The end of the academic year is in sight: lie-ins, family time and relaxation are within your grasp.

But, before the year is done, there may be the final task left of evaluating your subject area.

We have collated all you need to know about effective end-of-year subject leader monitoring, to ensure you are fully prepared to start again in September.

Who can lead a subject area?

Detailed in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD: Page 75), teachers without a Teaching Learning Responsibility (TLR) 1 or 2 cannot be held responsible or accountable for a subject; teachers without a TLR can be asked to co-ordinate a subject by helping staff to:

• Find useful training material
• Share good practice across teachers
• Make resource suggestions

Effective subject leadership will look at the big picture across the school for the subject area, champion the subject for exciting projects and contribute to extra-curricular ideas related to the subject. Your working days are already full; adding evaluation and monitoring can be time-consuming. Using Weduc’s online learning options, you have all the information at your fingertips to evaluate the current engagement picture in your subject.

Checklist for summer term subject leader monitoring

Evaluate the big picture of engagement

Look at your home learning engagement picture for your subject; using Weduc’s home learning features, you can monitor the number of pieces of homework set, the suggested length of time to complete and the marking associated with the work. Build a big picture of engagement around your subject area.

Resource audit and order

An annual template of resources needed is helpful to complete a resource audit around your school, passing your wish list to the School Business Manager for purchasing. These may be resources required to complete investigative activities or display materials (depending on your subject area). Aim to order these resources before the end of the academic year, ready for September.

Training need surveys

Send out a simple online survey for your colleagues to complete with their confidence levels in certain areas of your subject to help you identify training needs. You can find some excellent online training, often free, to share with your colleagues if you aren’t an expert in your subject area.

Cultural capital

Research exciting, hands-on, and immersion activities for pupils in your subject area. If you are Art Subject Leader, consider contacting local artists to deliver workshops for your most disadvantaged pupils using Pupil Premium Funding. Cultural capital in your subject area is essential to even the experience gaps between disadvantaged and their peers.

You have almost completed another fast-paced academic year; celebrate the differences you have made this year and recognise the hard work you have put into making each of your pupils’ lives brighter.