When you are new to the role, your first priority must always be to establish the health of the subject before you start on any grand improvement schemes. This may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked, not least because it is often difficult to establish. You might like to begin by using the self-evaluation material in this section. From there always prioritise the time you can spend with colleagues, face to face. Try to get to their planning meetings. Spend time giving them ideas. Working on resources and documentation is important, but always ask yourself this question, ‘What will have the greatest impact on the quality of learning for most pupils?’
Try the following
1. Use the self evaluation grids for leadership, and curriculum which are offered here as downloadable files. Use a highlighter pen to identify the areas you feel confident about and then in a contrasting colour select a few areas for development in the short and medium term.
2. Analyse the quality of the planning by looking carefully at the schemes of work for each topic. Focus specifically on :
a. the presence of sharp key questions which genuinely develop worthwhile skills and concepts and
