The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science undertook an evaluation of the teaching and learning in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and English in a sample of schools nationally.

This evaluation is the third in a series of thematic evaluations of aspects of the primary curriculum and is part of an ongoing review of curriculum implementation in primary schools. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide information on the extent of curriculum implementation in SPHE and English. The evaluation focuses on the teaching and learning in SPHE and English and on the quality of pupils’ achievement. This evaluation identifies and affirms good practice, and makes recommendations for teaching and the enhancement of pupils’ learning experiences and levels of achievement.

Two inspectors were involved in the evaluation in Scoil Naomh Fiachra. The evaluation involved the observation of teaching and learning in different class settings, a review of planning and policy documents, and an evaluation of the progress of pupils, including those receiving supplementary teaching in English. A school questionnaire was administered and interviews with the principal and class teachers were conducted. Pupils in senior classes and parents were invited to complete questionnaires with respect to issues related to SPHE. 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.

1. School background and context

Scoil Naomh Fiachra is a co-educational primary school located in the townland of Illistrin, in the parish of Conwal and Leck, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. It is under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Raphoe. The school caters effectively for the educational needs of 362 pupils from junior infants to sixth class. In 1998, the year when the last school report was issued, there were 147 pupils and five teachers in the school. Enrolment has increased at an unprecedented rate in the interim period due to the expansion of the Letterkenny urban area. The school serves the needs of pupils from the local area as well as pupils from the western end of Letterkenny town. Newcomer pupils are now contributing most positively to the overall educational context. The school is to be commended for the welcome given to these pupils and to the caring manner in which they are effectively integrated into the school community. There is evidence that the board monitors carefully any instance of irregular school attendance and complies with the requirements of the National Educational Welfare Board in this regard. Attendance figures indicate that a significant number of pupils have prolonged absences. It is now recommended that the board of management, in consultation with the staff and parent body, draws up a school attendance policy to encourage and promote school attendance.

The school has had developing status since 2002. The increase in enrolment necessitated an extension to the school building in 2004. The school population has again outgrown the permanent classroom accommodation and the school has acquired six prefabricated classrooms. The board has submitted an application for a major school extension to the Department of Education and Science. Increased car-parking facilities and enhanced facilities for the safe let-down of pupils is also a priority for the board. The current facilities available to the school community are unsafe and inadequate.

The school is situated on a very attractive site, which is welcoming for pupils. Staff and pupils have developed many striking environmental features such as the courtyard garden and pond, vegetable plot, window boxes, bird feeding stations, composters, a shrubbery and a tree nursery which add enormously to the character of the school. The school has been awarded the Green Flag by An Taisce on two occasions. The overall climate of the school is warm, caring and child-friendly and this is reflected in the positive, confident and articulate pupils in all classrooms. Very positive and respectful interactions were observed between teachers and pupils and amongst pupils during the evaluation. It is reported that the board of management and the parents’ association are very supportive of the work of the school. The chairperson is a regular visitor to the school. There is a commendable sense of community and a palpable spirit of co-operation and collaboration within the school. The pupils, teachers and parents work in partnership on a range of school projects. This is highly commendable and has many benefits for the pupils.

2. Provision and use of resources in sphe and english

The school has an administrative principal, thirteen mainstream class teachers, two learning-support teachers, two resource teachers and two language support teachers. The deputy principal and the middle management team conscientiously undertake curricular and administrative duties in support of the principal. The staff represents a balance between experienced teachers and those newly qualified. Commendable supports are in place for newly qualified teachers though the school’s mentoring programme. In the current school year there is one teacher with provisional recognition from the Department pending successful completion of the Scrúdú Cailíochta sa Ghaeilge. The need to support this teacher in the teaching of Irish as outlined in Circular 25/00 was discussed with the principal. The current practice of assigning teachers to single classes means that class-size exceeds the recommended guidelines set by the Department in three classrooms. School management should review this matter to ensure that, as far as possible, it is avoided in the next school year. Four special needs assistants are employed by the board to look after pupils with additional needs. The board also employs two cleaners, a caretaker and a school secretary.

The school is maintained to a very high standard and presents very well. The classrooms are adequately heated and ventilated and each has a range of suitable furnishings. Toilet facilities for pupils are appropriate. The standard of SPHE-specific classroom displays in the majority of classrooms is excellent. The layout of the pupils’ desks in the majority of classrooms facilitates collaborative group work in SPHE. Classroom rules are a feature of all classrooms. The pupils display ready knowledge of school rules and of the overall expectation the school has for them. Laudable use is made of display boards along the school corridors to celebrate the work of the pupils across the curriculum. Consideration might now be given to the organisation and use of the school’s library/computer room for the display of pupils’ project work. Very good use is made of photography in maintaining records of the pupils’ projects and achievements.

The SPHE curriculum is given high priority by the principal and he is very pro-active in encouraging teachers to attend externally-provided courses. Teachers are encouraged to share any new learning from participation in external courses with the rest of the staff. Several teachers have participated in training in a wide range of courses including; child protection, relationships and sexuality education (RSE), circle time, Healthy Schools, co-operative games, bullying, interculturalism, Walk Tall, Promoting Positive Relationships and Boys and their Learning Styles. Many of these courses have been facilitated by the local Health Service Executive and Donegal Education Centre. The principal also welcomes the opportunity for staff to engage in in-school training in aspects of SPHE. The school avails of the Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP) cuiditheoir service and the School Development Planning Service (SDPS) on a regular basis. The principal displays praiseworthy commitment to the welfare of the pupils and staff. Commendable links have been made with the parent body in support of the pupils’ learning in SPHE. Among many initiatives, the comprehensive school newsletter is a significant effort on behalf of the pupils and teachers to keep parents abreast of all school activities.

The school is very well equipped in teaching and learning materials for SPHE and these are clearly outlined in the school plan. Important resource materials, such as the Department’s relationships and sexuality education (RSE) programme together with the Walk Tall and Stay Safe programmes, are used competently by teachers and are available in all classrooms. Making the Links is reported to be a significant support to teachers in co-ordinating the use of these three major SPHE support programmes. From time to time the school avails of community support in implementing its SPHE programme. For example, An Garda Síochana, the National Roads Authority, the Health Service Executive personnel, the fire-service, Donegal Youth Service and facilitators from An Taisce have been used. In keeping with good practice, all external support invited by the board to support the school’s programme for SPHE is considered carefully and monitored by the principal and staff. The curriculum strands Myself and Myself and Others are well supported through the current resources available. Consideration might now be giving to sourcing some additional resources to support the citizenship element of the Myself and the Wider World strand, particularly for the senior section of the school.

A range of materials is provided to support teaching and learning in English. There is a high standard of creativity in the use of these resources. Classroom libraries are well stocked and organised with good quality English language fiction materials, in particular. A significant amount of emergent reading material is readily available and used to good effect in junior classes. Important aspects of reading such as prefixes, suffixes and polysyllabic words which encourage word identification competency and reading are on display in all classrooms. Non-fiction materials are provided for research use in many classes. In senior classes, particular emphasis is being placed on analysing articles and developing journalistic techniques, while using a variety of newspapers in order to promote real reading experiences. The use of an interactive white board in supporting shared writing is highly commendable. Plentiful supplies of visual materials such as charts, flashcards and big books are used successfully during English reading lessons. It is reported in school documentation that other materials such as videos, tapes, information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and software are also used in the teaching of English. It is recommended, however, that even more frequent use be made of computers and new technologies to promote literacy practices, especially in the context of developing editing skills. The prospective development of the combined computer room and library will support the implementation of this recommendation.

3. Quality of whole school planning in sphe and english

The process of collaborative whole-school planning is ongoing in a number of important areas. It is highly commendable that the SDPS has been used effectively to guide the planning process. It is apparent that considerable effort has been invested in the development of a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the SPHE curriculum in this school. This work has been capably overseen by the SPHE co-ordinators in consultation with teachers, parents and the board of management. The purpose of the plan is to guide teachers in adopting a consistent and coherent approach to teaching and learning in SPHE in the school, in order to ensure that all aspects of the SPHE programme are covered. Accordingly, a two-year implementation planner has been drawn up to allow for continuity and progression in the pupils’ learning in SPHE in accordance with best practice. A wide range of organisational policies support the school’s SPHE plan. These include policies on enrolment, behaviour, anti-bullying, substance use, gender equity, health and safety, healthy eating, care of the environment and a Green Schools policy. Parents are given copies of key policies. The principal plans to put all school polices on the web site in the near future. This will be commendable.

Evidence was provided to confirm that the board of management and staff have taken appropriate steps to develop policies in line with the provisions in Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children (Department of Health and Children, 1999, updated issue May 2004) and Child Protection Guidelines for Primary Schools (Department of Education and Science, April 2001). Evidence was also provided to confirm that the board of management has adopted and implemented the policies. A designated liaison person has been appointed in line with the requirements of the Departmental guidelines.

There is clear evidence of effective levels of leadership within the school in the manner in which whole school planning for English is structured and in the cohesiveness of its implementation throughout the school. This planning provides an excellent framework to support a developmental approach to the teaching of English. There is considerable evidence to indicate that there has been widespread and significant engagement on the part of the teachers with the changes of emphases in the teaching of English, as set out in the 1999 Primary School Curriculum documentation.

The overall school plan is clearly reflected in teachers’ short-term and long-term planning in both SPHE and English. Both short-term and long-term planning is based on the specific objectives of the curriculum and reflects the continuity and progression in teaching articulated in the school plan. These objectives are derived from a thorough engagement with the curriculum and a clear knowledge of the stage of development of pupils in each class. Care is taken to ensure that planning for individual pupils and groups of pupils is undertaken so that class instruction meets their differentiated needs. There is, however, a need for additional planning to support the needs of higher achieving children. All teachers maintain appropriate accounts of monthly progress. The detailed content presented in some instances is laudable.

4. Quality of teaching and learning in sphe and english

4.1 Social Personal and Health Education

The quality of provision in SPHE was evaluated on the basis of observation of teaching and learning, a review of samples of pupils’ work and interaction with the pupils in seven of the mainstream classrooms. The quality of teaching and learning in SPHE is very good across the school with excellent practice noted in some sections. In addition to implementing the SPHE curriculum as a core curricular subject, there is evidence that teachers make use of additional discretionary time to further SPHE themes. The atmosphere and the protocols of the majority of classrooms support the pupils’ learning in SPHE. The pupils are friendly and courteous and display confidence in their ability to discuss issues and offer opinions. The teachers are commended for their positive behaviour management strategies and it is evident that the pupils are regularly praised and affirmed. Throughout the school, it is apparent that there is very good provision for pupils with particular needs and there is a great sense of inclusiveness in all classroom activities. Excellent attention is afforded to the strands Myself and Myself and Others at a whole-school level. The school, in the self-evaluative process conducted as part of this evaluation, notes that the principal area needing further development in SPHE is the strand Myself and the Wider World. The findings of this report concur with that conclusion.

The lessons observed during the evaluation addressed a range of themes from two of the three curriculum strands Myself and Myself and Others. The teaching in the majority of cases was of an excellent standard. Lessons were well structured and had clear learning outcomes for pupils. Previous learning was consolidated and issues relating to the lives of the pupils and situations to which the pupils could easily relate were explored. A number of lessons were integrated with other curricular areas especially in the teaching of oral language, Music, Irish, and Social and Environmental Education. It was evident that the enhancement of the pupils’ self-esteem is a common goal in the SPHE lessons of all teachers. A range of active teaching methodologies including drama, collaborative group work, pair work, circle time, co-operative games, story time and song-singing were effectively used to engage pupils in their learning. The majority of teachers used a commendable range of appropriate resources to assist this learning. Pupils were given appropriate opportunities for listening and for actively interacting and sharing their ideas and opinions. In a small number of classrooms, it was evident that there is a need to improve upon listener-speaker relationships, to ensure that talk and discussion sessions have more effective learning outcomes for pupils. The organisation and management of collaborative group work and the learning outcomes designed for pupils in one particular lesson is highly praiseworthy. The practice observed should be shared among the wider school staff. Circle time was capably managed and used as a very effective means of allowing pupils express their opinions and feelings on a range of topics in junior and senior classrooms. Teaching in RSE was particularly effective. The RSE programme is being implemented conscientiously by teachers across the school and there is evidence of progression in the pupils’ learning from stage to stage. The Stay Safe programme is also given commendable attention for a six week period each year.

During the evaluation, the pupils’ participation in SPHE lessons was very good. In almost all cases, the pupils were challenged and enthused by the lessons. They engaged willingly in all activities, had fun and enjoyment in their learning and were confident and articulate in their responses. Pupils at junior level displayed a commendable knowledge of healthy and unhealthy eating practices and general care of the body. In the middle classes pupils engaged enthusiastically in role play and drama in developing strategies for dealing and coping with bullying behaviour. In the senior classes pupils displayed commendable listening skills in the circle time lesson observed and were respectful of the opinions and view points of others. Senior pupils talked confidently about themes explored in SPHE including drugs education, friendship, body changes, personal hygiene and safety and the overall relevance of SPHE is in their lives. The use of ‘suggestion boxes’ recently introduced to senior classrooms will be an important means of exploring issues of relevance to the pupils. Democratic systems noted such as the election of class captains are to be commended as this develops the pupils’ understanding of the election process. The introduction of a pupils’ council would now further the good work underway in promoting the pupils’ democratic learning opportunities.

Teachers work hard to ensure pupils have a broad educational experience and a comprehensive range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. They engage in gaelic games, soccer, swimming, athletics, science and book fairs, quizzes, school tours, musical and dramatic productions. An after-schools club is in operation which is being run on a voluntary basis by teachers at present. This commitment to the pupils is acknowledged. Pupils display a very good understanding of environmental issues which are promoted very well through the Green Schools environmental project. The well planned approach adopted by the school to this project is commendable. Pupils are actively involved in leadership and decision-making roles through the Green Schools committee. The pupils are engaged in composting, recycling, reducing waste and energy conservation. The leadership given in this facet of school life is highly praiseworthy.

4.2 English

The quality of provision in English was evaluated on the basis of observation of teaching and learning, a review of samples of pupils’ work, interaction with pupils in six of the mainstream classrooms and in six support teaching settings. The quality of teaching and learning in the English lessons observed during the evaluation was excellent. Good attainments in all language skills and practices were evident. These attainments are the result of a high standard of teaching, supported by creative reflection on the part of the teachers in relation to the implementation of curriculum objectives. Classroom practice reveals that all of the strands of the curriculum are thoroughly explored. Conscientious efforts to implement new approaches to the teaching of English have clearly impacted positively on pupils’ attitudes and teachers are to be commended for their dedicated work in this regard. The language environments created in all classrooms are very good. They record the children’s development across a range of skills and literacy practices. Effective questioning is a particularly positive feature in all classes, where teachers assess the extent to which individual students understand and can engage in the learning process.

The structure of lessons also ensures that a balance is maintained between oral and written work. Teachers are keenly aware of the need to provide for multiple activities in order to consolidate learning across the language skills. Lessons are paced skilfully and experiential learning is central to each lesson. There is evidence of the effective use of linkage and integration which facilitates the reinforcement of concepts. Pupils are provided with opportunities to learn using multiple resources and they are encouraged to learn co-operatively and actively. There is a highly effective and tangible emphasis placed throughout the school on the development of oral language. This aspect of practice is managed in a very age-appropriate, developmental way. The use of Drama and Teacher-in-Role, in particular, is contributing to the development of confidence and oral language ability. Pupils are very confident speakers and can articulate their feelings and thoughts using a wide and rich range of language structures and vocabulary.

Very few pupils are presenting with difficulties in reading in the school. This finding is testimony to very good teaching and whole-school commitment to literacy. Most teachers are using a systematic range of teaching approaches to reading, and these include whole-class teaching, group work and individual tuition. Silent reading and paired reading are also in evidence in many classes. The development of phonological awareness skills and knowledge of sight words is also a commendable feature of most classes. Word checklists are kept and highly effective work on letter identification and sounds is in place in the junior section of the school. Some very good integration of rhymes and rhythm to develop syllabification skills was observed during the evaluation. Children attend to all visual cues and use a range of strategies to deal with unknown words. The use of Primary Movement, aspects of First Steps and a systematic approach to phonics is effectively supporting the development of key literacy skills. Notwithstanding these very laudable practices, there is a now need to extend further the level of fluency and fluidity with which more able children read. There is a need to focus less on decoding individual words and more on the extended reading of a wider range of banded books, appropriate to the interest and ability of these pupils. Further reading experiences including parallel readers, unseen texts and supplementary reading activities would assist in broadening the current provision for reading in respect of higher ability children. The teaching of poetry is used to good effect to enhance children’s appreciation of language.

The development of the emergent writer through collaborative writing is praiseworthy. The provision of meaningful and varied written responses to a variety of reading material is a positive aspect of some classes. Pupils’ work on newspapers and print media is of a very satisfactory standard and the quality of oral language discourse surrounding debate in this area is very high. Some well-thought out work on functional writing derived from workbooks is also being carried out. Children’s knowledge about language and how it works is being well developed by a committed approach to the teaching and learning of grammar and writing conventions. The quality of children’s writing is good, with pupils showing very good mastery of grammatical structures, vocabulary, punctuation and appropriate use of language according to the purpose, audience and genre of the writing in which they are engaged. Good attention is being given to sentence structure, layout and content when writing stories or reports. It was evident from some very good examples in the pupils’ copybooks and portfolios that the pupils were writing in different genres across the school. Some particularly effective work on journalistic text was observed in one class. The quality of this writing could be even further enhanced by an additional focus on the writing process, through use of ICT and other media, with attention given to providing constructive feedback and sharing understanding about the creation of text. More able pupils should also be given additional challenging writing tasks so that their imaginative and creative abilities will be stretched. The presentation of pupils’ work in copybooks is generally very good and well monitored, but there is an overall need for uniformity in pencil grip, letter formation and in handwriting style. It is recommended that cursive script be adopted on a whole-school basis.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is very satisfactory in this school. The support team in the school consists of two learning-support teachers and two resource teachers. Planning, in general, is clear and there is a broad commitment to regular review and assessment that is linked to the content of subsequent teaching. Regular review of children’s progress is part of the ongoing approach. In many cases, clear time-bound learning targets are used to structure teaching and learning. The school should now consider the development of a common approach to planning across the whole area of support for pupils with special educational needs. There is a plentiful supply of resources to support the needs of the children. The learning environments are very attractive and all activities are clearly laid out and purposefully support children’s learning needs. The work observed in this area during the evaluation revealed the use of a variety of approaches, methodologies and practices. Practical activities are used to encourage understanding in the area of phonics, in particular. Support teachers meet with parents to discuss the outcome of assessment results and the learning targets that are prescribed in the Individual Profile and Learning Programmes (IPLPs). Regular contact is also maintained with parents through verbal or written contact throughout the year. Good collaboration exists between teachers working in the context of special education and mainstream class teachers. It is now recommended that further in-class support be considered for pupils with identified special needs.

The quality of support for pupils for whom English is an additional language is of a very good standard. Pupils’ language competencies are recorded according to the needs analysis of the Integrate Ireland Language and Training framework (IILT). These language profiles are subsequently utilised in daily teaching activities. Planning is in evidence to indicate the work to be covered within defined timeframes and expected linguistic outcomes of learning are delineated in respect of individual pupils. Pupils are placed in appropriate groupings, with cognisance taken of the language competencies of group members. This additional language support should, however, target only those children who specifically have need of this service. Pupils engage in excellent oral activities, with discussion and discourse an integral part of lessons. The school has recently conducted an audit of the primary languages used in the home. This is commendable practice and could be built upon by further consultation with the guidelines concerning inter-cultural education.

5. Quality of assessment in sphe and english

The school plan lists teacher observation, teacher designed tasks and tests, portfolios and projects and self- assessment as among the ways that the pupils’ work in SPHE is assessed. All teachers have a very good insight into their pupils’ strengths and learning needs. In most classrooms teachers maintain attractive SPHE folders/scrapbooks, dedicated SPHE copybooks, completed worksheets and pupil profiles. There are some instances of highly commendable practice. A number of teachers have devised specific SPHE checklists to record their observations of the pupils’ learning, including knowledge, skills and attitudes. In one instance there was evidence of planned assessment strategies for each SPHE theme covered. It is now recommended that assessment practices in SPHE be reviewed at a whole school level to allow for more consistent tracking of the pupils’ progress.

There is evidence of effective, progressive work in the area of assessment in English. This is a significant strength in the school. There are a number of different practices worth noting. These include the use of compilations of individual children’s work, the regular maintenance of samples of children’s work and the reflective manner in which formative assessment notes are used. A particularly notable aspect of the overall approach in this school to assessment is the manner in which teachers use the findings of assessment to inform their planning, the content taught and the methodologies used.

6. Future development of sphe and english

Scoil Naomh Fiachra is a very effective school in which the principles of the SPHE curriculum are clearly evident in the practice and ethos of all the classrooms. The quality of teaching in both SPHE and English is very good with some excellent instances of energetic, creative teaching noted. The pupils present as confident and articulate pupils very satisfied and content with their learning experiences to date.

A number of themes for future development are identified and some are outlined below:

· The board of management, in consultation with the staff and the parent body, should draw up a school attendance policy to encourage and promote school attendance.

· The teaching staff should focus further on provision for higher achieving pupils in English.

· There should be more in-class provision for pupils with identified special needs.

· A review of the SPHE curriculum strand Myself and the Wider World should be undertaken at whole school level.

· Assessment practices in SPHE should be reviewed at a whole school level to allow for more consistent tracking of the pupils’ progress.

Conclusion

The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science wishes to acknowledge the contributions made by the principal, teachers, pupils and the entire school community during the course of the evaluation. It is hoped that this report will assist the school in reviewing practice at school level and in identifying priorities for future development.

Appendix

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, staff and parents of Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Illistrin welcome the evaluation report of the Inspectorate on the teaching and learning in English and S.P.H.E. in our school.

We are very happy that the warm, caring and child friendly atmosphere in the school was acknowledged and that the confident and articulate pupils in all classes were complimented.

The staff was encouraged by the thoroughness and courtesy of both inspectors who commended the following areas of school life:

· effective integration of newcomer children.

· sense of community and cooperation.

· quality of teaching in English and S.P.H.E.

· positive behaviour management strategies of teachers.

· very good provision for children with special needs.

We welcome the fact that the Inspectorate complimented the environmental features of the school, the partnerships between home and school, the support for newly qualified teachers, the classroom displays, the good use of photography in maintaining records of pupils’ projects and the school newsletter in keeping parents informed.

It was very important that our school planning was commended and that the significant engagement in English within the revised curriculum was noted.

The Board of Management is well aware of the class size issue in some of our classes.

The Board of Management is also very aware of the fact that 43% of our school population are being taught in prefabricated buildings.

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

1. Extra car-parking facilities have been generously provided by Donegal County Council, Regan Construction Company and the N.R.A. and the drop-off and set-down for pupils is being monitored.

2. Grant aid for improvements in library/computer room has been applied for.

3. A second interactive white board has been purchased to use technology to promote literacy practices but the B.O.M. requires more grant-aid to upgrade our computers.

4. A policy on school attendance will be discussed at next Board of Management meeting.

5. At our next staff meeting the following areas will be discussed:

a. Provision for higher achieving pupils in English.

b. Review of S.P.H.E. curriculum strand ‘Myself and the Wider World’ at school level.

c. Assessment practices in S.P.H.E. to allow for more tracking of pupils progress.

d. Review of our hand writing scheme.

e. Formation of a student council.

6. At our next S.E.N. meeting we will discuss more in-class provision for pupils with identified special needs and we will consider the development of a common approach to planning in the area of special needs.

7. The Board of management will continue to monitor class size and will liaise with Primary Administration.

8. The Board of Management will liaise with Primary Building Unit in relation to our application for an extension as a significant number of pupils are being taught in prefabs.