The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science undertook an
evaluation of the teaching and learning in Social, Personal and Health
Education (SPHE) and English in a sample of schools nationally.
This evaluation is the third in a series of thematic evaluations of
aspects of the primary curriculum and is part of an ongoing review of
curriculum implementation in primary schools. The purpose of this evaluation is
to provide information on the extent of curriculum implementation in SPHE and
English. The evaluation focuses on the teaching and learning in SPHE and
English and on the quality of pupils’ achievement. This evaluation identifies
and affirms good practice, and makes recommendations for teaching and the
enhancement of pupils’ learning experiences and levels of achievement.
Two inspectors were involved in the
evaluation in Yellow Furze National School. The evaluation involved the
observation of teaching and learning in different class settings, a review of
planning and policy documents, and an evaluation of the progress of pupils,
including those receiving supplementary teaching in English. A school
questionnaire was administered and interviews with the principal and class
teachers were conducted. Pupils in the senior class and parents were invited to complete questionnaires with respect to
issues related to SPHE. 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.
1. School background and context
Yellow Furze NS is an eight-teacher co-educational primary school under
the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Meath and it is led by an
administrative principal. The present principal was appointed to the position
in February 2006. In addition to the seven classroom teachers, the school also
has the services of an education-support team. This support team comprises two
full-time teachers who assist pupils with identified learning needs in the area
of English. There are 181 pupils currently
enrolled. After a significant increase in enrolments in 2004, pupil numbers
have remained stable. Pupil attendance levels are very good.
The school building was extensively renovated in 2004. The original
school building was incorporated into a new structure which includes bright, spacious classrooms, a
school hall and the necessary ancillary accommodation. The school has the services of two cleaners and is very well maintained. There are substantial recreational
spaces available which allow the pupils to play appropriately and in safety. A maintenance
man is employed on a seasonal basis for the upkeep of these grounds. The
school’s participation in the Green Schools initiative encourages and facilitates the pupils in playing an active
role in the upkeep of both the school building and the school grounds.
2. Provision and use of resources in sphe and english
2.1 Social, Personal and Health Education
The main resources available to support the delivery
of the SPHE curriculum comprise a variety of commercially-produced schemes of
work and some videos. These
are being utilised throughout the school and, at individual class level they are being employed to
good effect. Reviewing these resources on a whole-school basis would optimise
their use in terms of promoting continuity and progression in pupils’ learning. A commercially-produced, anti-bullying programme
is implemented every two years. A team-building course is undertaken with the pupils in
fifth and sixth class each year with the aim of developing the pupils’ confidence and
self-esteem. This is led by a parent. The school avails of local community
personnel when and where
appropriate to enrich pupil learning. On occasion members of the local Garda Síochána visit the pupils to discuss issues of safety and
citizenship. The school operates a healthy lunch policy and this is being implemented effectively. The display of pupils’
work creates a positive learning environment for pupils.
2.2 English
The school has obtained a good range of resources to support pupils’ learning in English.
Resources include commercially-produced materials and teacher-prepared
resources. Physical material and real objects, which are carefully chosen by
teachers, are used during oral language
lessons to encourage pupils to engage imaginatively with topics and to support
them in their use of descriptive language. Consideration might be given to further developing imaginative role play by expanding the school’s collection of
props and costumes for use in
supporting pupils in exploring themes of their
own choosing within the structured and safe learning atmosphere of the
classroom.
Language-rich
displays have been created in classrooms and in shared areas of the school.
Displays that support pupils’ understanding of grammar are also in evidence.
Pupils’ preparation for formal reading is promoted effectively in infant classes through exposure to a print-rich
environment and to stories and books of very good quality. The school has a
wide range of appropriate flashcards, charts and posters that support pupils’
learning in age-appropriate ways at all grade levels in the school. Good classroom libraries that contain
books from a range of genres are
in evidence. Storybooks, especially those used with infant
and junior pupils, address a good range of themes. There are some big books in classes although consideration could be given to adding to the range of large format
story and other books for infants and young pupils. A good range of resources is
prepared for use in support teaching settings to develop pupils’ understanding
of oral and printed language.
Teachers’ commitment to organising
the teaching of reading is commendable. A range of reading material is used throughout the school. A suitable, graded
reading scheme facilitates the matching of reading material to pupils’
instructional and independent reading levels. A structured phonics scheme is currently being
implemented at
all class levels.
Good software is
used, primarily in supplementary teaching settings, to support pupils’ learning in oral language and in reading. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) clearly motivates pupils to engage positively in their learning. Pupils mostly work
individually or in pairs during computer activity. Computers, however, are generally under-utilised in mainstream classes. It
is recommended that ICT be used more regularly during the
teaching of English.
3 Quality of whole school planning in sphe and english
3.1 Social, Personal and Health Education
The principal, in line with guidelines from the School Development Planning Service, has adopted a
prioritising and action-based approach to whole-school planning. It is within this
framework that the school is making provision for the development of its SPHE
plan. According as the school
begins to work on this plan, the focus should be on ensuring the systematic implementation of a
coherent and comprehensive SPHE programme throughout the school.
While the strands and strand units of the SPHE curriculum
are informing individual teacher planning, there is scope for this planning to
reflect to a greater degree the specific objectives within the various strands
and strand units. Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) is being provided in the senior class.
Discussion with the senior class teacher indicates that an appropriate
programme is in place and that due regard has been given to the role and
involvement of parents. Aspects for development have been identified. These include the
implementation of the RSE programme throughout the school, dealing with
questions from pupils and whether, for some issues, it might be more sensitive
and more conducive to discussion to implement the programme or parts of the
programme separately with boys and girls. These issues should be discussed
according as the school puts an RSE committee in place to formalise the programme.
Evidence was provided to confirm that the board of
management and staff have taken appropriate steps to develop policies in line
with the provisions in Children First: National Guidelines for the
Protection and Welfare of Children (Department of Health and Children,
1999, updated issue May 2004) and Child Protection Guidelines for Primary Schools (Department of Education
and Science, April 2001). Evidence was also provided to confirm that the board
of management has adopted and implemented the policies. A designated liaison
person has been appointed in line with the requirements of the Departmental
guidelines. However, the implementation of the school’s child protection policy needs to
be reviewed particularly in terms of teachers becoming more familiar with the
various types of abuse, identifying the signs of abuse and dealing with disclosures from pupils.
Findings from a questionnaire completed by parents of pupils
in the senior class suggest that parents are satisfied with how Yellow Furze NS provides for the general development of
their children within the school. In their completed questionnaires the majority of parents state that they are not aware of the
school’s policy for SPHE and RSE; a response that is not unexpected in light of the
development work which the school has yet to undertake on its SPHE plan. As a result of being unaware of the
school’s policy, the parents are uncertain about how they can
support the school’s work in these areas to the benefit of their children. According as the school
develops its curriculum plan for this area, it is important that it considers how best to communicate and
involve parents considering the central role parents play in the formation of their
children’s values, beliefs and attitudes.
3.2 English
Teachers have engaged in suitable
collaborative discussion, reflection and analysis of their current practice, and have taken appropriate
cognisance of the advice of the School Development Planning Service during the initial stages of the whole-school planning process. Teachers have identified
priority areas within the English curriculum for which they are currently
devising plans. The areas of phonological awareness, handwriting, functional
writing, punctuation and grammar have been explored. A good handwriting policy
and a clear and sequential plan for developing pupils’ phonemic awareness have been produced. A draft plan for
the teaching of grammar has been prepared. As the whole-school plan for English is further developed it is suggested that the
staff engages collaboratively in identifying aspects of the English curriculum that are being successfully
implemented at particular class levels, and explore how these might be
implemented throughout the school.
Good classroom planning for the teaching of English is in evidence. Teachers’ schemes
reflect an appropriate understanding of the principles underpinning the English
curriculum and an awareness of the abilities and interests of pupils. Planning
outlines lesson objectives, methodologies employed and resources used in the
teaching of English. Teachers’ planning incorporates strategies for paired reading. It is
evident that these strategies are being practised in the home and are influencing reading standards positively. This
practice is commendable. It is suggested that mainstream and support teachers
consider convening an annual meeting with parents to convey and model
strategies to them and encourage more discussion surrounding parent-child
experiences in this area.
Planning to meet the needs of pupils with learning and
special educational needs in English is individualised. Individual learning programmes and progress records
inform forward planning and differentiation. Many of the individualised plans are comprehensive and contain appropriate learning targets
and strategies for teaching. Some individualised planning, however, does not provide sufficient direction
for pupils’ learning in language. There is a need for learning targets to be much
more clearly specified. The instructional periods within which targets are to
be met should also be pre-determined. It is recommended that the staff examines its current models of individualised plans and adopt an agreed approach to planning
which pays particular attention to clarifying specific learning targets for pupils. In this context further consultation between parties should take place regularly to aid in specifying expected learning outcomes. Consideration should be given to convening more formal meetings between teachers to
facilitate and support this forward planning. When withdrawing pupils for
supplementary tuition, it is recommended that pupils be grouped for tuition by learning needs and
targets rather than by class level.
4. Quality of teaching and learning in sphe and english
4.1 Social Personal and Health Education
The quality of provision in SPHE was evaluated on the basis of
observation of teaching and learning, a review of samples of
pupils’ work and interaction with the pupils in four of the mainstream classrooms. As the atmosphere and spirit of a school are
integral to the realisation of social, personal and health education, due attention was paid to
this dimension of teaching and learning in Yellow Furze NS. In this regard, the careful display of
pupils’ work, the vigilant
supervision of pupils in the playground and the effective management of pupils generally
create a pleasant, orderly and
safe learning environment for pupils. Whole-school activities
initiated in the current school year, such as participation in the Green Schools Initiative, Green Day and Writer of the Week, are successful in encouraging
pupils to feel part of a school
community.
While the quality of teaching and learning in SPHE is generally satisfactory, there is scope for development. Lessons observed were
drawn from a variety of areas within the curriculum and dealt with a range of
topics such as people who care for us, personal safety, the food pyramid,
democracy, elections and environmental issues. In all classes observed, lessons
were well prepared and logically structured. A variety of activities was in
evidence including whole-class discussion, group discussion, co-operative games,
story, role-play, quiz, ICT and creating posters. These activities were stimulating and very well managed. In some instances,
however, teachers need to make a better connection between the stated lesson
objectives and the actual activities being undertaken.
On occasions, teachers need to ensure that all pupils are facilitated to
participate actively in lessons. In particular instances, teachers need to
consider the extent to which their actions and responses contribute to creating
an encouraging learning environment for pupils. While pupils have a good
understanding of concepts being addressed, teachers generally need to focus on developing pupils’ abilities to answer
questions more fully. In middle and senior classes, there is a need to create an environment
that encourages pupils to formulate opinions, express these opinions
articulately and listen respectfully to the views of others.
A focus group interview with six pupils from sixth class
indicates that pupils’ understanding of SPHE is content-driven and based on acquiring
information, rather than exploring
issues to do with their own personal development and their interaction with others. It is important that
these areas are addressed according as the school proceeds to develop a whole-school
curriculum plan for SPHE.
4.2 English
The quality of provision in English was evaluated on the basis of
observation of teaching and learning, a review of samples of pupils’ work,
interaction with pupils in three of the mainstream classrooms and in two
support teaching settings.
The development of pupils’ independent
learning skills in
English is a curricular
priority for teachers. The standard of expressive and
receptive oral language is generally high throughout the school. Teachers
ensure that pupils’ store of language is extended and their cognition through
language is developed. Pupils are encouraged to express themselves thoughtfully and they engage actively during discussion. Pupils
demonstrate good ability to structure their points and arguments intelligently
and reflectively.
Discrete oral language lessons are
conducted in classes throughout the school and the range of strategies used to support oral language development is
commendable. Teachers carefully choose topics that are of interest to the
pupils and appropriate to their levels of intellectual and emotional maturity. There is comprehensive exposure to
oral and printed language through daily discussion in all subjects across the
curriculum. Oral language games are conducted regularly and effectively with
pupils in junior classes. Pupils in these classes are given ample opportunities to
discuss their own ideas with teachers and peers. Pupils engage in show-and-tell type activities, in drama and in role-play. These oral language activities
promote pupils’ desire to express themselves, and facilitate the development of
their ability to articulate their ideas with confidence. Story is used effectively to extend
pupils’ vocabulary through exposure to a variety of reading material.
Comprehensive oral discussion takes
place in support teaching settings and the focus placed upon
developing receptive language is particularly commendable. During some supplementary teaching, subject-specific language is introduced and explored to enable
pupils’ greater engagement with particular subjects during lessons in
mainstream classes. The inclusion of these strategies in a balanced manner
during some supplementary lessons is worthy of praise.
The school has a small number of
newcomer pupils who have significant receptive and expressive language
requirements in English. Progression and continuity in learning in English for
these pupils is currently insufficient for their needs. It is recommended that
the whole-school approach to meeting the oral language needs of newcomer pupils be immediately reviewed. The starting
point for planning should be pupils’ interests and their existing language
competence and skills. Language acquisition in social learning scenarios where
pupils’ learning is facilitated through peer interaction should be prioritised.
The application of the successful strategies of role-play, drama and speaking and listening games would prove very
beneficial in this respect. All teachers should now collaborate in exploring how activities are best organised to progress social
and peer learning and coaching for newcomer pupils.
Good ability in reading is clearly
in evidence among the pupils. Appropriate stories are chosen for pupils in infant classes where storytelling is a feature of
English lessons.
Pupils are positively encouraged to respond to stories with their own comments
and questions. Pupils’ understanding of reading conventions is built through
the shared experience of story. Very good vocabulary development strategies are employed during lessons with effective use made of
flashcards, word-wheels and whiteboards to support the teaching of sight
vocabulary. Well-thought-out
visual games assist with simple sentence building. Word-bingo
and other games are used to support the acquisition of reading vocabulary by pupils in infant and junior
classes. Pupils work in pairs in an
effective manner and teachers provide additional support to pupils where
required during such activity. School policy currently provides for the use of
class readers with all pupils in junior infants. This is not in accordance with
the key messages of the Primary School Curriculum
1999 in English and it is recommended that this uniform use of readers be
reviewed and that they be only used selectively, according to individual pupils’ needs. The existing positive practices
that ensure exposure to a wide range of print sources and stories should be
further extended in this context.
Pupils demonstrate very positive
attitudes towards reading and teachers bolster this interest skilfully.
Teachers have proactively shared reading strategies with parents and a paired-reading programme between parent and
child at home has been organised. Class readers are differentiated
according to pupils’ ability levels throughout the school. The differentiation of reading material in combination with the paired-reading encouraged in the home are
strong features of teachers’ commitment to raising and maintaining reading
standards in the school. Good quality discussion forms part of all reading activity. Pupils read at an
appropriate rate, with expression and with good levels of comprehension.
Teachers listen to their pupils
reading individually on a regular basis and this facilitates general monitoring
of progress. The staff reports that they review pupil attainment levels in reading to inform their forward planning for the
teaching of reading. Pupils in general throughout the school have good
phonological awareness appropriate to their ages but a very small number of
pupils continue to have difficulties with applying knowledge of phonemes, appropriate to their grade levels, during the reading process. As
teachers monitor pupils’ reading, in small groups or individually, more emphasis
could be placed on incorporating phonological awareness and the use of word-attack strategies in context during the reading activity. Suitable attention is paid to the
teaching of poetry and pupils recite an
interesting collection of poems with good
facility. Teachers are currently reflecting upon approaches to writing poetry
and exploring a range of strategies to respond to poetry.
The commitment to early intervention
for pupils who require supplementary teaching support in English is a noteworthy strength in the school’s provision. The interaction of support teachers with their pupils is supportive and encouraging. In general, teaching and learning strategies
within withdrawal settings are suitably matched to pupils’ learning styles and needs, and the tuition rooms are appropriately
equipped for supplementary teaching. Good
strategies are used in developing pupils’ comprehension skills. The use of appropriate computer software that supports reading skills’ development encourages active participation by pupils in their learning. The learning outcomes and the enjoyment of children
during these
learning experiences are further strengths of the provision for pupils with learning needs. Use is made of the structured PAT phonics scheme in supplementary
teaching settings to develop pupils’ phonological awareness. Pupils develop a good
grasp of onset and rime through practice of the scheme’s strategies. The staff might now discuss the observed strengths of this programme
and explore how they
may be applied to support the structured scheme now being adopted in mainstream classes. It is
reported that some supplementary tuition is provided in mainstream classes at present, with a support teacher working in collaboration with the
mainstream teacher. Teachers report that they are enthusiastic about extending
such an approach to the delivery of support teaching in language, and it is recommended that they
now take steps to realise this objective. This approach will
facilitate close collaboration between teachers
and provide further opportunities for
pupils to engage in learning activities in small groups.
Writing skills are well taught and
the quality of pupils’ work attests to the attention paid to developing this
aspect of English. Excellent work is being done in teaching creative writing from the early years. Scaffolding the school’s youngest pupils in writing simple descriptive phrases supports the development of
personal writing.
The creative writing process is being implemented effectively in a progressive manner throughout the school. Pupils write in a good
range of genres and are very positive and enthusiastic about writing. Many fine examples of pupils’
writing are displayed and very good standards are achieved in creative writing
throughout the school. Samples of
pupils’ work reveal thoughtfulness, insight
into a range of themes and an ability to develop situations and characters.
Instruction in letter formation supports the development of handwriting skills from an early
age. Very good use is made of visual example, including the observed use of an overhead
projector to demonstrate handwriting techniques. Pupils take great interest in their daily handwriting practice and achieve a good standard in this aspect of writing. Very good attention is paid to
discussing grammar, punctuation and conventions of writing during the development of pupils’ writing skills.
5. Quality of assessment in sphe and english
5.1 Social, Personal and Health Education
Assessment of learning in SPHE is mainly informal and
incidental. It draws upon teacher observation and the teachers’ knowledge of pupils’ progress and interactions in the classroom and in the school
playground. Copybooks and folders with samples of
pupils’ work are used as a means
of recording the topics covered and the concepts acquired by the pupils. There
is scope to develop the extent to which this work and the pupils’ learning in SPHE generally
are being assessed against
the specific objectives of the SPHE curriculum. During the post-evaluation
meeting held with the principal and the teachers, it was suggested that
teachers work in class level groups to identify from the objectives in the
curriculum the behaviours, values,
attitudes they believe it
would be reasonable to expect pupils to have acquired by the end of that class
level. The resulting list will impact on the
quality of teaching and learning in SPHE by assisting teachers to internalise the essence
of the curriculum objectives such that these objectives pervade their teaching
across the full range of the curriculum and not just the SPHE lesson. It will also provide a basis for more focused discussion
with parents and will provide the pupils with a basis for evaluating their own development in
SPHE.
5.2 English
Teachers demonstrate a good
understanding of what constitute age-appropriate standards of achievement in
English, particularly in writing standards. They actively seek to promote such
achievement among their pupils and their expectations contribute to the very
satisfactory overall attainment levels of the pupils. A range of assessment
approaches is used in mainstream classes and in support settings to inform
teaching. The MIST test is used as a screening
measure, while the BURY, BIAP, Neale Analysis and Quest tests are used as diagnostic
instruments. The Drumcondra Reading attainment test is administered to determine standards in literacy. Teachers
employ a range of their own designed tests and monitor pupils’ reading and
writing closely. Detailed daily records are maintained that record the progress and achievement of pupils in a range of areas of learning in English. There is evidence that these records inform teachers’ forward
planning and target setting, and that
the teachers are fully aware of the importance of interpreting attainment in a range of assessment tests as a
basis for their teaching.
6. Future development of sphe and english
6.1 Social, Personal and Health Education
·
A whole-school plan for
SPHE needs to be developed, particularly in terms of ensuring that it is being taught
systematically throughout the
school with due attention paid to developing a co-ordinated approach to methodologies,
assessment and communication with parents.
·
The RSE programme should
be formalised and there is a need to ensure familiarity amongst teachers
regarding the school’s child protection policy.
·
A greater emphasis needs
to be placed on creating opportunities for all pupils to participate actively in SPHE
lessons and on creating a supportive
learning environment which promotes thoughtful discussion and respectful
listening.
6.2 English
·
It is recommended that the
whole-school approach to meeting the receptive and expressive language needs of
newcomer pupils be immediately reviewed. Teachers in mainstream and
supplementary roles should now explore existing successful school strategies
for the teaching of oral language to progress learning for these pupils in
social and peer-oriented settings.
·
School policy currently provides for
the use of class readers uniformly with junior infant pupils. This is not in
accordance with the key messages of the Primary School Curriculum in English and it is
recommended that this practice be
reviewed.
·
It is recommended that the school builds upon the practice of teachers in support roles
working within classrooms in collaboration with their
mainstream colleagues in order to provide further opportunities for
pupils to engage in learning activities in small groups.
·
It is recommended that an agreed approach to drawing up individual learning programmes be adopted, where particular attention is given to clarifying specific learning targets for all pupils who avail of
supplementary tuition.
7. Conclusion
The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science wishes to
acknowledge the contributions made by the principal, teachers, pupils and the
entire school community during the course of the evaluation. It is hoped that
this report will assist the school in reviewing practice at school level and in
identifying priorities for future development.
Appendix
8. School Response to the
Report
Submitted by the Board of Management
Area 1: Observations on the content
of the inspection report
This was our first year under new
principal and we had no school plan in place. We had prioritised English &
Irish. Even though we had essential areas such as Discipline, Healthy Food
Policy, Green Schools etc up and running, SPHE was not on our list for this
year. We’ve been criticised for lack of clarity and communication with parents
in regard to RSE and feel this is unfair as we couldn’t possibly communicate a
policy that doesn’t yet exist. We have since been working on this area and
have dedicated our planning day to this end and will in due course, put our
policy to the B.O.M. for ratification and parents will be informed.
Infants – we use readers in infants
as part of our whole reading programme. Our main focus is to introduce
children to as wide a variety of reading materials as possible. Prior to
receiving the small readers in question much work is done in class to give
children a basic sight vocabulary. We use the readers basically as a tool to
assess individual progress towards the end of the junior infant year. The
readers in question are used in a similar fashion to paired reading with just
more emphasis on the sight words to give children an opportunity to use word
attack skills. We feel that this practice has led to the overall high level of
reading attainment in our school.
