An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Whole School Evaluation
REPORT
Holy Cross National School
Firoda, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
Role Number: 18643S
Date of inspection: 03 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
2.2 Implementation and impact 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 Policy and provision for pupils with special educational needs
4.2 Policy and provision for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
4.3 Policy and 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 Holy Cross National School, Firoda, Castlecomer. 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. The inspector interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and interacted with the class teachers. The inspector 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.
Holy Cross National School, known as Firoda NS, was built in 1962 in the townland of Skehana which is situated close to the Laois border between Castlecomer and Ballinakill. It is a co-educational school under the patronage of the Bishop of Ossory. The school has grown from having one teacher in 1981 to its current position of having three classroom teachers and a shared special education teacher. The pupils come from the surrounding area, with a small number travelling from neighbouring parishes. Projected figures suggest that that enrolment will remain constant into the future. The average pupil attendance figures are good and all of the children in sixth class transfer to post primary school each year. The last school report was completed in 1998.
The mission statement of the school commits to providing children with a broad and balanced education in a supportive, relaxed and non-threatening environment within which they can perform to the maximum of their abilities. During the course of the evaluation, a positive school climate and atmosphere where individuals are valued, cared for and respected was a defining feature of the school. This atmosphere contributes to successful teaching and learning and to ensuring that there is effective communication between all of the education partners.
The board of management is properly constituted and meets on a regular basis. A number of effective functioning procedures have been adopted: minutes of all meetings are being carefully recorded and are agreed and a financial update is prepared for each meeting. The roles and responsibilities within the board are clearly defined and assigned to individuals, except for the roles of safety officer, safety representative and maintenance officer. It is recommended that these roles that be formally assigned. The school accounts are externally audited on an annual basis. The audited accounts and the minutes of board meetings are also submitted to the patron’s office at the end of each school year. The active role adopted by the patron in the management of the school is acknowledged.
The board has been involved in the development of a broad range of policy documents and has worked closely with parents’ representatives to ensure effective collaboration regarding the development of specific policies. The documents that are currently available address issues such as enrolment, discipline, anti-bullying, substance use, health and safety and pupil attendance. The board is to be commended for its work to date in the development of these documents and, at this stage, it is advised that the chairman sign and date all draft policies thus ratifying them as official school policy.
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). 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.
A very close working relationship exists between the board and the staff of the school, and board members expressed a high level of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and learning and with all aspects of the day-to-day running of the school. The centrality of the school to the life of the local community is evidenced in the support and goodwill that is exhibited towards all school activities by both parents and the community in general.
School begins at 9.20 am with children from first to sixth finishing at 3.00 pm. The children in the infant classes are afforded the facility to finish school at 1.45pm. It is recommended that the school review this arrangement in light of rule 56(1) which outlines the requirements governing the structure of the school day.
The in-school management team consists of the principal, deputy-principal and the special duties teacher. The principal is committed, hardworking and is very familiar with the community, the school and the educational needs of the pupils. The principal attends with care and integrity to the range of diverse duties inherent in the post of principal. School policies and procedures promote partnership and collaboration and all efforts are made to maintain a close relationship with all of the education partners. The principal is assisted by the deputy principal who engages in a range of organisational duties which have been verbally agreed in the school, and who also attends to incidental issues as they arise. In the context of reviewing duties in accordance with the emerging needs of the school, it is recommended that the duties assigned to the deputy-principal contain a greater balance of curricular, organisational and pastoral responsibilities.
Although the teachers have daily contact and discuss a vast range of school issues on an informal basis, it is recommended that the facility extended to schools to avail of formal staff meetings, in accordance with the conditions as contained in circular 25/03, be availed of. This facility may provide enhanced opportunities for formally reviewing aspects of the whole school plan. Consideration should also be given to introducing a formal minutes book to provide a record of meetings and to ensure that decisions taken and actions arising out of staff meetings and curriculum meetings are recorded.
The school has identified the cultivation and enhancement of the children’s self-esteem as being foremost in its priorities for the children. The behaviour as noted during the course of the evaluation was exemplary with a very positive and affirming engagement characterising the pupil-pupil and pupil-teacher relationships. A detailed code of discipline has been developed and is circulated to all parents. It categorises various levels of misbehaviour and has identified a range of sanctions to address them. In the context of the ongoing analysis and review of policies, further consideration could be afforded to ensuring greater involvement of the children in the review process and to introducing a greater balance between sanctions and rewards in the code. An outline of the role of the education welfare officer in situations leading to suspension and expulsion should also be included in the policy.
School roll books are maintained up-to-date and are computed accurately. It is recommended that practices in relation to the maintenance of the school register be updated.
The teaching staff is appropriately deployed to mainstream classes and support teaching positions in the school. Although opportunities for staff mobility are currently limited, nevertheless teachers are invited to specify their preferred class each year. In addition to this, there is a practice within the school for teachers to attend to classes other than those to which they are specifically assigned, to provide tuition in subject areas in which they have particular expertise. This is commendable. The staff is currently participating in the national in-service programme for the introduction of the revised primary school curriculum provided by the Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP). It has also availed of the PCSP cuiditheoir service to assist in the implementation of specific subjects. Individual teachers have participated in professional development courses in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Department of Education and Science (DES) grants for the purchase of resources to enhance curriculum mediation are appropriately deployed and are complemented by additional fund raising activities organised jointly by the board of management, the staff and the parents. The resources available to enhance teaching and learning include well-stocked classroom libraries, an extensive range of science equipment, a variety of materials to support the Visual Arts and Physical Education (PE) curriculum. The school has a proud tradition of pioneering Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and has hosted computer fairs throughout the 1990s to demonstrate to groups of schools the potential of Information and Communication Technology in enhancing curriculum mediation. Currently the school has fifteen computers, all of which are networked, in a designated computer room. There is also a data projector, a digital camera and a video camera. The children in senior classes all have personal folders on the school network which contain exercises and project work. There is an extensive audiovisual library, which includes a range of videos and a comprehensive suite of content-rich and content-free software to support teaching and learning in a number of subject areas. The learning of specific ICT skills is a feature of the provision in some classes and most classes exploit the potential of ICT to enhance learning in a number of subject areas. To further develop the excellent work that is taking place in this area, consideration should be given at staff level to further developing the potential of ICT in the classrooms and under the direct supervision of the teachers.
The school building was completely refurbished in 2004. The exemplary accommodation now consists of three mainstream classrooms, a computer room, an office and a staff room, which also serves as a learning support room, and toilet blocks. In 1989, a combination of local fundraising and support from the Diocesan office led to the establishment of a sports hall adjacent to the school and the playing field was redeveloped and expanded. New play areas and ball courts were also constructed at this time. The provision and maintenance of the facilities in this school are testament, not only to the support provided by the DES, but also to the dedication of the staff and the board of management. The goodwill which exists towards the school is characterised by the generous donation of land to the school by a family in the local area.
The school plan is devised through the collaborative activity of the principal, the staff and the board of management. The parents have participated in the formulation of a number of organisational plans. This approach to organisational policy formation is particularly commendable as it facilitates the inclusion of the broadest range of perspectives and it encourages commitment to policy implementation. The active role taken by the patron in monitoring policy development is also acknowledged. The development of curriculum plans is undertaken primarily by the principal and teaching staff through in-service days and school-based planning days. A number of completed organisational plans are circulated to parents and a full copy of the completed school plan is made available, in the school, for parents to view on request.
The school plan addresses both curricular and organisational issues. The education partners are to be complimented for their work in bringing these documents to their current stage of development. The school’s admission policy and safety statement have been prioritised for further development. It is also recommended that consideration be given to reviewing the school policy on record keeping and on attendance. In addition to this, it is advised that a policy on child protection be developed in accordance with the Children First Guidelines and a designated liaison person be appointed on the staff. Curriculum plans are provided for Gaeilge, English, Science, Maths and Visual Arts. The school has identified Geography Music and Physical Education plans as priorities for further review and development in the current year. It is advised that priority be given to providing a Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) policy and also a Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme in the school.
The day-to-day running of the school is in accordance with the strategies outlined in the school plan. Teacher planning in evidence throughout the school is varied, with the balance of emphasis in a number of subjects being on the specific textbooks that are in use rather than the school plan or the curriculum documents. An agreed template to facilitate individual teacher planning and monthly progress reports would merit further consideration. In order to maximise the impact of the considerable work that has been invested in the school plan, consideration should also be given to identifying and prioritising areas of the plan that require further development throughout the school and to devising an action plan. Ongoing review and development of the plan should lead to it more closely informing individual teacher planning. Monthly progress reports should be retained centrally in the school for one complete school year after the completion of the year to which they relate as they provide an official record of the work that has been completed with the children.
Gaeilge
Tá plean leagtha amach ag an bhfoireann do mhúineadh na Gaeilge sa scoil. Sa phlean seo leagtar béim ar na feidhmeanna teanga, ar fhilíocht, ar dhrámaíocht agus ar Ghaeilge neamhfhoirmiúil. Moltar anois forbairt a dhéanamh ar an bplean agus béim a chur ar an gcur chuige cumarsáideach, ar éisteacht, labhairt, léitheoireacht agus scríbhneoireacht, ar éagsúlacht straitéisí agus ar na modhanna múinte atá in úsaid sa scoil.
Úsáidtear straiteisí éagsúla do mhúineadh na Gaeilge mar shampla cluichí teanga, drámaíocht, filíocht agus tascanna éisteachta. Léiríonn na páistí tuiscint mhaith ar an nGaeilge agus is léir go mbaineann siad taitneamh as na ranganna. Tugtar roinnt deiseanna dóibh an teanga a úsaid i gcomhthéascanna éagsúla i gcuid de na ranganna. Moltar anois forbairt a dhéanamh ar an dea-obair seo tríd an scoil agus deiseanna a thabhairt do gach páiste an Ghaeilge a úsáid go neamhfhoirmiúil i rith an lae.
Tá tús maith curtha leis an léitheoireacht Gaeilge agus léann formhór na ndaltaí go líofa agus go cruinn. B’fhearrde fós an toradh raon níos leithne d’ábhair léitheoireachta a chur ar fáil chun na scileanna léitheoireachta a fhorbairt a thuilleadh. Saothraítear scríbhneoireacht fheidhmiúil go sciliúil tríd an scoil. Bheadh sé tairbheach anois béim sa bhreis a chur ar scríbhneoireacht phearsanta tríd an scoil. Tugtar faoi deara an dea-úsáid a bhaintear as ríomhairí chun na páistí a spreagadh i múineadh agus i bhfoghlaim na Gaeilge.
English
The whole school plan for English details the content to be covered and the methodologies to be deployed for all classes under each of the strands of the curriculum. It also details a structured approach to the development of phonological awareness throughout the school and pays due attention to the development of handwriting and spelling skills. This document provides a comprehensive framework for the implementation of the English curriculum in all three strands associated with this subject area.
Oral language is taught incidentally across all curricular areas and in general teachers achieve a balance between the imparting of specific vocabulary and enabling pupils to engage in talk and discussion about particular topics. In this regard, some excellent examples were observed in the senior classes where attention to emotional and imaginative development through language was a notable feature of practice. Explorations of topics in oral language through the use of talk and discussion, poetry and improvisational drama were noteworthy features of the provision. Exposure and exploration of story were noted in some classes and further exploration of story in the junior classes is advised. It is also recommended that individual teacher planning be more closely aligned to the school plan with a particular focus on the systematic development of the children’s oral language skills.
A comprehensive approach to the development of emergent reading skills is a feature of the provision in junior classes. This includes the structured and systematic development of phonological and phonemic awareness, provision of a print rich environment and a broad range of nursery rhymes. A variety of reading materials is available throughout the school, which includes a formal reading scheme, parallel reading schemes and a comprehensive range of reading materials in classroom libraries. A series of materials have also been procured for children experiencing reading difficulties. These materials have high interest level yet cater for low reading ability. In general, the standard of reading throughout the school is good with the children displaying a clear understanding of material read. A range of reading genres is evident in classroom libraries and the novel is widely explored in the middle classes. Activities fostering appreciation and enjoyment of poetry characterise provision in the senior classes.
An appropriate emphasis on the development of handwriting skills is clearly in evidence in the junior classes. A range of written activities is engaged in throughout the school. The effective use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance provision in the areas of letter formation, poetry writing and process writing, observed in some classes, is commendable. In order to further develop the good practice in this area, it is recommended that opportunities to write independently in a variety of genres and for a variety of audiences be extended and developed in an integrated fashion incorporating topics addressed in oral language and reading.
A whole school plan has been developed for the introduction of the mathematics curriculum, which includes specific learning objectives under each of the strands and strand units. To further enhance this plan, it is recommended that the range of teaching and learning approaches in use throughout the school should be detailed and recorded.
An appropriate balance is achieved between the breadth of strands and strand units addressed throughout the school and the children display competence appropriate to their age and class levels particularly in the areas of number, shape and space and data with number also forming an integral component of the work in each of the strands. The children participate enthusiastically in games designed to consolidate their understanding and recall of tables and number facts. The integration of ICT in the form of content-rich software is a notable feature of the provision in this subject area. Concentrated use of resources to cultivate understanding of specific concepts is a feature of provision in some classes. It is recommended that greater use of resources and manipulative materials should become a more central feature of practice in all classes throughout the school and the development of a maths-rich environment in each classroom would serve to further enhance provision. Greater linking of number operations to real-life meaningful situations would serve to enhance children’s problem solving capabilities.
Geography
The school has been engaged in a number of Comenius projects and has developed partnerships with schools in Romania, Sweden, Spain and Germany. A variety of geographical evidence including photographs, newspapers and artefacts from these countries has been procured and the children in senior classes work as geographers, in groups, to complete projects on the partner countries. They use this evidence in conjunction with the internet and create computer presentations, detailing the main points of their projects. They display an impressive ability to engage with a broad range of material and to extrapolate information relevant to the focus of their particular projects. This is commendable practice. Other aspects of the geography provision observed in the school included examples of the children engaging in studies of the geomorphology of the local area and of other areas in Ireland. Some initial work has been engaged in to develop the children’s graphicacy skills. Work to familiarise them with the counties of Ireland and some of the towns and cities also forms a feature of the provision. The children’s environmental awareness is enhanced through engaging in studies of various rock formations and fossils. An excellent foundation has been established for the introduction of the revised Geography curriculum, the inservice for which is scheduled to be introduced in the current year.
History
A wide variety of historical themes and topics are explored at each class level throughout the school. The children explore a broad range of stories about people in the past and they also explore a selection of myths and legends. They are introduced to the skills of working as historians through engagement with historical evidence, such as photographs, to help them acquire an understanding of change and continuity, including an awareness of factors which may have caused or prevented change in a variety of contexts. Pupils also engage in simple studies of some of the more important aspects of periods in which political changes or movements have had an important influence on the lives of people in Ireland. They then extend this study to explore eras of significant change and conflict in the world.
The school participated in the Schools Integration Project over a two-year period. This involved conducting extensive research into the local coal-mining industry, which has been a defining feature of the area for almost three hundred and fifty years. As a result of the project, the children produced a very impressive book and a compact disc, which forms a wonderful resource for the study of local history. It details the physical geography of the local area helping to foster an appreciation of how people have used the earth’s resources. The book also affords insights into the political situation of the time, the history of trade in the area, and into the harsh realities of the working lives of many of the children’s ancestors.
Science
A whole school planning document has been developed for the implementation of the science curriculum which details the content to be engaged with under the strands and strand units for each class on alternate years. It also details the specific scientific skills to be developed with the children and identifies the range of equipment required to achieve these aims.
Children in the junior classes participate in well-organised experiments designed to enhance their awareness of the properties of a range of materials. An analysis of teacher planning documentation reveals that children in the middle classes have conducted an environmental audit of the area around the school and detailed examinations of various habitats have been performed. In the senior classes activities are planned to attune children to the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Activities which investigate the sources and effects of heat on materials and an exploration of the physical characteristics of various plants and animals also form a component of the provision. There is a collection of birds and wild animals, which have been preserved by a taxidermist, on display in one classroom and this affords children opportunities to examine their unique physical features. It is recommended that the good work observed in the provision for science in the school continue to develop in accordance with the outline in the comprehensive whole school plan, to ensure a broad and balanced provision for this subject area throughout the school.
Visual arts
A whole school planning document has been developed for the implementation of the visual arts curriculum in the school. This includes sample lesson plans which involve the exploration of a specific theme under each of the strands of the curriculum, at each class level. In addition to this, the teachers in all three primary schools in the parish worked collaboratively during their planning day to share expertise and extend the range of activities that they would explore in the visual arts.
Children in junior classes participate enthusiastically in well-organised activities using fabric and fibre, and in this context, opportunities for incidental oral language development are availed of very effectively. In the middle classes, children explore colour using a variety of materials and media including paint, crayons and chalk pastels. Very impressive samples of construction activities are on display in the senior room, which include construction of masks and a model of the local coalmine. It is recommended that the whole school plan be further developed to include the development of a greater range of themes across each of the strands of the curriculum. It is also recommended that the creativity that is characteristic of the provision in some classes be experienced throughout the school and that the practice of displaying children’s work in some classes be extended to include all rooms and common areas in the school.
Music
The staff has prioritised the development of a whole school plan for the implementation of the music curriculum as a priority in the current school year. During the course of the evaluation children in the junior classes were encouraged to listen to and respond to familiar sounds relating them to specific emotions. Children in the middle classes are introduced to body percussion. In the senior classes children are facilitated to identify and define rhythm patterns of well-known songs and to recognise and use standard symbols to notate metre and rhythm. Children at this level also perform a range of tunes on the recorder. Compact discs and ICT in the form of a karaoke programme and specific content rich software is employed very effectively to support song singing throughout the school. Children are also given opportunities to compose simple musical sequences on the computer. The school hosts an annual Christmas concert which involves very impressive performances that are captured on DVD and afford the children opportunities to perform songs, dance, and play instruments.
Drama
Drama is used extensively as a methodology to enhance teaching and learning across a broad range of subjects in the school. Examples observed during the course of the evaluation include the effective use of drama and role-playing to provide contexts for language development most notably in Gaeilge. Children are also given opportunities to explore poetry through engaging in improvisation which involves them entering into the lives and situations of people in specific circumstances and honing and shaping dramatic scenes in order to communicate the emotions associated with particular events.
It is among the stated aims of the school that it endeavours to provide the children with a broad range of learning experiences to include activities that they will be in a position to engage in during their leisure time. This aim is reflected in the breadth of experiences, which the children have in this area of the curriculum. A wide range of teaching resources have been procured to enhance the Physical Education provision and the facilities in the form of a hard court area, an extensive grass playing area and a sports hall are exemplary. Provision as observed during the course of the evaluation was of a very high quality and involved the use of activity stations which maximised children’s participation in well-structured learning activities designed to develop a range of co-ordination skills. Planning for this area of the curriculum reveals that the children engage in aquatics, gymnastics, outdoor adventure games and Gaelic games. They are also introduced to the basic skills of a variety of games which include badminton, volleyball and basketball. The provision in planning for the mediation of this subject area through Irish is commendable.
Analysis of teacher planning reveals that the children are afforded opportunities to engage in a broad range of learning activities in this area. Staff members avail of all opportunities to enhance the children’s self-image and self-confidence. In infant classes children are attuned to an awareness of themselves and of significant other people in their lives, through the compilation of personal profiles. Discussion and dialogue with the children on issues pertinent to their lives are promoted through the use of circle time in the middle classes and provision in the senior classes addresses issues such as environmental awareness to prepare children to live as responsible citizens in society. It is recommended that a whole school plan for this area of the curriculum be prioritised. In this context, it is also advised that the development of a school plan for the implementation of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme throughout the school be formulated.
There is evidence in all classes that pupils’ work is monitored informally through the use of feedback in copies, teacher observation and teacher designed tasks and tests. Standardised tests in English and Mathematics are administered on an annual basis and results of these are usefully shared between class teachers and resource teachers to identify the need for supplementary support for pupils. Assessment results are communicated to parents through annual parent/teacher meetings, informal parent/teacher meetings and the issuing of end of year reports. These assessments provide useful information on the progression of learning generally in the school and the teachers are to be commended for their keen understanding of the different ability and achievement levels of the children in their care
In order to further develop assessment practices, it is advised that the current range of assessment modes be extended to include use of checklists, portfolios and profiles as well as affording the pupils opportunities to engage in self and peer assessment. In general, throughout the course of the evaluation positive levels of pupils’ engagement are in evidence across the curriculum.
A detailed whole school policy on special educational needs has been prepared which clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of the board of management, the principal, the classroom teacher and the special education needs teacher in attending to the educational needs of these children. It also includes details of the prevention strategies that will be implemented throughout the school and states the school’s commitment to ensuring that it operates a policy of early intervention in attending to special education needs. It is recommended that this detailed plan be reviewed to incorporate the revisions espoused in circular 02/05
The school has the service of a learning support/resource teacher which is shared equally with another school in the parish. Children are identified for this support as a result of their results in standardised attainment tests, combined with the views of the classroom teachers. The support as observed during the course of the evaluation was effective, well organised and targeted. It was delivered in a gentle, positive and reassuring manner and lessons were characterised by a high level of enthusiastic involvement by the children. Currently the support is provided in the areas of language acquisition, comprehension and literacy and is delivered to children on a withdrawal basis. In this context, it is advised that further consideration be given to providing support for children on an in-class basis. Detailed individual education plans have been developed identifying the strengths and areas for development of each of the children and priority long-term goals have been clearly identified. It is recommended that the roles of the classroom teacher and the parents in supporting children to achieve the specific goals that have been set out for them also be included in these plans. The implementation of a broader range of diagnostic tools to isolate the particular difficulties being experienced by individual pupils is also advised.
The extent to which the teachers have an in-depth knowledge of the local area and of the circumstances of the children was articulated in discussions with the principal. Observation during the course of the evaluation provided evidence that support for children of all backgrounds and circumstances was a particularly defining feature of the school. The principal has also given an undertaking that no child is precluded from any activities associated with the school as a result of financial constraints.
While the school has no children on roll from minority ethnic groups, a small number of children, who do not have English as their first language, attends the school. Observation of their participation during the course of the evaluation reveals that they are very well integrated into the life of the school and their language needs are being attended to effectively through the school provision for learning support.
In the interests of preparing children for the future in a culturally diverse world it is recommended that the ‘Intercultural Guidelines’ as published recently by the Department of Education be integrated into organisational and curricular planning and delivery in the school.
A meeting with the parents’ representatives on the board of management during the course of the evaluation reveals a very positive relationship between the board of management, the teachers and the general parent body in the school. Annual parent/teacher meetings are convened and parents also visit the school incidentally as the need arises. There is a general sense that parents have been appropriately consulted on all aspects of school planning and the accessibility of the teachers to openly discuss all aspect of the children’s progress was identified as a particularly positive feature of the school. Both the parents’ representatives and the principal refer to the high level of communication and involvement that exists with parents. Parents have been involved in a variety of initiatives to support the school which include fundraising, giving music workshops and providing enhanced support, supervision and transport to specific school events as required. In the recent past the school has organised presentations on dyslexia, which were very well attended by the parent body. As already referred to, the parents were central to the fundraising initiatives which resulted in the establishment of the school sports’ hall. This facility is used regularly for community initiatives. The parents identified the vision of the principal and the dedication and accessibility of the staff as defining positive features of the school. The staff, in turn, identified both the interest of the parents in their children’s education and their constant commitment to supporting the school as central aspects of parental involvement and support.
The following are the main strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made.
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.