The SecEd Podcast: Subject reviews & deep dives

This episode focuses on subject reviews or “deep dives” in the secondary school, asking what they are, how we can conduct them effectively without burdening staff, and what information we can and cannot expect to gather accurately.

Our expert panel asks what a subject review or deep dive is and looks like and why we need to carry them out – ultimately, what is their purpose?

We discuss how we can best conduct reviews/deep dives in order to ensure that we gather reliable and valid information that helps to inform our improvement planning.

And how can we do this while minimising the amount of stress that deep dives can cause to subject leader sand teachers, not least in terms of workload?

We ask what information we can gather with accuracy and confidence through subject review/deep dives, including the kind of questions we might ask. And, crucially, we ask what information we cannot gather with accuracy and confidence and what approaches we should avoid.

We also discuss the vital role of subject and middle leaders and the kind of CPD a school must have in place to support effective subject review processes.

Ofsted has of course placed subject deep dives at the heart of its Education Inspection Framework, and we touch upon how good practice in this area can stand a school in good stead for when inspectors do call.