This report has been written following a whole school evaluation of Sacred Heart National School, Newbawn, Co. Wexford. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the work of the school as a whole and makes recommendations for the further development of the work of the school. During the evaluation, inspectors held pre-evaluation meetings with the principal, the teachers, the school’s board of management, and representatives of the parents’ association. The evaluation was conducted over a number of days during which the inspectors visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspectors interacted with pupils, examined pupils’ work and interacted with the class teachers. They reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation, and met with various staff teams, where appropriate. Following the evaluation visit, the inspectors provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the staff and to the board of management. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report without response.

Introduction

Sacred Heart National School, Newbawn, is a six-teacher co-educational Catholic school under the patronage of the Bishop of Ferns. Pupils attending the school come from a mainly rural population and the school enjoys the strong support of the parents in its catchment area. The school enrolment at the time of the evaluation was 135 pupils. Enrolment has remained constant over a number of years and trends indicate that the current enrolment will be maintained for the foreseeable future.

The aims of the school are clearly outlined in its ethos statement. The statement emphasises the importance of imparting Christian values and ideals to the pupils. The school is characterised by its inclusive approach to its pupil population. The approach actively promotes respect for the diversity of values, beliefs and traditions that exist in the community. The staff receive the widespread support of parents, pupils and the board of management in upholding and supporting the characteristic spirit of the school.

Pupil attendance levels are excellent and the strategies in place to pursue attendance and punctuality matters are commended.

1. Quality of school management

1.1 Board of management

The board of management (BOM) of the school functions most effectively and plays a significant role in the management and development of the school. The board meets once a month at a minimum and an examination of minutes indicated that a range of issues is addressed including health and safety issues, class allocation and enrolment. The board has also been active in progressing a building programme for the school. The board has ratified all school policies and ensures there is compliance with departmental rules and regulations. It is recommended however that the enrolment policy be reviewed and updated to ensure its full compliance with relevant legislation and to reflect the inclusive enrolment practices of the school. The work of the board is evenly shared among its members including the secretary, treasurer and safety officer and each member is praised for the manner in which they discharge their respective responsibilities.

The principal submits a formal report to the board at each meeting while the parent representative reports back to the parents’ association on matters agreed by the board. The quality of the communication ensures that a good working relationship exists between the board, the parents and the teachers in the school.

The financial management of the school is most prudent and relevant accounts are carefully maintained. An annual financial report is prepared and accounts are externally audited to comply with section 18 (1) of the Education Act, 1998.

1.2 In-school management

The principal teacher offers outstanding leadership and demonstrates full commitment to the staff, pupils, board of management and parents of the school. He has been particularly successful in creating a positive school climate and has succeeded in receiving the support of all members of the school community due to his approachability and diligence in the discharge of his duties. He attends to his administrative duties in a meticulous manner. All files and school records are accurately maintained. In collaboration with his staff he has been most successful in facilitating curricular development within the school.

The principal receives the full support of the other members of the in-school management team, namely the deputy-principal and two special duties teachers. A wide range of duties, covering curricular, organisational and pastoral areas, is attached to the special duties posts. This is in keeping with the provisions of circular 07/03. Post holders carry out their duties in a most competent manner. Duties are reviewed on a regular basis and updated to meet the evolving needs of the school. The in-school management team receives the full support of all staff members and this contributes significantly to the smooth and effective operation of the school.

Staff meetings are held once a term and comply with departmental regulations. Minutes are kept and a range of issues discussed and required actions agreed. Most actions are curricular related and reflect the desire of staff to promote teaching and learning within the school. There is a very high level of communication within the school. Decision-making is transparent and collaborative and supportive work practices are evident. Impressive strategies used to promote good communication include the availability of a welcome pack for new and substitute teachers, frequent newsletters to parents and the availability of a school website which is regularly updated.

The school’s code of behaviour reflects a positive approach to behaviour management and its successful implementation is evident in the high standards of behaviour observed among the pupils. Good order is maintained throughout the school and all pupils are courteous and show a respect for each other, for school personnel and for the school environment. A copy of the code is made available to all parents. The support the school receives from the parents in its implementation contributes significantly to its success.

1.3 Management of resources

Teaching personnel in the school consists of the principal, four mainstream class teachers, one full-time special education teacher (SET), one part-time SET and a resource teacher for travellers (RTT) who is shared with a neighbouring school. Additional staff consists of two full-time special needs assistants and a part-time secretary. Their workload is effectively managed by the principal and class teachers. Numbers in each class conform with Department of Education and Science (DES) guidelines on maximum class size. One class has been split to facilitate this. Clear and transparent criteria were used which took gender equity into consideration. A policy on the allocation of classes to teachers has been formulated. Some movement of teaching staff has taken place in the past year but the policy needs to be revisited in order to ensure that teachers get a greater variety of teaching experiences within the school.

The school policy on the professional development of staff is praised. A range of professional development courses has been attended by staff members and the BOM is praised for the financial support it gives to teachers to attend such courses. An annual budget is committed by the BOM to professional development and the investment is commended. Courses undertaken have enhanced teaching and learning in the school, helped to motivate teachers and have been of particular benefit to pupils through the provision of informed and relevant lessons in a wide range of curricular areas.

The school is exceptionally well resourced in all the curricular areas and department grants and monies from fundraising activities have been appropriately utilised to purchase a range of resources for the school. Resources are regularly used to enhance teaching and learning. The school is progressive in some classes in its use of information and communication technology (ICT). There is now a need for further training to be availed of in this area to ensure greater and more relevant uptake of computer technology as a learning tool.

The existing school was built in 1971. It contains 5 classrooms and 2 temporary classrooms. The accommodation is maintained to a high standard and classrooms provide a stimulating learning environment for the pupils. The outdoor area is also attractively presented. The accommodation is currently inadequate to meet current needs and the lack of a general purposes area seriously curtails activities in the Physical Education area. The BOM is currently addressing these issues and has devoted considerable time to forwarding the building programme of the school.

2. Quality of school planning

2.1 The school planning process and the content of the school plan

Staff members of the school have drawn up a range of comprehensive organisational and administrative plans including all plans mandated by legislation. These plans are of a high quality and have been signed and ratified by the BOM. There is a need to amend the policy on pupil retention to ensure compliance with circular 32/03. Policies have also been drawn up covering a range of curricular areas. Work is ongoing in this area and it is hoped to plan for History, Geography, Physical Education and English during the last term. Parents played a significant collaborative role in the drawing up of the policies on substance use and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). All plans are readily accessible to parents on request and some are available on the school’s website.

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, September 1999) and Child Protection: Guidelines and Procedures (Department of Education and Science, April 2001). A designated liaison person has been appointed in line with the requirements of the guidelines of the Department.

2.2 Implementation and impact of the school plan

Teachers prepare comprehensive short-term and long-term schemes of work. Long-term planning is generally informative and reflects the principles of the primary school curriculum. Strong links to textbooks in use also inform this planning. Short-term planning is informative and takes cognisance of school policies in the curricular areas. This short-term planning is also used as a record of work completed and this record is centrally kept. These records are used to monitor the progress of the curriculum in the school.

3. Quality of learning and teaching in curriculum areas

3.1 Language

Gaeilge

Tá plean cuimsitheach leagtha amach don Ghaeilge. Tá sé mar chuspóir sa phlean seo dearcadh dearfach i leith na Gaeilge a chothú i measc na ndaltaí. Leagann an plean seo béim ar an labhairt agus ar an éiseacht go speisialta agus leagann sé síos straitéisí chun an cuspóir seo a bhaint amach. Déantar cúram sa phlean freisin de mhúineadh na léitheoireachta agus na scríbhneoireachta. De bharr na pleanála seo tá, ar an iomlán, ag éirí go breá leis na múinteoirí dul chun cinn creidiúnach á dhéanamh sa chomhrá agus sa chumarsáid go ginearálta agus sa léitheoireacht agus sa scríbhneoireacht. Baintear feidhm éifeachtach ar bhonn scoile as éagsúlacht straitéisí agus modhanna múinte spreagúla chun cumas cumarsáide na bpáistí a fhorbairt agus déanann na hoidí tagairt don phlean seo le linn a gcuid pleanála féin.

Sna ranganna naíonáin agus sna bunranganna léiríonn na daltaí go bhfuil cumas agus muinín acu in úsáid na Gaeilge. Leagtar an-bhéim ar thusiscint a chothú sna ranganna sin trí an Ghaeilge a labhairt go neamhfhoirmiúil agus tá foclóir breá foghlamtha ag na daltaí. Leantar ar aghaidh leis an dea-obair seo sna meánranganna agus sna hardranganna agus soláthraíonn na hoidí atmaisféar taitneamhach gan bhrú do na ceachtanna uile. Cé go n-úsáidtear scéimeanna tráchtála sna ranganna mar spreagadh don teagasc, úsáidtear bealaí éagsúla chomh maith le linn na gceachtanna chun na daltaí a spreagadh chun cainte, mar shampla i bhfrásaí na seachtaine, i ról-imirt agus i gcluichí teanga. Dá bharr sin tá, ar an iomlán, ag éirí leis na hoidí dul chun cinn a dhéanamh sa chomhrá. Moltar anois cur leis an obair seo agus scileanna cumarsáide a fhorbairt a thuilleadh trí bhéim a leagan ar fhrásaí a bhaineann le caidreamh sóisialta, agus ar eolas a thabhairt agus a lorg. Tá tús maith curtha le múineadh na léitheoireachta sna bunranganna agus tá an timpeallacht focal ar na fallaí le moladh. Leantar leis an dea-obair seo sna méan agus sna hardranganna. Léann na daltaí le cruinneas agus tá formhór acu in ann ábhar na léitheóireachta a phlé ar bhealach sásúil. Chabhródh sé go mór le plé ábhar na gceachtanna i gcásanna áirithe ach béim níos mó a leagan ar cheisteanna ó bhéal sna ceachtanna sin. Déantar cúram cóir de mhúineadh na scríbhneoireachta agus taispeántar an obair go néata sna cóipleabhair. Tá cuid den obair bunaithe ar na leabhair shaothair agus an téacsleabhar agus tá gá anois le breis deiseanna a thabhairt chun saorscríbhneoireacht a dhéanamh a bheadh bunaithe ar spéis phearsanta na ndaltaí. Tá cnuasach rann agus dánta Gaeilge ag na páistí i ngach rang a aithrisítear go taitneamhach agus go fonnmhar.

Irish

A comprehensive plan has been formulated for the teaching of Irish. The overall objective of the plan is to cultivate among the pupils a positive attitude to the language. The plan especially emphasises the development of listening and speaking skills and sets out strategies to be used to facilitate the achievement of this objective. Consideration is also given in the plan to the teaching of reading and writing. The planning has, in general, enabled the teachers to make satisfactory progress with their classes in conversation lessons and communication generally and in reading and writing.

Pupils in the infant and junior classes display competence and confidence in their use of Irish. Strong emphasis is placed in these classes on the development of pupils’ comprehension skills through the use of informal Irish and pupils have acquired a good vocabulary. This good work is continued in the middle and senior classes and teachers have succeeded in creating a pleasant classroom atmosphere for the delivery of all lessons. Commercially-produced schemes are used as a basis for teaching lessons but additional techniques are also used including learning of weekly phrases, role-play and language games. Progress, therefore, is in general being made in the conversation lessons. The communication skills of the pupils could now be further enhanced through emphasis being placed on phrases that facilitate social interaction and the search for and giving of information. A satisfactory start has been made to the teaching of reading in the junior classes and the print-rich environment provided is praised. The excellent work is continued in the middle and senior classes where pupils read accurately and the majority discuss the content of the reading material in a satisfactory manner. In some situations further progress would be made through greater emphasis being placed on oral questioning of the content of lesson material. Adequate attention is given to the teaching of writing and all work is neatly displayed in the pupils’ copies. Some of this work is based on workbooks and on textbooks and there is now a need to provide additional opportunities for the development of personal writing based on the interests of the pupils. Pupils in each class pleasantly recite a selection of poems and rhymes.

English

The content of lessons reflects the overall curricular planning which has taken place in this subject area. Oral language development is emphasised at each level in the school and in many classroom situations pupils showed good ability to express and share personal viewpoints. Among the strategies used to develop oracy are word games, discussion, public speaking and debates on national and international topics. In order to facilitate more confidence and clarity in expression it is suggested that opportunities to further develop language skills be extended through the exploration of specific oral themes in other curricular areas, through the provision of increased opportunities to share viewpoints and through the development in the pupils of more complex sentence structures.

A wide and varied range of reading material is available to pupils in each classroom. Class libraries and reading areas are accessible to the pupils and these are productively utilised to foster an interest in reading while all classrooms provide a print-rich environment. Emergent reading skills are developed effectively in the infant section of the school and the structured approach to the establishment of phonological and phonemic awareness has succeeded in enhancing the word identification strategies of the pupils. The work is successfully built upon in the junior section of the school where pupils are encouraged to engage with a wide variety of text. Significant levels of personal reading take place in the middle and senior classes where material of increasing complexity is presented to the pupils. Pupils in all classes read competently with meaning and expression. The participation of parents in the delivery of the reading programme is praised. Regular and sustained reading is also being promoted through the use of the drop everything and read (DEAR) initiative in the school. Examination of classes and the results obtained on standardised attainment tests indicate high levels of reading achievement at each class level. Staff members are commended for the success they have achieved in establishing such reading competence among the pupils.

The ability of all pupils to write clearly and expressively is being appropriately developed at each level in the school. Exercises in grammar, punctuation and spelling are undertaken in a structured manner while pupils confidently undertake textbook-related tasks. Pupils actively engage in the writing process in the senior classes and the school website contains praiseworthy examples of pupils writing for different audiences, on a wide range of topics and in a variety of genres. Consideration is given by the staff to meeting the differing needs of all pupils when planning for this area of the curriculum.

3.2 Mathematics

A whole-school planning document has been developed for this curricular area. It outlines strategies to stimulate pupil interest in the subject and emphasises the importance of using the environment in the development of mathematical understanding. As a result the programme is developmentally appropriate as well as socially relevant at each level in the school. Talk and discussion are effectively employed and related to pupils’ own experiences during lessons and a range of manipulatives is used to support pupil understanding. A maths-rich environment is provided in each classroom through the provision of maths areas that stimulate pupil interest in the subject.

In the infant and junior classes children displayed a good understanding of the conservation of number and display an ability to investigate, recognise, classify and describe the properties of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. In the middle and senior classes the children engage confidently in a range of computational operations. They display an ability to classify and represent data using diagrammatic, graphical and pictorial representation and show a good understanding of the various aspects of the programme for measure. Pupils display excellent problem solving abilities.

Criterion-referenced testing is effectively used to measure progress in learning and an examination of results indicated that mastery of various concepts and operations is being satisfactorily achieved. Staff members are awaiting the availability of updated versions of standardised tests before engaging in attainment testing with the pupils.

3.3 Social, environmental and scientific education (SESE)

Geography

Geography topics are focused closely on the pupils’ exploration of their own immediate environment. Lessons are designed to foster knowledge of the physical and human geography of the locality and ordnance maps and photographic evidence are used to advantage to investigate places of local interest. Lessons are successfully integrated with other aspects of the SESE programme in the infant and junior classes. Pupils’ use of geography-related language is also being appropriately developed in these classes. In the middle and senior classes pupils display a thorough understanding of work completed about other world countries and project work is advantageously used to develop research and presentation skills. Work done at each level in the school, enables pupils to develop a respect for the environment and a sense of individual and community responsibility for its long-term care.

History

Historical themes and topics, including local, national and international themes, are thoroughly explored at each class level throughout the school. The children are particularly knowledgeable about the history and traditions of their own immediate area and a prize-winning project previously completed by pupils from the school has proved an invaluable source of information for work in this area. Activities, including interviewing people from the community, have successfully introduced the pupils to the skills of working as historians. Some of this work is displayed on the school website. Pupils also engage in studies of some of the more important aspects of political and historical change in Ireland and Europe. Learning outcomes in this area are satisfactory.

Science

Pupils’ interest in a range of scientific matters is fostered at each level in the school. Project work in the infant and junior classes is successfully linked to the writing programme through the recording of findings and the use of approximate spelling in these recording activities. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils’ study of living things and useful planting activities have taken place in the middle classes. Pupils display a positive understanding of all work which has been undertaken. The internet is productively used to research areas of interest and projects are attractively displayed.

3.4 Arts education

Visual arts

A whole school planning document has been developed for the implementation of the Visual Arts curriculum in the school. Its main focus is on providing a breadth of artistic experiences for the pupils across all the strand areas of the curriculum. Staff members succeed in achieving this aim and pupils engage in an extensive range of activities including drawing and working with paint and colour, clay and fabric and fibre. Work in the construction strand of the curriculum is restricted due to paucity of available space in the classrooms.

Lessons are purposeful and enjoyable and examples of work completed indicate that the imaginative and creative development of pupils is being attended to.

A balance has been achieved between making art and looking at and responding to art in the delivery of the programme and teachers succeed in cultivating an appropriate language of art among the pupils.

Music

A wide-ranging music programme is being implemented by the class teachers and their work is supplemented by an external tutor who gives 30 minutes to each class per week. Staff use a commercial scheme to guide their work and this has proved successful in enabling pupils to understand a range of musical elements. Percussion instruments are extensively used to develop pupils’ sense of rhythm and each class tunefully performs a repertoire of songs in Irish and in English. Classes from second up receive tuition in the recorder.

Drama

Drama is employed as a methodology in many of the curricular areas and pupils are provided with opportunities to work with peers in exploring, creating and performing stories in dramatic form. This has proved particularly successful in History where there is good use made of freeze frame and thought tracking techniques. Pupils engage enthusiastically in these activities.

3.5 Physical education

The absence of a general purposes area in the school has impeded the delivery of aspects of the Physical Education programme. However the school still succeeds in providing a range of appropriate learning opportunities for the pupils and uses its games’ pitch and hard court to advantage in developing games skills and athletics among the pupils. Outdoor and adventure activities are also catered for as part of the programme.

The school has been unable to deliver the aquatics strand of the programme due to time and cost constraints. It is recommended that this position would be reconsidered and that discretionary curriculum time might be used to block timetable for this strand of the curriculum.

3.6 Social, personal and health education (SPHE)

While it was not possible to observe lessons in this curricular area during the evaluation there is evidence in the planning documents that a comprehensive programme is being delivered covering each of the strand units. The personal development of all pupils in the school, their health and their well-being are being well catered for and all pupils engage in activities which enable them to develop skills and attitudes necessary for participating in groups and in society. A positive and supportive atmosphere has been created in the school by the staff. Pupils display a sense of care and respect for themselves and others and this is strongly reflected in the mannerly and courteous interactions which take place among all pupils in the school. Teachers are commended on their awareness of bullying issues and the manner in which records of incidents are kept and tracked. Resources used in the delivery of lessons include Bí Folláin and Stay Safe. The RSE programme is also being actively implemented and parents have been involved on the policy committee. Outside speakers are employed to deal with the sensitive areas. Pupils also receive inputs from experts in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse.

3.7 Assessment and achievement

A range of assessment approaches is used including teacher-devised tests and tasks, the Micra-T standardised reading test which is administered from second class up and the Middle Infant Screening Test (MIST) which is administered to the senior infants annually. The RAIN

test is also administered to pupils from first class to sixth class.

The outcomes of all testing are closely monitored and used to inform teaching strategies on a class and individual level. Information is stored on individual pupil files which are updated each year. This information provides valuable evidence on pupil progress. Staff might now consider the use of portfolio assessments to complement the excellent work in this area. Relevant information is relayed to parents at parent-teacher meetings and in the annual report which is furnished on all pupils at the end of the school year.

4. Quality of support for pupils

4.1 Policy and provision for pupils with special educational needs

An effective policy on the educational provision for pupils with special educational needs has been developed by the staff of the school. It places strong emphasis on the early identification of pupils with special learning needs and the provision of appropriate interventions based on programmes with specified targets and timeframes.

The special education team is made up of one full-time and one part-time special education teacher. Their caseload includes pupils with designated hours and pupils who qualify for support under the general allocation model. Positive regular consultation between the team and class teachers and parents is reported and the quality and clarity of the individual education plans (IEPs) which have been devised is praised. These IEPs are reviewed at appropriate intervals and informative progress reports are appended. Lessons are well-structured and contain an appropriate range of elements that are linked to pupil learning targets. Short-term planning, as recommended in the Learning Support Guidelines, should be used to record these elements and other learning strategies. A good range of resources is usefully employed, including ICT, while significant support for class work is provided when requested by the class teachers. Positive levels of pupil achievement are in evidence both in the context of lesson observation and via a review of the completed work of the pupils.

Assessment primarily involves an input from the class teachers and free writing assessment. There is now a need to broaden the approaches to diagnostic assessment in order to generate a wider spread of information in identifying pupil strengths and weaknesses.

Personnel in the special education team are appropriately deployed but the model of intervention is solely withdrawal. It is now recommended that staff explore ways of implementing Circular 02/05 and its recommendation that schools allow for in-class as well as out-of-class teaching support by the learning-support/resource teacher.

4.2 Provision for pupils from minority groups

The school shares a resource teacher for travellers (RTT) with two neighbouring schools. The RTT works in close collaboration with the class teacher, comprehensive individual plans have been prepared for each pupil and these plans are being successfully implemented. Positive levels of pupil achievement were noticeable both in the range of books that had been read by pupils and by the capacity of pupils to orally communicate their ideas. No books that are specific to Traveller culture were available and this should be addressed by the school.

4.3 Home-school partnership

The school enjoys the support of a very active parents’ council which has been responsible for funding many school activities and resources. The council meets on a monthly basis and a wide range of activities is engaged in including fundraising, organising events to create awareness of other nationalities and cultures and participation in shared reading activities.

Relationships between the staff of the school and the parents are excellent and the staff members have succeeded in creating a parent-friendly environment in the school. The system used to communicate with parents includes weekly written correspondences, and the mobile phone alert system. The practice of formally notifying parents of their child being accepted into the school and the follow-up phone-calls engaged in following their first day at school is praised. The officers, at the pre-evaluation meeting, were most praiseworthy of the openness and approachability of the principal and staff and the fact that all issues raised by the council are promptly addressed. The principal keeps the council aware of all planning matters in the school through regular updates. Officers expressed the view that while they were satisfied with curriculum provision parents in general knew very little about same. The parents’ council considered that the possibility of a class meeting to explain aspects of the curriculum was worthy of further discussion.

5. Findings and Recommendations for further development

The following are the main strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:

The school provides a very safe and secure learning environment for the pupils.
The school has a very dedicated principal and staff who are totally committed to ensuring that teaching and learning are at the heart of all activities in the school.
The high quality of classroom atmosphere provides all pupils with a sense of belonging and security.
Staff members deliver a broad and balanced curriculum to all pupils in the school. The excellent work being done could be further developed through concentration on the development of the oral capacities of pupils in Irish and English and further expansion of the writing programme in Irish.
The school is commended for the supports that are offered to pupils with special needs. These supports could be enhanced by balancing in-class provision with withdrawal in the delivery of this service. The wider use of diagnostic testing should also be considered.
Significant support is given to the school by the board of management, the parents and the community in general.

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

The enrolment policy should be reviewed to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
There is a need to further develop the use of ICT as a learning tool across the school.
Moltar breis deiseanna a thabhairt do na daltaí sa Ghaeilge chun saorscríbhneoireacht a dhéanamh.
A broadening of the use of diagnostic assessment instruments is recommended.
Staff should consider the use of discretionary time to block timetable for the aquatics strand of the Physical Education programme.

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