LTA Self-Evaluation Benchmarks PCD May 2026.xlsx

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
1	QI 2.3 Themes	LTA Self-Evaluation Question		Impact Statement
2	QI 2.3 Themes	LTA Self-Evaluation Question		Satisfactory	Good	Very Good	Excellent	Northern Alliance Toolkit Theme Overview
3	Learning and Engagement	5a	All practitioners take into account the needs and interests of all learners in planning for learning, teaching and assessment	Planning reflects the needs and interests of some learners, but this varies across the school and lacks consistency. Assessment information is used intermittently, and planning is not always responsive to the range of needs within a class. Differentiation is present in some lessons but tends to be generic and inconsistently applied. Learner voice is minimal and has little influence on the direction of learning. As a result, outcomes for learners are variable. Some learners make satisfactory progress, but others are not sufficiently challenged or supported, leading to disengagement and gaps in achievement over time	Planning takes account of the needs and interests of most learners, although this is not consistent across all classes or faculties. Practitioners use assessment data to inform planning, but adjustments are sometimes delayed or not sharply focused. While there is some evidence of differentiation, tasks are occasionally too easy or too difficult for some learners. Opportunities for learners to influence learning are limited. As a result, outcomes for learners are generally positive, with most making good progress. However, the level of engagement and pace of progress varies, particularly for learners who require additional challenge or support.	Planning is clearly informed by learners’ needs, interests and prior attainment. Most teachers use assessment information well to shape learning and adjust activities to ensure relevance and challenge. Learner voice is evident in some planning processes and increasingly influences decisions about learning. Differentiation is used effectively across most classrooms, and learners are generally well supported to access the curriculum and progress at an appropriate pace. These approaches result in positive outcomes: most learners are motivated, engaged, and make very good progress in their learning. There is strong evidence that planning is improving attainment and learner confidence, with some excellent practice evident across departments or stages	Teachers consistently respond to the needs, interests, and progress of all learners when planning learning activities. Teachers demonstrate a thorough understanding of individual learners and use this to shape personalised and engaging experiences. Learners play an active and meaningful role in planning and shaping their own learning and assessment. Differentiation is embedded in all aspects of classroom practice, ensuring every learner is appropriately challenged and supported. Assessment information is used rigorously and in real time to inform planning. Professional dialogue and collaboration ensure that excellent practice is shared and sustained across the school. As a result, outcomes for learners are consistently strong: almost all make excellent progress, demonstrate high levels of motivation, and are fully engaged in their learning.	Pace What does this look like in a high-quality experience? "High quality learning, teaching and assessment determines the quality of pace of learning and is essential in ensuring breadth, depth and application. Pace should be considered within individual activities and over time." ▪Use pre-assessments to ensure pupils are starting at the appropriate level thus avoiding practising skills which have already been achieved. ▪Consider pace at both the planning stage and throughout the activity. Adjust pace or strategy based on what is assessed. Be aware of pace slowing or learners becoming disengaged. ▪Check for understanding throughout the lesson e.g. use a hinge question to judge pace and adapt accordingly. ▪Provide feedback throughout the activity to move learning forward. ▪Be clear about timings for the activity maximising learning, avoiding too much time on explanations, organising resources and transitions. ▪Use plenaries to evaluate against the success criteria. This should inform the starting point for next activity.
4		5b	Appropriate pace, challenge and differentiation ensures all learners are focused and meaningfully engaged in learning	Although planning shows some attention to pace and differentiation, delivery is inconsistent, and tasks aren’t always well matched to learners' needs. Engagement varies, with some learners coasting or under-challenged. While many meet expected levels, few exceed them, and progress remains uneven across groups. The need for greater consistency in teaching is recognised.	Planning reflects learners’ needs with some differentiation in pace and challenge. Many are engaged and make steady progress, though some need support to stay focused or deepen their understanding. Most achieve expected outcomes, but fewer extend their learning independently. Progress is generally in line with expectations, with some variation across groups.	Teachers plan effectively for pace, challenge and differentiation, with scaffolded and extension tasks supporting meaningful engagement. Most learners make strong progress, showing increasing focus, independence and confidence. Tracking data shows rising attainment and reduced variation across cohorts, with learners reporting that lessons are both accessible and challenging.	Within all learning environments, teachers skilfully plan pace, challenge and differentiation, ensuring learning is both demanding and achievable for all. Learners are regularly stretched through open-ended tasks and high-order thinking activities. As a result, they make excellent progress, are highly engaged, and confidently articulate their next steps. Attainment and achievement are consistently above the national standard, gaps are closing, and learners demonstrate strength in their transferable skills for learning, lfe and work.
5		5c	Structures and routines ensure all learners transition effectively from one learning activity to another	Transitions lack consistency, and routines are not always clearly established or followed. Learners can become disengaged or distracted, leading to loss of learning time and reduced lesson flow. This impacts progress for some learners, particularly those who require more structure to stay on task.	Transitions are generally effective, supported by routines that most learners understand. While there is occasional disruption or loss of focus, most learners re-engage quickly. Overall, learning continues at a reasonable pace, supporting steady progress for most learners.	Most transitions are well-managed through effective structures and routines. Learners understand expectations, adopt responsibility for leading their learning, and remain engaged. Learning time is used effectively, and transitions support a positive, purposeful learning environment. This contributes to strong progress for most young people and supports a calm, purposeful learning environment where learners thrive.	Clear, consistent and well-established routines across the school ensure seamless transitions between activities. Learners move on purposefully, maintaining high levels of focus, independence and engagement throughout. As a result, no learning time is lost, and learners sustain momentum and motivation across the school day.	Challenge What does this look like in a high quality experience? "At every stage, learners should experience an appropriate level of challenge to progress to the next stage in learning and enable each individual to achieve their potential. Learners should be active in their learning and have opportunities to develop, apply and demonstrate their creativity." ▪Practitioners understand prior learning and pupil ability; consider this information when planning next steps ▪Learners and practitioners share high expectations so that every learner is supported to achieve their full potential ▪Learners are appropriately challenged to apply, extend and acquire knowledge, understanding and skills ▪Practitioners take account of different rates of learning and use learner pathways and benchmarks to inform next steps ▪Application of skills in a wide range of more complex contexts in learning and life. ▪Skilled questioning and discussion stimulates interests and promotes critical thinking. Decrease levels of support and scaffolds as learners move towards increased levels of responsibility and independence in learning Learners respond to and produce increasingly complex pieces of work, information and concepts Structures and routines support learners to evaluate their own and others’ learning. Modelling and expecting precise subject specific language Support learners to set goals for learning and build in regular opportunities for learners to reflect on their progress and next steps. The learning culture and routines promote and support all learners to lead their own learning
6		5d	All learners and practitioners have high expectations of themselves and of one another	Expectations vary among learners and practitioners and are not always sufficiently high. This can lead to inconsistent effort, limited challenge, or low ambition in some classes. As a result, progress is uneven, and some learners do not reach their full potential.	Learners and practitioners generally have appropriate expectations of effort and achievement. While this supports steady progress for most, some learners may not consistently challenge themselves or others to go beyond expected standards. Overall, learners achieve the intended outcomes with scope to deepen ambition.	Most learners and practitioners maintain high expectations of themselves and others. This fosters a positive learning environment where learners are motivated to work hard and persevere. Consequently, the majority make strong progress and show growing confidence and independence in their learning.	All learners and practitioners consistently hold very high expectations for effort, behaviour, and achievement. This culture of ambition drives learners to challenge themselves and support one another in striving for excellence. As a result, learners demonstrate resilience, take responsibility for their learning, and make outstanding progress, with attainment levels rising across the school.
7	Quality of Teaching	7a	All learners are appropriately challenged to extend and apply their existing levels of knowledge, understanding and skills	Learners experience some level of challenge, but this is inconsistent across the setting and does not always align well with learners’ prior knowledge and skills. As a result, some learners are not sufficiently stretched, while others find tasks too difficult, leading to variable progress and engagement.	Practitioners plan learning that offers an appropriate level of challenge for the majority of learners, enabling them to build on prior learning and apply their knowledge and skills with increasing confidence. This supports steady engagement, improved progress and a developing sense of achievement for these learners.	Practitioners use assessment information effectively to provide well-matched and progressive challenge for most learners. Learners are routinely encouraged to think deeply, apply their understanding in different contexts and extend their skills. These approaches result in high levels of engagement, motivation and sustained progress.	Practitioners and learners co-create highly challenging, stimulating and personalised learning experiences that consistently extend and deepen learning for almost all. Learners confidently apply their knowledge, understanding and skills in complex and unfamiliar contexts, demonstrating exceptional engagement, increasing independence and consistently high-quality outcomes.
8		7b	Skilled questioning and discussion stimulates all learners interests and provides opportunities to think creatively and independently	The majority of young people are willing learners and apply themselves dilligently to the tasks they are set however, they are too often passive in their learning. Young people are actively engaged in their tasks and respond well to thoughtful questioning when given the opportunity. Teachers should consider how to motivate young people by offering opportunities for them to be actively involved in learning activities.	Skilled questioning and discussion are used effectively to engage most learners and stimulate interest. Learners are encouraged to think independently and creatively, which supports improved engagement, confidence, and the application of their learning.	Teachers use skilled questioning well to help young people develop high order thinking skills and use young people's responses to adapt their lessons. Almost all teachers respond quickly to ensure that their teaching meets the needs of individuals and provides appropriate support.	Almost all teachers use challenging questions to prompt young people to think deeply about their learning. Teachers adapt the learning routinely based on young people's responses to maximise learner progress. Almost all teachers identify skilfully when they need to re-visit aspects of learning or adopt retrieval practice to support young people's progress in learning.	Differentiation What does this look like in a high-quality experience? "Differentiated learning involves adapting learning, teaching and assessment to meet individual children’s needs. Information gathered through assessment supports teachers to make informed decisions about next steps and teaching strategies to meet the needs of all children whilst maintaining high expectations and recognising individual need." ▪Practitioners plan high quality learning activities, using the most appropriate teaching approaches, environment, resources and support (including digital) to ensure all learning experiences are appropriately motivating and challenging for all learners ▪An inclusive learning culture ensures all learners are valued and high expectations and aspirations are shared. ▪Practitioners make effective use of a range of assessment data to identify where learners are in their learning and use this to plan appropriately to meet their individual needs. By differentiating learning, practitioners develop pathways which are tailored to learners’ individual learning needs. This can be achieved through modifying the following aspects of learning: 1. Content e.g. use of learning materials at different levels 2. Ownership- e.g. giving learners choice in how to express ideas or required learning 3. Learning environment e.g. wider learning spaces in class/school/setting 4. Encouraging enquiry, research and independent learning 5. Pace of learning -flexibility and being responsive to needs of each learner 6. Role of the teacher during activities- differentiation in the moment and engagement of support staff ▪Collaborative planning involving relevant agencies in place to meet learners’ needs. This is particularly important for learners with more complex needs ▪All learners are motivated to aim high and challenge themselves further. ▪All learners are involved in the process of creating their individual next steps from the learner conversations. Through guidance and practice, peer/self-assessment can be used also to identify next steps
9		7c	Through a range of well- matched learning and teaching approaches, all learners develop higher order thinking skills to become curious and engaged learners	Practitioners use some approaches that support the development of higher-order thinking skills, but these are applied inconsistently and are not always well matched to learners’ needs. As a result, opportunities for learners to develop curiosity, critical thinking and deeper engagement are limited and lead to uneven progress.	A range of well-planned learning and teaching approaches helps the majority of learners to develop higher-order thinking skills with increasing confidence. These approaches support improvements in learners’ curiosity, questioning and engagement, contributing positively to their ability to think more deeply about their learning.	Practitioners use a wide range of well-matched and carefully designed approaches that consistently promote higher-order thinking. Most learners are encouraged to analyse, evaluate and explore ideas independently, resulting in high levels of curiosity, sustained engagement and deeper understanding across learning.	Highly effective, innovative and well-matched learning and teaching approaches are seamlessly embedded, enabling almost all learners to develop exceptional higher-order thinking skills. Learners demonstrate outstanding curiosity, independence and intellectual engagement, confidently applying advanced thinking skills across a wide range of challenging and unfamiliar contexts.
10		7d	A range of differentiated teaching approaches and resources (including digital) are used to appropriately support and challenge all learners	Some teaching approaches and resources are differentiated, but these are inconsistently applied and do not fully meet the needs of all learners. As a result, some learners are under-supported or insufficiently challenged, leading to uneven engagement and progress.	A range of differentiated approaches and resources, including digital tools, is used effectively for the majority of learners. These support learning and provide appropriate challenge, helping learners to engage more fully and make steady progress.	Practitioners use a wide variety of differentiated approaches and resources, including digital technologies, which are well matched to the needs of most learners. This enables learners to access challenging tasks, develop skills and knowledge effectively, and sustain high levels of engagement and progress.	A highly effective and innovative range of differentiated approaches and resources, including digital tools, is consistently used to meet the needs of almost all learners. Learners are supported and challenged to the fullest, demonstrating outstanding engagement, independence and consistently high-quality outcomes.
11	Effective use of Assessment	9a	Formative and summative assessment data is used to understand prior and current learning and ensure appropriate pace, challenge and differentiation	Assessment information is used to some extent to understand learners’ prior and current learning, but practice is inconsistent. As a result, pace, challenge and differentiation are not always well matched to learners’ needs, leading to variable engagement and progress.	Formative and summative assessment data is effectively used for the majority of learners to identify prior learning and current progress. This information supports appropriate pace, challenge and differentiation, helping learners engage more fully and make steady progress.	Assessment information is used consistently and insightfully to understand the learning needs of most learners. This ensures tasks are well matched in pace, challenge and differentiation, enabling learners to progress confidently, sustain engagement, and extend their skills and understanding.	Assessment data is used exceptionally well to provide a detailed understanding of almost all learners’ prior and current learning. Pace, challenge and differentiation are highly responsive and personalised, enabling all learners to maximise progress, take ownership of their learning, and achieve consistently outstanding outcomes.
12		9b	Appropriate formative assessment strategies are embedded in the routine of the learning environment so that learning is gauged quickly and clearly	Formative assessment strategies are used to some extent, but inconsistently. Learning is not always gauged quickly or accurately, which limits timely support, appropriate challenge and learners’ progress.	Formative assessment strategies are regularly used to check learning for the majority of learners. This allows staff to gauge understanding promptly and adjust teaching to provide appropriate support and challenge, improving engagement and progress.	Formative assessment is embedded consistently in routines, enabling most learners’ understanding to be checked quickly and accurately. Teachers use this information effectively to adjust pace, challenge and differentiation, resulting in sustained engagement, confidence, and progress.	Formative assessment strategies are highly embedded and used skilfully to gauge learning instantly for almost all learners. This allows teaching to be immediately responsive and personalised, ensuring learners are fully challenged, supported and able to make exceptional progress.
13		9c	The pace of learning over time is adjusted for groups and individuals based on what is observed and assessed	Adjustments to the pace of learning are applied inconsistently and often reactively. As a result, some learners are under-challenged while others are unable to keep up, leading to variable engagement and progress.	The pace of learning is regularly adjusted for most groups and individuals based on observations and assessment. This ensures that the majority of learners are appropriately challenged, improving engagement, confidence and steady progress.	Adjustments to the pace of learning are made consistently and effectively for most learners, informed by accurate observation and assessment. This supports sustained engagement, appropriate challenge, and high levels of progress for most learners.	The pace of learning is expertly adapted for almost all learners, based on careful observation and detailed assessment. Learners are consistently challenged and supported at exactly the right level, maximising engagement, independence and exceptional progress over time.
14	Planning, Tracking & Monitoring	11a	Learner pathways and benchmarks are used to support planning for pace, challenge and differentiation	Learner pathways and benchmarks are used inconsistently to inform planning. As a result, pace, challenge and differentiation do not consistently meet learners’ needs, and some learners’ engagement and progress are limited.	Learner pathways and benchmarks are used effectively for the majority of learners to plan appropriate pace, challenge and differentiation. This supports engagement, ensures learners’ needs are generally met, and promotes steady progress.	Learner pathways and benchmarks are used consistently and insightfully to plan learning for most learners. This ensures tasks are well matched to learners’ needs, supporting high levels of engagement, challenge, and sustained progress.	Learner pathways and benchmarks are used expertly to personalise learning for almost all learners, ensuring pace, challenge and differentiation are highly responsive. This maximises engagement, independence, and consistently outstanding progress and achievement.
15		11b	Learning activities have a clear, well planned structure which allow flexibility to adjust the pace of learning, depending on learner understanding and engagement	Learning activities are planned with some structure, but flexibility is limited. As a result, pace is not consistently adjusted to learners’ understanding or engagement, which can restrict progress and motivation.	Learning activities are clearly structured and include some flexibility, allowing practitioners to adjust pace for the majority of learners. This supports engagement, ensures appropriate challenge, and promotes steady progress.	Learning activities are well-structured and flexible, enabling pace to be adjusted effectively for most learners based on their understanding and engagement. This leads to high levels of learner participation, sustained motivation, and consistently strong progress.	Learning activities are expertly structured and highly flexible, allowing pace to be continuously adapted to meet the needs of almost all learners. This ensures maximum engagement, challenge, independence, and enables learners to make exceptional progress across a range of contexts.
16		11c	Practitioners build in regular opportunities for learners to engage in ‘learning conversations’ which allow them to reflect on their progress and to consider whether they are appropriately challenged.	Opportunities for learning conversations are limited or inconsistently provided. As a result, learners have few chances to reflect on their progress or consider if they are appropriately challenged, which can restrict engagement and self-awareness.	Practitioners provide regular learning conversations for the majority of learners, supporting reflection on progress and challenge. These conversations help learners develop awareness of their learning, increase motivation, and improve engagement and outcomes.	Learning conversations are consistently embedded, enabling most learners to reflect meaningfully on their progress and consider their level of challenge. This promotes high levels of engagement, confidence, and self-directed learning, contributing to sustained progress.	Learning conversations are highly embedded and used expertly with almost all learners, fostering regular, insightful reflection on progress and challenge. Learners take ownership of their learning, demonstrate strong self-evaluation and critical thinking skills, and consistently achieve outstanding outcomes.
17		11d	Effective use of data ensures all learners are being appropriately supported and challenged through timely interventions	Data is used inconsistently to identify learners’ needs, so interventions are not always timely or well targeted. Some learners are under-supported or insufficiently challenged, resulting in uneven engagement and progress.	Data is used effectively for the majority of learners to identify needs and plan timely interventions. This ensures that learners are generally supported and challenged appropriately, leading to improved engagement and steady progress.	Data is used consistently and insightfully to identify the learning needs of most learners. Timely and well-targeted interventions ensure learners are appropriately supported and challenged, resulting in high levels of engagement, confidence, and sustained progress.	Data is used exceptionally well to provide a detailed and ongoing understanding of almost all learners’ needs. Timely and highly effective interventions ensure every learner is fully supported and challenged, maximising engagement, independence, and consistently outstanding progress and outcomes.
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