Evaluation of the Centre for European Schooling

ReporT on The Centre For European Schooling, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath

Focused Evaluation report

This report has been written following a focused evaluation of the Centre for European Schooling (CES), Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, which was carried out as part of the Inspectorate’s annual programme of evaluation of schools and centres of education. It presents the findings of the evaluation and makes recommendations for the further development of the work of the centre. During the evaluation, the inspectors held pre-evaluation meetings with the coordinator, the teachers working in the centre, the centre’s management committee, and representatives of the parents’ association. The evaluation was carried out over two days at the end of April 2007 during which inspectors visited all classrooms in the centre from infants to the end of the Junior Cycle and observed teaching and learning. They interacted with students, examined students’ work, and interacted with each of the teachers. They reviewed the general planning documentation of the centre and the teachers’ written preparation. There were discussions with the coordinator and with the principals of the primary and post-primary schools cooperating with the CES. The evaluation was confined to the work of the Centre for European Schooling and did not involve a review of the wider educational provision in the two schools in which the centre is based. Following the evaluation visit, the inspectors provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the staff, the coordinator and to the members of the management committee. The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report; a response was not received from the board.

Introduction

The Centre for European Schooling was established in 2002 by the Department of Education and Science, in cooperation with the Co Meath Vocational Education Committee (VEC). Its overall purpose is to make provision for the educational needs of the children of officials assigned to the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in Grange, Co Meath. The centre operates in cooperation with a primary and a second-level school in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath. These are St Seachnall’s National School and Dunshaughlin Community College.

In addition to the broad educational provision that is made in the two schools the Centre for European Schooling aims to enhance the mother tongue proficiency of the students enrolled in the centre and to make appropriate provision for English as a Second Language (ESL). An important founding objective of the centre was to ensure that the education provided would be recognised for the purposes of mobility of students returning to their own country or to another educational system in the European Union.

The students attending the CES are enrolled in St Seachnall’s or in Dunshaughlin Community College, as appropriate to their age. They form part of the mainstream student cohort and follow the regular courses and curriculum programmes offered. In addition, the students receive components of European schooling in the CES, which has facilities on both school campuses. Administrative support and other services to the CES are provided primarily by Co Meath VEC and by the two schools. The CES is funded by the Department of Education and Science through the normal funding arrangements for primary and post-primary schools, and through additional dedicated funding from Co Meath VEC.

The CES is staffed by a coordinator and eleven teachers who are all employed directly by Co Meath VEC. The teachers provide mother tongue tuition, English language tuition, second language, the teaching of European Hours, and Moral Education/Ethics, in accordance with the terms of the centre’s accreditation. At the time of the evaluation there were thirty-four pupils enrolled in the CES; twenty-four in St Seachnall’s National School and ten in Dunshaughlin Community College.

In 2006, the CES was evaluated by a team of inspectors from the European Schools Board of Inspectors, as part of the process of accreditation of the centre as a form of European Schooling approved by the Board of Governors of the European Schools. Subsequently, the Board of Governors approved the educational provision up to the end of the Junior Cycle (Junior Certificate level) or the lower secondary cycle (S5) in the European School system.

Management and Organisation

A management advisory committee consisting of the principals of the two schools, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VEC and the coordinator of the CES has been established to oversee the work of the centre. Although the committee has operated on a relatively informal footing to date, the principals of the two schools and the CEO of the VEC have together provided very good support to the co-ordinator in the development of the work of the centre since its foundation. The parents have also been involved in discussions about the work of the centre and have been informed regarding its development. A good spirit of collaboration between all the parties concerned was very evident in the work of the centre.

The coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day management of the centre and she carries out her duties to a very high standard. Her main responsibilities include coordinating the educational provision for learners in the CES, coordinating and timetabling the work of the CES teachers, promoting cooperation among all the parties involved with the CES pupils, liaising with the principals and mainstream staff of the two schools, monitoring the transition of pupils from primary to post-primary school, maintaining communication with parents, drafting of policies and plans in collaboration with teaching staff, induction of new teachers, arranging and chairing staff meetings, management of the centre’s resources, and performing a range of administrative duties. The systems that have been put in place to ensure the smooth day-to-day operation of the centre are effective and the success of the centre since its inception is due in no small measure to the commitment and diligence of the coordinator.

To support the future development of the CES and to assist the co-ordinator in her management role it is recommended that the management advisory committee takes on a more established and formal governance and management function.

Curriculum Provision

The model of cooperation and organisation involving the primary and post-primary schools, which enables the work of the CES, was found to be working very well. All the CES students are enrolled as members of mainstream class groups in either the primary or post-primary school in Dunshaughlin. It was evident that the students had full access to the broad and balanced curricula that the primary and post-primary schools offer, to all supports and services, and to all extra-curricular activities. In addition, the CES pupils receive the following elements of European Schooling: First language (mother tongue) tuition, English language tuition and support, second language, European Hours (primary pupils), Moral Education/Ethics (primary pupils) and Third language tuition (post-primary students).

Timetabling arrangements were found to be satisfactory. First language classes and English language classes are held either at 8.30 a.m., before the ordinary school day begins, or are timetabled when Irish language is being taught in mainstream classes. First language tuition is provided in French, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian and Swedish. Each pupil receives at least five class periods of mother tongue tuition per week. In most cases, because of small numbers, these classes are taught on a one-to-one basis. The time allocation compares favourably with that in European Schools. The availability of the first language teachers to support students in their learning in mainstream classes is commended as is the support provided by teachers to assist students to understand subject-specific terminology encountered in their mainstream lessons.

The CES is a unique setting for language learning in that the students spend most of their learning time in mainstream classes where English is the medium of instruction and then receive first language tuition in the CES. Because of this unique context, the coordinator and staff have a clear focus on enabling the students to develop and maintain a level of mother tongue proficiency that will facilitate their reintegration into their national education system or into a European School.

The teachers work diligently to try to meet the requirements of the syllabuses of the European Schools and relevant elements of national language syllabuses, while also endeavouring to respond to the individual language development needs of students. It is acknowledged that achieving a balanced language programme based on these curricular and learning requirements is a significant challenge and that teachers in the CES are responding well to these demands. However, in order to address the challenge of consistency in programme planning and coherence in teaching across languages it is recommended that the coordinator and teachers of the CES collaboratively review practice and draw up an overarching curriculum framework for first language teaching in the centre. This language framework should set out general aims and objectives across all mother tongue programmes.

The aim of English language tuition and support is to enable the students to achieve a level of proficiency in English that will allow them to fully integrate into mainstream classes. The time allocation for English second language varies, depending on the needs of individual pupils. As in the case of first language, many classes are taught on a one-to-one basis. Pupils are also supported in their mainstream classes. The generous time allocation, the flexibility of the programme and the level of attention to individual needs were all commendable. The fact that the pupils are immersed in an English-speaking environment inside and outside school is also a positive factor. All in all, the provision for English as a second language was considered to be highly satisfactory.

Pupils in the primary school have one class period per week for European Hours. This is a multidisciplinary programme, which aims to provide opportunities for pupils to learn about one another’s countries and to develop a sense of respect, tolerance and European identity. Teachers work with groups of children for modules lasting six or seven weeks on a topic related to that teacher’s own country. The European Hours programme was considered effective in fostering a sense of European identity and a spirit of collaboration and mutual understanding among the pupils of different nationalities.

The fourth element of European schooling which the CES offers for primary pupils is the Moral Education/Ethics option. The syllabus is based on that used in the European Schools and covers topics relevant to the pupils’ own lives. There are three class periods per week and the medium of instruction is English.

It would be helpful to existing parents and to newly-appointed FVO staff who may be considering education options for their children if an information booklet were prepared by the CES, describing the educational facilities and curriculum provision which the centre offers.

The organisation of language provision for students in the CES can involve a significant level of one-to-one teaching. Because of this, it is recommended that a policy and procedures for the management of one-to-one tuition be developed which incorporate best practice strategies in accordance with the child protection policies of the two schools.

Teaching and Learning

Teachers in the centre display a clear understanding of the need to plan collaboratively and systematically for their work. This is displayed in the significant progress which has been made in the development of planning documents for the centre. Draft planning documents have been prepared in the area of first language, English as a second language and European Hours. These documents are somewhat general in nature and should be further developed to include specific content objectives in each area. The plans could then be used together with the overarching curriculum framework for first language, mentioned in the previous section, in order to provide teachers with a definite context for their planning and their teaching approaches. This would be of benefit to new and existing teachers and would be a valuable resource when drawing up individual planning documents.

Individual teachers prepare long and short term planning documents, some of which outline specific aims and content objectives, resources, methodologies and modes of assessment. Teachers use the content of their planning documents to cooperate on drawing up individual plans for students. It is recommended that the centre builds on its own examples of best practice in this area to develop common approaches and formats for classroom planning.

Because of the particular context of the centre, planning documents need to take into consideration the learning context as well as the individual needs of pupils. This is particularly the case for oral language and creative language work, in order to ensure the balanced development of all aspects of pupils’ language competencies. The teachers are also aware of the importance of planning for the development of pupils’ subject specific language. It is suggested that further development of approaches to oral language and creative language be supported through provision of professional development opportunities for the staff of the centre.

Teachers collaborate on planning for the implementation of the programme for European Hours. Pupils and teachers work together to produce a programme which is based on an aspect of Europe which is of interest to them and the product of their work is shared with members of the school community. Very good samples of pupils’ work from these modules were seen and the arrangements in place for them to present the outcomes of their work to pupils in the main school and sometimes to parents are commended.

Teachers have created stimulating learning environments in their classrooms, using colourful displays of teaching charts and some samples of pupils’ work. The teachers are professional and reflective in their approach and the standard of teaching observed in all classes was very high. In all cases, there was an excellent pupil-teacher rapport. Teachers used a variety of methodologies and resources in motivating pupils to learn and they coped very well with the demands of one-to-one and small group teaching. A particular challenge in these situations is the motivation of pupils to be more active in their learning. The development of the particular skills required in these situations and the development of up-to-date language teaching methodologies could be a focus of continuing professional development for the teachers in the centre.

Regular assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process in the centre. A range of assessment methods is used to evaluate pupil progress and achievement and to inform planning for teaching and learning: teacher observation, checklists, evaluation of written work, portfolios, standardised and teacher-designed written tests. Teachers’ monitoring and recording of pupil progress is thorough and highly commendable. Some teachers record pupil achievement on a daily basis and there is good practice in relation to communicating the outcomes of assessment to parents regularly. A general report is issued at the end of each school year and an interim report is issued in February. Parent-teacher meetings also take place in November and February. All in all, it was evident from the teaching and learning observed and from the assessment records which teachers maintain that pupils are progressing very well in the centre. It is recommended that the centre build on its best practice in the area of assessment in order to develop common formats for recording pupil progress.

During the course of the evaluation the members of the management advisory committee and the teachers in the centre emphasised that more systematic provision for the continuing professional development of the staff of the CES was required. The evaluation findings, while very positive overall, support this view. It is recommended that the centre formulates plans for the professional development of staff which would include collaborative policy development and action planning focusing in particular on language teaching policy and language teaching methodologies. Future professional development opportunities should incorporate training in strategies for developing oral language and assessing oral language, and working with individuals and small groups.

Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Further Development

The following strengths were identified in the evaluation:

· The model of cooperation and organisation involving the primary and post-primary schools, which enables the work of the CES, was found to be working very well.

· A high level of commitment to the model of European Schooling implemented in the centre is demonstrated by all involved with the CES.

· The management and organisation of the centre are of a high quality and there is a strong emphasis on collaboration and cooperation among staff.

· First language tuition is provided in French, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian and Swedish.

· An attractive and stimulating learning environment has been created.

· The teachers are professional and reflective in their approach and the standard of teaching observed in all classes was very high.

· The rapport between teachers and pupils at the centre was excellent.

· Assessment of pupil attainment is comprehensive and informs planning.

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

· To support the future development of the CES and to assist the co-ordinator in her management role it is recommended that the management advisory committee takes on a more established and formal governance and management function.

· To address the challenge of consistency in programme planning and coherence in teaching across languages it is recommended that the coordinator and teachers of the CES collaboratively review practice and draw up an overarching curriculum framework for mother tongue teaching in the centre.

· In planning for teaching and learning of language in the centre, there should be more emphasis on the development of oral language competencies and the development of creative work in language, both oral and written.

· It is recommended that the centre formulates plans for the professional development of staff focusing on collaborative policy development for language and language teaching methodologies.

· The centre should develop common approaches and formats for classroom planning and for recording pupil progress.

· It is recommended that a policy and procedures for the management of one-to-one tuition be developed.

· Preparation of an information booklet for parents, outlining the education provision which the centre offers, would be beneficial.

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