An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Whole School Evaluation
REPORT
Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Colmcille
Drumoghill, Manorcunningham, County Donegal
Uimhir rolla: 16995Q
Date of inspection: 14 November 2008
Introduction – school context and background
Quality of learning and teaching
Whole-school evaluation
A whole-school evaluation of Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Colmcille was undertaken in November 2008. This report presents the findings of the evaluation and makes recommendations for improvement. The evaluation focused on the quality of teaching and learning in English and Mathematics. 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 – school context and background
Scoil Naomh Colmcille is a small, rural primary school. It is included in the rural strand of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) action plan for educational inclusion. There has been a significant decline in pupil enrolment since the last school inspection in 1997 due to rural depopulation. The teaching staff, however, remains constant.
The following table provides an overview of the enrolment and staffing in the school at the time of the evaluation:
|
|
Number |
|
Pupils enrolled in the school |
70 |
|
Mainstream classes in the school |
3 |
|
Teachers on the school staff |
4 |
|
Mainstream class teachers |
3 |
|
Teachers working in support roles |
1 |
|
Special needs assistants |
1 |
The school also has three and a half hours resource support per week and a part-time secretary.
1 Quality of school management
1.1 Characteristic spirit, mission or vision
Scoil Naomh Colmcille is under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Raphoe. It aspires to provide a curriculum and a working atmosphere to help each child develop to his/her full potential. Pupils appear happy and content in each of the classrooms and the pastoral care of the pupils is a key concern of all teachers. Mól an óige agus tiocfaidh sí is the school motto.
1.2 Board of management
The board of management is properly constituted and members display a clear commitment to supporting the school. It meets regularly and minutes are kept of all proceedings. Effective systems are in place for the tracking of school income and expenditure. Commonly raised issues at meetings include the structural needs of the school, funding and the need for regular fundraising by the parents to help maintain the school building and surroundings. The board reviews curriculum plans and organisational polices presented to it for ratification and facilitates the communication of policies to the parent body. Board members have been given roles and responsibilities. No formal training, however, has been offered to newer members to assist them in their roles in managing the school. It is now recommended that formal training be sought to ensure familiarity of all members with the legal duties and responsibilities on boards under the Education Act 1998 and the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. The board ensures that the school building and grounds are maintained to a reasonable standard and that the environment is safe for pupils and parents. It has been successful recently in securing funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund to improve the playground facilities and is also to be commended for the work carried out in refurbishing the toilet facilities. However, there still remains a need to review and upgrade the school accommodation, as resources permit.
1.3 In-school management
The in-school management team comprises the principal, deputy principal and the special duties teacher. The principal operates a system of shared leadership and responsibility, whereby communication is open and decision making with colleagues is collaborative. This results in a very happy, motivated school staff. Individual staff members are regularly affirmed and encouraged. The expertise and talents of staff are shared to the benefit of the pupils. The principal has in-depth familiarity of the school community and facilitates the inclusion of all pupils. Administrative duties are carried out to a satisfactory level. Whilst the daily attendance of pupils is appropriately monitored, it is now recommended that yearly attendance figures for pupils are recorded in the school registers. The teaching principal is supported effectively by members of the in-school management team. The deputy-principal is a significant support to the principal. She and her colleague fulfil their duties effectively and work diligently to contribute to the overall management of the school.
1.4 Management of relationships and communication with the school community
The school’s ethos statement promotes close working relationships between teachers, management and the parent body in working together for the benefit of the pupils. The parents make significant contributions towards the provision of resources and enhanced facilities for the pupils. Whilst a fundraising committee does exist, there is no formal parents’ association. The formation of a formal parents’ association should now be actively promoted by the board. Parents are supporting their children’s learning in the Maths for Fun programme during the school day in the current term. Their energy, enthusiasm and dedication to this project are commended. Parents are encouraged to come to the school to talk to teachers at any time during the year to discuss their children’s progress. Other modes of communication include parent-teacher meetings, written annual reports for pupils from second class upwards and information notices regarding school activities. It is now recommended that reports on pupils’ progress should be available to parents for all pupils from junior infants upwards. These should include information on the pupils’ attainments in literacy and numeracy as outlined in Circular 0138/2006.
1.5 Management of pupils
The school’s code of discipline is being implemented effectively. Pupil behaviour is very good and the pupils respect one another, the staff and the school environment. Pupils are properly supervised and there is commitment to managing the pastoral care and general welfare of all pupils.
2 Quality of school planning
2.1 Whole-school and classroom planning
The quality of organisational planning is satisfactory. The input of parents is sought for some organisational policies. The code of discipline and copies of other key school policies are sent to parents. A statement of strategy regarding school attendance as required by Section 20 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 is now a priority in the light of the significant number of pupils having missed over thirty school days in the past school year. Curricular plans in English and Mathematics address the principles of the Primary School Curriculum (1999) and provide some guidance on content from class to class. The quality of the whole-school curriculum plans presented has scope for development. It is recommended that the school instigate a process of continuous monitoring, review and evaluation of all aspects of the school’s curriculum plan in relation to the specific context of this school in order to significantly improve current practice. A language enrichment programme should be a key part of the review of the English policy. All school policies and plans should be signed and dated by the chairperson of the board on ratification. Review dates should also be set for all curricular policies. A reviewed English plan was presented at the post-evaluation meeting. This plan identifies the learning experiences that will be provided across the strands and indicates how the successful implementation of the plan will be evaluated and recognised.
The quality of classroom planning is commendable in the junior and middle classes. Comprehensive long-term and short-term planning here ensures quality learning experiences are provided for pupils that reflect the learning needs of the pupils and the skills and content of the curriculum. Closer links with the curriculum objectives is recommended in the senior section of the school. Classroom planning in all cases should also further outline how learning activities are differentiated for pupils with identified special educational needs or learning difficulties. Monthly progress reports are carefully maintained and should now be used further to inform curriculum review.
Comprehensive planning is undertaken for pupils with learning difficulties in the learning-support setting. It responds to individual needs and supports pupils’ strengths and learning difficulties. Individual learning programmes for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) address some priority learning needs. However, the overall quality of the planning has significant scope for development. Individual education plans (IEPs) should be developed in line with National Council for Special Education (NCSE) guidelines in consultation with key personnel, specifying the learning goals to be achieved over a set period and include the teaching strategies, resources and the supports necessary to achieve these goals.
2.2 Child protection policy and procedures
Confirmation was provided that, in compliance with Department of Education and Science Primary Circular 0061/2006, the board of management has formally adopted the Child Protection Guidelines for Primary Schools (Department of Education and Science, September 2001). Confirmation was also provided that these child protection procedures have been brought to the attention of management and school staff; that a copy of the procedures has been provided to all staff (including all new staff); and that management has ensured that all staff are familiar with the procedures to be followed. A designated liaison person (DLP) and a deputy DLP have been appointed in line with the requirements of the guidelines. School policy should now be disseminated among the parents.
3 Quality of learning and teaching
3.1 Language
English
The quality of teaching in English is good. Teachers are investing significant effort into developing the pupils’ literacy skills as part of the three-year DEIS plan. Teachers motivate pupils and lessons are appropriately structured and well paced. There is evidence of differentiation of tasks and reading materials to cater for the needs of all pupils. There is opportunity for talk and discussion in all English lessons with commendable emphasis being placed upon the development of oral language in the junior and middle cases. Here, teachers use a range of creative strategies including games and drama and provide pupils with opportunities to use and develop their registers of language across the curriculum. This practice should be extended into the senior classes. The teaching of poetry is uniformly strong across the school. Further opportunities for the pupils to reflect upon, and engage with, the language of poetry are recommended at senior level.
The pupils’ reading skills are being progressed in a structured manner. Reading for pleasure and for information is promoted in every classroom. The classroom libraries and the mobile cross-border library service provide pupils with an excellent stock of reading materials. Excellent attention is given to the pupils’ emergent sight vocabulary in the infant classes and there is a very effective and structured approach to the development of the pupils’ phonological skills. Large format books, real books and class novels are used to encourage pupils’ listening and responding to stories across the school. Stocks of big books should be increased for the infant classroom and sets of smaller versions secured, as resources permit, to allow for even further home support of the reading programme. Peer and paired reading approaches have been established to very good effect. Whilst the development of comprehension skills is promoted by all teachers, the acquisition of comprehension kits for whole school use would be beneficial.
Excellent attention is paid to the development of the pupils’ handwriting skills in the infant classes and this is having a very positive outcome for the presentation of the pupils’ work across the school. Further writing activities based on the language experience approach and the use of big books is recommended in the infant classes. Pupils are given regular opportunities to develop their skills of drafting and redrafting as part of the writing process in middle and senior classes. Displaying editing prompts on the classroom walls would be a significant support for the pupils in these classes. Collaborative approaches to story writing are effectively employed in the middle section. This approach gives pupils a sound understanding of what constitutes a good story in terms of structure, content and flow. This approach should be further developed in other classrooms. Samples of the pupils’ writing in different genres are maintained in portfolios and are particularly impressive in the middle classes.
Pupils engage very well in English lessons and demonstrate enthusiasm for all activities. Achievement in reading is satisfactory in the majority of classes. Samples of the pupils’ written work demonstrate progression from class to class. The pupils should be given additional and regular opportunity to use information and communications technology (ICT) in support of the writing programme in all classes and further samples of the pupils’ writing across the curriculum should be on display. Some pupils lack confidence in their oral abilities. The timetabling of discrete oral language lessons and the structured development of the pupils’ listening, responding and higher-order thinking skills should be addressed as a priority in the next review of the DEIS plan.
3.2 Mathematics
The quality of learning and teaching in Mathematics is commendable. Lessons observed during this evaluation were well structured and appropriately paced. There is a satisfactory range of teaching methods employed, including whole-class teaching, group work and individual teaching. While some attention is given to pupils with different learning needs, learning tasks should be further differentiated for pupils in the senior classes presenting with significant difficulties. The further use of ICT will support such pupils. Satisfactory attention is paid to the acquisition and consolidation of mathematical language across the school. Oral Mathematics is an integral part of lessons in all classrooms. Lessons provide opportunities for pupils to explore concepts using appropriate concrete materials.
Pupils are enthusiastic in their learning in Mathematics and are centrally involved in interesting learning activities during lessons. The infant pupils demonstrate very satisfactory skills in early mathematical activities. In the middle classes pupils generally demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts they have learned when carrying out tasks. They enjoy active learning experiences. In the senior classes the pupils display very sound knowledge of number facts, place value and the four basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Some pupils demonstrate a good capacity for problem solving. Pupils’ skills in this area could be developed further through the whole school promotion of the pupils’ estimation skills and the display of problem solving prompts in every classroom. The standard of the presentation of work in copybooks could be improved in the middle and senior classes. Overall, the progress of pupils on standardised test indicates satisfactory pupil performance in the majority of classes.
3.3 Assessment
There are good assessment strategies in evidence; including teacher check lists, reading records, pupil profiles, standardised tests and work samples. Pupils’ work is continuously monitored and corrected appropriately. Pupils should now be encouraged to peer and self-evaluate and develop understanding of their progress in learning in order to help them take responsibility for their achievements. There is very careful analysis of the pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy and their performance is being carefully monitored. Commendable record keeping systems are in place. Staff members are well informed about trends in school performance and literacy and numeracy assessment results are used in DEIS planning.
4 Quality of support for pupils
4.1 Pupils with special educational needs
School policy gives direction in relation to the school’s provision for pupils with additional learning needs, the early identification of learning difficulties and early intervention strategies in place. The staged approach to the identification of pupils who require additional supports should be outlined in the policy. Further information also needs to be included as to the process of drawing up, monitoring and review of individual education plans (IEPs).
Arrangements for organising support for those pupils most in need of learning support are generally appropriate. The quality of teaching and learning observed for pupils with learning difficulties is very good. This support is predominantly on a group withdrawal basis. Further in-class support and team-teaching in early intervention work in language is now recommended. Very effective individual profile and learning programmes (IPLPs) are drawn up for pupils who receive additional support in literacy and numeracy. These are shared with class teachers. Overall progress is in keeping with ability and the teaching targets set. The range and quality of activities undertaken demonstrate very good progression and development of pupils. A wide range of resources appropriate to the needs, abilities and learning styles of the pupils is used in the learning support setting. Comprehensive written records of progress are maintained. A commendable range of diagnostic tests is used to identify specific learning needs.
Provision for pupils with identified special needs should be reviewed. Whilst supportive interactions are in evidence and ICT is used to good effect in the SEN setting, there is a need for additional approaches and methods to assist learning. Small group work in the resource room should be used to develop social skills. The small space used for resource teaching needs to be developed and resourced. Support should be sought from the National Education Psychological Service (NEPS) and the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to direct teaching approaches further. The special needs assistant (SNA) is a very effective support in the mainstream class.
4.2 Other supports for pupils: disadvantaged, minority and other groups
The work undertaken by the DEIS co-ordinator supports the school’s literacy and numeracy priorities. There is evidence of very supportive relationships with the class teachers in identifying and supporting pupils most at risk of underachievement. Commendable efforts are made to engage parents in in-school support of their children’s learning in Mathematics. The model of parents as a resource for children in school should continue to be developed across the curriculum. A range of course for parents with an educational focus has been organised. Supportive home visits are undertaken, an induction programme is in place for infant pupils and satisfactory work is carried out to prepare pupils for transfer to post-primary education. This work is effective in ensuring pupils experience a smooth transfer from one level of education to the next.
5 Conclusion
The school has strengths in the following areas:
· Scoil Naomh Colmcille is a small rural school with a family-like atmosphere. The pupils appear happy and content in each of the classrooms and the pastoral care of the pupils is a key concern of all teachers.
· The dedication and commitment of all the teachers to the pupils in their care is noteworthy. The expertise and talents of staff are shared to the benefits of the pupils.
· The principal operates a system of shared leadership and responsibility, whereby communication is open and decision-making with colleagues is collaborative, resulting in a very happy, motivated school staff.
· There is a very positive whole-school emphasis on the development of the pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills and the many structured initiatives put in place by the teachers under the DEIS plan are having real
impact on the pupils’ attainment.
· The pupils’ handwriting and the excellent writing habits established in the infant classes are having a very good influence on the presentation of the children’s work.
· The parents are supporting their children’s learning in the classroom Maths for Fun programme in the current term. Their energy, enthusiasm and dedication to this project are commended. The parents make
significant contributions towards the provision of resources and enhanced facilities for the pupils.
The following key recommendations are made in order to further improve the quality of education provided by the school:
· A statement of strategy towards improving school attendance should be drawn up. The yearly attendance of all pupils should be recorded in the registers .
· It is recommended that the school instigates a process of continuous monitoring, review and evaluation of all aspects of the school’s curriculum plan in relation to the specific context of this school in order to
significantly improve current practice. All school policies and plans should be signed and dated by the chairperson of the board on ratification. Review dates should also be set for all curricular policies.
· The timetabling of discrete oral language lessons in English and the structured development of the pupils’ listening, responding and higher-order thinking skills should be addressed as a priority in the next review
of the DEIS plan
· Whole-school planning for provision for pupils with identified SEN should be developed to include further information as to the process of drawing up, monitoring and review of IEPs. Support should be sought from
NEPS and the SESS to direct teaching approaches further.
· Annual reports on pupils’ progress should be made available to parents for all pupils from junior infants upwards. These should include information on the pupils’ attainments in literacy and numeracy as outlined in
Circular 0138/2006.
· The accommodation needs of the school should be reviewed and current facilities upgraded as soon as resources permit.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the staff and the board of management where the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.
Published March 2009