New SharePoint Portal for Education inspectorate

22 March 2011

Estyn's Judgement Form (JF) is central to the inspection process, Method4 assisted in the design of this form and, using Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, developed a collaborative extranet to provide Virtual Inspection Rooms (VIR). The VIR allows administrators to setup and manage inspections, inspectors can then capture Inspection judgements offline using Microsoft Word and share them with team members by uploading them to the VIR.

Bespoke WebParts provide complex functionality to collate judgements from several Word documents, ultimately producing a final Inspection Report. This is achieved using Microsoft.NET combined with Microsoft Office 2007's use of Office Open XML.

Online questionnaires are integrated within the VIR allowing learners, parents and providers to complete pre and post inspection questionnaires. The questionnaire structure and questions are maintained via SharePoint lists. Microsoft .NET components integrate with SharePoint to deliver the questionnaire functionality and suite of Excel reports provides questionnaire analysis.

Due to varying levels of internet connectivity across education providers, Method4 developed an offline tool in the form of a Microsoft.NET Windows Forms Application. This allows inspectors to carry out some of the work that the online Virtual Inspection Room does on their own computers, without the need for Internet access.

"The Estyn JF project presented a number of challenges, which required the use of a variety of Microsoft based technologies to overcome. Combining WSS, Microsoft.NET and Microsoft Word Open XML document manipulation, as well as providing a stand-alone Windows Application, we were able to provide a system to meet the complex needs of our client" Andrew Kasper, application development consultant, Method4

Estyn is the office of Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales.  Estyn is independent of, but funded by, the National Assembly for Wales under Section 104 of the Government of Wales Act 1998.