ABSTRACT
Reviews and inspections are well established in the education sector. There is a substantial literature on peer reviews, and a number of well-documented frameworks for inspections. Formative reviews help a person or organization identify ways to improve their performance. The review focuses on gathering examples that will give the reviewee insight into current issues and opportunities for improvement. The review focuses on gathering evidence to make the comparison, and would typically put its findings into the public domain. During the inspection itself, the inspectors aim to gather sufficient evidence to make a fair assessment of the school's overall effectiveness, and of its strengths and weaknesses. This evidence is gathered by observing classes, talking to staff and pupils, analysing pupils' work and records, tracking key processes, and meeting with the school's management. The provision of extensive training for reviewers, coupled with well-defined feedback processes to improve the conduct of reviews.
