The Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) in Perspective brings everything you need for school evaluation and improvement into one place. It combines collaboration, evidence gathering, and now intelligent assistance through TILDA, your built-in AI helper for the new Ofsted 2025 Framework.
Note: Perspective SEF supports multiple inspection frameworks, so your SEF view may not always match the screenshots shown in this guide. Depending on the framework selected (and your organisation’s configuration), some menus, labels, and available features may appear slightly different. This guide is intended as a general overview of the core SEF functionality. If you have any questions or can’t find an option you expect to see, please contact our Support team at perspectivesupport@angelsolutions.co.uk.
Introducing TILDA: Your SEF Co-Pilot
Writing a SEF can be a big job - but TILDA is here to make it smarter, faster, and easier.
TILDA is your intelligent SEF assistant, designed to help you:
Upload your existing SEF and automatically place content in the right sections.
Refine or polish your writing section-by-section
Generate Ofsted-aligned drafts using your BSQs
Ensure your SEF meets the structure and tone of the 2025 Ofsted Framework
You’ll see the TILDA: Refine button above each SEF section — allowing you to quickly improve clarity, structure, and tone without starting from scratch.
📘 For more details on TILDA’s features, see our dedicated guide:
Working with TILDA in Your SEF
Collaboration and Evidence Gathering
One of the greatest strengths of the SEF in Perspective is its ability to bring collaboration and evidence together.
Instead of relying on a single voice, Bite-Sized Questions (BSQs) allow every member of the SLT (or team, for Team SEFs) to contribute their own detailed insights. This helps you capture a wide range of perspectives, build a rich evidence base, and ensure that the final SEF reflects your school’s shared expertise and experience.
All contributions can be viewed, compared, and pulled into the main SEF, allowing you to move seamlessly from gathering ideas to agreeing on a polished, inspection-ready document. At the click of a few buttons, you can also use TILDA to seamlessly analyse your BSQ content and use it to create robust and detailed SEF sections.
Adding the Main SEF Body
From the SEF homepage, you’ll see that your SEF is organised into the sections of your chosen framework.
By default, you’ll have access to the latest Ofsted (2025) framework, but if you previously used the older version, you can switch using the Inspection Framework drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Within each section (except School Context), you’ll find a Make a Judgement heading.
This is where you record your overall judgement and add the main body of text for that section.
If you already have content in a Word document, you can simply copy and paste that text into the SEF.
💡 Tip: Use “Paste as plain text” to remove unnecessary formatting when copying from Word.
Once you’ve added your content, you can return to the SEF homepage and download the Draft SEF Report to preview how it appears in your school’s report layout.
Getting Acquainted with Bite-Sized Questions (BSQs)
Bite-Sized Questions help break the framework into manageable chunks, giving structure to your evaluation process.
Many schools include BSQs as part of their SEF report (though this is optional).
BSQs sit under each Make a Judgement section and are unique to every framework area.
Each SLT member can:
Add or edit text answers
Assign grades independently
View others’ answers through the SLT Answers tab
This collaborative approach allows you to collect multiple viewpoints, with the headteacher’s grades appearing in the published SEF report.
💡 Once your BSQs are complete, TILDA can use them to enhance your SEF — transforming detailed team responses into clear, Ofsted-aligned draft content.
Other Tools to Support Your SEF
In addition to Make a Judgement and BSQs, each SEF section includes a range of supportive tools to help you evidence your evaluation:
Guidance: Key Ofsted Handbook content, organised by grade for quick reference.
Attachments: Upload evidence files related to the section (downloadable later in one zip).
Targets: Link or create school plan targets directly within your SEF.
Notes: Record informal comments, meeting notes, or reminders.
Agreed Answer: Displays the most recently agreed version of the section.
External Resources: Quick links to useful websites and guidance relevant to that section.
Agreeing Your SEF
By default, only the Headteacher can agree the SEF.
On the SEF homepage (top right), you’ll see two report versions:
Draft: Includes the latest updates and edits.
Agreed: Becomes available once the SEF is formally agreed.
To agree the full SEF:
Click Agree All.
Confirm the updates shown.
All draft content will then be locked into the Agreed SEF report.
Future edits appear in the Draft version until the SEF is agreed again.
You can also agree individual sections using the Agree Grade and Text button within each Make a Judgement area.
Top Tips and FAQs
1. Are there best-practice recommendations for using BSQs?
There’s no single right way — but many schools use BSQs to kick-start their SEF process, inform judgements, and evidence evaluation.
You don’t need to complete every question in detail unless it adds value; focus on what’s most relevant for your school.
2. What is the “Evidence Base Report”?
The Evidence Base Report is a detailed version of your SEF, used for inspections or in-depth reviews.
It includes SLT BSQ answers, uploaded attachments, notes, and linked targets — functioning as your reference document.
3. Is the SEF kept up to date?
Yes - the SEF and its guidance are reviewed and updated whenever Ofsted releases a new framework or handbook.
4. Where do the BSQs come from? Can we edit them?
BSQs are created in consultation with Ofsted inspectors to ensure coverage, relevance, and clarity.
They can’t be edited to maintain consistency and reliability across schools.
Next Steps
Working with TILDA in Your SEF – Learn how to upload, refine, and enhance your SEF using TILDA.
Gathering Evidence with Bite-Sized Questions (BSQs) – Explore how BSQs strengthen your SEF and power TILDA’s suggestions.
Importing Your SEF with TILDA – Upload your existing SEF document into Perspective.