School and Region Reviews (SRR) monitor and support school performance and improvement through the administration of school reviews.
School reviews are an important part of each school’s planning and improvement cycle. Along with other processes, they help inform and complement the work of the school in leading continuous improvement and quality learning outcomes for children and young people in Queensland, and a progressive, high performing education system that realises the potential of every student.
All Queensland state schools undergo a
review at least once every 4 years, generally undertaken in the year that they are due to update their 4-year strategic plan. In collaboration with staff and the school community, principals use the findings from the reviews to inform plans for the next stage of the school’s improvement journey.
Reviews are conducted by experienced educators trained in the use of the
School Improvement Tool (SIT) (PDF, 1.3MB), an internationally recognised framework for reviewing teaching and learning practices. The tool provides a framework for planning, implementing and measuring the success of school improvement strategies against each of the 9 domains.
The majority of schools are designated one of
2 types of review—either a school review conducted by SRR, or a school-led review conducted by the school and then validated by SRR.
A small number of schools may engage in a differentiated review type in consideration of their unique context—these reviews are conducted by SRR in collaboration with the school community.
SRR collates and analyses school review findings for emerging trends and areas requiring greater focus, with
research shared with schools and the system more broadly.
SRR also delivers
training for school leaders in the use of the SIT. Programs provide school leaders with an understanding of the 9 domains of the SIT, how these inform the school review process and how they can be used to inform their school's improvement strategy.
State school principals who complete the training can nominate to become a
peer reviewer and participate in a school review.
The school review
joint statement from the Department of Education and the Queensland Teachers' Union outlines the process and commitment to continuous improvement in Queensland state schools.
For further information
contact SRR.
School Improvement Hierarchy
Based on the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) (2023). School Improvement Tool.
The School Improvement Hierarchy model image depicts a baseline of assurance and school governance incorporating analysis and discussion of data, paired with a culture that promotes learning. These contribute to driving an explicit improvement agenda.
Building on the agenda are leading systematic curriculum implementation, implementing effective pedagogical practices, and building an expert teaching team. Differentiated teaching and learning is at the model's apex.
Integral to the model's delivery are targeting school resources and building school-community partnerships. These are represented as arrows travelling from the baseline of the model to its apex.