Data and evidence should be used for a range of purposes by educators at all levels in the system. It is everyone’s responsibility to use and embed data throughout each stage of the school improvement cycle.

The review found that data can be used to:

• plan, implement, track, monitor, review and evaluate the impact of improvement activity
• identify individual or group needs and inform universal, targeted and intensive support
• encourage practitioner reflection and influence pedagogy/practice
• report, ensure accountability, and inform key stakeholders who may support and influence improvement

Educators should be clear about the link between whole school or local authority data and classroom practice, including targeted interventions.

‘Small data’ such as Assessment for Learning (AfL), jotters, observations and reading records ‘moves’ or directly influences ‘big data’ such as Achievement of a Curriculum Level (ACEL) or stretch aims data.

It is important that classroom practitioners understand the connection between the ‘big’ whole school data and the ‘small’ classroom data.

Data can identify metrics that may help to predict and mitigate against whole school or subject underperformance. Metrics will include attainment and achievement but may also include others such as staffing, resources and leadership capacity.

Educators should be aware of the strengths, limitations and potential bias of data. For example, ‘95% of parents said X but only 50% completed the survey’.