This report has been written following a whole school evaluation of St Mary’s Special School, Drumcar. 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 inspectors held pre-evaluation meetings with the principal, the teachers, the board of management, and representatives of the parents’ association. The evaluation was conducted over a number of days during which inspectors visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. They interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and interacted with the class teachers and other staff. They reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspectors provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the staff and to the board of management.

Introduction

The school is located in St Mary’s Drumcar, a rural setting, broadly equidistant from Dundalk, Ardee and Drogheda, the three main population centres in its Co. Louth catchment area. Together with the clinical, administrative, residential and vocational services provided on site, the school forms part of a network of provision linked to St John of God Northeast Services. The school is a recognised special national school operating under the Department of Education and Science (DES). Its main designation is in relation to moderate general learning disability. It also provides for children with severe/profound general learning disability, in outreach classes, in Dundalk and Drogheda, respectively. At the time of inspection, plans were at an advanced stage in relation to the establishment of a designated class for children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).

The school staff includes principal, six full-time teachers and nine special-needs assistants. It also includes part-time teachers of home economics, four days per week, and woodwork, two days per week. A full-time school nurse and a full-time speech and drama teacher are assigned to the school by local arrangement. The school also has the services of a part-time secretary and a part-time housekeeper. The current school year has seen significant staff changes as a result of retirements.

The school operates under the patronage of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh. Documentation related to its characteristic spirit commits the school to the provision of a caring and effective education with a Catholic ethos and also states that all denominations are welcome. The school’s aims are described in terms of enabling individuals to achieve their fullest potential, to participate as fully as possible in their local communities and to experience a quality of life as close as possible to that experienced by people in society as a whole.

Current enrolment stands at 42 pupils, 14 of whom are in the outreach classes. This level of enrolment represents a significant drop from the high point of some years ago, when the school catered for pupils from well beyond Co. Louth, many of whom attended on a residential basis. There are no residential pupils among the current enrolment. It is reasonable to assume that the drop in enrolment reflects wider developments in the field of special education. There is a view within the school that the needs of the current pupil group are, in general, more complex than would have been the case in the past.

1. Quality of school management

Board of management

The board of management is properly constituted in accordance with Department of Education and Science regulations. It is representative of patron, parents, teachers and the school community. The board has active links within the school community. The fact that the chairperson and treasurer work on-site for St John of God Northeast Services facilitates the processing of ongoing business between meetings. One of the parental representatives is chairperson of the parents’ association. The board meets on a regular basis, maintains appropriate records and hears reports from the principal on the operation of the school.

The school’s admission policy indicates that referrals are accepted through the St. John of God Northeast assessment team. It is understood, however, that referrals may also be accepted through the school. The policy states that the school enrols children who are functioning within the moderate/severe/profound range of learning disability. It is now appropriate to amend this to include reference to children with autistic spectrum disorders.

School attendance rates are notably high throughout the school. Where issues arise, the support of the school’s multidisciplinary team is sought.

The school plan is currently undergoing a process of review and up-dating. Regular liaison with the parents’ association has facilitated dissemination of current aspects of the plan.

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. Designated liaison persons have been appointed in line with the requirements of the Departmental guidelines.

The school observes the standard primary school year. The school day currently starts at 9.10 a.m., when doors are open to receive pupils and finishes at 2.30 p.m., when pupils board school buses. This gives a total time period of five hours and twenty minutes, whereas current DES regulations stipulate a school day of five hours and forty minutes.

Historically, the work of St Mary’s Drumcar has had a high profile in Co. Louth. It is possible that this may not include specific awareness of the role of the school. It is appropriate, therefore, that the principal has been proactive in developing links with mainstream and special school principals within the school’s catchment area and with the National Council for Special Education.

In-school management

The in-school management team consists of principal, deputy principal and two special duties posts. The principal took up duty at the start of the current school year, following the retirement of the former principal. The coincidental retirement of the former deputy principal and another long serving teacher has necessitated the allocation of posts of responsibility on an acting basis, pending the completion of the appropriate internal recruitment process. At the time of inspection this process was incomplete. The current process of reallocation of posts provides an opportunity for ensuring ongoing matching of duties to the developing organisational and curricular needs of the school. At present, there is no pre-planned schedule for staff meetings. It should be noted that DES regulations now allow for three staff meetings per year to be allocated equal time within school hours and out of school hours.

The familiarity of all staff members with all of the pupils in the main school is a positive factor in the management of pupils. Daily whole-school activities, such as assembly and mealtimes, are used to model and reinforce appropriate behaviour. Staff are consistent in their positive, supportive interaction with pupils and in promoting appropriate interaction among the pupils. A detailed behaviour policy and code of behaviour is in place. The policy, as written, is consistent with generally accepted good practice for such documents. Some of the wording, however, does not make allowances for the limited ability of some pupils to control their own behaviour. It was observed in practice that staff do in fact make appropriate allowances in this regard and persistent issues are addressed in consultation with the school’s multidisciplinary support team and parents. It is suggested that the policy document be amended to reflect the positive practice of staff.

All pupils in the main school avail of school transport funded by the Department of Education and Science (DES). Care and supervision of pupils using school transport is provided by bus escorts employed by the board of management and funded by the DES. The school’s outreach classes are located in day centres which pre-date the establishment of the classes in question. The children involved receive a dual educational and care service. Current transport arrangements for these classes are not successful in ensuring that all of the pupils can attend for a period equivalent to a school day. This is a matter which the school should seek to address in consultation with St John of God Northeast Services and the Department of Education and Science.

All activities of the school day are well planned and carefully supervised. A high standard of attention to general administration, including roll books, maintenance of school files and general secretarial matters, is evident.

Management of resources

The staff group, including teachers and special-needs assistants, incorporates a highly valuable range and depth of qualifications, experience and expertise. The school as a whole continues to benefit from staff training and development opportunities that are available through its links with St John of God Northeast Services. It has also engaged productively with the growing range of support services provided by the Department of Education and Science. Liaison has been established with the Special Education Support Service in relation to particular needs. Members of staff are to be commended for their initiative and commitment in pursuing a range of professional development opportunities. The principal has identified a number of current priorities for staff training, including training on methodologies particularly but not exclusively related to autism.

The school enjoys a level of staffing, additional to class teachers and special-needs assistants, that is significant in relation to school size. The school-nurse position and the part-time specialist teaching hours are valuable resources that are deployed to good effect for the benefit of pupils. Special-needs assistants (SNAs) are judiciously deployed among the classes. Each of the classes in the main school has access to SNA support. Two SNAs are assigned to each of the outreach classes. The SNAs, in addition to the delivery of individualised care support to pupils, work within classrooms in a manner which supports individuals and groups of pupils, while encouraging pupil independence.

The school has an ample supply of material resources to support learning and teaching in the various curricular areas and to meet the care needs of pupils. Commercially-produced materials have been adapted or supplemented by teachers. Specialist equipment, relevant to the needs of individual pupils, is sourced, where necessary, with the assistance of St John of God Northeast Services. The school minibus, acquired with local fundraising support, is a valuable asset which facilitates access to a range of educational activities. Computers are located in each classroom. A broadband connection is in place. Staff have developed considerable confidence in the use of computers and have shared information with regard to appropriate software.

Accommodation in the main school includes eight standard classrooms. Four of these rooms are currently in use as classrooms, one serves as a speech and drama room and one has been designated for the planned ASD classroom. Each classroom has an en suite toilet area. There is also a Home Economics room, a nurse’s room and general-purpose hall, as well as office, staff and ancillary rooms. The staff room contains a well-ordered resource library. There is shared access to an on-site swimming pool and a large sports hall. Classrooms and other areas are spacious, well maintained, attractively decorated and well heated. Recent replacement of floor coverings throughout the building has had a positive impact. Outdoor grassed and hard-surfaced play areas are well maintained. The wider grounds of the campus contain farm and natural environments which constitute a useful educational resource. The outreach classes in Dundalk and Drogheda are co-located with day centres operated by St John of God Northeast Services. The space available for educational activities is satisfactory in the case of one of these classes. In the other class there is a need for additional space to support individual and group learning activities.

2. Quality of school planning

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

The school plan is currently undergoing a process of review and updating. Considerable work remains to be done in this regard. Current completed content covers school location and structure, staff profile, pupil profile, philosophy, aims and curriculum objectives. Short outlines of policy are provided in relation to admissions, school reports, school leavers, parent-staff contact, in-service training, the Stay Safe Programme, health education, intimate care, pastoral care, student placement, housekeeping, school visitors, use of school minibus, accident reporting and recording, sports activities, fire drill, first aid, school outings and supervision duties. More detailed policy documents are provided in relation to behaviour and discipline, Relationships and Sexuality Education, information and communication technology, health and safety and the operation of the outreach classes for children with severe or profound general learning disability. Recently updated policies have been discussed with the parents’ association.

The strategy of providing brief statements across a number of areas, based on existing good practice in the school, while working on more detailed policy statements on particular areas, is appropriate and realistic. The current plan contains a useful overview of curriculum that should now be developed on a phased basis to include statements of curricular policy in the respective areas of the Primary School Curriculum, building on the existing good practice in classrooms.

2.2 Implementation and impact of the school plan

Practice at the classroom level is both consistent with and provides a resource for further development of the school plan. The quality of teachers’ long-term and short-term preparation is good throughout the school, and includes several examples of excellent practice. The best practice indicated appropriate selection of content, outlined the teaching approaches to be used, noted the way in which content and approaches were to be differentiated for individual needs and showed clear linkages from long-term overviews to short term planning, to recording of delivery. In some cases, planning documents might be improved by increased reference to methodologies and by mapping of cross-curricular links.

The practice of collaborative planning with members of the multidisciplinary support team was more prominent in the case of outreach classes, reflecting the complexity of pupil need and greater multidisciplinary involvement in these classes. In the main school this collaborative element is facilitated by monthly team meetings to which all teachers have access.

Teachers use a range of formats for general recording of curriculum delivery. As schools are required to maintain a monthly record of general curriculum delivery it is recommended that a common format or formats be adopted and the resulting document be retained as a school record.

The use of individual educational plans (IEPs), drawn up in consultation with parents, is now an established feature in the school. Future review of the IEP system might consider the number of goals to be prioritised and the extent to which objectives can be made sufficiently specific to facilitate tracking of progress. The pending provision of guidelines by the National Council for Special Education will provide a context for such review.

Classroom organisation and presentation are characterised by good use of space, high quality wall displays that relate directly to the curriculum, and a commitment to maintaining supportive and stimulating classroom atmosphere.

3. Quality of learning and teaching in curriculum areas

Teachers plan and deliver a broad and relevant curriculum, using appropriate methodologies, aligned to the structure of the Primary School Curriculum and developed in an age-appropriate manner for older pupils.

3.1 Communication and Language

Throughout the school the development of the pupil’s receptive and expressive communication skills is approached as a central aspect of the curriculum. Content and approaches are differentiated in accordance with age and ability. In the outreach classes there is an emphasis on identifying and building upon emergent communicative ability, through the use of objects, pictures, gestures and oral language. Elsewhere the main emphasis is on oral language, while LAMH sign-language is used as an alternative means of communication for some and as a communication and learning support for others. Group and individual speech and drama sessions enhance the work done in classrooms. Reading and writing are linked to daily oral language work, based on discussion of news and events, poems, rhymes, stories, songs and school activities. Graded practice is provided in specific skills. A wide range of suitable learning materials is provided to support pre-reading and early reading activities.

3.2 Mathematics

In Mathematics, pupils engage in activities that are responsive to their age and ability levels. The development of concepts related to the immediate environment, using a combination of everyday materials and structured learning aids, is a focus in all classes. Depending on ability level, pupils progress from initial awareness of number, shape, size, time and other attributes to performance of simple mathematical operations. Understanding and use of common mathematical language is emphasised. With older pupils, the functional use of mathematical knowledge and skills in social situations is stressed. Visits to shops and restaurants and involvement in woodwork and home economics activities enhance motivation and quality of learning at this level.

3.3 Social, Environmental and Scientific Education

Teachers are aware of the relevance of activities related to History, Geography and Science in developing functional skills for living and in enhancing awareness of, and participation in, social and cultural aspects of community life. Cross-curricular linkages are evident, both within this curricular area and to other curricular areas. Selection of content is relevant and realistic. Teaching approaches exploit the resources available within the classroom, school, school grounds and the wider locality and emphasise hands-on activity. In the outreach classes, this curricular area is linked closely to the development of sensory awareness and social responsiveness.

History

Pupils develop their sense of time, as it relates to immediate and more distant events in their lives and their families’ lives. This is linked with work on life and growth in Science and in Social, Personal and Health Education. Stories from History and mythology are used as a basis for work in Art, Drama and Language.

Geography

Activities in Geography range from spatial awareness in the classroom and school environment to the development of familiarity with locations in the school’s catchment area and beyond. Tracking, discussing and recording of daily weather and work on topics such as homes, transport and people who help us are among the commonly used classroom approaches. Class visits, using the school minibus, provide a valuable context for learning.

Science

Teachers have incorporated well-established nature-table activities and seasonal and weather-related themes, often supported by attractive visual displays, art work, poems and songs, into a wider Science curriculum that emphasises direct sensory exploration, observation, simple recording, and discussion. The school grounds provide a valuable resource for exploration. The school-wide recycling project, involving sorting of waste materials and regular trips to the local recycling centre, is a positive initiative.

3.4 Arts Education

Pupils are provided with a range of stimulating Arts Education activities that allow opportunities for self-expression and support the development of social, personal and communication skills.

Visual Arts

Pupils in all areas of the school receive differentiated support in engaging in Visual Arts activities involving a range of materials and techniques. Themes for art work are linked to a range of curricular areas. Samples of pupils’ work are attractively displayed in the classrooms.

Music

Pupils listen and respond to music of various types. They engage in music performance through song-singing and percussion work. Music is productively linked to movement activities. Songs in classroom repertoires support the development in Language, Mathematics and other areas.

Drama

Elements of Drama are used with pupils across the ability range to support learning. With younger pupils and pupils with more significant levels of disability, the emphasis is on responding to sensory stimuli and anticipating repeated patterns in rhymes and stories. For other pupils, drama builds on pretend play and is linked to stories, music and movement. Role play is used to rehearse social and community skills. Annual concerts provide an additional focus for drama-related activities.

3.5 Physical education

The school has access to a number of good quality facilities to support the Physical Education curriculum. These include the general purpose hall in the school building, outdoor play areas and green spaces, the sports hall and swimming pool on site and a horse-riding facility within reasonable driving distance. In addition, most classrooms have sufficient space for some physical activity. In the general purpose hall, pupils participate with enthusiasm in a range of suitable games and movement activities. Staff members support pupils appropriately in weekly swimming sessions. Horse riding has been a long-standing element of the programme, supported by the local branch of Riding for the Disabled and supervised by school staff. Classes make use of the extensive St Mary’s grounds for outdoor walks, games and sports days The school participates in a football league with a number of similar schools and supports pupils in participating in Special Olympics activities.

3.6 Social, Personal and Health Education

Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is treated as a pervasive element of the school curriculum to which all staff members contribute. Teachers plan and deliver specific class lessons and units of work related to the recommended strands – Myself, Myself and Others, Myself and the Wider World. In addition, SPHE learning objectives are addressed through other curricular areas, such as Physical Education and Arts Education. Self-help and social interaction skills are reinforced during mealtimes, swimming, school assembly and daily routines. The special-needs assistants and nurse make a particular contribution in relation to toileting and hygiene skills. Most importantly, the climate of interaction among pupils and between pupils and staff provides essential support for learning in this curricular area.

As pupils move through the school, work on SPHE-related objectives is enhanced through the collaboration of class teachers and Home Economics teacher. The well laid-out home-economics room allows for a range of age-appropriate and home-like activities. Realistic context and motivation are added through involvement of pupils in kitchen and dining room chores. Community skills, initiated in school, are practiced in real settings during regular shopping and eating-out trips. Pupil progress in this area provides a positive focus for communication between school and home.

Pupils in their final year in school take part in a one-month work-experience programme in the on-site vocational training facility. Woodwork sessions provide additional opportunities for developing work skills. Pupils in the two senior classes have access to woodwork activities for one day per week. The woodwork teacher works in the classroom and individual pupils rotate from woodwork activities to other classroom activities throughout the day. While this approach was observed to work well, the feasibility of providing a separate work space should also be considered.

The elements of the Stay Safe Programme have been incorporated within the SPHE framework. Acknowledging that this represents good practice, awareness of the importance of this area might be sustained by having a whole-school focus on the key messages at particular times during the year. The school leavers’ class teacher and the school nurse collaborate on the delivery of a specific module in Relationships and Sexuality Education.

3.7 Assessment and achievement

Observation of classroom activities and viewing of pupils’ work across the classes and age levels indicate positive pupil engagement in all curricular areas and significant progress in key skills.

Teachers use a range of assessment strategies in classrooms. Checklists have been developed or sourced in relation to specific skills, including toilet training, self-help, household and community skills. The contributions of the special-needs assistants and nurse are significant in relation to tracking of progress in a number of areas.

Formal psychological assessments are carried out at or before school entry. Ongoing monitoring is facilitated in the context of the involvement of the multidisciplinary team. Full assessments are repeated in preparation for onward placement or as particular needs arise. Pupils may be referred to the wider St John of God Northeast assessment team where questions related to levels of ability or specific diagnosis arise. Formal behavioural assessments are accessed, where necessary, through the support team.

4. Quality of support for students

4.1 Provision for students with special educational needs

All of the pupils have special educational needs. Some specific aspects of the school’s provision are mentioned here.

The supplementary staffing which the school has at its disposal, in addition to the core teaching staff, represents a valuable asset which, in relation to the size of the pupil population, compares favourably with other special schools. As indicated elsewhere in this report, this valuable resource is used effectively. The contributions of teachers, special-needs assistants, nurse and part-time specialist teachers complement each other to the benefit of the pupils.

The multidisciplinary supports provided by St John of God Northeast Services are valued by staff and parents and contribute to pupil welfare and development. There is evidence of productive collaboration between school staff and support team. The absence of speech and language therapy support and of physiotherapy support is a matter for concern. It is to be hoped that these gaps will be filled. The advice of an occupational therapist may be beneficial in relation to pupils with particular needs. This consideration is relevant, for example, in the context of the school’s planned provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). There does not appear to be provision for an occupational therapist as part of the support team. School management should continue to liaise with St John of God Northeast in relation to these issues.

Since September 2001, the school has assigned a teacher and two special-needs assistants to each of two day centres operated by St John of God Northeast Services, in effect creating two outreach classes. The pupils, all of whom have severe or profound general learning disability, are entered on the school role and the classes operate under the school’s board of management. The day centres remain fully operational and nursing and care staff provide significant services to the pupils on a daily basis. School and day-centre staffs cooperate in providing each pupil’s overall programme of education, personal care and health care, with support from a multidisciplinary support team. School staff report to the principal and centre staff report to their nurse-manager. Successful operation of such a framework requires careful planning and responsive management. Evidence of such careful planning is seen in the policy document that underpins the provision. The policy calls for a sharing of responsibility for all needs of the child, with teaching staff having primary responsibility for educational arrangements and nursing staff having primary responsibility for health-related needs. Collaboration and consultation are emphasised. A combination of one-to-one and group educational activities is recommended and it is noted that educational activities may proceed in areas other than the designated classroom. On the basis of observation and discussion during the current whole-school evaluation, it can be said that this model of service has significant strengths. It has facilitated access to education while retaining health and therapy supports. Clearly, this positive outcome has been supported by considerable professional commitment and skill on the part of the staff and management involved.

The school’s experience in extending educational provision to children with severe and profound general learning disability will be helpful in the context of its current plans to establish dedicated provision for children with autism spectrum disorders. Provision for pupils with autism, whether within a dedicated class or integrated with other classes is most likely to be successful where there is whole-school commitment, at different levels, to the development of an understanding of autism-related needs, to familiarity with important principles and methodologies among staff in general and to the development of deeper expertise on the part of key staff. With a view to supporting the ongoing development of autism-related education within the school it is recommended that a policy statement on autism education be included in the school plan. Positive steps already taken at the time of the inspection visits include the allocation of a well proportioned classroom and the identification of some staff training needs and opportunities.

4.2 Provision for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

The school’s enrolment policies and general practice are socially inclusive. Particular aspects of provision, though not specifically aimed at pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, are nonetheless likely to be of particular support to such pupils and their families. The availability of school transport, the provision of school dinners for all and access to a wide supply of learning materials without parental payment are helpful in this regard. Pupil access to all curricular and extra-curricular activities is not dependent on ability to pay. The support services provided by St John of God Northeast, such as social-work support and respite care, while available to all on a needs basis, are likely to be particularly useful for socially or economically disadvantaged families.

4.3 Provision for pupils from minority groups

Openness to pupils from minority ethnic or cultural groups, though not explicitly stated, is implicit in the school’s ethos and in its inclusive approach to pupils with a range of needs. Within current enrolment there is evidence of positive practice in relation to pupils from traveller backgrounds and pupils whose family origins are outside Ireland. It is reasonable to suggest that pupil enrolment may become more diverse in the future. An initial step towards ensuring an appropriate response to such development would be the inclusion, in the school plan, of a policy statement making explicit the school’s inclusive intent, and its commitment to developing the intercultural dimension of the curriculum, at an appropriate level, in response to emerging enrolment patterns.

4.4 Home-school partnership

There is evidence that home school partnership is an area of strength in this school. There is an active parents’ association with close links to the board of management and principal. Representatives of the association who attended a pre-inspection meeting were positive about the care and education provided by the school and the level of partnership and communication between home and school. This view was reflected by management and staff. The principal has used meetings of the association as an opportunity for discussion in relation to school policies and procedures. The fundraising activities of the association have facilitated the provision of valuable resources, including the school minibus.

Teachers operate a two-way communication system through a home-school notebook. The nurse plays a role in communication related to care and health needs. One day per year, per class is set aside for parent-teacher consultations. Further visits can be arranged as required. In addition, provision is made for individual educational plan meetings at the start and end of the school year. Parents receive an annual, written, pupil report.

Family involvement with the multidisciplinary team is a significant element in linking home and school. The role of the team is valued by parents, although concern was expressed in relation to the lack of speech and language therapy and occupational therapy input.

5. Summary of findings and recommendations for further development

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

The board of management contains a valuable mix of skills and has active links to the school community.
Pupil attendance rates are notably high.
Day-to-day activities are efficiently managed.
The school day requires adjustment to bring it into line with DES requirements.
The transport arrangements for the outreach classes for children with severe/profound general learning disability need to be adjusted to take account of DES school-day requirements.
Staff are consistent in their positive, supportive interaction with pupils and in promoting appropriate interaction among the pupils.
The strengths of staff practice in differentiating behaviour management in relation to individual pupils can be more fully reflected in the school’s behaviour policy document.
The school staff embodies a valuable range and depth of qualifications, experience and expertise.
Teachers and special-needs assistants collaborate effectively for the benefit of the pupils.
The school is well resourced, accommodation is of a high standard and the school environs contain valuable educational resources.
There is a need for additional space in one of the outreach classes.
Progress has been made in reviewing aspects of the school plan in consultation with parents; significant work remains to be done in this regard in relation to both organisational and curricular policies.
The quality of teachers’ classroom planning is good and in several aspects excellent.
In some cases, planning documents might usefully contain more specific reference to methodologies.
There is a need to adopt a common format or formats to record monthly progress in general curricular delivery.
Individual educational plans, drawn up in consultation with parents, are now an established feature in the school.
Future review of the individual education plan system should consider the number of goals to be prioritised and the extent to which objectives can be made sufficiently specific to facilitate tracking of progress.
Classroom space is used resourcefully, classrooms are attractively presented and classroom atmosphere is supportive and stimulating.
Teachers plan and deliver a broad and relevant curriculum, using appropriate methodologies, aligned to the structure of the Primary School Curriculum and developed in an age-appropriate manner for older pupils.
The supplementary staffing at the school’s disposal is a valuable asset that is used effectively for the benefit of the pupils.
The school benefits significantly from the multidisciplinary support services provided by St John of God Northeast.
It is necessary for school management to continue to liaise with St. John of God Northeast in relation to the current gaps in multidisciplinary supports.
The school has developed a positive model for joint delivery of education and care/health services to children with severe/profound general learning disability.
The school is to be commended for its decision to establish autism-specific provision and should now incorporate a policy statement on autism education in the school plan.
Home-school partnership is an area of strength in the school’s provision.

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

Appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that DES requirements regarding the length of the school day are met, both in the base-school and in outreach classes.
Options for provision of additional space for one of the outreach classes should be explored.
Work on the review of the school plan should proceed on a phased basis, focusing on a limited number of organisational and curricular priority areas each year and availing of support from the School Development Planning Support service.
Existing good practice in relation to classroom planning and recording for groups and individual pupils should be further developed, with increased focus on outlining of teaching approaches and methodologies in curricular areas and on clarity and measurability in IEP objectives.
An agreed format or formats should be adopted in relation to the recording of monthly progress in general curriculum delivery; such a monthly record should be retained as a school record.
A policy statement in relation to provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorders should be developed and included in the school plan.

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

Appendix

School Response to the Report

Submitted by the Board of Management

Area 1 Observations on the content of the inspection report

Very thorough and honest, a true reflection of the school

Area 2 Follow-up actions planned or undertaken since the completion of the inspection activity to implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection

Formats to record monthly teaching progress

Hold staff meetings on a regular basis

School policy with regard to the new Autism class