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The Data Confident School Toolkit
This checklist lists some of the characteristics associated with the successful use of electronic data to promote school effectiveness.*
For each statement decide the extent of development of current practice towards the Systemic use of performance data

Use of electronic data	Usage	Rating
Competent use of MIS for daily data needs. Recognition of this aspect	Functional	F
Moving forward against a development plan that includes this aspect	Developmental	D
Greater than average understanding and use of electronic data in this aspect	Accomplished	A
High impact use of electronic data in relation to this aspect	Systemic	S


What would teachers say? F=Functional D=Developmental A=Accomplished S=Systemic	F	D	A	S
Data analysis is not just something done by the few and passed down to the many - but involves all teachers
We have developed reporting our performance well beyond just presenting a list of grades
We are using an action-research approach to school improvement involving all teachers
We know ourselves to the point where we would not be surprised by the findings of an inspection report
We don't just rely on official data to judge us but have our own secure evidence of school effectiveness
We have a management information strategy that seeks to get high diagnostic value from data
We are able to link what the data tells us directly to our priorities for developing teaching and learning
Support staff have well-developed roles in supporting teacher investigations into what the data can tell us

What would senior leaders say? F=Functional D=Developmental A=Accomplished S=Systemic	F	D	A	S
I have a comprehensive understanding of what the data tells me about the school's performance
I downplay the school's league table position in favour of showing what the school does for all learners
We have well-developed roles on the SLT for monitoring teaching impact and managing self-evaluation
I promote and support an action-research approach to school improvement that involves all teachers
I am able to demonstrate that 'Every Child Matters' by showing how provision promotes high achievement for all
In explaining the school's performance I refer to measures rather than descriptions of the school's systems
I am able to present inspectors with an independent, pupil-level analysis of the school's performance
We can provide good evidence of the impact of leadership decisions on improvements in provision

What would middle leaders say? F=Functional D=Developmental A=Accomplished S=Systemic	F	D	A	S
I am 100% accountable for standards of achievement and teaching quality in my area of responsibility
We monitor the teaching in our area using Ofsted criteria and base our CPD on what we find
We use data well for tracking performance, forecasting achievement and diagnosing improvements
We undertake research into our data to analyse why pupils' attainment varies across groups
We understand the issues connected with interpreting data sensibly and questioning its accuracy
We have persuasive evidence on the current and projected performance of terminal year pupils
We ensure that professional support is targeted by evidence of the effectiveness of teaching
We know where groups of pupils perform well and we understand and share the reasons for their success

The school as a Data-Confident institution			%
The headteacher's leadership in the use of electronic data			%
The role of middle leaders in assuring standards in their subject			%

   *The information informing this analysis is drawn from work with over 130 secondary schools.
    This checklist will be refined through further work in this area and feedback from schools. Click here to send comments.
     n.b. this tool does not collect this information - it remains confidential to your school.