities and the learning standards.

Example 2

This is an example of a piece of a report for a Geography book review, focusing on evaluating the quality of the numeracy related activities and the learning standards.

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