A whole-school evaluation of Breifne College was undertaken in January, 2008. This report presents the findings of the evaluation and makes recommendations for improvement. During the evaluation, the quality of teaching and learning in four subjects was evaluated in detail. One subject had been evaluated in December 2007. A separate report is available on each of these subjects (see section 7 for details). The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report, and the response of the board will be found in the appendix of this report.

Introduction

Breifne College has a proud history of providing education for the people of Cavan town since 1932. It was the first vocational school established in the county and in 1974 the school, then known as Cavan Vocational School, moved from 19 Farnham Street to its present site in Cullies. The name of the college was changed to Breifne College in August 2006.

Enrolment has gradually increased in the last few years and this may be attributed to demographic trends, which see expanding development of the college’s immediate catchment area. The student population reflects current trends in Ireland’s population and the number of students in the college who do not have English as their first language has increased significantly in recent years, currently comprising almost seven percent of the enrolment. A significant number of students present with special educational needs and this cohort receive a high level of educational support in the college.

The college is included in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) action plan and it participates in a school completion programme. A range of supports, including a homework club, is offered to students in the college.

1. quality of school management

1.1 Characteristic spirit of the school

The college’s mission statement identifies providing for the educational needs of all students as a priority and certainly, with the introduction of the Transition Year (TY) in September 2008, the fullest range of mainstream second level programmes will be available in the college. An extensive adult education programme is provided two evenings per week.

The mission statement also speaks about providing a safe, nurturing and positive environment in the college. Parents and students spoke of a strong sense of care and support for students in the college and this was borne out by the observations of the evaluation team. However, it was evident that relationships among some staff were difficult.

1.2 School ownership and management

It is the policy of the Vocational Education Committee (VEC), through its chief executive officer (CEO), to devolve responsibility for the day-to-day running of each of its schools to the school’s board of management and the principal. The board of management is properly constituted and operates in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1998 and with sound operational practice. The eleven members meet regularly, at least six times a year and more often as issues arise. Minutes of proceedings are maintained. County Cavan VEC has provided training for board members and they reported that they were happy with the level of support and guidance provided to them. Members also said that they believed they had gained valuable experience in meeting the challenges posed by managing the college. Board members indicated that they have confidence in the principal and deputy principal, with whom they work closely.

The school plan is discussed at the first board meeting each year and the board is actively involved in the development and review of college policies. The board consults with the teaching staff, students and parents in developing policies. Once these have been agreed at board meetings, policies are then referred on to the VEC which ratifies each. A key priority for management has been securing a new college building and this is at a very early stage. Other priorities include middle leadership training, the recent establishment of a behaviour support class and curriculum development, specifically subject planning and the introduction of TY. The VEC has asked all boards to review their health and safety policies and this is being done as part of an ongoing review of school policies.

While parents are represented on the board of management and there has, in the past, been an active Parents’ Association (PA), more recently the PA has struggled to attract and retain members. This is a matter of concern for the principal who expressed appreciation for the many contributions parents have made to the development of the college down through the years. Extensive fund-raising activity, for example, has provided funding for a range of student activities and additional resources. The PA has also organised information evenings for parents on topics such as parenting skills, substance use and third level education. Historically, the PA has contributed to the development of several school policies. It is clear that an active PA has the potential to deliver significant support to the college community and to provide parents with a forum through which they can be involved in the management of the college. It is recommended that the board of management works with the parents to identify how best to motivate greater parental involvement in the college and to support the development of the PA.

1.3 In-school management

The roles of senior management are clearly described in the staff handbook, as are the responsibilities of all post-holders. The principal and deputy principal reported that they have clearly specified individual areas of responsibility. They meet for a very short time at the beginning of each school day and again at the end. They also make use of the college’s e-portal to keep each other informed of issues as they arise. The principal attends a number of meetings with various post-holders each week and is directly engaged in the management of, and planning for, the delivery of a range of supports to students. The availability of the deputy principal to attend these meetings has been compromised by a requirement to supervise class groups in order to facilitate the attendance of other teachers. The principal ensures that the deputy is kept informed of discussions held at meetings and of any decisions made. The college anticipates that this will change as its eligibility for substitution cover for these meetings was clarified by the VEC in January 2008. This is welcome as it is important that the deputy principal has opportunities for first-hand involvement in discussions with middle management and particularly those in relation to student support.

The nine assistant principal post-holders and twelve special duties post-holders assist senior management by accepting responsibility for many aspects of the management of the curriculum and support provision in the college. All post-holders meet the principal at least once a year and a review monitoring form is used by them to record their work at the end of each year. The principal also meets weekly with some post-holders, for example, those on the care team, the year heads and those who work with students with additional educational needs. A record of these meetings is posted on the e-portal and any teacher may ask to address a meeting on a matter of concern. This facility, which has been used in the past, is indicative of the commitment of senior management to achieve transparency in the decision-making processes in the college and to the real empowerment of staff. The college is committed to the development of middle management and twelve post-holders are currently involved on a middle management training module, provided by the Second Level Support Service (SLSS). Together, the regular meetings, open reporting and facilitation of further training have great potential to create and maintain a highly effective middle management layer in the college. However, though the principal meets post-holders individually or in interest teams, there are no opportunities for assistant principals or special duties teachers to meet regularly as a group, other than at the beginning of each year. Thus, post-holders are not consulted as a group on curricular, pastoral or planning issues and the scope for building on their combined expertise is limited. Consideration should be given to regular assistant principal group meetings in order to further develop the collaborative culture in the college and to strengthen middle management as a school structure.

Breifne College provides an induction course for new teachers and more experienced members of staff have made themselves available to act as mentors within their subject areas. The teacher mentors are participating in a pilot scheme supported by the SLSS and the senior management team facilitates their attendance at training sessions. A very good staff handbook is available on the e-portal. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the college and its various policies and procedures. It is updated annually and the school is commended for its provision of this important resource for teachers.

Staff meetings are held regularly five or six times annually. Agenda are published in advance and minutes are recorded. The college e-portal is used as a communications medium and teachers are encouraged to access it daily. Communication is facilitated by e-mail, through the use of notice boards and pigeon holes in the staff room and through informal contact with senior management. All formal announcements are made both on the e-portal and in hard copy. Teachers and other staff have access to the e-portal in the staffroom, some classrooms and the computer room. Both principal and deputy principal indicated that they operate an ‘open-door’ policy to facilitate individual members of staff who may wish to speak with them. Despite this accessibility and the fact that records of meetings are posted on the e-portal, there is a perception among some teachers that others have ‘privileged access’ to the principal.

There was evidence that there are significant difficulties in respect of staff working relationships, at all levels. While the CEO, in-school management and staff have taken steps to address some of these difficulties, morale among some members of the staff was found to be very low. Given the potential there is for such an atmosphere to demotivate teachers and impact negatively on the quality of school experience of students, all parties should continue to address these difficulties as a matter of priority. The development of a Dignity in the Workplace Charter for the college might provide a context within which to do this.

The relationship between students and staff in the college is characterised by mutual respect. The code of behaviour is expressed in terms of rights and responsibilities and is supplemented by a “Positive Behaviour and Sanctions” policy. This follows a move to manage student behaviour positively and to support students who are experiencing difficulties. In the academic year 2006/07, following a high level of suspensions in recent years, the college formed an education support class. Since March 2007, the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) has been involved and the college is gathering data on the nature and incidence of behavioural issues. A behaviour strategy team has been established and it is developing a preventative programme, called ‘re-tracking,’ which includes support from the Special Educational Needs (SEN) department for literacy and numeracy development and behaviour support from the education support team. Observation of an assembly for a year group and discussions with students indicated that policies and practices in the college emphasise the positive and demonstrate a level of trust in the students of the college designed to encourage good, responsible behaviour.

There is a representative and democratic student council in the college and excellent documentation was produced which indicated the regularity of their meetings and the level of professionalism which operates in the council. There are two leadership development programmes in place for senior students; a mentor system which trains students to act as supportive guides to first year students and a prefect system which involves students in some supervisory roles in the college. Training in leadership and communications skills has been provided to members of each group. The mentor programme is very popular and attracts a lot of interest from senior students. Consideration should be given to extending the range of prefect responsibilities to make it attractive to a larger number of students. Each of these groups is supported by the involvement of a post-holder and this commitment to helping students is typical of the positive approach taken by the college to the management of students.

Attendance is carefully monitored and the home-school-community liaison (HSCL) co-ordinator has identified families with whom she is working closely. However, poor student attendance is still a challenge for some teachers. A number of excellent supports have been put in place as part of the School Completion Programme (SCP). These include a breakfast club and a homework club. The SCP co-ordinator is also timetabled to work with students in first year throughout the year on a personal development course.

The parents interviewed during the WSE were satisfied with the level of communication between college and home and reported that the principal and deputy principal were supportive, and approachable. They welcomed the recent expansion of accessibility to the college’s intranet to all parents. The re-establishment of the PA would be effective in further developing communication within the whole school community. Formal parent-teacher meetings are organised in line with agreed procedures. In recognition of the primary responsibility of parents for their children’s education, Breifne College makes good use of the student journal as a communications tool. Parents are asked to sign it on a daily basis and parents who spoke to the evaluation team acknowledged that they felt better informed about what was happening in the college as a result.

The college benefits from participation in a home-school-community liaison scheme and, through it, links have been developed with local community-based support groups. The college has been pro-active in liaising with the Health Service Executive (HSE), the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and other bodies to ensure that a very good range of supports is available to students and their families. Through the guidance counsellors in the college, good links have been established with the local business community and ‘Business in the Community’ and junior achievement programmes have been initiated.

1.4 Management of resources

The college allocates a budget to all subjects annually and there is a well defined procedure in place for purchasing the resources required by staff. It was not clear that all subject departments are aware of the availability of these funds.

The board and many of the teachers who met the evaluation team spoke of their frustration with the physical limitations of the college building. The existing main building has large areas of single-glazed windows, which makes it expensive to heat and there is limited scope to develop resource and support rooms as needed. There is limited storage space for teachers’ books and no area in which teachers may work undisturbed in the staffroom. The board is actively seeking a new school building and has made contact with the Department of Education and Science in this regard. In the meantime, facilities to support the implementation of the curriculum are well organised and maintained and management makes every effort to ensure the availability of specialist rooms for the relevant class times.

Teachers are deployed to the college by the VEC in accordance with the needs of the college and the resources available to the VEC. As well as its general allocation based on overall student numbers, the college is also in receipt of additional staffing resources in respect of students with special educational needs, Traveller students, and language support for students whose first language is other than English. The college also has a HSCL co-ordinator. The deployment of teachers complies with Department regulations and requirements and is consistent with teachers' qualifications, expertise, and experience. Teaching time for subjects is allocated generally in accordance with the requirements of the relevant subject syllabuses. In addition to the timetabled Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, 145 minutes are allocated for class tutor work weekly. This comprises two ten-minute periods during the day when roll call is taken and college journals are checked. Tutors may also use this time to make announcements and check on students’ progress. Class groups are timetabled for a ‘Care’ period once a week also. Year group assemblies may be held and the guidance department makes use of this time to bring visiting speakers to specific year groups. No programme of work has been written for those class periods where neither group assemblies nor visiting speakers are scheduled. As a result of this allocation to pastoral support, teaching and learning time is potentially eroded by approximately ninety minutes each week. The college should revise its timetabling arrangements to ensure twenty eight hours class-contact time for all students in accordance with circular letter M29/1995. In this regard, consideration might be given to increasing the time allocated to the core subjects, for example.

The college has excellent facilities within the computer rooms. In addition, terminals are available in the staff room, the library and the learning support rooms. An internet acceptable use policy has been drawn up. The college e-portal is developing and both parents and teachers have remote access to relevant information.

2. Quality of School planning

2.1 The school plan

Although the college’s involvement with formal school development planning is relatively recent, having begun in 2005/06, significant progress has been made. Policies have been developed and ratified in key areas, including admissions, behaviour management, support for students and information and communications technology (ICT). There is a strong emphasis on curriculum planning, including the development of subject departments and the introduction of a new programme and the college has identified a number of priorities for planning for the future. In summary, Breifne College has formulated a robust school plan, as envisaged in Section 21 of the Education Act 1998.

This successful planning has been facilitated by the work of a small co-ordinating committee, comprising the principal, one of the guidance counsellors and another member of staff. This committee meets five or six times annually to review the progress being made by planning sub-committees formed by the teachers. Planning activity in the college was focussed from the beginning on the welfare and support of students. Initially, the year head and tutor system was reviewed by the college, together with a number of policies, including the Admissions and Substance Abuse policies. A Special Education Needs policy was also developed and a very helpful and comprehensive Guidebook to SEN was prepared for teachers. At the time of the evaluation sub-committees were working on, among other issues, the development of a healthy eating policy; the expansion of the college’s e-portal; a review of the behaviour management strategy in the college; and on college heath and safety. While section 4.1 of this report discusses subject planning in more detail, the good work done by subject departments in this regard is acknowledged here.

The co-ordinating committee also manages the consultative process. The full school community is invited to contribute to policy development and there was clear evidence that parents and students are consulted as a matter of course and thus can contribute to the development of school policy. The principal brings the school plan to the board of management annually and communicates the priorities agreed at that level to the planning groups. Planning features on the agenda of all staff meetings, either in the form of feedback from one of the sub-committees or discussion of policy. Records presented during this evaluation indicate that policy documents are reviewed regularly and procedures updated where required.

The school plan is made available to staff in their handbook which addresses most aspects of the life of the college. It is also available on the e-portal, together with records of meetings of planning sub-committees and the subject plans developed by teachers. Copies of relevant policies are provided in the information pack given to parents of incoming first years and the college’s Code of Behaviour and Suspension and Expulsion policies are reproduced in students’ journals. A hard copy of the full school plan is also accessible to parents in the school office and the expansion of the college’s e-portal means that, in the future, they will have convenient access to the plan on the college’s website. This level of accessibility is highly commended and is indicative of the commitment of senior management to openness and transparency. In that context, it is suggested that the electronic version of the plan should include a clearly delineated developmental section. This will involve a re-organisation of the information already available and should result in clear communication of current planning priorities. The frequency with which elements of the plan change—for example, lists of staff members are updated annually and policies are reviewed on an ongoing basis—can mean that e-files contain a number of versions of documents. It is further suggested that, as alterations are made to the school plan, previous versions of documents should either be archived or deleted.

Confirmation was provided that, in compliance with post-primary Circulars M45/04 and 0062/2005, the board of management has formally adopted the Child Protection Guidelines for Post-primary Schools (Department of Education and Science, September 2004). Confirmation was also provided that these child protection procedures have been brought to the attention of management, school staff and parents; that a copy of the procedures has been provided to all staff (including all new staff); and that management has ensured that all staff are familiar with the procedures to be followed. A designated liaison person (DLP) and a deputy DLP have been appointed in line with the requirements of the guidelines.

3. Quality of curriculum provision

3.1 Curriculum planning and organisation

Breifne College offers a full range of courses to meet the needs of students currently enrolled. Programmes currently on offer in the college are the Junior Certificate, the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), the Established Leaving Certificate and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP). Curriculum development was identified as a key theme of school development planning and an optional Transition Year (TY) programme will be available from September 2008.

Planning for the introduction of TY has taken place under the guidance of the Transition Year Support Service. A TY planning sub-committee, set up in the context of whole-school planning, has met a number of times and has addressed curriculum design and practical implementation issues. At the time of the evaluation, subject planning for the programme had just begun. Some unease was expressed in the college that the introduction of TY might divert teaching resources from the student support programmes currently available. Careful planning at this stage should do much to alleviate this concern and, by including a review of new programme into the TY plan, it will be possible to monitor its success. It is suggested that all programme plans should include a review process which allows for the formal evaluation of their implementation and effectiveness in supporting students’ learning. This process should involve teachers, students and parents.

The post-holder who is responsible for the co-ordination of the LCVP is assisted by two other teachers. Together, they form the LCVP team. Their work is supported by management, which facilitates a team meeting each term. Approximately two thirds of students follow this programme. Despite this, in recent years some students on the programme did not take the link module examinations. This may be because participation in the LCVP is decided only after students entering senior cycle have chosen their subjects for fifth year. Where those choices are suitable, students are automatically placed on the LCVP. A review of how students are selected for LCVP should be conducted to ensure a good fit between students’ interests and the programme followed.

The LCVP co-ordinator also co-ordinates the work experience programme in the college and has devised a comprehensive range of materials to support the preparation for monitoring and assessment of work placements. All senior cycle students, regardless of which programme they are following in senior cycle, do work experience. Given that work experience is typically for one week each year, this represents a significant erosion of class contact time for students on the established Leaving Certificate programme and this should be addressed to ensure that those students are not at a disadvantage relative to their peers in other schools. The introduction of a Transition Year in the coming year will also have implications for the role of work experience in senior cycle.

The JCSP and the LCA programme function as support programmes for students who have a variety of educational support needs. As a result, there is very close liaison between teachers on these programmes and the learning support department in the college and students benefit from this. However, neither of these programmes is designed to have students with SEN as its primary target group. Care should be taken to avoid a situation where these programmes become associated with SEN only and thus, become unattractive to non-SEN students who might benefit from them.

A comprehensive programme of adult education is available two evenings a week in Breifne College and the director of adult education holds an assistant principal post. It was reported in the college that the programme of adult education classes has made a significant contribution to the positive reputation of the college as a centre of learning for the community.

3.2 Arrangements for students’ choice of subjects and programmes

Students are well supported in making educational choices in Breifne College. There is close liaison with primary schools and active promotion of the school to prospective students and their parents. An information evening is arranged for parents of enrolling first year students to explain school programmes and to raise parents’ understanding of school initiatives take place and an information pack is provided. An open day is organised for first years at which they are welcomed, taken on a tour of rooms and facilities and introduced to various optional subjects.

Placement in junior cycle class groups is determined by performance in pre-entry assessments and information from feeder primary schools. Three broad bands are formed and, within the first two bands, students are divided alphabetically into mixed-ability class groups. Students placed in the third band are deemed to have additional educational support needs. These students take the JCSP and two class groups, streamed by level of support needed, are formed in this band.

The two guidance counsellors play an important role in facilitating students to make good educational and career choices. They offer a programme of educational guidance in relation to subject options on a modular basis to students in third year, for example, and senior cycle classes are timetabled for guidance classes. An information evening is held each year for the parents of third year students at which the various options available are explained and discussed. The college is to be commended for adopting a policy of providing students with as open a choice as possible with respect to the available subjects. Insofar as it is possible, the college provides students with their first choices and there is some flexibility available to allow students to change their choices in the first half of the school year.

The college recently organised a careers fair locally, which brought back almost a hundred former students to share their work experiences with students. This fair which was held in a local hotel and was open to other schools was a valuable and innovative way of motivating and inspiring current students. The guidance department and the college are highly commended for the work done to organise the event. The quiet pride of the school community in the very good Directory of Career Options which was published to coincide with the fair is justified.

Students either self-select for the programmes offered for senior cycle or, in the case of LCVP, are on the programme by default if they choose particular subject groupings. Parents and students are aware that this will happen and students are given a list of the relevant subject groupings. At the time of the evaluation, the link modules were timetabled as core subjects for senior cycle and students who were studying for the established Leaving Certificate were supervised at the back of the classroom while the modules were being taught. The college should reconsider this arrangement to ensure that optimal use is made of the teaching and learning resources in the college. Again, attention is drawn to the requirements of the CL29/1995, Time in School.

The college has identified increasing participation in higher level courses for the certificate examinations as a development aim and a planning group for improving academic standards has been established. This group has initiated a number of strategies to raise students’ own expectations and their achievement levels. These include establishing a consistent approach to examination supervision, to the signing by parents of journals, additional examinations in November, the active encouragement of participation in higher level courses and guidance support on goal-setting.

3.3 Co-curricular and extra-curricular provision

Breifne College has developed a policy for managing extra-curricular activities in the college. This outlines the attention paid by management and teachers to the holistic development of their students, in keeping with the aims espoused in the college mission statement. A wide range of sporting, cultural and social activities is available and accessible to all students. The college is fortunate in the commitment of time, energy, enthusiasm and care which the many teachers who provide these experiences bring to these activities. Both the board of management and the representatives of the Parents’ Association who met the inspection team were highly complimentary about the range of activities and the generosity of teachers in providing them.

All students are encouraged to become involved in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities and their achievements are recognised through the awards system and through the college newsletter, ‘The Oracle’. A very full programme of sporting activities is provided and the college has had some significant achievements at county level. In addition, students on the LCA programme are provided with the opportunity to achieve coaching awards and to obtain a ‘Young Referees’ qualification. Students are encouraged to become involved in a number of social awareness activities, including fund-raising and charity work. In 2006, Breifne College students raised over €150,000 to help build wells and housing for a village in Zambia, for example. The variety of arts and cultural activities organised also supports teaching and learning in the college. For example, the college participates in an Arts-link project with a partner school in Strabane to explore issues of cultural identity. The college and the teachers are highly commended for the personal development opportunities they provide to students.

4. Quality of learning and teaching in subjects

4.1 Planning and preparation

Subject department planning is very well established in Breifne College and is well supported by college management with the provision of time for planning three or four times during the school year. Teachers work collaboratively to develop subject department plans from curriculum frameworks or syllabus documents. Informal planning discussions also take place between teachers. Coordinators for each subject are in place and the good practice of rotating this role amongst members of the department was evident.

Where planning was most successful learning outcomes, as well as suggested methodologies and resources, were outlined together with curriculum content. It is suggested that students should be issued with a list of topics to be completed in subjects in each year. This will assist students in planning and organising their work. Commendably, records of department meetings are maintained and minutes were provided during the evaluation. The good practice of reviewing progress was evident and this has been used to identify strengths and ways to improve the quality of subject provision in the college. Documents relating to planning are available on the curriculum server of the college’s IT system and this is commended.

The planning documents presented during the evaluation indicated that planning by individual teachers was of a high standard. In devising a scheme of work for a class, care should be taken to ensure that the work planned is student-centred rather than determined primarily by the requirements of certificate examinations. The time given by teachers, and the effort made to provide resources appropriate to specific class groups deserve to be acknowledged as they reflect their commitment to their students. A wide range of teacher-generated resources was used effectively to support teaching and learning. School management has provided storage facilities for resource materials and teachers also post materials on the school’s e-portal system, ensuring that resources are available to all teachers in their respective subject departments.

4.2 Learning and teaching

There was evidence of good short-term planning for the lessons observed. Lessons were generally well structured, purposeful and presented at a pace suited to the abilities of the students. In most cases, teachers shared the topic of the lessons with their class group. In order to provide students with a more tangible focus for their learning, it is recommended that the expected learning outcomes of the lessons should always be shared with the students at the outset.

Teachers worked very hard to ensure that students understood the concepts of the lessons. Teaching and learning were most effective when the content of the lessons was varied and when well-planned and appropriately-used resources and active learning methodologies accompanied the lessons. Many of the methodologies stimulated and motivated students and encouraged them to actively engage with the content of lessons. The use of such methodologies is highly commended. In some cases, there is scope to increase the use of strategies to engage students in their learning and thus promote independent learning. Discussions on methodologies, and on teaching and learning, should form part of subject department planning. Methods chosen should provide opportunities for students to be active contributors to lessons and to practise a range of skills rather than simply rehearse factual knowledge. The potential to share good practice with regard to the effective use of active methodologies, both within and across subject departments, should also be considered. While there was evidence of the effective use of ICT in a number of lessons, an exploration of how ICT can be further integrated into teaching and learning across the curriculum is suggested.

There was some good evidence of the skilful use of questioning to check understanding and engage students in the learning activities. Questioning was most effective when the questions were open-ended, thus requiring students to show a deeper understanding of the topics. In such cases, the questions also provided students with opportunities to develop higher-order thinking skills such as analysis and synthesis, as opposed to mere recall of knowledge. More frequent opportunities to use higher-order thinking skills in both oral and written work should be provided.

Classroom management was very good and there was evidence of a good rapport between teachers and their students. In some lessons, teachers moved around the classrooms, as students were working. Students experiencing difficulties were provided with appropriate support. Student participation was encouraged and students were appropriately affirmed for their efforts. A print-rich learning environment has been created in a number of the classrooms through the display of a range of well-chosen educational posters and students’ project work. This is commended.

4.3 Assessment

Standardised, norm-referenced tests are administered to all in-coming first years prior to enrolment. These, together with liaison with feeder primary schools, are used to place students in class groups.

The type and quality of assessment practices used to assess student progress in the college varied across those lessons observed. Generally, classroom learning is checked through oral questioning, written assignments and the assessment of project and practical work, as well as monitoring of students’ level of engagement in lessons. Class tests are administered at regular intervals, for example, end-of-topic tests. In some cases, subject departments devise common assessments and this is very good practice. It is recommended that progress is assessed across all aspects of students’ work, for example, oral proficiency and project and practical work for both junior and senior cycle classes. This was done in some subjects, in keeping with the assessment objectives of the syllabuses.

Homework is set regularly but there was considerable variation between how this was marked, perhaps reflecting the differences between the subjects inspected. However, care should be taken to ensure that students receive timely feedback on their work and the use of assessment for learning principles; in particular, ‘comment-only’ marking should be developed further as a means of effectively supporting students in preparing for the certificate examinations. Advice and support is available on the website of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) (www.ncca.ie).

In-school examinations are held for all students at the end of the first term and all non-examination year groups also have summer examinations. Third and fifth years are assessed by pre-certificate examinations in early spring. In some instances, teachers’ records provided information on student achievement in class tests as well as attendance and homework records. It is recommended that this should be extended across all subjects so that teachers can give accurate feedback on their performance to students and parents.

5. Quality of support for students

5.1 Inclusion of students with additional educational needs

The student population in Breifne College is representative of the community it serves and all levels of ability are apparent. It was reported in the college that a majority of students require support and that students from beyond its traditional catchment area were attracted to the college because of its commitment to care. The arrangements to provide for the educational needs of all students are very good.

Breifne College has an allocation of 6.72 whole-time teacher equivalents (WTE) for the support of students with special educational needs. This is in addition to eleven hours for learning support. The college has a significant population of disadvantaged students and students with special educational needs (SEN) and a support team has been established to address their needs. This team, comprising a guidance counsellor, the JCSP co-ordinator, the SEN co-ordinator and the resource and learning support teachers, meets weekly with the principal. Minutes of the meetings are kept and, in keeping with the college’s commitment to transparency, are available to all teachers on the college’s e-portal. A concern for the confidentiality of matters discussed means, however, that the minutes posted are very sparse and do not record decisions made or actions taken. It is suggested that this should be reviewed in order to ensure that a clear record of how decisions about support provision are made in the college is maintained and available, as appropriate, to relevant members of staff.

SEN team meetings focus on the needs of specific students and on forward planning. Very effective use has been made of the time so that a SEN policy has been devised and a fine handbook for all teachers has been produced. This provides clear guidance on the nature of a variety of learning difficulties and outlines suitable approaches for teaching. The primary planning aim for this year is to review the SEN policy and to produce a SEN department plan. It is recommended that review meeting minutes should record who attended, decisions made and actions planned.

The procedures in place to identify students with special educational needs are thorough. Together with students who may have other difficulties achieving success, they are placed in one of two small class groups formed in the third band in first year. The JCSP, which is followed by these students, allows them to take a reduced curriculum and provides additional time for support as needed.

A register of students is maintained and profiles are generated to ensure that the needs of all students are known. The JCSP and LCA programmes function as group plans for large numbers of students who have been placed in small class groups. Care should be taken to avoid an over-reliance on these programmes as effective ways to address the support needs of all students, particularly in senior cycle, where students may not have access to learning support. Progress has been made in developing learning and teaching plans for students assessed by the SEN team as most in need of individualised support. Teachers maintain a record of improvement following support lessons and the progress of all students with SEN is carefully monitored through testing at the end of each year. This is in keeping with best practice.

The college has received an additional allocation of forty-two hours to support thirty-three students who do not have English as their first language. The numbers of newcomer students enrolling in the college has increased over the last few years and a dedicated support team has been established. The two teachers who work with newcomer students meet weekly to discuss the programme offered, the resources available to them and have a strong focus on devising strategies to promote the inclusion of this group of students. The principal attends meetings whenever possible and the college is commended for its commitment to providing very good supports to this group of students.

Currently, a college-designed placement test is administered to determine proficiency in English and students are grouped in support classes according to age and ability. It is recommended that the assessment of English language proficiency should be formalised and conducted in accordance with advice as given in Circular letter 0053/2007. This can be downloaded from the Department’s website (www.education.gov.ie). The Integrate Ireland Language and Training website (www.iilt.ie) provides a range of supports to teachers working with learners of English as an additional language.

The interface between the learning support, language support and mainstream class teachers is developing and class teachers have been asked to provide the language support teachers with lists of key words for teaching. This is a positive development and such a whole-school approach to language and literacy support is appropriate, as it will benefit both this group and others in the college with literacy support needs. It is suggested that cross-curricular links with the Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) departments in the college could help advance the inclusive aims of the language support team.

5.2 Guidance and student support in the whole-school context

There is a very good level of provision and whole-school support for Guidance. The college has an allocation of eleven hours, with an additional eleven hours granted under the Guidance Enhancement Initiative (GEI). Two guidance counsellors have responsibility for meeting the guidance needs of students and an additional counsellor is available under the NBSS scheme. This level of provision is reflective of the needs of the student population and the college is commended for the supports it has put in place, including retaining the second guidance counsellor, though it is below the qualifying enrolment. The guidance counsellors (or team) meet weekly with the principal to discuss co-ordination of activities on a weekly and termly basis. Both guidance counsellors are timetabled to allow them attend local branch meetings of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors on Tuesday afternoons, and both attend its annual conference.

A school guidance plan was available for evaluation. It described the guidance programme currently provided in Breifne College. It outlined the very broad range of activities arranged by the guidance counsellors, including a full programme of career preparation presentations and events. Counselling facilities in the college are good. All students meet with a guidance counsellor on an individual basis annually. Personal counselling is offered where necessary to students throughout the college and may involve referring students to external agencies. The college reported good links with other agencies such as the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

There are good facilities for guidance delivery including a guidance office with internet access and a smaller space equipped with ICT. There is a careers corner in the college library and a notice board in the student mall is used to keep students informed of careers information. Guidance classes are timetabled in the computer room to ensure good access to a range of online careers information and the library is also used for class.

Guidance classes are timetabled for students in senior cycle and provision for Guidance within the LCVP programme is well established. The link modules and career investigation elements are delivered by a guidance counsellor. There is no timetabled provision for guidance classes in the junior cycle, other than a ‘skills’ class for the JCSP groups, which is taught by a guidance counsellor. The guidance counsellors liaise with teachers in order to meet class groups, particularly the third years or to address class groups during assemblies. Given that Circular Letter PPT 12/05 stresses the importance of the provision of guidance within the junior cycle, it is recommended that a review of current provision should consider how this can be better achieved.

The guidance plan was drawn up four years ago with the involvement of the whole staff who looked at the needs of each year group. It also outlines the many other supports available in the college and the contribution made by Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), the SCP, the chaplaincy and the pastoral care structures to an integrated whole-school approach to the guidance programme. The intention to review this document, expressed in the college, is encouraged.

A high level of commitment to assisting and encouraging students was remarked upon by both parents and students and was evident to the evaluation team. Management and staff are commended for their dedication to providing a high standard of care. A care team has been established in the college to consolidate the work of all groups involved in student support. Team meetings are held weekly in order to bring together specialist expertise and focus on ensuring that the work of year heads, the SEN department, the chaplain, the guidance counsellors and the HSCL officer, is effective in supporting students. Time is also given to advance planning of initiatives. This close liaison between key personnel in the college facilitates the development of integrated support for students and is an example of excellent practice.

Year heads and class tutors are central to the care ethic in the college and are well placed to identify any student experiencing difficulties. The principal meets year heads individually on a weekly basis but they have no formal opportunity to meet as a team. The advantages to be gained from formal collaboration include the sharing of expertise and the development of consistent practices among a significant group of staff and it is suggested that consideration should be given to enabling this to happen.

A programme in SPHE is available to students through junior cycle and a separate subject inspection report on SPHE is appended to this report.

6. Summary of findings and recommendations for further development

The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:

There is a strong commitment to the care and support of students in the college; policies and practices demonstrate a level of trust in the students designed to encourage good, responsible behaviour.
Senior management is committed to achieving transparency in the decision-making processes in the college and to the real empowerment of staff. This was evident in the availability of documentation on the college’s e-portal and the college’s facilitation of training for twelve middle management post-holders and for two teacher mentors.
Very good use is made of the school’s e-portal by teachers and senior management for communication and administration.
Breifne College has formulated a robust school plan, as envisaged in Section 21 of the Education Act 1998, and this has resulted from appropriate consultation across the school community.
A full range of mainstream, second-level programmes is available in the college. Students and parents are well informed about programme and subject options available in the college. The adult education programme contributes to the positive reputation of the college in the community.
A wide variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities is available in the college. This provision is heavily reliant on the generosity of the teaching staff and their interest and enthusiasm adds greatly to the learning experiences of the students in their care.
A good level of collaboration is taking place among members of subject departments and department plans for each subject have been written. There was evidence of thorough planning and preparation for all lessons observed and this resulted in lessons that were purposeful, well structured and presented at a pace suited to the abilities of the students.
Teaching methodologies observed were most effective when the content of the lessons was varied and when active learning methodologies were used.
The arrangements to provide for the educational needs of all students are very good. A commitment to developing models of support in keeping with best practice was evident and close liaison between key personnel facilitated the development of integrated support for students.

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

The CEO, in-school management and all the teachers should continue to address the difficulties in respect of staff working relationships; this work should be prioritised.
The board of management should consult with parents to identify how best to support the development of the Parents’ Association.
The college should revise its timetabling arrangements to ensure twenty eight hours class-contact time for students in accordance with circular letter M29/1995.
A full review of LCVP should be conducted. This should include a review of how students are selected for the programme and the timetabling of link modules and work experience.
Teachers should increase the use of strategies to engage students in their learning and thus promote independent learning. Students’ progress should be assessed across all aspects of their work, in line with syllabus objectives and they should receive timely feedback on their work.
Minutes of student support team meetings should record the attendance list, the decisions made and actions planned, so that a clear record of how decisions about support provision are made in the college is maintained.
The assessment of proficiency in the English language should be conducted in accordance with Circular letter 0053/2007 and, to support the work of the English as an additional language EAL team, the Integrate Ireland Language and Training (www.iilt.ie) should be consulted.

Post-evaluation meetings were held with the staff and board of management when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.

7. Related subject inspection reports

The following related Subject Inspection reports are available:

Subject Inspection of CSPE – 23 January 2008
Subject Inspection of Irish – 25 January 2008
Subject Inspection of Science – 24 January 2008
Subject Inspection of SPHE – 23 January 2008
Subject Inspection of Technical Graphics and Technical Drawing/Design and Communication Graphics – 05 December 2007

Published November 2008

Appendix

8. School Response to the Report

Submitted by the Board of Management

Area 1: Observations on the content of the inspection report

The school community at Breifne College is satisfied with the manner in which the Whole School Evaluation process was conducted in the school and the subsequent summary of findings and recommendations for further development entailed with the process.

The school would however like to voice its disappointment that the urgent need for a new school building was not recognised in the report.

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

All indicated areas for development have been appraised by the School Board of Management and have been incorporated into the Planning Priorities of the school with the following action plans:

1. Dignity in the workplace charter

A facilitator has been engaged and met with the CEO and Senior Management. The Charter will be prepared with the assistance of staff planning sessions on November 14^th 2008 and January 19^th 2009.

2. Support the Development of the Parents’ Association

All parents have been written to and it is hoped to have an association reinvigorated by May 2009.

3. Review of LCP

This review is expected to be completed by May 2009.

4. Increase the use of strategies to engage students in their learning

This recommendation will be initially discussed and advanced in all subject department meetings with a co-ordinated action plan to be devised for the whole school and to be implemented by May 2010.

5. Minutes of Student Support Team

These recommendations have been adopted since the evaluation was conducted in January 2008.

6. Assessment of proficiency of English for International Students

All recommendations are being advanced by the College’s International Department with the support of Senior Management.