An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Whole School Evaluation
REPORT
Scoil Mhuire Buachaillí
Allenwood, Naas, County Kildare
Roll number: 16813H
Date of inspection: 15 March 2006
Date of issue of report: 29 June 2006
1. Quality of school management
2.1 The School Planning Process and the Content of the School Plan
3. Quality of learning and teaching in curriculum areas
3.3 Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE)
3.6 Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)
3.7 Assessment and Achievement
4. Quality of support for pupils
4.1 Provision for pupils with special educational needs
4.2 Provision for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
4.3 Provision for pupils from minority groups
5. Summary of findings and recommendations for further development
This Whole School Evaluation report
This report has been written following a whole school evaluation of Scoil Mhuire Buachaillí, Allenwood. 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, the inspector 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 inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. He interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and interacted with the class teachers. He reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation, and met with various staff teams, where appropriate. Following the evaluation visit, the inspector 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.
Scoil Mhuire is a boys’ school under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. It is situated in the original 1929 building which was built as a co-educational school. A separate girls’ school was built in 1959 on a site adjacent to the old school. The original building was remodelled at this time and was retained as the boys’ school. All of the classrooms are quite small by modern standards. At present there are 117 pupils on roll. Projected demographic changes and plans for new housing development in the area indicate that enrolment levels are set to rise in the near future. Approval for the building of a new extension has recently been received. However, given the extent of proposed housing development in Allenwood and the absence of a school hall, it would now be opportune for the board of management to initiate a comprehensive review of future school accommodation requirements in Allenwood.
The school’s mission statement sets out the aim of providing “a well ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed”. The school aims to nurture a Christian atmosphere that cultivates good relationships based on respect between staff, pupils, parents and local community. A range of complementary aims is also identified, along with the goal of achieving these aims through a blend of formal teaching, informal and extra-curricular activities in a climate of trust, co-operation and responsibility in the school.
The board of management is properly constituted in accordance with Department of Education and Science rules and regulations and is proactive, supportive and highly effective in terms of the governance of the school. The chairperson adopts a very active role in the life of the school and visits the school on average twice a week. In addition to this he is available to consult with the principal as required. There are usually three meetings of the board of management each term. The agenda for these meetings is drawn up by the principal and chairperson and is circulated in advance of the meetings. The minutes of these meetings are recorded and maintained. The quality of the communication and collaboration which exist between the board, parents and staff is reflected in the amicable school environment and ensures that the school’s Christian ethos is nurtured and upheld.
At the pre-evaluation meeting the board members expressed high levels of satisfaction with the quality of education provided in the school and with the strong connections between the school and the community. The board is very appreciative of the openness, dedication and accessibility of the teachers.
The principal has taught in the school for over 30 years and was appointed to her present position in 1997. She is fully cognisant of all the factors affecting the school and has developed strong relationships with the community and with other professionals. She deals skilfully with the wide variety of administrative tasks that her role requires in addition to her full teaching role. Her vision for the ongoing development of the school leads to the structured and focused development of school policy.
The principal enjoys the support of a dedicated middle-management team of a deputy principal and two special duties teachers. It is evident from the school plan that duties assigned to post-holders are clearly defined and reflect a balance of curricular, pastoral and organisational duties. These responsibilities include the co-ordination of planning in Gaeilge, Visual Arts, Science, Physical Education, History, Geography and Music. Organisational elements of posts of responsibility include health and safety issues, supervision of pupils, the organisation of school trips, organising the purchasing of resources, designing and distributing the school newsletter, and completion of all official documents including rolls and registers. A range of pastoral duties is performed by post holders, and this ranges from managing school teams and choirs to organising competitions and fundraising for charities and the organisation of school religious services. This system of middle management appears to be functioning effectively in the school.
The teaching staff is comprised of five mainstream class teachers including the principal and two full-time Special Education Teachers (SETs). In addition there is one SET shared with Robertstown NS Teachers’ preferences are taken into consideration when classes are being allocated. New teachers are supported by other staff members. The staff’s willingness to engage in ongoing professional development is shown by their participation in inservice provided by the Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP) and by their regularly attending courses in the local Education Centre. The board of management supports staff development by providing funding for summer courses and other short courses which the teachers attend.
The school has acquired a wide range of resources in order to support teaching and learning and it has used Department of Education and Science grants to add to this provision in curriculum areas such as Science, Visual Arts and Physical Education. Individual classrooms contain libraries, illustrative materials, CD and tape players, televisions and computers. Other items observed, particularly in the junior half of the school, include blocks, cubes, clocks, jigsaws and commercial products designed for building and assembling, along with a variety of percussion instruments. Library books, reference books, resource materials for learning support and resource teaching and computer hardware and software have been purchased. Department funding is used judiciously in this respect.
Teachers generally make appropriate use of illustrative material to support their teaching and to promote discussion of topics. Resources are being used increasingly to facilitate active learning and it has become a regular feature of the work in many of the classrooms. A range of manipulative material for the teaching of Mathematics is available in all classes and is used purposefully and effectively. In many classes a commendable array of teacher-made charts and resources is used to illustrate lesson content and to foster pupils’ participation in learning activities.
The restricted space in the classrooms affects the extent to which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can be used during lessons. A laptop computer has been purchased for the infants’ classroom. A member of the parents’ association has helped develop the use of computers in the classroom and some teachers make effective use of ICT for lesson preparation and for recording purposes. Some use of computers for the presentation of children’s work was observed during the evaluation. It is recommended that further exploration of ways to develop children’s use of ICT be undertaken.
The school is cleaned daily by a part-time cleaner who also does a major cleaning of the school during school holidays. The parents’ association maintains the exterior during holidays and grass areas are cut on a contract basis. The school’s phased maintenance programme involved the improvement of the toilets in 2005 and the replacement of windows in 2006. This work was completed under the Summer Works Scheme of the Department of Education and Science. The school hopes to upgrade the sewerage services in 2007 and to resurface the school yard in 2008 under the same scheme. It is questionable whether such a programme will adequately help the present school building to meet long-term needs, given projected increases in enrolment levels. Options for future school accommodation in the area should be identified and examined.
The general procedure followed in the formulation of the school plan is that the teaching staff writes a draft, which is then passed to the board of management. Parent representatives are consulted before the plan is adopted by the board. A procedure is in place whereby all ratified policies are regularly reviewed. Either the principal or a member of the in-school management team is identified as the person responsible for initiating the review. Curricular policies are typically completed after the staff has engaged in inservice training, and the range of completed policies reflects the subjects in which inservice has already been provided. These include plans for English, Gaeilge, Mathematics, Visual Arts, Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Science and Music. It is envisaged that policies for Physical Education, History, Geography and Drama will be completed in the near future.
A comprehensive range of organisational and administrative policies is in place covering areas such as the school’s mission statement, class size, enrolment, induction of infants, code of discipline and anti-bullying policy. Policies on home-school links, fire drill, record-keeping, homework and professional development of teachers are also included, along with a range of policies on other issues that affect the day to day life of the school. A notable feature of the planning process is the inclusion of a list of priority areas for development identified by the staff. This list is reviewed and updated twice yearly and acts as the document that guides the ongoing self review of the school’s needs.
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, 2004) and Child Protection: Guidelines and Procedures (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.
2.2 Implementation and Impact of the School Plan
Most of the teachers’ short term and long term classroom planning is carried out in line with curricular strands and strand units, and is informed by the school plans that have been completed in various subjects. In some instances learning objectives, methodologies, opportunities for integration and differentiated learning are described. By way of further developing the manner in which the school plan guides in-class activities, consideration should now be given to devising a template, organised by curriculum strands and including specific learning objectives and references to methodologies, in addition to references to differentiation within classes. It is hoped that the efforts put into the drawing up of such a document would result in the long-term saving of considerable amounts of planning time for the teachers by reducing some of the duplication and repetition that some of the present models include.
Gaeilge
Tá plean cuimsitheach deartha ag an bhfoireann chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn sa scoil. Cuirtear béim inmholta ar thaitneamhacht, ar éagsúlacht sna modhanna múinte agus ar leanúnachas tríd an scoil. Déanann na hoidí iarracht thuisceanach atmaisféar dearfach don teanga a chruthú sna ranganna éagsúla agus ar fud na scoile. Úsáidtear raon maith fearais le linn ceachtanna Gaeilge. Is léir go mbaineann na páistí taitneamh as na gníomhaíochtaí a eagraítear dóibh. Tá caighdeán maith labhartha ag na daltaí i gcoitinne. Cothaítear foghraíocht mhaith agus labhraíonn na daltaí an teanga le líofacht réasúnta. I ranganna áirithe baintear feidhm inmholta as an nGaeilge mar theanga bhainistíochta, agus comhtháthaítear an Ghaeilge le hábhair eile. Tá raon maith d’amhráin, de rainn agus d’fhilíocht ar eolas ag na daltaí agus glacann siad páirt go fonnmhar i gcluichí teanga a eagraítear dóibh. B’fhiú díriú níos mó ar an gcumarsáid i ranganna áirithe d’fhonn éascaíocht labhartha a bhaint amach. Léann na páistí go sásúil ach d’fhéadfaí ábhar léitheoireachta níos suimiúla a chuardach, seachas sleachta as leabhair shaothair. B’fhiú, chomh maith, breis airde a dhíriú ar an scríbhneoireacht phearsanta faoi ábhair ina bhfuil spéis ag na daltaí.
English
The School Plan for English is a comprehensive document which was formulated by the staff to facilitate the delivery of curriculum objectives in the areas of oral language, reading and writing throughout the school. Aims for each strand unit are set out for each class level and a broad range of appropriate resources is listed. The plan identifies roles for class teachers, Special Education Teachers (SETs) and the principal. The variety of ways in which the school facilitates and promotes parental involvement in their children’s education is outlined, and includes formal and informal meetings with parents and the use of a shared reading programme. The importance of language in all areas of the curriculum is noted, and the integration of English lessons with other subjects is identified as a strategy to develop children’s acquisition and use of language.
All teachers prepare long and short-term schemes of work which are informed by the Primary Curriculum and by the school plan. Resources are prepared in advance for use in lessons. Displays in most classrooms are print-rich and feature samples of children’s work along with charts designed by teachers and illustrative material from reading and phonological awareness programmes. Oral language lessons are well structured. Stimuli are used to initiate discussions on various aspects of the children’s everyday experience. Guided reading lessons, using a varied selection of texts, are organised to maximise individual pupils’ participation in an interesting range of learning activities. A combination of teacher observation and standardised tests is used to identify children in need of extra help in literacy and suitable diagnostic tests are employed to detect specific difficulties. The use of novels from third to sixth class is mentioned in the school plan and it is recommended that this be explored further.
The writing process is used in most classes to develop children’s ability to write fluently in a variety of genres and for different purposes. The children’s written work, including projects they have completed across a number of other curricular areas, is displayed to good effect in most classrooms and in the corridors. However, there is scope to develop the aim identified in the school plan to enable the children to engage in collaborative writing experiences. Commendable use of ICT for the presentation of children’s work was observed in some classes. Space restrictions make it difficult to allow more than a very small number of pupils to work on computers at any given time, and this difficulty may be best addressed in the context of planning for future school accommodation requirements.
High standards of attainment in Mathematics were noted throughout the school. Planning for the delivery of a broad Mathematics curriculum, encompassing all strands, is of admirable quality. The plan is informed by the curriculum documents and sets out a common approach to the teaching of mathematical language in the school. Strategies for the teaching of problem solving are delineated in the plan. Suitable textbooks are used to support teaching in this area.
The systematic use of concrete materials to consolidate pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts was observed in all classes throughout the school. All classrooms have a good supply of equipment and other equipment is stored in the store room. In addition, teachers design their own charts and make extra resources for use in lessons. The teaching of appropriate mathematical language receives attention in all classes. The use of group work to ensure that all children are engaged on learning tasks was observed in all classes. Pupils’ written work is carefully recorded and regularly monitored. Pupils display a good knowledge of number operations, shape and space and measurement and they can relate concepts to real-life situations. Children take turns in using software to aid in the consolidation of mathematical concepts.
Geography
Teachers’ planning for Geography is organised to allow children to explore human and natural environments and to foster an attitude of care towards the environment. The immediate school environment is identified as a resource and the diverse micro-environments of the canal, school flower bed, the field and hedgerow provide rich opportunities to develop the children’s investigative skills in this area. An emphasis on language development was noted in lessons observed. All classrooms are well resourced for the teaching of Geography and maps, including maps of the local area, globes, charts on the seasons and on weather are in plentiful supply. Commendable use of the internet to source electronic images to illustrate lessons also helps the children to develop their understanding of geographical concepts. The staff are participating in inservice provided by the PCSP in the current school year. As they formulate the school plan for Geography, the need to balance knowledge with skills acquisition should be a guiding principle in their work. The plan should also contain strategies to ensure continuity in the programme from class to class and to ensure that topics studied are chosen from local and Irish environments, as well as from Europe and the wider world.
History
While the school plan for History has not yet been completed, much good practice was observed in this subject. Excellent use of a variety of carefully-chosen resources is a feature of much of the work in this area. Activities set up to enable the children to work as historians are stimulating and well structured. Judicious questioning, teacher-designed worksheets and a generous supply of interesting artefacts ensure that children are focused on clear and appropriate learning objectives. The focus on the local environment is admirable. Again, discerning use of ICT to source pictorial and text resources is an element of the good practice observed to make lessons stimulating for the pupils. It is recommended that, as the school plan for History is developed, efforts are made to ensure that such practices inform the further development of the History programme.
Science
An emphasis on practical investigation is a central element of the school plan for Science. Children are encouraged to explore their physical and natural environment and to solve problems through interaction with things around them. Activities are organised across all four strands of the curriculum and a plentiful supply of resources facilitates hands-on activity by the children. Children observe, hypothesise and perform experiments to test their hypotheses. An emphasis on the concept of a fair test guides the process, and children are required to interpret results and draw conclusions from their observations. Children are afforded opportunities to develop practical applications of scientific ideas they have encountered. Designing and making simple models of lighthouses, windmills, magnetic games and other applications of electrical circuits enable them to see how technology impacts on everyday life.
Visual arts
A broad programme in the Visual Arts is provided for the pupils. The range of activities covers all six strands and facilitates linkage within the Visual Arts curriculum and with other curriculum areas. The school plan in Visual Arts informs teaching and learning in this subject and provides information in regard to the availability of resources in the school. The plan also includes arrangements for staff development in Visual Arts, health and safety issues, parental involvement and procedures for linking with the local community through art. Artists visit the school to talk about their work with the children. These visits are organised through an outreach programme run by Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, for Kildare County Council. Pupils’ progress is monitored through teacher observation. A stimulating classroom and school environment supports pupil learning in the arts generally and materials and resources are available, accessible and used effectively. Samples of children’s work which illustrate the range and depth of the curriculum are evident in all classrooms. All strands of the Visual Arts programme are represented in the appealing displays of pupils’ work, which enhance the attractiveness of classrooms, corridors and reception areas. Other samples of children’s art are kept in portfolios.
Music
The Music programme includes activities in listening and responding to Music, performing and composing. Team teaching in this subject ensures that it is taught throughout the school. An extensive range of appropriate songs is taught in both languages. Music literacy is proficiently developed as an integral element of song singing. Children begin to learn to play the tin whistle in infant classes and this is continued through to middle classes. It is recommended that this opportunity for the children to learn to play an instrument be provided for the children through all classes.
Drama
Drama lessons are integrated very well with lessons in Gaeilge and oral English in some classes. Opportunities to link with Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and History are also availed of to allow children to explore difficult issues such as bullying in a safe environment. Concerns were expressed about the lack of facilities for Drama and the potential for disruption caused by moving furniture around the confined space of the school. The school participates annually in the Outreach Programme of the Gaiety School of Drama.
No hall facilities are available in the school. Usually Physical Education lessons are dependent on the weather. Staff reported the difficulty of organising a programme during the winter months and at times when the weather is inclement. A tarmacadam yard and a good-sized grass area are available, and good use is made of these when possible to provide a range of activities in the games and athletics strands. Teachers also resourcefully use the limited space in the classrooms to provide activities in some strands, notably dance. Some teachers plan for the provision of learning activities across the full range of the Physical Education Curriculum. The school has liaised with Cumann na mBunscol to provide coaching in Gaelic football, and provision is made for the children to go to Naas for swimming in the last term of the school year. In order to provide for the regular implementation of all strands of the Physical Education curriculum throughout the school, it would be necessary to explore the feasibility of building a hall, in the context of overall school building needs in Allenwood.
The stated aim of the school’s plan for Social, Personal and Health Education is “to provide opportunities for the individual child to develop a framework of values, attitudes, understanding and skills that will inform his decisions and actions ... enabling him to respect and relate to himself and others and become an active and responsible citizen in society.” The policy refers to related elements in the school plan, including policies on substance use, Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE), enrolment, healthy eating and recycling. The policy identifies content to be covered at each class level, methodologies, integration opportunities and available resources. The range of resources regularly used includes material from programmes such as Walk Tall, Bí Folláin, Stay Safe and Be Safe. The teachers seek to create a secure and healthy learning environment for the pupils. Values such as respect for others are fostered actively and children are helped to create and maintain supportive relationships and to become responsible citizens. Children are encouraged to act responsibly and they are involved in the drawing up of rules of behaviour for their classes and for the playground. In addition to discrete lessons in SPHE, the programme permeates all areas of the curriculum and opportunities to integrate with other subjects are utilised. Children engage in lively discussion around the issue of making choices and Drama is used very effectively to enable them to explore the consequences of their choices in a safe and secure environment.
Children’s work is regularly and consistently monitored and assessed. Informal and formal assessment methods are used, ranging from feedback in children’s copies to teacher-designed and standardised tests. Checklists of objectives in Mathematics and English are kept by some teachers. Samples of children’s work are retained in folders in all classes. Standardised tests in English and Mathematics are administered annually in all classes from first to sixth. A test of early literacy is used with junior infants and the Middle Infant Screening Test (MIST) is administered to senior infants. Class teachers usually administer the tests and the SETs are available to assist when required to do so. The SETs also analyse and correlate test results and these are discussed at staff meetings.
The Learning Support policy is grounded in the philosophy of having effective school curricular policies and of fostering regular parental involvement in their children’s education. Aims of preventing failure and providing intensive early intervention when required are complemented by the practice of directing available resources to pupils in greatest need. Partnership in this area is recognised as being of central importance, and accordingly, the plan outlines the school’s vision of providing support as a partnership activity involving the board of management, principal and staff, visiting teachers, parents and pupils, as well as other agencies including DES and the Department of Health and Children. At present three Special Education Teachers work in the school. One of these is based in a neighbouring school. Whole-school procedures and criteria for identifying and selecting pupils for supplementary teaching have been developed by the special education teachers and the principal. The policy includes clear delineation of the roles of the principal, mainstream and support teachers. A range of screening tests is in use in the school to identify pupils in need of supplementary teaching. Further diagnostic testing is carried out to identify children’s specific learning strengths and needs. Support in literacy and numeracy is provided for pupils identified as being in need of supplementary teaching. Individualised plans are drawn up for these pupils and include learning objectives which are identified following diagnostic testing. Target dates for the achievement of objectives are specified. The individual plans are reviewed at twelve week intervals and revised as appropriate. Records of children’s progress are meticulously maintained. Two special needs assistants have been allocated to the school and the flexible manner in which they are deployed allow them to provide valuable support to a number of pupils. The school operates a shared reading programme which is one of the ways by which parents participate in the life of the school. Libraries in the school are well stocked and the books are used regularly. An extensive range of reading material, activity books and suitable software is available in the resources rooms and is used effectively. A useful collection of reference books compiled by the SETs is also available in the school.
A total of thirty-two children receive learning support. The learning support teacher provides support for children with difficulties in literacy from senior infants onwards and children with difficulties in Mathematics are supported from second class. The literacy programme includes structured activities to develop children’s phonological awareness and carefully-chosen reading material to develop children’s basic sight vocabulary. Lessons in both English and Mathematics feature initial oral discussion, a period where children are engaged in practical activity and learning games, and a written activity to consolidate the intended learning. Commendable use of ICT by the teacher to prepare phonics cards and charts, allied to the sourcing of a wide range of effective visual aids, facilitates the creation of a stimulating and welcoming learning environment. Eight children are seen by the two resource teachers for Mathematics and English. Comprehensive pupil profiles are created for each child. These profiles include relevant information about the child’s health history, and details of learning strengths and challenges as identified in wide-ranging assessments and through teacher observation. Individual education plans are formulated in which key learning targets are outlined. Written records of children’s progress are maintained and are updated fortnightly. The classroom is bright, spacious and attractively presented. Print-rich visual stimuli, including teacher-designed and commercially produced charts, enhance the quality and relevance of the display. Oral language and reading lessons are carefully structured, with a commendable emphasis on the teaching of strategies for reading and spelling. Well-scaffolded writing activities extend on the oral and reading elements of lessons.
A relatively small number of pupils from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are enrolled in the school. The principal and staff diligently ensure that no child is excluded from any school activity because of economic circumstances. Department of Education and Science grants are used to ensure that all children have the required schoolbooks and also to provide funding to enable them to participate in swimming and in educational workshops organised by outside agencies.
There are no children from minority groups enrolled in the school at present.
Partnership between home and school is a palpable aspect of the educational provision in the school. An active and supportive parents’ association is involved in many facets of school life. Parental involvement in their children’s education and in the school is encouraged and supported by the principal and staff. The association sees draft copies of school policies and is invited to contribute to their development. Parents are involved in policy sub-committees and have been active in the development of policies such as that on child protection. In addition to their role in policy development, parents are also engaged in various day to day activities in the school, including supervising pupils on school trips, running paired reading programmes, assisting in organising board games for the children and in teaching children how to use computers. Communication between home and school is regular and useful. Regular school newsletters and the children’s homework notebooks are used a means of communicating directly with parents. Formal parent-teacher meetings are held annually and informal meetings are held as either teachers or parents require.
Parent representatives praised the positive atmosphere which the teachers have created in the school and identified the quality of the teaching staff as one of the main strengths of the school. Their concerns include pupil-teacher ratios, sizes of classes in multi-grade settings and an ongoing sense of uncertainty in regard to the resource teacher’s post and the position of the special needs assistants.
The following are the strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:
· The school has a well-developed and perceptive approach to the area of school planning.
· Positive relationships both within the school and with parents and the local community help to foster the warm, inclusive and supportive atmosphere in the school.
· Provision for pupils with special educational needs is well planned and programmes are specific, stimulating and productive.
· All teachers engage in the development of the school plan and all prepare comprehensive schemes of work to ensure that a broad and balanced curriculum is taught in the school.
· A variety of formats and approaches is used in the preparation of long and short-term schemes of work by the teachers.
· The board of management and parents’ association are actively engaged in and supportive of the work of the school.
· The age of the building and limited space in the classrooms, together with the absence of a general purposes area, restricts the delivery of a curriculum which is based on principles of active learning and the use of investigative and discovery methods.
· A phased programme to upgrade the quality of the school building and grounds is well under way, but it is questionable whether this will be sufficient to meet long-term needs in the locality.
· While ICT is used very effectively by some teachers in the preparation of schemes and charts and for the presentation of children’s work, space considerations make it difficult to arrange settings for the teaching of ICT skills to more than a tiny number of pupils at any given time.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
· A comprehensive review of school accommodation requirements in Allenwood should be initiated.
· It is recommended that staff seek to devise a common short-term planning template, organised with reference to the curriculum documents and the school plan, in order to ensure that time spent on planning is used more efficiently, and that unnecessary duplication is avoided.
· The addition of aquatics to the Physical Education in the current year broadens the range of activities provided in this area, and the school should now explore ways of including all strands of the Physical Education curriculum in all classes.
· The recent upgrading of the school’s internet access to broadband will facilitate greater use of the internet for research purposes by teachers and pupils, and should be used to extend the good project work observed during the evaluation to all classes.
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.