A whole-school evaluation of Summerhill College was undertaken in September 2009. This report presents the findings of the evaluation and makes recommendations for improvement. During the evaluation, the quality of teaching and learning in three subjects was evaluated in detail and two subjects were evaluated beforehand; separate evaluation reports are available on these subjects. (see section 7 for details). The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report, and the response of the board will be found in the appendix of this report.

Introduction

The College of the Immaculate Conception, or Summerhill College as it is more commonly known, is a voluntary, Catholic secondary school for boys, under the trusteeship of the diocese of Elphin. The college was first founded as a minor seminary in Athlone in 1857. It moved to Sligo in 1880 and a new school was built in 1892. Originally catering for boarders, since the 1980s the college has operated as a day school for boys. Today, the college occupies two buildings, the original cut-stone building and a 1960s building. The two buildings are separated by a public road and both are in need of some refurbishment. The college has applied to the Department for a new school building and was informed in May 2009 that approval to apply for planning permission was granted. An application for planning permission had been submitted to Sligo County Council at the time of this evaluation.

Summerhill College is in the free-education scheme and currently, 719 boys are enrolled.. The school caters for the needs of all students including those of higher ability, those from socially and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, students with special educational needs, and those from minority groups.

The school offers a very wide range of programmes: Junior Certificate, Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP); the Transition Year Programme (TY), the established Leaving Certificate; the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA).

1. quality of school management

1.1 Characteristic spirit of the school

The college’s ethos is Catholic and significant support in protecting and developing that ethos is provided by the bishop of Elphin, through his nominees to the board of management and the appointment of a full-time chaplain, for example. Parents, teachers and students who met with the inspection team spoke very positively of the good relationships between teachers and students. The very extensive extracurricular programme available in the college was cited as an example of this. Boys currently enrolled are, in many cases, the second, third or fourth generation of a family to attend the college and a strong pride in the history of the school was expressed by many.

The mission statement of the College of the Immaculate Conception speaks of partnership between the diocese and parents “to educate the students in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ and His church”. Copies of the mission statement are prominently displayed at points around the two school buildings. The statement is also highlighted in the staff and students’ handbook and as a preamble to school policies. Those who met with the inspectors spoke of a strong spirit of care and of commitment to one another and to the college as hallmarks of the characteristic spirit of the college. However, notwithstanding the goodwill of the college community, these values were not consistently evident in many of the college systems and in interpersonal relationships.

1.2 School ownership and management

The current board of management (BOM) was established in 2007 and is properly constituted, being composed of eight members, four nominees of the trustee, two from the teaching staff and two parents. It operates in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1998 and sound operational practice. The current board has been in place for two years and has a wealth of experience in management and in education which constitutes a very valuable resource for the management of the college. All of the board members have attended training for their role organised by the Joint Managerial Board (JMB).

Meetings are held regularly. Board members are highly committed to the college and have demonstrated this through their attendance at an exceptional number of board meetings in the last two years. Agenda are prepared and circulated and minutes of each meeting are maintained. Decisions at board level are reached by consensus and taken in the best interests of the welfare of students. Teachers’ representatives bring an agreed report back to their members following each meeting. The parents’ representatives currently have no link with the parents’ association and it was unclear what mechanism was used by them to report to the general body of parents. The principal, through newsletters home, does include some notes on matters discussed at board meetings. It is recommended that the board of management, as required by the Education Act 1998, continues to work with those parents who recently re-activated the parents’ association (PA) to identify how best to motivate greater parental involvement in the college and to support the development of the PA. Consideration might, for example, be given to posting the agreed report from each board meeting on the school’s website.

A key priority for management has been securing a new school building and this is now at the detailed design stage. Other priorities include the development of the college’s behaviour policy; curriculum development; human resources management and the development of appropriate channels of communication with parents. Some good work by the board has been ongoing in the area of policy development. The board has been involved in the development of some key policies, including an enrolment policy which places emphasis on an integrated and inclusive education for all students. The board has encouraged the development of policies by the whole staff and is committed to the involvement of the full college community in this work. Significant work remains to be done in this area. It is recommended that particular attention should be paid by the board to elaborating an outline development plan for the college in the medium term which should address some of the recommendations made in this report. This might take the form of a written statement of the board’s vision for development in each of the areas discussed in this report. This would provide a focus and a framework for more strategic school planning within specific timeframes. It could also provide a vehicle for review and evaluation of progress as well as identifying obstacles to success in areas prioritised. This work should then direct future school development planning. A school plan, as required by the Education Act 1998 (Section 21), should be developed.

The principal attends all board meetings and regularly makes a report on the day-to-day running of the school and related matters. The board acknowledged his role as “a vital link between the board and the school.” It is evident that the relationship is not always a positive one and that the principal does not enjoy the trust of all board members. The board has discussed and identified priority areas to be addressed in the running of the school and has delegated to the principal responsibility for acting on these. In the past two years, much of the time and energy of the board has been taken up with addressing difficulties which have arisen when insufficient progress has been made in addressing those priorities. It is essential in any school that the relationship between the principal and the board facilitates effective management of the school on a day-to-day basis and that, in accordance with section 23(a) of the Education Act 1998, the principal is held accountable to the board. It was evident during the evaluation that there are very significant, ongoing difficulties in Summerhill College in this regard.

The board’s attention is drawn to the recommendations made in this report and it is advised to take a leadership role in initiating action to address them. In particular, attention needs to focus on improving the level of effectiveness with which the functions attached to the role of principal are being discharged.

1.3 In-school management

The in-school senior management team consists of the principal and deputy principal. The principal was appointed eleven years ago. A commitment to the inclusion of students across the full spectrum of ability is evident from the principal’s practice of regular curricular review. Under his leadership, the college has experienced significant curriculum development, with the introduction of a wide range of programmes to meet the needs of its diverse student population. More recently, a unit catering for the needs of students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) has been established in the college. The deputy principal has been appointed more recently and was in his second year in that role at the time of the evaluation.

The principal and deputy principal reported that they have clearly specified individual areas of responsibility. In general, the principal takes responsibility for day-to-day implementation of board decisions, school policies and statutory requirements and he carries out many representative duties on behalf of the school. With the deputy principal, he manages the timetabling process and the supervision and substitution schedules. The deputy principal has particular responsibility for the management of students and, in that regard, during the evaluation his very good knowledge of the students, including an awareness of their backgrounds, interests and aptitudes, was apparent.

The members of the senior management team meet for a short time at the beginning of each school day and use mobile phones and informal meetings to facilitate on-going communication during the day. It was clear, however, that their relationship is not as collaborative as it could be and that the two members have differing perceptions of their roles in the decision-making process. In order to address many of the challenges facing the college, it is essential that both members of the senior management team should have a common vision for the operation and future development of the college, in keeping with its mission statement. This should include the establishment of working practices which facilitate shared decision-making to achieve that vision.

In the current school year, the college has six assistant principal and fourteen special duties post holders. A whole-staff review of the post of responsibility structure took place four years ago in 2005 and again in 2007. This regular review is very good practice, facilitating flexibility in meeting the changing needs of the school. The latter review focussed on ensuring an equitable distribution of tasks to post-holders to reflect the level of responsibility and remuneration attached to various posts. It also introduced school development planning as a post duty. The post holders assist senior management by accepting responsibility for many aspects of the management of the curriculum and support provision in the college. Post-holders, other than those with year head duties, do not meet formally as a team with senior management. Where post-holders do meet senior management, the focus is on the duties associated with posts. Year heads meet with senior management three or four times annually. Again, the focus of these meetings is on duties and tasks relating to their roles as year heads. There is no significant culture of middle management leadership. The scope for building on the combined expertise of post-holders on curricular, pastoral or planning issues is, therefore, limited.

The management style employed at the highest level in the day-to-day running of the college does not easily facilitate a collaborative approach. Post-holders and all staff should contribute to addressing strategies to guide the implementation of the college’s aims. The meaningful participation of post holders in the next phase of school development planning should be seen as an opportunity to broaden their leadership role as assistants to the senior management team. It is recommended that both management and staff recognise formally the responsibilities of post-holders to function as a middle-management team, by developing strategies which identify opportunities that facilitate their greater participation in planning and decision-making processes in the college. Consideration should be given, in the first instance, to regular assistant principal group meetings in order to provide a forum for communication on a range of issues. Such meetings should allow for the views of assistant principals to be expressed and should provide senior management with the opportunity to discuss proposals prior to their implementation. This would support the development of a collaborative culture in the college.

Communication between senior management and the teaching staff is facilitated by notice boards and pigeon holes in the staff room, through memos issued by the principal on a regular basis, through staff meetings and through informal contact. Staff meetings, which are held once a term, are chaired by the principal. The agenda, which is drawn up by the senior management team, is posted in advance in the staff room. Staff members can propose issues for discussion and they act as recording secretaries on a voluntary basis.

Both principal and deputy principal indicated that they operate an ‘open-door’ policy to facilitate individual members of staff who may wish to speak with them. Despite this, it was evident that the relationship between the principal and many of the teaching staff is fractured and that this is not conducive to open communication. Morale among some members of staff was found to be very low. There was an evident lack of trust in the principal. The board of the college and the patron have made strong efforts in the past to address the issues regarding staff relations and staff morale. It is not clear that all parties were equally committed to the processes undertaken. It is essential that the board of management continues its efforts in this area. All parties should recognise and act on their responsibilities to address these difficulties as a matter of priority.

A code of behaviour governs the management of students. This code is currently under review. In its implementation, rules and sanctions dominate the student management process and the more positive aspects of the policy, for example, the awarding of merits for positive behaviour, are insufficiently implemented. Completion of the current review of the college’s code of behaviour is encouraged. In the meantime, attention should be paid to acknowledging students’ good behaviour through implementation of the merit book. Documentation outlining the school’s anti-bullying procedures was presented. This policy should be finalised through consultation with the college community and ratified as soon as practicable. The college has recently installed an ePortal system to streamline the monitoring of attendance and this is reported to be working well.

There is a representative and democratically elected student council in the college. The designation of two positions on the council for representatives of newcomer students is expressive of the philosophy of inclusion advocated by the college and it is highly commended. The students who met with the inspectors expressed their pride in the college and their eagerness to contribute to improving the school experience for their peers. They are supported in their work by the appointment of a liaison teacher in the college and by weekly meetings with the principal. Members of the student council have received training for their roles and they have participated in an inter-schools council involving seven other schools. These experiences have been facilitated by a school liaison officer (SLO) appointed by the area Health Service Executive (HSE) to work with local schools. His very good work with Summerhill students is acknowledged here.

Student council meetings are held weekly and a number of staff members attend at the invitation of the council. While this facilitates very clear lines of communication between the students and staff, it is important that the council develops its identity and identifies its priorities independently. Recently, strong links between the council and the board of management have been established. A revised constitution for the council was before the board at the time of the evaluation and it was anticipated that it would be ratified imminently. An invitation had been issued by the board, and accepted by the council, for attendance by members of the council at a board meeting each term. The support offered to the student council speaks well of the good relations between staff and students described earlier in this report.

The parents’ association (PA) of Summerhill College has made significant contributions to the college in the past. More recently, poor attendance at annual general meetings meant that the PA has been dormant for some time. This year, with the active support of the deputy principal and the board, a re-invigorated PA has been established. Those representatives who met with the inspectors were enthusiastic and anxious to be involved in developing and improving the college. An active PA has the potential to deliver significant support to the college community and so the continued development of this body is encouraged. The parents interviewed were satisfied with the level of communication between college and home and reported that the principal and deputy principal were supportive and approachable. They are kept informed of college activities through a variety of means, including the school newsletter and magazine, information evenings on programme and subject choices, telephone calls and personal contacts. Formal parent-teacher meetings are organised in line with agreed procedures. The PA expressed dissatisfaction with the accommodation of those meetings, saying that the hall was too crowded and did not facilitate private discussion of their sons’ progress. Given the goodwill that exists between college management and the PA, issues such as this should be easily resolved.

1.4 Management of resources

The board, with the support of the full school community, is actively seeking a new school building and its building sub-committee has attended meetings with the Department of Education and Science in this regard. In the meantime, the fabric of the school is not as well maintained as it should be. The ‘old’ school is in need of particular refurbishment. Many classrooms are well maintained, others are in need of basic maintenance and redecoration. This work could be effected through the caretaking allocation to the school or perhaps through an application for funding under the Department’s summer works programme. It is important that maintenance issues should be dealt with in the short term. Given the challenges posed by limited financial resources, the board may also need to re-visit earlier decisions in the light of current priorities and economic constraints. While an examination of a school’s finances is outside the scope of a whole-school evaluation, concerns around the financial implications of providing ongoing additional administrative support to the principal were drawn to the attention of school management by inspectors during the in–school process.

Facilities to support the implementation of the curriculum are generally good. Specialist rooms are available as required, and the efforts of subject teachers in accessing resources and upgrading the facilities in these rooms are acknowledged here. However, serious issues in relation to the science laboratories were raised by the subject inspector. Recommendations in this regard are made in the relevant subject inspection report. During a tour of the college, a number of health and safety risks were identified by the inspectors, by staff and by students. Unacceptable lapses were noted, including the fact that the locks fitted on some classroom doors are defective and so lock automatically when closed. These were brought to the attention of the board which indicated that it has asked the principal to work with the teaching staff to complete a health and safety audit of the college. The audit has yet to be completed. This is not acceptable. Issues regarding the health and safety of the college community should be resolved as a matter of priority.

Teaching time for subjects is allocated generally in accordance with the requirements of the relevant subject syllabuses. However, serious defects in the timetabling process were evident during this evaluation, despite the involvement of the senior management team and a senior member of the teaching staff, who receives a special payment for this work from limited college funds, in the timetabling process. Some of these problems are noted in the subject inspection reports attaching to this report. It is recommended that a full review of current timetable planning practices should be conducted. This should examine how best use can be made of school resources and should ensure that a permanent timetable is in place from the commencement of the school year.

The board has taken a role in the appointment and promotion of staff in the college, including the teachers and some members of the ancillary team. The teaching allocation from the Department for the current year is 41.71 whole-time teacher equivalents (WTE), including ex-quota positions. Currently, there are thirty-eight permanent whole-time teachers and six temporary whole-time teachers. A further six teachers are employed on a part-time basis. In addition to the teaching staff, the college employs a large ancillary staff team. This includes the usual school administrator/secretary; caretakers and accounts secretary. In addition, a part-time personal assistant for the principal and two supervisors are employed, one in a full-time capacity.

Teachers who met with the inspectors evidenced a perception that the deployment of teachers to class groups, and in some instances to subject departments, was influenced by reasons other than those of an educational nature. This on occasion means that teachers are assigned to subject areas and to class groups with very little notice, impacting on the professional requirement to plan and prepare a course of work, as was evident during the inspection of Civic, Social and Political Education, for example. Concern was also expressed regarding the propriety of the responsibilities allocated to a member of the ancillary staff, and about issues relating to the contracts provided to temporary staff and the management of payments to teachers on temporary contracts. In discussions with the inspectors, the board indicated that it is aware of these issues and has made efforts to address them.

The college has one computer room. The hard drives have been recently upgraded and the timetable for the information and communications technology (ICT) room suggests that it is fully utilised. Given how valuable this resource is for the whole school community, it is recommended that the current ‘block booking’ facility provided to subject departments should be revisited. New terminals have been installed in all classrooms, initially to facilitate roll call. The college website is regularly maintained and it provides parents and students with good access to relevant information. A copy of the college’s acceptable usage policy is included in the students’ journals.

2. Quality of school planning

2.1 The school plan

Summerhill College does not have a school plan, as envisaged by the Education Act (1998) section 21. The college first engaged with the school development planning initiative in 2002/2003. At that time seven areas, including the pastoral care system; communications and in-school management; accommodation and facilities and the development of students as effective learners, for example, were discussed. Following an initial input, some teachers continued to work as teams on some of these areas. It is unclear how the proposals made have been progressed in the interim. Currently, policies develop following discussion at staff meetings and may be altered or extended in this way, for example, the college policy on punctuality. Ad hoc and ‘on the hoof’ planning, whilst it may address immediate needs, is less likely to be well thought-out particularly when the decision-making process is not transparent. It is also unclear how policy developments, discussed at staff meetings, are integrated into a formal policy document.

To date, two policies have been developed and ratified in key areas, these are admissions and health and safety. Handbooks provided to both staff and students include a number of draft policies, some of which relate to the areas discussed in 2003, but it is not clear how or by whom these had been developed. There has been limited consultation with parents and students regarding the development of college policy.

It was acknowledged by senior management that school planning is an area which needs attention. To that end, during the 2007 review of the posts of responsibility, a post-holder was assigned responsibility for school planning. Currently, there is one planning group working on the code of behaviour. This development is welcomed. As a first step, it is recommended that the current draft policies, found in the handbooks, should be carried through to ratification following consultation with the wider college community. Furthermore, a critical incident policy and a policy on inclusion should be developed as soon as possible.

The completion of work on college policies would be a useful step in developing a school plan. As recommended earlier, the college’s board of management should define the parameters of the developmental section of the plan. To that end, it is recommended that a mechanism whereby the planning co-ordinator reports to the board should also be agreed.

There is a good emphasis on curriculum planning in the college, including the development of subject departments and good planning for the delivery of the curriculum was evident at this level. This is discussed more fully in section 4.1 of this report.

Confirmation was provided that, in compliance with post-primary circulars M45/05 and 0062/2006, the board of management has formally adopted the Child Protection Guidelines for Post-primary Schools (Department of Education and Science, September 2004). Confirmation was also provided that these child protection procedures have been brought to the attention of management, school staff and parents; that a copy of the procedures has been provided to all staff (including all new staff); and that management has ensured that all staff are familiar with the procedures to be followed. A designated liaison person (DLP) and a deputy DLP have been appointed in line with the requirements of the guidelines.

3. Quality of curriculum provision

3.1 Curriculum planning and organisation

The college offers the Junior Certificate and Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP). In the senior cycle, the Leaving Certificate (LC), the Leaving Certificate Vocational (LCVP) and the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programmes are provided. An optional Transition Year programme (TY) is also available.

Despite its espousal of inclusivity, the college does not facilitate the full inclusion of the diversity of students in all curricular activities. The needs of some students are not always prioritised in the planning and implementation of the school timetable. This is evident in the class formation arrangements in junior cycle; in the differing arrangements regarding subject choice for JCSP students and in the management of supplementary teaching hours in the college, for example, each of which is discussed in the relevant sections below.

Summerhill College operates a streaming system to allocate students to class groups in junior cycle. Generally, five or six class groups are formed and placement into a particular class for all core subjects is based on the results achieved by students in the assessment examinations which take place prior to entry. Parents, management and students who met with the inspection team expressed objections to this arrangement, citing low student morale and the perpetuation of disadvantage amongst its negative effects. It was evident that significant discussion of this arrangement has been ongoing in the college for a number of years and that there is goodwill towards the idea of mixed-ability class groupings in junior cycle. The recommendation made in previous subject inspection reports regarding class arrangements is repeated here. The current system should be revised and the college should consider the introduction of mixed-ability class groups in junior cycle. A banding and setting arrangement, carefully planned and implemented, should be considered. The lack of trust between college staff and the principal, noted earlier, has undermined his capacity to provide leadership in this regard. It is therefore recommended that the board takes the lead in implementing this recommendation.

The JCSP and the LCA function as support programmes for students who have a variety of education support needs. Both programmes are very well planned. The JCSP co-ordinators meet with their teaching team in September and provide them with necessary statements and other documentation. Team meetings are held every term and these inform the development of student profiles. This support to the co-ordination and implementation of JCSP is commended. It was noted by inspectors that JCSP students are offered a narrow curriculum, having no access to science or to a modern language, for example. Records indicate that this was also brought to the college’s attention by the national support programme for JCSP. However, it is unclear what facility has been put in place to review curriculum choice on the programme. This should be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Students on the LCA programme attend school for four days each week and are out on work experience on the fifth day. This is a new arrangement this year and it was reported that it had been put in place as a consequence of limited resources for the programme. Such an arrangement is common in other schools offering the LCA and good systems have been put in place in the college to ensure that students are continually monitored while on placement and are required to keep work experience diaries. It was also reported that limited resources has necessitated the grouping of LCA1 and LCA2 together for some subjects. While neither of these arrangements is problematic, it is unclear if the needs of students have been appropriately considered in making these decisions. As will be noted in section five of this report, the school has been allocated significant supplementary teaching resources to meet the needs of students requiring support. Given that in Summerhill College the LCA is conceived as a support programme for students, students’ needs should be the primary consideration when allocating resources to the programme.

The TY programme is very popular, with two class groups formed in the current year. The elements of an effective TY are visible in the balance achieved between core and modular subjects, between traditional academic and innovative TY courses. Curricular plans for core subjects and modules within TY were provided to the evaluation team. The programme planning documents provided evidence of very good practice, indicating the commitment of the co-ordinator of the programme and the teaching team. Of particular note is the ongoing evaluation of the programme; the engagement of parents, staff and students in the annual review of the programme is very good practice. Attention is drawn to the fact that the TY classes are block booked, between them, for up to fourteen periods a week in the college’s computer room. As there is only one ICT room available to the college, it is suggested that this should be revisited. The link with Sligo Institute of Technology, which sees TY students attending access courses for one week, is an exciting initiative and the co-ordinator is commended for the work done to organise this.

A copy of the LCVP plan was provided to the evaluation team. Given the very broad range of subjects available in the school, students can meet the programme requirements for the LCVP under both the specialist and services subject groupings.

3.2 Arrangements for students’ choice of subjects and programmes

Students of Summerhill College are very well informed of the range of subject options available to them in the college. In addition to open evenings for parents and prospective students, the college has produced a very informative booklet and a DVD to provide students and parents with comprehensive details of the curriculum offered in the college. Generally, a very good range of subjects is on offer to students in both junior and senior cycles. Analysis of the timetable suggests that this is in part facilitated by the resource teaching allocation to the school. It was noted during the evaluation also that lessons in Civic, Social and Political education (CSPE) and in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) had only just been timetabled for some class groups in junior cycle. Timetabling should, from the outset, ensure that all junior cycle students are provided with these subjects from the beginning of the school year.

The college’s guidance counsellors play an important role in facilitating students to make good educational and career choices. Open evenings to explain school’s programmes and to raise parents’ understanding of school initiatives take place and the guidance counsellors attend these events to network with parents and to make presentations. Prospective first-year students choose their optional subjects from an open menu of subjects and their interests are reflected in the option bands which are generated. This is very good practice. At the end of junior cycle, one of the guidance counsellors meets all third-year students to advise them in relation to subject choice for senior cycle. Following this, they are canvassed regarding their preferred option subjects for senior cycle and the option bands are then generated to take account of their stated preferences. The work done by the guidance counsellor to ensure that students are offered subjects which they have chosen is very good and the fact that the option bands are generated manually is noted. In order to make best use of the time allocated to guidance, it is recommended that the software package, currently used to achieve the same ends for incoming first-year students, is employed for senior cycle choices also.

3.3 Co-curricular and extracurricular provision

A wide range of sporting, cultural and social activities is available and accessible to all students. Teams are fielded in a range of sports and the college participates in inter-school competitions, enjoying some success. From time to time, board games and indoor activities are organised for students at lunchtimes. A significant range of co-curricular activities is organised through the programmes offered, including out-of-school visits, links with local industry and in-school activities including Seachtain na Gaeilge and participation in debating and public speaking competitions and the production of a school journal. Subject and programme teachers have also organised trips to places of academic or cultural interest for students. All students are encouraged to become involved in extracurricular and co-curricular activities and their achievements are recognised through the awards night and through the college journal, Champion in the Classroom.

The contribution that this vibrant programme of extracurricular and co-curricular activities makes to the self-confidence of students and their enjoyment of school is highly significant. The school is fortunate in the commitment of time, energy, enthusiasm and care which the many teachers who provide these experiences bring to these activities.

4. Quality of learning and teaching in subjects

4.1 Planning and preparation

A subject department structure has been established for each of the subjects evaluated. This is commended as it facilitates a team approach to planning. In most cases, it was evident that subject departments have met regularly and minutes of meetings have been maintained. This is best practice. In particular, some subject departments have conducted an audit of training needs as part of the agenda for discussion. In other cases, team members have provided feedback from in-service attended. This attention to professional development is praiseworthy.

It is good practice that a subject co-ordinator has been appointed in all of the subjects evaluated. However, in some subjects, the co-ordinator does not teach the subject. This should be addressed at the earliest opportunity so as to ensure more effective co-ordination of the subject. The rotation of the co-ordinator position among all teachers in each subject department, thus allowing a sharing of expertise and experience, is also encouraged.

It was evident to the inspectors that a collaborative approach to planning, such as has been developed in most cases, has resulted in good progress in subject planning. Generally, subject department planning folders contained long-term subject plans including details about the organisation, planning and delivery of the subjects. In the case of one subject evaluated however, the information provided was incomplete and did not reflect class room practice. It is recommended that the generic content in all plans be developed to include specific learning objectives in terms of expected knowledge, understanding and skills. As the planning process develops, the inclusion of relevant methodologies and resources as well as more definite timeframes should be considered and tailored by each teacher to each class. Where relevant, the Transition Year Support Service (TYSS), Writing the Transition Year Programme, should be consulted.

Some detailed programmes of work were provided by teachers and these indicated a high level of individual organisation.

Teachers are commended for the time and commitment involved in the development and compilation of a variety of resources and stimulus materials to support the teaching and learning of their subjects. This reflects very good practice.

4.2 Learning and teaching

Short term planning was very good for all of the subjects evaluated. This resulted in well-organised lessons that had a clear purpose, a logical sequence and that were well structured. Lessons began generally with the roll call followed by the correction of homework and a review of material from the previous lesson. The good practice of sharing the learning intention with the students at the outset was evident in some lessons and similarly, there were some very good examples of returning to the learning outcomes at the end of the lesson in order to summarise and check on learning. Communicating the learning outcomes or objectives of the lesson to the students provides a structure for the lesson and a clear focus for the students. This practice should be extended to all lessons.

In many lessons, a variety of methodologies and teaching strategies was observed. These stimulated students to engage actively with the content of the lessons. Such strategies included the use of questioning techniques that encouraged students to think analytically and critically about the topic-at-hand, group work and pair work activities. Given the variety of students’ learning styles, the more extensive use of active methodologies is recommended. This should ensure that students remain fully engaged with the content of the lesson and should create a more appropriate balance between teacher and student input.

In many cases, teachers are aware of the need to ensure that students are familiar with the language specific to the subject. Teachers are encouraged to develop lists of key words and to display these in classrooms as a means of developing the students’ knowledge of specific terms. These lists could then be made available to the learning support department as a means of providing for students with special educational needs.

Classroom management was very good and there was evidence of a good rapport between teachers and their students. The classroom atmosphere in almost all cases was described as being mutually respectful, warm and supportive. Students’ contributions were warmly welcomed and they were affirmed effectively for their work.

4.3 Assessment

Informal assessments are ongoing with many teachers giving class tests on completion of syllabus topics and practical work. All students sit formal examinations at Christmas and summer, with students preparing for certificate examinations sitting mock examinations in the second term. Some subject departments use common assessments in the formal examinations. The extension of this good practice to all subject departments would allow for better comparison of students’ progress across all class groups.

Procedures for assessment and the allocation of homework were included in most subject department plans but this was not consistent across the subjects evaluated. Homework is set and in some cases marked promptly by teachers. Best practice was observed when teachers provided constructive comments which offered students strategies for improvement. This highly recommended practice is in line with the principles of assessment for learning as recommended by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). It is recommended that this approach be adopted across all subject departments. Further information is available on the NCCA website (www.ncca.ie).

The quality of written work reflected the full range of ability in the subjects evaluated. Variations in the standards of how students maintain their work were evident. It is recommended that teachers put in place agreed procedures to be used by students to maintain a record of their work and that a high standard of presentation be expected from students.

Written reports are issued to parents following all examinations and further information is provided at the annual parent-teacher meetings that are organised for all year groups.

5. Quality of support for students

5.1 Inclusion of students with additional educational needs

The college’s mission statement commits to providing for students with additional educational needs in an inclusive setting. Efforts to achieve this goal are evident in a number of ways. The range of programmes provided in the college caters for a diverse student population. There are four teachers on the staff who have a specialist qualification in special educational needs and a number of initiatives, supported by the school completion programme and the SLO have been put in place to support access to the curriculum for students. A designated learning-support room has been created in the school and, at the time of the evaluation, plans were in place to refurbish this room. All of this is in keeping with good practice.

The personnel involved in the delivery of learning support were enthusiastic and committed to their role. The recent retirement of the learning support co-ordinator left this position vacant at the time of the evaluation. Those support teachers who met the inspectors expressed a desire to develop the department and adhere to best practice in planning for and providing support. The following recommendations are made to support their work.

A significant proportion of the teaching resources allocated to the college by the Department for meeting the needs of students with special needs are not currently being fully utilised for their intended purpose. This is not in keeping with the espousal of inclusivity noted above and should not continue. A full review of how these resources are utilised by senior management should be conducted and all known resource hours should be assigned to teachers when the main school timetable is being devised. Sections 1.6.2, 2.3 and 2.5.2 of the Department publication, Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs - Post Primary Guidelines (2007), will provide guidance in this matter. Currently, resource hours are allocated to a large number of teachers, often quite late in the first term. It is recommended that the learning support co-ordinator should be involved in the initial planning and organisation of resource hours when the timetable is being developed by college management.

A number of teachers are involved in the delivery of additional educational support and these teachers may change from year to year. It is recommended that the college should establish a core group of learning support teachers, drawing on the professional expertise in this area currently available to it from within the school. This would allow those teachers who have an expressed wish to work in this area to build their expertise and to form a committed learning support team. It would also reduce the number of instances where multiple teachers provide additional support to the same student in the course of a school week.

A unit catering for the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has been established in the school. Very good planning for the needs of these students was evident. Individual education plans are developed on a short-term basis and are regularly reviewed. Parents are consulted in this process. There is very good liaison between the ASD teachers and the local autism team and other support agencies. However, formal links with the learning support department in the college have not been established. Students in Summerhill College would benefit greatly from the sharing of the considerable expertise and specialist knowledge in the ASD unit and the learning support department. It is recommended that the learning support team should include the ASD teachers and that formal meetings should be arranged to facilitate good planning for all students in the college with additional needs.

The college should develop a detailed register of all students with special educational needs, to include details of how their hours are allocated and the modes and personnel involved in interventions. Much of this information has already been documented by the college, so the construction of this register should be relatively easily achieved. The learning support department’s planning should also include an outline of the content of the support programme for each support group and information on students’ progress.

A whole-school approach to special educational needs should be adopted and all staff, the board and parents should have an input into the development of a policy in this area. The guidelines mentioned above advise on whole-school planning and organisation for special educational needs and inclusion and identify roles and responsibilities in this area. They also provide advice on planning for individuals with special educational needs and on teaching and learning strategies for the inclusive school.

There are six full-time special needs assistant (SNA) posts in the college. There is currently no policy on the deployment of the SNAs. Current practice should be recorded and reviewed, and used as the basis of such a policy, to be developed as part of the college’s policy on the provision of supports and inclusion.

The college has a number of students for whom English is not their first language. Support to meet their needs is well organised and a draft policy for language support has been developed. The appointment of a post-holder to co-ordinate their support and to help them settle into life in the college is very good practice. A small team of qualified English language teachers is in place and planning documentation indicated high quality preparation for support lessons. Recommendations regarding testing of language proficiency, made in an earlier subject inspection report, had been implemented in the college by the time of this evaluation.

5.2 Guidance and student support in the whole-school context

The school has a full-time ex quota guidance counsellor and an additional eleven hours for Guidance has been allocated through the Guidance Enhancement Initiative. All of these hours are used for the intended purpose. The guidance facilities available are very good; there is a guidance suite with a classroom and office and the part-time guidance counsellor also has an office. There is limited access for students to use ICT in the guidance classroom. However, the college’s computer room is nearby and arrangements can be made to take class groups there for Guidance, as necessary. Given the importance of access to information on further education and third-level options and on career opportunities for students, consideration should be given to improving the ICT facilities in the guidance classroom, as resources allow.

The guidance service is delivered in a well-planned, collaborative and professional manner. Each of the members of the guidance team has clearly delineated responsibilities. Structured guidance provision is targeted at senior cycle students principally. There is no timetabled provision for Guidance classes in the junior cycle. The full-time guidance counsellor works with third-year students by arrangement with class teachers. The other guidance counsellor targets first years to ensure they are settling in well.

A guidance plan has been developed, but it does not evidence an integrated whole-school approach to the guidance programme. For example, links between Guidance and the many other supports available in the college are not adequately developed. The contributions made by SPHE, the SCP, the chaplaincy and the care structures to student guidance are not documented. The school community does not view Guidance as a whole-school support for students, despite recommendations in this regard made in an inspection report in 2004. Those recommendations are reiterated here.

The full-time guidance counsellor has an involvement in students’ transfer to post-primary school as part of her post of responsibility duties. This involves visiting the college’s feeder primary schools and supporting their induction into the college. A mentor system has been established so that fifth-year students, following training provided by the school liaison officer and the chaplain, act as buddies to first-year students during the settling in phase.

There is a year head system in place in the college. Year heads play a prominent role in the day-to-day support and management of students. All year heads are post-holders. They monitor attendance and punctuality and also review reports. They manage the demerit book and sit on a discipline committee. They are well placed to identify and deal with any discipline or pastoral issues as they arise and, through informal communication with the chaplain, the school liaison officer and the guidance counsellors, they refer students for particular support.

A class tutor system is emerging in the college and was in its second year of operation at the time of this evaluation. The position of class tutor is voluntary and is not linked to a post of responsibility. Tutors generally are teaching their tutor group and thus have regular weekly contact with the students in their care. Currently, there are no formal links between the class tutors and the year heads. It is recommended that, as the care system in the school develops, a clear definition of the roles of year heads and tutors would be agreed, including a description of how the roles complement each other.

Students and the whole school community benefit from a full-time school chaplaincy service, funded by the bishop of Elphin. The chaplain has a pastoral as well as spiritual role and his involvement in numerous projects to support both students and staff was acknowledged by them during the evaluation.

The college participates in a school completion programme (SCP) which targets students who are at risk of leaving school early. The programme is operating very effectively in the school and has gained the respect of the school community as a core element of the school’s approach to student retention and care. A project worker is in the college one day a week and he meets at risk students on a one-to-one basis. A homework club, run by one of the teachers as part of the SCP, plays an important role in supporting students to stay in school. The college also has the services of a school liaison officer (SLO), funded by the HSE, who attends the college for two days each week. Through the SLO, individual and group counselling is available for students and very effective links are maintained with relevant professionals and agencies, both within and outside the school.

It is clear from the foregoing that student support is an important value in the college. There is good informal liaison and internal networking between the various teachers and agencies that provide this support. The current arrangements, however, lack co-ordination and there is potential for those involved in supporting students to operate independently. The establishment of a care team is recommended to avoid this. Such a team might include the school liaison officer, the chaplain, a representative of the year heads, a guidance counsellor, a member of the senior management team, resource or learning-support personnel and the SCP officer. Regular formal meetings would facilitate a sharing of expertise which would support those students at risk and enable the team to monitor the progress of other students with a view to intervention. As a first step, the care team should take the lead in developing a critical incident response policy for the college. Consideration should then be given to developing a whole-school care policy.

6. Summary of findings and recommendations for further development

The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:

· The board of management is properly constituted and is supportive, committed and keenly interested in the operation and development of the school.

· All staff members presented as very committed to their students and to the school. Good relationships and rapport between students and staff were noted.

· The recently elected parents' association is enthusiastic and is very keen to become involved in supporting the activities of the school.

· A fully representative and effective student council is in place.

· The school provides a wide range of subjects and programmes to meet the needs of its students.

· There is a good subject department structure in the school. Written subject department plans were provided and records of subject department meetings were also made available.

· The wide range of co-curricular and extracurricular activities available to students is commended.

· The school makes good use of the supports provided through the school liaison officer and the school completion programme to aid the attendance and retention of students in school.

· An autism unit was opened in September 2007.

· Opportunities are used to celebrate and acknowledge student achievement.

As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:

· The board of management should consult with parents to identify how best to support the development of the parents’ association.

· It is recommended that the board should be more actively involved in progressing school planning. A school plan should be developed by the board, staff, parents and students.

Particular attention should be paid by the board to elaborating an outline development plan for the school in the medium term.

· Policies in the following areas should be prioritised and developed to ratification - a whole-school inclusion policy; the college’s code of behaviour; a student care policy;

a critical incident policy; the school’s guidance plan.

· The board of management needs to examine the level of effectiveness with which the functions attached to the role of principal are being discharged and to address any issues that emerge.

· Management and staff should recognise the responsibilities of post-holders to function as a middle-management team, by developing strategies that identify opportunities which facilitate

their greater participation in planning and decision-making processes in the college.

· It is essential that the board of management continues its efforts to address the issues regarding staff relations and staff morale. All parties should recognise and act on their responsibilities to address these.

· A review of health and safety should be prioritised. The results should be documented and action plans developed as necessary.

· The college should revise its timetabling arrangements to ensure that a permanent timetable is in place from the commencement of the school year. Students’ needs should be the primary

consideration when allocating resources.

· It is essential that all resource hours granted by the Department are allocated for the purpose intended.

· Action on implementing the long discussed change from the current streaming arrangements in junior-cycle classes is strongly recommended to facilitate greater inclusion of students.

· A care team should be established in the college to consolidate the work of all groups involved in student support, in order to bring together specialist expertise and focus on ensuring that

the college is effective in supporting students.

Post-evaluation meetings were held with the staff and board of management when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.

7. Related subject inspection reports

The following related Subject Inspection reports are available:

· Subject Inspection of Civic, Social and Political Education – 24 September 2009

· Subject Inspection of English – 04 February 2009, published November 2009

· Subject Inspection of Mathematics – 22 September 2009

· Subject Inspection of Science and Biology – 22 September 2009

· Subject Inspection of Social, Personal and Health Education – 12 November 2008, published May 2009

Published May 2010

Appendix

8. School response to the report

Submitted by the Board of Management

Area 1: Observations on the content of the inspection report

The board of Management welcomes this Report and expresses its appreciation to the WSE Team. The Board would like to thank the whole school community who contributed to the process. It welcomes in particular the positive comments in relation to the quality of learning and teaching, the subject planning and organisation in the classroom, and the variety of methodologies which provides the stimulus for active student participation. The identification of good rapport between staff and students and the mutual respect in the classroom contributing to a warm and healthy atmosphere is very gratifying. The positive impact of subject co-ordination in relation to subject planning in the provision of resources and stimulus materials is also noted with satisfaction. We appreciate the recognition of co-curricular and extra-curricular provided by the College, especially in relation to the student council and opportunities to celebrate student achievement. The contribution of teachers providing additional educational needs, including the ASD Unit, the School Completion Programme, Resource teaching and the contribution of the college Chaplain is also noted with satisfaction. We have a very committed staff with a wealth of expertise and experience which will stand the school in good stead in the future.

Area 2: Follow-up actions planned or undertaken since the completion of the inspection activity to implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection

The Board continues to support the significant initiatives which were in place before WSE. In conjunction with a new Senior Management team a comprehensive and detailed action plan has been formulated and is being progressed in response to the Report. Among the many issues it addresses are the following:

· A mixed ability system will be introduced in September 2010.

· A new comprehensive pastoral care system with individual group tutors will be introduced in September 2010.

· A resource team is now in place to formulate a policy in relation to the timetabling and delivery of resource for 2010. A resource allocation issue alluded to in the report has been addressed.

· A health and safety audit has been carried out and necessary action taken.

· A Parents’ Association has been established and is now functioning with formal channels of communication with the college community and Board of Management.

· A template for the School Plan has been set up and discussion and consultation has started with the college community.

· Full consultation with staff, parents’ association, and the student council is in progress in relation to new policies and some policy revision.

· Help has been secured from the JMB, and supported financially by the Trustees, to provide assistance to management and staff in relation to financial management, human resource issues,

policy development and good practice. Issues relating to staff morale and good relations, including those between senior management and the Board have been addressed.

· The progression of the new school building to the advertising of the pre-qualification tenders for contractors.