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

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

Three inspectors were involved in the evaluation in Scoil Adhamhnáin. The evaluation involved the observation of teaching and learning in different class settings, a review of planning and policy documents, and an evaluation of the progress of pupils, including those receiving supplementary teaching in English. A school questionnaire was administered and structured interviews with the principal and class teachers were conducted. Senior pupils and parents were invited to complete questionnaires with respect to issues related to SPHE. Drawing on the evaluations undertaken in the schools nationally, the Inspectorate will publish a composite report on the quality of teaching and learning of SPHE in primary schools. Data from the questionnaires will be aggregated for the composite report. The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report; a response was not received from the board.

1. School background and context

Scoil Adhamhnáin is a co-educational, mainstream primary school located in Raphoe, Co. Donegal. The school is under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Raphoe. In 1997, when the last school report was furnished, there were 184 pupils enrolled in the school and a staff of eight teachers. There are now 170 pupils and a staff of twelve teachers based in the school, three of whom are shared with other schools together with four special-needs assistants, a secretary and a caretaker/cleaner. Projected enrolment figures indicate that pupil numbers will decrease in the next school year.

A positive school atmosphere permeates the school and the school motto “Friendship, Respect and Tolerance” is in evidence in each of the classrooms. Pupils present as happy and friendly and there is effective discipline and protocol in all classrooms. Classroom rules have been clearly established and all pupils co-operate with the teachers in implementing the school’s code of behaviour. Pupils are courteous to teachers and to visitors. The chairperson is a regular visitor to the school. He is a significant pastoral support to the school community. The school is actively involved in the Green Schools Environmental Project and has been awarded a first green flag for the pupils’ environmental work. The school participates in the School Completion Programme (SCP), the Home-School-Community Liaison scheme (HSCL) and the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools rural plan (DEIS). The additional funding received is used to promote a positive attitude to education and to enrich the educational experiences of pupils through the provision of a range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Despite the commendable range of activities on offer to pupils, school attendance figures are a cause for concern. The staff under the school’s DEIS action plan has set targets to improve the attendance of persistently poor attending pupils. A school attendance policy is also in place. It is now recommended that this policy be reviewed by the board to include further clarification regarding the roles and responsibilities of staff members in making an immediate response to pupil absenteeism. A statement of strategies to encourage pupil attendance including targeted measures to encourage and reward improved attendance by those who persistently do not attend should also be included. To this end, school assemblies should be used to regularly reward pupils for improved attendance. The annual reports of the National Educational Welfare Board available online on www.newb.ie will be a useful reference point for the board. Linking with the local education welfare officer and inviting her to the school to speak to the school community will also be an important step in the school’s mission to improve attendance.

The board of management is commended for the manner is which the school is meticulously maintained. The classrooms are adequately heated and ventilated and each has a range of suitable furnishings. The main corridor in the older building is particularly welcoming to parents and visitors. Attractive displays of the pupils’ work are in evidence in all public spaces. The school yard is commendably litter-free. At present the simultaneous access of pupils and cars to the school yard has safety implications for pupils and drivers. The board is asked to review this situation. The play space available to the junior pupils is particularly child-friendly. Consideration should be given to developing the senior recreational space to ensure a range of activities for senior pupils. The board has submitted an application to the Department of Education and Science for the refurbishment of the older school building and for the provision of a link corridor to connect the two buildings.

2. Provision and use of resources in SPHE and English

The management of human resources which support the provision for teaching and learning in SPHE and English is as follows. The school has an administrative principal, seven mainstream class teachers, one learning-support teacher, one resource teacher, a shared resource teacher for travellers, a shared home-school-community liaison co-ordinator and a shared DEIS co-ordinator. The DEIS co-ordinator is based in Convoy Joint N.S. The administrative principal is a diligent practitioner who fulfils all administrative duties in a competent manner. The deputy principal and the middle management team conscientiously undertake administrative and curricular duties in support of the principal. A schedule of duties for each post-holder is included in the school plan. All post holders are to be commended for their enthusiasm and their contribution to the overall operation of the school.

The current distribution of pupils means that class-size exceeds the recommended guidelines set by the Department in two classrooms. School management should review this matter to ensure that it is avoided in the next school year. A significant number of newly qualified teachers have joined the staff in recent years. Management should now consider establishing a formal mentoring programme in support of newly appointed teachers.

There is a satisfactory range of resources in evidence in all classrooms to support teaching and learning in SPHE. These include the Stay Safe, Walk Tall, and Be Safe programmes as well as the Department’s relationships and sexuality education (RSE) materials. The social skills programme Stop, Think and Do is used very effectively to a positive classroom culture in the senior classes. There is evidence that personnel from the local Family Resource Centre, the local Springboard project, the Rainbows support programme as well as An Garda Síochana, Health Service Executive personnel and the fire-service have supported the school’s SPHE programme. Several teachers have participated in external training in a wide range of courses including; RSE, Circle Time, Walk Tall, Stop Think and Do and No Monsters at the Gate. Teachers are commended for sharing of any new learning, methodologies and resources from participation in external courses with the rest of the staff.

The standard of SPHE specific classroom displays is commendable. All classrooms are bright, print-rich and motivating for pupils. The layout of the pupils’ desks in all classrooms facilitates collaborative work in SPHE. The pupils display ready knowledge of classroom rules and the overall expectation the school has for them. There are vibrant displays of the pupils’ work along the school corridors and in the general-purposes room, in particular. Here, there is a wonderful celebration of the pupils’ project work across the school. The use of signage and photographic display is particularly praiseworthy.

The school is well-resourced in terms of materials to assist in the teaching and learning of English. There is a good range of resource material available to cover specific elements in reading and writing such as comprehension and phonics. There is scope, however, to expand the list of resources available for oral language. The school intends to develop its provision for creative play in the junior infant classroom. As the school is very well-resourced in terms of personnel to support literacy, it is recommended that the school considers how best it can use its support teachers and special-needs assistants in its development of creative play, particularly in terms of providing the pupils with rich opportunities for thinking and discussion.

3. Quality of whole school planning in SPHE and English

A whole school plan for SPHE has been devised in consultation with staff and it has been ratified by the board. It had been recently reviewed. It provides a rationale, aims and objectives for the SPHE programme within the school’s Catholic ethos. All SPHE resources available in the school are clearly outlined. A two-year planning grid has been drawn up. This gives a broad outline of the work for each class grouping for each year of the cycle. There is however, a need for more detail in this content outline as to the specific curriculum objectives to be covered at each class level and the main resources to be used in support of these. This will ensure further continuity and progression from class to class and avoid undue repetition. There is also a need to plan and record opportunities for the integration of SPHE with other areas of the curriculum. The school community has formulated a good RSE policy. The content objectives are clearly listed for each class level and plans are in place for the ongoing review of the policy. The RSE policy should now be incorporated into the SPHE plan.

There is a highly commendable range of organisational policies in place to support the implementation of the SPHE programme. These include the code of discipline, substance use, an enrolment policy, health and safety, care of the environment, yard supervision, critical incidents and an ICT acceptable use policy. It is noted that the anti-bullying policy is due for review. It is now recommended that a key element of this review should be a survey of all parents, seeking their views, opinions and comments on the current policy. The home-school-community-liaison co-ordinator will have an important role in supporting marginalised families in this regard. All classes are using the Stay Safe programme from senior infants upwards. This could be supported by an annual anti-bullying week, whereby there is a whole-school focus on anti-bullying measures through the use of poetry, assemblies and displays of creative work. At a school-wide level, a very positive emphasis is placed on the healthy eating policy and the subsequent development of pupils’ health, through the promotion of healthy-eating practices and the school breakfast and lunch scheme.

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

The school plan for English is good. It is clearly laid out, delineated into grade levels and focuses on identifying appropriate activities to meet the objectives and methodologies of the curriculum. Aspects of the plan that are particularly effective include details of specific choices that have been made by the staff, for example the textbook schemes and novels to be used, the ‘buddy reading’ scheme between sixth and first class, the ‘paired reading’ scheme that exists for all classes between first and sixth class at different times of the year, the holding of a Readathon in the first week of November and the types of words that spelling lists should encompass. As part of this process, the school intends to identify a number of core poems to be covered at each class level. The school is advised to continue with this approach to planning as it will maximise the impact of the plan on teaching and learning. Areas of English which would benefit from this approach to planning include writing, oral work and use of the local library. Whole school planning for pupils with additional learning needs is very good. There are clear procedures in place for identifying and supporting pupils in need of additional support.

All teachers provide long-term plans and short-term schemes of work for SPHE. The quality of the long-term planning shows scope for development in the majority of cases. Where commendable, reflective practice was noted, long-term, time-bound schemes of work were clearly laid out and curriculum objectives effectively used to tailor the programme to meet the pupils’ needs. There was also effective planning for the integration of SPHE with other curricular areas. These practices should now be adopted by all teachers. Uniform short-term planning templates are used by all teachers which ensure linkage between the curriculum and classroom practice. Consideration should now be given to use similar headings in the monthly progress report template. The current template does not facilitate teachers in recording the comprehensive work completed. This would make the monthly progress report a more useful tool for school review.

Individual teacher planning for English is satisfactory. However, there is scope to develop this planning both in terms of oral language and writing. In terms of oral language, it is suggested that teachers identify in their short term planning, the approaches, methodologies and skills to be developed in oral language both in English and other curriculum areas. This would ensure that the range of approaches and activities that feature in the school plan would be better realised in the actual teaching and learning that takes place in the classroom. In terms of writing, there is a need to detail how writing activities both in English and other curricular areas will be scaffolded for weaker pupils. In this regard, greater cognisance needs to be taken of the exact activities to be undertaken in support settings and vice-versa to ensure that there is coherence in terms of the type of work, the amount of work and the scaffolding of work to be done by these pupils in English and other curriculum areas.

Long-term planning for individual pupils by support teachers is very good. This planning addresses pupils’ needs and details specific activities to be undertaken. Detailed weekly records are kept in terms of the specifics of what has been achieved. It is effective practice that these records also note how the child has approached learning. However, support teachers need to develop their short-term planning. It is suggested that they adopt a common model of short-term planning. There is a need to be more specific in detailing how work in the support setting complements class-based work and vice-versa. As such, class teachers and support teachers need to develop a collaborative approach to short-term planning that facilitates dialogue between them.

The DEIS co-ordinator and the home-school-community-liaison co-ordinator both have major roles in this school with regard to the support and implementation of the three year DEIS strategic plan. They work well together and offer commendable support to the school’s literacy programme. The home-school-community-liaison co-ordinator supports marginalised families in undertaking home visits. Strategies are also in place for informal contact with the co-ordinator by text messaging. The school encourages parents to attend a range of educational and recreational courses organised locally in Volt House. Donegal Vocational Education Committee funds many courses for parents. Consideration should now be given to using Scoil Adhamhnáin further as a base for parental activities, thus bringing the parents regularly into the heart of the school. Identifying experienced school personnel to talk to parents and up-skilling parents to become trainers to deliver courses to other parents will further develop the home-school work undertaken to date. It is also recommended that parents are encouraged to get involved in school planning and policy review. The schools’ recently launched web site and the informative newsletter are both commendable ways of keeping parents informed about school activities.

4. Quality of teaching and learning in SPHE and English

The quality of provision in SPHE was evaluated on the basis of observation of teaching and learning, a review of samples of pupils’ work and interaction with the pupils in four of the mainstream classrooms. Overall the quality of teaching and learning in SPHE is satisfactory. Pupils are exposed to learning across the three strands of the curriculum. Lessons are well structured and have clear learning outcomes for pupils. All teachers skilfully construct lessons that foster the self-esteem of pupils. Circle time is used by all teachers as a means of developing the pupils’ speaking skills and self-esteem. Further work in this area is recommended as a significant number of pupils display poor articulation and lack confidence in vocal projection. Many teachers build learning experiences around the identified needs of their pupils and this is very good practice. The differentiation of tasks and learning outcomes in SPHE in respect of pupils with differentiated learning needs and styles is effectively undertaken in most classes. A range of active learning methodologies is in use including circle work, drama activities, co-operative games, talk and discussion and group work. There is most commendable use of ICT and media in the senior classes. This practice should be extended across the school. The regular use of group work and project work in the senior classes is also praiseworthy. Very effective practice was noted with regard to the teaching and learning in RSE in the infant classes. There is praiseworthy attention paid to the pupils’ language development. The modelling of appropriate language in introducing the correct anatomical names for body parts whilst using a range of resources from the children’s play environment is commendable practice. The learning outcomes for the young pupils are highly praiseworthy.

In all lessons observed pupils were given opportunities to be actively involved in their learning in SPHE. Activities were challenging and interesting for pupils in the majority of cases. Where learning was effectively integrated with other curricular areas the learning outcomes were particularly praiseworthy. The integration of SPHE with other subject areas should now be a regular feature of practice in every classroom. During the evaluation, the pupils’ participation in the SPHE lessons was very good. They engaged willingly in all activities. They listened respectfully to others and understand the rules of collaborative learning. Most pupils display confidence in their learning in SPHE. They display particularly good understanding of environmental issues and are committed to the Green Schools project. The decision-making role of the pupils in partnership with their teachers in the Green Schools Committee is laudable. The introduction of a pupils’ council would now further the good work underway in the school in this regard. Holding regular school assemblies, where organisational responsibility is given to each classroom on a rota basis will also enhance the pupils’ democratic learning opportunities. Pupils’ awareness of the world around them is fostered through regular charity work. The pupils are to be commended for their commitment to the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. A wide range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities is available to pupils. After-school activities such as the science club are laudable and of particular merit are the cross-community projects undertaken with the pupils in Raphoe Central School. This is allowing the children of both schools get to know one another, building up bonds of friendship which is most advantageous at community level.

The quality of provision in English was evaluated on the basis of observation of teaching and learning, a review of samples of pupils’ work and interaction with pupils in four of the mainstream classrooms. All observed lessons were interesting, very well-prepared, well-delivered and well-managed. There were some stimulating elements to all lessons. These included very effective story-telling, the use of props to enrich an oral language learning experience, the effective integration of the different strand units that also integrated English and SPHE and the effective use of an unseen text to stimulate discussion and develop the pupils’ ability to deal with specific type of genre, for example a newspaper article.

In terms of the teaching and learning of English generally, standards are satisfactory. Oral language experiences are provided for pupils on a regular basis. There is scope, however, to expand upon the provision for receptiveness to language activities not just in English lessons but in all curriculum areas. There is also scope to expand upon the use of oral language experiences as a medium of learning through pair work, group work and allowing the pupils to make presentations on what they have learned. An effective example of this is noted where the junior infants visited sixth class to discuss the science experiments that sixth class had undertaken.

Reading is taught systematically. A number of pupils were heard reading. These pupils read well according to their level of ability. School initiatives such as Buddy Reading and Paired Reading are commendable. The print-rich environment is well developed, not just in terms of words but also captions. This print-rich environment extends beyond the classroom to the school corridors and to the general-purpose room. There is scope to make better use of these displays as a source of rich discussion with groups of pupils. There are strategies in evidence to assist pupils decode words. There is scope to develop this practice to incorporate strategies to decode texts. This could also be extended to reading in other curricular areas particularly for pupils who may have difficulties with reading.

Written work is undertaken on a regular basis. A variety of genres is in evidence. Examples of modelling writing for pupils were in evidence during the inspection and this is effective practice. Samples of the pupils’ written work reviewed reveal that there is a need to teach style more explicitly. Phonological awareness and spelling are taught systematically. Infant pupils are knowledgeable about their letter sounds. The school is already planning to develop phonological awareness in the middle and senior classes. There is scope to develop the visual aspect of learning spellings. Generally speaking, the presentation of work is satisfactory. To this end, it is important that teachers make achievable demands on weaker pupils. There is scope to co-ordinate the work of the class teacher and the support teachers better in order to develop more coherent learning experiences for pupils in writing not just in English but also in other curriculum areas.

5. Quality of assessment in SPHE and English

In SPHE, the assessment tools employed are those of teacher observation, teacher-designed tasks and tests, project work, homework, and the regular monitoring of the pupils’ written work. The quality of the assessment undertaken, however, varies. In the junior section there is evidence of very effective, progressive, ongoing assessment of the pupils’ knowledge and skills. Junior and senior pupils engage in self-assessment and this is commendable practice. Portfolios of pupils’ work are kept in some classrooms. It is recommended that teachers review the nature and role of assessment in SPHE at a whole-school level and decide upon the most effective ways of using it in order to enhance pupils’ learning.

Teachers are very knowledgeable about pupils’ progress in reading. Very effective checklists and assessment rubrics are used by some teachers to gauge progress in reading, writing and oral work. It would be worthwhile for teachers to consider how these checklists and rubrics in oral language and writing could be utilised throughout the school. Pupils’ written work is being corrected by teachers. Teachers’ corrections could, however, be more specific and more focused on the quality of the pupils’ ideas, their coherency and their expression. Pupils should be more consciously directed towards taking account of these corrections in their subsequent writing. Pupils should be systematically taught to self-correct their written work and how this skill can be utilised in writing across the curriculum.

6. Future development of SPHE and English

Scoil Adhamhnáin provides a happy, child-friendly school environment for its pupils. There are very supportive and positive teacher-pupil relationships in evidence and it is reported that the SPHE curriculum has contributed to the pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. The principal, teachers and support staff display commitment to the holistic development of their pupils and receive commendable support from the board and the parents in this regard. Many teachers attend external training courses with an SPHE focus and they are commended for sharing new learning, methodologies and resources with their colleagues.

A number of themes for future development are identified and these include:

School attendance needs to be improved. The school attendance policy should be reviewed by the board to include further clarification regarding the roles and responsibilities of staff members in response to pupil absenteeism.
The SPHE plan should be reviewed. The curriculum objectives to be covered at each class level and the resources to be used should be clearly outlined. Opportunities to integrate SPHE with other areas of the curriculum should also be recorded in the whole school plan.
Greater cognisance needs to be taken by class teachers of the exact activities to be undertaken in support settings and vice-versa in order to create a coherent programme in writing for pupils with difficulties in English.
There is scope to develop provision for oral language learning through teachers identifying in their short-term planning the oral language approaches, methodologies and skills to be utilised and developed not just in English but in all curriculum areas.
As the school continues to develop its plan for English, the focus for maximising its effectiveness should be on making particular decisions with regard to how English is to be taught and learnt in the school.

Conclusion

The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science wishes to acknowledge the contributions made by the principal and teachers during the course of the evaluation. It is hoped that this report will be directly useful to the school as a basis for review and development of practice at school level. It is anticipated that the composite report on the quality of teaching and learning of SPHE will serve as a valuable reference at system level and will inform the further development of policy and provision for the teaching of SPHE.

Táthar fíorbhuíoch d’fhoireann na scoile as a gcuid tacaíochta le linn na hoibre seo.