ABSTRACT
Accountability is the professional obligation of an organisation and individual to account for their actions and activities, accept responsibility for them and disclose the results in a transparent manner. The work of teachers is guided by different accountability frameworks. In England, the government sets national accountability frameworks in the form of legislation and statutory guidance. As part of the overall accountability framework, the government tasks independent bodies to oversee certain aspects of accountability. The highest form of accountability is the teacher’s professional accountability for the quality of their own work and to the children, young people, parents and carers whom the profession serves. In accountability terms, the government sets the overall framework for accountability, usually through the prescription of performance measures for schools. The government publishes tables of school performance against the measures it sets out.
