Introduction: What is ‘documentation‘ and why do we use it as a source of evidence?
Documentation refers to the systematic recording, creation, and preservation of information in various forms, such as written, visual, or digital records. It serves the crucial purpose of capturing and conveying relevant details, policies, processes, or events for future reference, analysis, and communication.
As a source of evidence, documentation is considered to provide third-hand information. Sources of first-hand information (known as ‘primary’ sources) include seeing teaching and learning happening in real time by visiting
lessons. Second-hand information is what you are told by teachers, students, parents etc. the further you go from the primary source of evidence, the less reliable the evidence is.
Nevertheless, documentation plays an important part in quality assurance. It can offer a distant, yet valuable, perspective on teaching, policies, and events. It is a window into the thought processes, the quality of communication, the transparency, the expectations and rigour that sit beneath the quality of students’ experience.
Principles to guide selection and interpretation of documentary evidence
Context and purpose:
understanding the context in which the document was created will help determine if it will provide useful information about quality. For example, consider who created the document, why and when? Is it up-to-date or not? You need to determine:
• Will the content help me find out what I need to know?
• Will the content be a reliable source of evidence for what I want to know?
• Will this be sufficient on its own, or do I need more?
Understand the limitations of the information:
avoid putting too much emphasis on documentation as evidence of what is happening in reality.
Be mindful that:
• documentation is only as effective as the quality of implementation - compliant documentation does not automatically equate to quality.
• no set of documents can provide a complete picture of quality.
A document is only one piece of the jigsaw: it is important to cross-reference information across multiple documents and sources.
In summary, documentation can sit alongside other sources of evidence as part of a suite of quality-assurance activities. However, the information from documents alone is unlikely to be sufficient to extrapolate a view of overall quality.
A note about statutory documentation
Schools are required to produce some documents in order to comply with statutory requirements. The details of what must be in these documents is set out in statutory guidance.
Therefore, there are occasions when the document itself needs to be checked to ensure it is compliant. Checking a document in this way is an example of quality control. It serves the purpose of identifying whether something is missing or incorrect.
While this is an end in its own right, finding that something in a statutory document does not meet requirements can be indicative of issues in policies, processes or culture.
Examples of helpful and unhelpful use of documentation
Document Helpful for
WAT central policies (e.g. safeguarding policy, codified approaches etc.)
Schoolspecific policy
Understanding familywide expectations and processes.
Less helpful for Triangulate with
Being certain that what is in the policy is what is happening on the ground. Iden
Understanding school leaders’ expectations and the agreed practices in the context of the school.
STM Setting out a top-level view of our agreed conception of high quality.
Providing a common language around school evaluation.
Supporting prioritisation of school improvement activities.
SEF Showing leaders’ view of the strengths and development needs of the school in relation to the conception of quality set out in the STM.
Proving that the policy is being implemented.
Information gathered from QC and QA activities in the school.
Identifying how improvement will be achieved.
• Lesson visits
• Work scrutiny
• Talking to students Assessment information
• etc
The picture from quality control and assurance activities showing where the school sits within the STM.
Identifying the specific strengths and weaknesses that have resulted in the overall evaluation or the reasons why leaders have evaluated as they have.
The outcomes of quality assurance and quality control activities.
School improvement plans
Identifying if the right actions are planned to achieve the desired impact.
Considering the appropriateness of timescales.
Codified approaches Establishing the WAT conception of quality or best practice.
Providing a benchmark for checking compliance.
Long-term plan Showing the strategic thinking behind the curriculum.
Showing the narrative threads and how they develop over time
Showing that curriculum intent at least matches the breadth of the national curriculum.
Medium-term plan
Identifying the intended knowledge expected to be learned at each stage.
Identifying whether all the components of knowledge are planned for and sequenced in such a way as to build cumulative understanding.
Showing that actions are being carried out as/when intended and that improvement is happening.
Evidence from the quality improvement cycle:
• How are we doing in ‘xxx’? Why are we doing as we are?
• How do we know?
• Is change needed? If so, what? What are we going to do now?
• Is it working?
Measuring impact. Quality control activities, such as test scores, application of phonics in reading etc.
Identifying the depth of the curriculum.
Showing what students will actually learn. Showing impact.
• Medium-term plans
• Knowledge organisers Lesson visits
• Work scrutiny
• Talking to students
• Assessment information
• etc
Understanding where a particular unit fits into the overall narrative.
• Long-term plan
• Lesson visits
• Work scrutiny
• Talking to students Assessment information
• etc
