Frequently asked questions

When the Western Cape School Education Amendment Act, 4 of 2018 was assented to in November 2018, provision was made for the establishment of the Schools Evaluation Authority which will conduct independent school evaluations and develop school reports which will be published for parents and communities to know how well schools in their area are performing. The school evaluations will provide an independent, external examination of school practices which includes a diagnosis of what should improve. It is based on gathering a range of evidence which is evaluated against a standard evaluation framework and takes account of policies and relevant legislation in areas such as diversity.

Click here to view the Legislative Framework.

The purpose of the Schools Evaluation Authority is to raise standards and improve learner outcomes. It aims to drive school improvement through evaluating quality and practices in all schools (not just underperforming ones) in the Western Cape and identify and share examples of best and innovative practices to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Its aim is to assess the true quality of education in a manner that is fair, consistent, objective and an honest reflection of how well a school is functioning with a particular focus on the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom; not simply compliance with policy.

The new school evaluation instrument focuses on the quality of teaching and learning, behaviour and safety, sound leadership and management and effective governance as contributing factors to learner outcomes. It evaluates the aspects of functionality which are within the school’s control but takes its context into consideration. Interviews are conducted with learners, parents, governing bodies and School Management Teams to obtain a complete, diverse and realistic picture of what is happening at a school.

The Chief Evaluator must keep the Provincial Minister of Education informed of the following in respect of schools:

• the quality of education provided at the school,
• the extent to which education at the school meets the diverse needs of the learners through a holistic approach,
• the educational standards achieved at the school,
• the quality of leadership and management at the school,
• the financial resources made available at the school and whether they are managed economically, efficiently and effectively,
• the extent to which the school is developing internal procedures of self-evaluation in terms of its school improvement plan,
• the safety, behaviour and attendance of learners and staff at the school,
• the social and cultural development of learners at the school,
• the management and development of staff, and
• the relationship between parents, the community and the school.

The Chief Evaluator is responsible for the leadership and management of the Schools Evaluation Authority, including:

• providing outstanding leadership to the Schools Evaluation Authority as an evaluation and development statutory body which is independent of that part of the public service responsible for the administration of schools in the Western Cape,
• building and maintaining a high-performing evaluation authority,
• leading and inspiring evaluators across the province so that the Schools Evaluation Authority builds and maintains a committed and high-performing contingent of evaluators who have credibility with the sectors that they evaluate,
• ensuring that the Schools Evaluation Authority continues to drive improvement and raise standards in the school system, making fair and rounded judgements of school performance to promote quality education,
• ensuring that the Schools Evaluation Authority is able to respond to challenges in an appropriate and proportionate way, including for example, dealing with issues of violence in schools, safety of learners and teachers, diversity management and improving the levels of functionality in schools,
• ensuring that the Schools Evaluation Authority is able to respond proactively to the direction of the national and provincial education departments’ policies and strategies,
• ensuring that the Schools Evaluation Authority continues to meaningfully engage parents, guardians, learners, professional and public stakeholders, and safeguards its reputation,
• representing the Schools Evaluation Authority to the public and working in a highly effective way with key contacts, including School Management Teams, governing bodies, parents and other public stakeholders who draw on its reports, and
• leading public conversation in relation to the implementation of educational standards in schools and the extent to which education at the school level meets the diverse needs of learners.

• Two days
• One day – Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, school evaluations were revised to focus on schools’ response to Covid-19. Two-day evaluations will resume as soon as possible.

• Learner Achievement,
• Teaching and Learning,
• Behaviour and Safety,
• Leadership and Management, and
• Governance, Parents and Community.

• 1 – Inadequate
• 2 – Requires improvement
• 3 – Good
• 4 – Outstanding

• Two days’ written notice to the district director, principal and governing body, or
• without notice if there is prima facie evidence of financial mismanagement and a reasonable suspicion that records and documents will be hidden, destroyed or tampered with if notice is given.
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Each evaluation must be followed by a written report based on the empirical findings made during the evaluation and the interpretation of the data obtained.

The final report will be sent to the principal, the governing body and the district director of the school concerned, the Head of Education and the Provincial Minister of Education.

Reports will be published on the Schools Evaluation Authority website as a means of informing parents and communities about school performance.