Benchmarking for School Improvement

Benchmarking is a term used by the DfEE and OFSTED to describe a school's performance against a national or local average. This useful guide helps senior management teams of schools or colleges, to undertake their own benchmarking, with the aim of increasing effectiveness and improvement. Tony Kelly looks at the different types of benchmarking and what should be benchmarked and why. He discusses the possibility of forming a benchmarking partnership with another organisation which is acknowledged to be better performing. He also addresses the process of forming a benchmarking team within a school or college. Practical guidance is provided on techniques such as making an effectiveness comparison, targeting for improvement, and producing target-setting tables and benchmarking comparison charts. The content of the book has been based on extensive research from the UK and overseas. It provides step-by-step advice, photocopiable templates and suggestions for further reading.

Tony Kelly works at the University of Cambridge, School of Education. He was formerly a Headteacher, where he was involved in developing new systems of school governance. His academic interests include effectiveness in management and organisations

Introduction 1. Introduction to Effectiveness and Benchmarking 2. Critical Processes: Why and What to Benchmark 3. Internal and External Non-competitive Benchmarking: Forming a Consortium 4. Forming a Benchmarking Team Within an Organisation and Collecting Data 5. Making an Effectiveness Comparison 6. Redesign and Targeting for Improvement 7. Target-Setting Tables; Conclusion