An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna
Department of Education and Skills
Subject Inspection of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)
REPORT
Castleblayney College,
Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
Roll number: 72190N
Date of inspection: 11 November 2009
Subject provision and whole school support
Summary of main findings and recommendations
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)
Subject inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in Castleblayney College. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in SPHE (including Relationships and Sexuality Education) and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school. The evaluation was conducted over three days during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspector interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and had discussions with the teachers. The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and teachers of SPHE. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report without response.
Subject provision and whole school support
The ethos of Castleblayney College places a strong focus on student care. In keeping with this ethos, the school has a long tradition of providing for the social and personal development of its students.
A whole-school approach to providing for students’ personal and social development is evident. This is praiseworthy practice. Established structures such as the year head and form tutor system, together with the work of the school’s care teams and guidance team, make a commendable contribution to supporting students’ on-going personal and social development.
A significant number of whole-school events support the implementation of the SPHE programme. Whole-school activities such as anti-bullying week, an annual study-skills programme, as well as guest speakers in areas such as mental health, road safety and anti-smoking all support the social and personal education of students effectively. The school ensures that the range of these activities is sufficiently adaptable to meet the changing needs of its student cohort. It is praiseworthy that some very effective links have also been established with local community organisations to support the programme.
SPHE benefits from a good level of provision. All junior-cycle classes are timetabled for one class period per week in line with the requirements of Department of Education and Science circular letter M11/03. Personal Development, which incorporates topics suitable for a senior-cycle SPHE programme, is a core subject for students who opt for the Transition Year (TY) programme.
The principal is acutely aware of the school’s obligations in providing a Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme in accordance with Department circular letter 27/2008. However, historically the school has experienced difficulties in providing a broad and balanced programme in this area. It is good that a number of these issues have now been resolved and that the school is in the process of devising and implementing a RSE programme. To complement this work, a RSE policy was ratified by the board of management two years ago. A collaborative and whole-school approach, that included input from management, teachers and focus groups of parents and students, informed the development of this policy. This is very good practice. As part of the school’s cyclical review process, it is recommended that the RSE policy be updated in accordance with the more recent guidelines issued by the Department. These guidelines can be downloaded from the education personnel section of the Department’s website (www.education.ie).
Good provision is made for senior-cycle RSE through the recent development of a sexual health programme. The programme has been designed and is delivered by two teachers and one student support worker, all of whom are established members of staff. This is good practice, as students have already established a rapport with the facilitators. A good level of collaboration with school staff informed the programme design. The programme is delivered through two four-hour workshops, one which is held in fifth year and the second in sixth year. This good practice supports an incremental approach to the development of chosen themes. Going forward, to enhance the breadth of the senior-cycle RSE programme and assist the very good work already evident, cross-curricular linkages with other subjects should be explored. To date a balanced junior-cycle RSE programme has not been provided. School management and staff acknowledge that this is not good practice and initial plans are in place to develop a RSE programme for junior-cycle students. Best practice in the effective delivery of RSE is where students are exposed to the complete range of themes, recommended as part of a RSE programme, in each year of junior cycle and senior cycle. This facilitates the delivery of a broad and balanced programme and allows for a spiral approach to the learning outcomes for each topic. Therefore, in accordance with Department circular letter 27/08, it is recommended that a balanced junior-cycle RSE programme be delivered as an integral component of SPHE lessons. This would allow the programme to be integrated with relevant topics that are covered as part of the junior-cycle SPHE framework, thus enhancing students’ learning experiences. Furthermore, the active and experiential learning strategies that underpin the RSE resource materials developed in association with the Department are best suited to a classroom environment.
There has been a considerable turnover of staff deployed to teach SPHE. This has presented difficulties in creating a cohesive subject department and in establishing a core team of teachers for SPHE. These are necessary pre-requisites to optimising the potential of the subject in supporting students’ personal and social development and in complementing whole-school activities. SPHE is currently taught by a group of five teachers, all of whom have some experience in teaching the subject. A good gender balance is evident in the team. Team members are committed to the rationale for SPHE and recognise the benefits of the subject for students. All of the teachers teach part of or the entire class group for another subject. This praiseworthy practice helps to establish a rapport with the students and assists in the establishment of a safe and secure learning environment. This is necessary to facilitate optimal learning in SPHE. In order to maximise the potential of SPHE, it is recommended that a core teaching team for SPHE be established as a means of developing a coherent and effective subject department. Senior management should invite expressions of interest from staff for membership of this team. A level of interest in the further development of SPHE was evident among the current SPHE teachers and some very good collaborative practices were apparent. Therefore, management should endeavour to continue to deploy at least some the current team of teachers to SPHE to enable them to progress the very good work already underway.
Management is supportive of continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers. It is noteworthy that a number of whole-school CDP events in the areas of RSE, mental health and first aid have taken place. Some staff members involved in the delivery of senior-cycle RSE have attended training provided by the Health Service Executive. There has been some level of past engagement with the SPHE Support Service. However, none of the current teachers of SPHE have attended such CPD in recent years. There is a need to re-engage with this support service as it provides CPD specifically to support the teaching and learning of SPHE and RSE in second-level schools. To support teachers to up-skill and build confidence in teaching SPHE, it is recommended that the school adopts a systematic and incremental approach to the expansion of teachers’ skills in the areas of SPHE and RSE. The CPD programme should facilitate all teachers of SPHE to avail of the two-day introductory training and to have the opportunity to proceed though all of the four levels of training offered by the SPHE Support Service. In order to enhance the collective expertise of the current team, teachers, in consultation with senior management, should identify their particular training needs and implement an appropriate action plan. To support the good work already underway in the area of RSE priority should be given to upskilling a number of teachers in the area of junior-cycle and senior-cycle RSE. Further information on training planned for the current academic year is available from the SPHE Support Service website (www.sphe.ie). It is suggested that a copy of the information supplied at each in-service course attended be filed in a subject-specific CPD folder and stored in the staff work area. This would ensure that the information is available to each member of the team to be referred to when required.
A limited range of resources is available in the school for SPHE. It is good practice that these are centrally stored to facilitate shared access. It would be worthwhile cataloguing the resources to identify gaps and prioritise future resource needs. Management is supportive of providing for additional resource needs.
Planning and preparation
The subject planning folder made available during the evaluation included a number of relevant whole-school policies in areas such as pastoral care, guidance, anti-bullying, response to a critical incident and SPHE. A commendable level of consultation has informed the development of these policies. It is good that the role and contribution that SPHE makes in the implementation of the anti-bullying policy is clearly identified in the policy documentation. The SPHE policy would benefit from review to reflect current practice. It was noted during the evaluation that the school does not have a substance use policy but it is on a priority list for development. This matter needs immediate attention. It is recommended that the board of management make arrangements for the development of a whole-school substance use policy that is in accordance with Department guidelines. This policy should be developed in consultation with the school community as a matter of priority. Further advice and support on developing a substance use policy is available on the Department’s website.
Subject department planning is at an early stage of development. At the time of the evaluation the principal was acting as co-ordinator of SPHE. This is not ideal, given the already onerous workload of the principal. Good practice would suggest that the subject co-ordinator should be assigned to teach at least one SPHE class. In recognising the significant challenges involved in co-ordinating a subject that one is not teaching, it is recommended that the position of co-ordinator of SPHE be appointed from within the core team. The duties of the co-ordinator should include keeping a record of department meetings, collating and developing resources and leading the development of a subject plan SPHE. Once the subject department is up and running and sufficient capacity built among team members, the position could be rotated among the SPHE teachers.
The principal has met the SPHE teachers in plenary session on two occasions this year. Formal subject department meetings take place as part of the calander of school meetings. However, the fact that each teacher of SPHE teaches at least two other subjects presents challenges in attending a SPHE meeting. A good level of collaboration is evident among team members who meet informally to plan SPHE lessons. It has not been routine practice to keep records from planning meetings. To facilitate formal subject planning it is recommended that subject department meetings for SPHE be facilitated, as is the case in other subject areas. As part of school planning meetings at the start and end of the academic year, management could schedule subject meetings in consecutive blocks in a manner that allows teachers to attend each of their subject areas. It is further recommended that records be kept of each meeting to assist continuity between meetings and record progress.
Initial steps have been taken to develop a common programme of work for junior-cycle SPHE. The current programme, which is based on the junior-cycle curriculum framework, provides a schedule for the delivery of topics from first year through to third year. It is commendable that the SPHE teachers of each year group work closely to support programme delivery. The subject planning folder highlights the importance of linking with other subjects in planning the SPHE programme. This is very good practice in a SPHE context, where lessons are delivered once a week.
To support the teaching and learning of SPHE there is significant need to develop a collaborative three-year programme plan that demonstrates a balanced and coherent coverage of all ten modules of the SPHE curriculum framework. This level of planning would optimise students’ learning experiences and support teachers in teaching the subject. Therefore, it is recommended that the existing programme of work be further developed by a core team of teachers. Due to the spiral nature of the SPHE curriculum framework, modules are re-visited each year. Therefore clear learning outcomes that facilitate an incremental approach to the development of students’ knowledge, attitudes and skills should be identified for each module of work from first year through to third year. This will allow certain topics to be revisited whilst also avoiding unnecessary duplication. The number of class periods planned for each topic should also be noted. To maximise the learning potential of guest speaker presentations, such events should be incorporated into the SPHE programme plan in a manner where the lessons planned prior to and after a guest speakers’ visit can prepare for and build on the content of the presentation. Specific information with regard to suitable teaching and learning strategies, as well as suggested resource materials, can be incorporated over time. This enhanced approach to programme planning should inform the pace and pitch of lessons and form the basis for on-going planning. Further information on subject planning is contained in the Guidelines For Teachers produced by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and through the SPHE Support Service.
Very good on-going planning practices are already evident in the work of some teachers. Best practice was evident in instances where teachers have enhanced the long-term plan to support their class work by the development of lesson aims, planned teaching strategies and suitable resources. Suggested amendments to lesson sequence were also noted. To progress the further development of the programme plan it is recommended that all teachers use the current programme plan as a working document. Planned learning outcomes should be noted for each lesson. In reviewing lessons, teachers should pay particular attention to recording the effectiveness of the teaching strategies and resources used. This information should then be used to inform the development of the collaborative programme plan.
The quality of planning for the personal development module in TY is very good. A teacher’s manual and accompanying student booklet have been designed by two members of staff. The range of active teaching methodologies underpinning the programme design facilitates experiential learning. The work of staff members involved in designing this module is highly praiseworthy.
To support RSE provision it is recommended that the Interim Curriculum and Guidelines for post-primary schools and the associated resource material available on the Department’s website inform programme planning. The school should access the recently developed TRUST (Talking Relationships Understanding Sexuality Teaching) resource for teaching RSE in senior cycle. This resource pack consists of a DVD and twenty lesson plans and is available through a training programme for senior-cycle RSE provided by the SPHE Support Service.
Teaching and learning
The quality of short-term planning for the lessons observed was good. All of the lessons observed were in line with the common programme plan. The advance preparation of a number of well-chosen resources served to stimulate students’ interest and supported them in remaining fully engaged with the lesson. This resulted in good learning outcomes being achieved. These resources could be shared among the team to enhance the range of resource materials currently available.
In all instances teaching and learning took place in a secure and supportive atmosphere. Planned activities were well managed and school procedures in relation to attendance and homework were consistently adhered to. All classroom interactions were characterised by a very good rapport. It was clear that positive relationships exist between the students and their teacher. Ground rules for SPHE lessons have been devised for all classes. This is very good practice.
Each lesson had a clear focus and relevant links were established with previous learning, either through questioning or the monitoring of a previously assigned home task. This is very good practice, particularly in the context of SPHE, where lessons are delivered in one period per week. In a number of cases key learning outcomes were shared with students at the start of the lesson. This strategy, which proved very effective in setting the scene and assisting in the development of a logical lesson structure, could be used as routine classroom practice. To enhance the potential of this strategy as a formative assessment tool, it is recommended that time be taken in each lesson to revisit the intended outcomes. This would consolidate students’ learning by reinforcing key points of information, supporting the development of positive behaviours and facilitate further opportunities for student reflection and self-evaluation.
A good range of teaching and learning strategies that were in keeping with the rationale of the SPHE curriculum framework was observed during the evaluation. Teachers made very good use of ‘ice breaker’ activities. One particularly good example occurred in a lesson on influences and decision-making. At the start of the lesson students listened to a well-chosen song to get them to focus on the topic. In another lesson on friendship a suitable poem served a similar purpose. The subsequent processing of this information allowed students to reflect on and share their experiences and ideas. This set the scene for the remainder of the lesson. Good use was also made of information and communications technology (ICT) through the use of a short video clip to remind students of useful study tips.
On occasion students were provided with opportunities to develop skills and confidence in well-planned group-work and pair-work activity. This very good practice enabled students to reflect on the material being taught and to discuss the issues with their peers. It also provided valuable opportunities for quieter students to develop social skills and it led to less reliance on teacher-led activities. As SPHE is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, positives attitudes and skills that have implications for behaviour, facilitative teaching strategies that support experiential learning should be an integral component of all lessons. Therefore teachers should be mindful of the balance of student-led and teacher-led activity when planning all lessons.
A good range of completed activities was evident in student folders. In all cases however, the folders only included work from this year. Due to the spiral and holistic nature of the SPHE programme, students may need to reflect back on the work covered in previous years. Therefore, it is recommended that students retain the folder from first through to third year. In some classrooms, it was noteworthy that students are afforded an opportunity to display some of their own work from SPHE. This good practice should be encouraged.
Assessment
Some very good practices provide opportunities for assessing students’ progress. Questioning was well used to develop key points of information. On occasion the use of probing higher-order questioning proved particularly effective in challenging students to think more deeply about issues. This is very good practice and its wider use is encouraged. In many of the lessons observed, a range of worksheet activities, as well as the monitoring of group and pair-work activities, provided valuable opportunities to assess learning. It was noted positively that in many instances students are assigned an occasional home task for SPHE. This very good practice reinforces learning and provides opportunities for students to reflect on the work covered in class. The provision of constructive feedback from teachers in subsequent lessons can assist students in making sound judgements, which is one aim of the SPHE syllabus. Some very good practice in the monitoring of student work was evident in the folders reviewed during the evaluation. It is particularly praiseworthy that students are awarded a certificate of achievement upon completion of the TY personal development module. A similar certificate of achievement could be used as a strategy in the case of junior-cycle students.
Teachers maintain very good records of students’ attendance and the work completed in SPHE lessons. It is commendable that the school reports to parents on students’ progress in SPHE as part of the regular school reports and at parent-teacher meetings. Teachers should be mindful of the evidence that is used to inform feedback to parents. In the context of on-going subject department planning, the core team could collectively review and agree a range of assessment tools that could be used with all class groups. It is important that these assessment modes are fully compatible with the aims and objectives of the SPHE syllabus. Information and support on assessment is available in the Guidelines For Teachers (pp 59-68).
Some very good practice is evident in programme evaluation. It is routine practice that students complete an evaluation form for each guest speaker presentation. A very good review model has also been developed for the personal development module in TY. To inform the on-going development of junior-cycle SPHE occasional use could be made of the end-of-module review forms to allow students to provide feedback on the work covered and to assess their learning. A mechanism that would allow parental feedback to inform the cycle of review and evaluation could also be considered.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
· A whole-school approach to providing for students’ personal and social development is evident.
· SPHE benefits from a good level of timetabled provision.
· Good progress has been made in implementing a senior-cycle RSE programme.
· A significant number of whole-school events support the implementation of the SPHE programme.
· A number of whole-school policies in areas relevant to SPHE have been developed.
· The quality of planning for the personal development module in TY is very good.
· The quality of short-term planning for the lessons observed was good.
· In all of the lessons observed teaching and learning took place in a secure and supportive atmosphere.
· A good range of teaching and learning strategies, in keeping with the rationale of SPHE, was observed during the evaluation.
· Some very good assessment strategies are evident in SPHE.
· The school reports on students’ progress in SPHE as part of the regular school reports and at parent-teacher meetings.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
· The board of management should make arrangements for the development of a substance use policy that is in accordance with Department guidelines.
This policy should be drafted in consultation with key members of the school community.
· A broad and balanced RSE programme must be delivered as an integral component of junior-cycle SPHE.
· The co-ordination of SPHE should be reviewed as a matter of priority.
· A core teaching team for SPHE should be established as a means of developing a coherent and effective subject department. A systematic and
incremental CPD plan to build capacity and support the implementation of a high quality SPHE programme should be implemented.
· A programme plan that promotes an incremental approach to the delivery of a SPHE programme should be developed by a core team.
A post-evaluation meeting were held with the members of the teachers of SPHE and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.
Published May 2010