An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of English
REPORT
Saint Aloysius College
Carrigtwohill,
Roll number: 62140P
Date of inspection: 9 May 2007
Date of issue of report: 6 December 2007
Subject provision and whole school support
Summary of main findings and recommendations
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in English
Subject inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in Saint Aloysius College. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in English and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school. The evaluation was conducted over two 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 subject teachers. 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
Saint Aloysius College is an all-girls secondary school. Classes in first year, second year and third year have four English lessons per week. This is adequate provision. Transition Year classes are provided with three English lessons per week and, again, this is adequate. Classes in fifth year and sixth year have five English lessons per week and this is good provision. The spread of English lessons across the week is good in the case of second-year, third-year and sixth-year classes. The school is encouraged to explore ways in which this arrangement could be extended to include classes in first year, Transition Year (TY) and fifth year in the future, so that students might have the maximum number of contact points possible with the subject across the week. English classes retain their teachers from second year through to third year and from fifth year through to sixth year. This is worthwhile.
There is some rotation of English teachers between levels and cycles. This is positive. However, rotation has been somewhat limited up to this point, particularly with reference to those teachers who did not have the opportunity to participate in the inservice training courses which were provided during the introduction of particular syllabuses. While recognising the limitations which this may have imposed in the past, it is nevertheless recommended that the school should now move to a fully rotational system. This is important, given the need to maintain a wide skills base in the teaching of all levels and cycles. Considerable experience and expertise have been built up by members of the English department in the teaching of both the junior cycle and the senior cycle courses over the past number of years. This should be viewed as a strong foundation upon which the induction of colleagues new to either course can be built.
English classes in junior cycle are streamed. Students are assigned to particular classes in first year, based on entrance assessments and this process is further informed by monthly assessments once they have arrived in the school. Student placements are subject to ongoing review, particularly at Christmas, and student movement between classes is facilitated through the concurrent timetabling of all English lessons. The English department has discussed the possibility of moving towards mixed-ability class groupings in the future. Such a move would be worthwhile. Students in receipt of literacy support are selected on the basis of consultation with their primary schools, their entrance assessments, further literacy tests in the September of their arrival in first year and psychological assessments. Students are also referred to the special educational needs department if they appear to be experiencing difficulties in developing their literacy skills. Where this occurs, the mainstream teacher making the referral will provide a copy of the student’s written work to further inform the work of the special educational needs department. All of this is positive. Students are allocated to English classes in senior cycle based on their choice of the higher level or ordinary level courses. Within each level, students are then assigned to classes on the basis of random selection. During their senior cycle studies, students are then advised on their choice of levels based on their performance in ongoing assessments. These arrangements are sound.
There is a school library. This is made available for use by class groups or at break times. It is used for research and general reading. A teacher has been assigned the duties of librarian. Students are distributed with library cards and, along with each book in the library, these contain barcodes which serve as part of an electronic book loan system. All books in the library have been catalogued on the computer using the Dewey Decimal System. Information and communications technology (ICT) is available for use by students in the library and normally this includes an internet connection, although this is currently not operating due to work being undertaken on the school’s computer room. The school has been supportive of the development of the library. Considerable dedication is evident in the management of the library. Potential areas for further development might include the gradual appropriation of library-specific furniture and media posters, in order to create a ‘different space’ for students, centred on the reading of books. Peer reviews of books have been displayed in the past and this approach is to be encouraged. The English department has identified the purchase of books for the library as a resource priority through the subject planning process. An area which the English department might consider is the creation of a library policy, as part of a more general strategy to encourage reading among the general student body. This could be incorporated in the English subject plan.
A number of English teachers have designated base rooms. This is very positive, allowing for the creation of an ‘English atmosphere’ for English classes. Audio-visual facilities are available to English teachers through a dedicated video theatre and three mobile trolleys which may be transported around the school through use of lifts. In addition, some teachers have taken it upon themselves to provide audio-visual facilities in their own rooms. Notwithstanding these efforts, which are commendable, it is recommended that the provision of televisions and DVD machines should be pursued for all English base rooms, on an incremental basis. This is important, given the centrality of film to the Leaving Certificate syllabus, along with the potential impact of the judicious use of audio-visual resources in junior cycle English lessons.
There is a main computer room, which is currently
being renovated, and a second computer room is to be provided. Funding for this
latter development is being provided by the school’s trustees. These are very
worthwhile developments as teachers report that there are significant demands
on the current computer room and that access for mainstream English classes is
limited as a result. Nevertheless, teachers recognise the potential for ICT to
serve in developing students’ literacy skills. English teachers have access to
ICT for their own use in preparing for classes and have looked at the potential
for a data projector to further serve their needs in mainstream English
classes. The English department is encouraged to continue to develop the use of
ICT in support of the acquisition of literacy skills by students in both class
work and homework. The school is encouraged to support these efforts,
particularly given the potential of ICT to improve students’ work, as
recognised in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)
publication Draft Guidelines for Teachers of English: Leaving Certificate
English Syllabus. Further ideas on the use of ICT in secondary schools,
particularly in the area of support for students with literacy difficulties,
can be garnered at the website www.laptopsinitiative.ie
and in the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) publication Engaging
Learners:
There are informal induction procedures for new teachers of English and student teachers of English. These involve the deputy principal and the subject convenor. In addition, the creation of an induction folder for new teachers is planned. Given the very high level of expertise and dedication displayed by English teachers during the inspection, it is suggested that a profitable area for the English department to explore would be the formalising of induction procedures as part of the subject plan. It is suggested that a most beneficial element in such an induction policy would be the inclusion of an element of classroom observation of colleagues for the new or student teacher. This could serve as a means of informing and developing the practice of both established and new teachers.
The school is supportive of teachers’ continuing professional development. English teachers have participated in professional development opportunities. These have included attendance at a course on improving literacy across the curriculum and work on cooperative learning. Input developed from these courses has been provided at general staff meetings. This is good practice. Links are maintained with the relevant subject association, which is also praiseworthy.
Planning and preparation
There is a subject convenor for English. The convenor is appointed on a rotational basis. There are formal meetings of the English department at the start of the academic year and during staff days. In addition, English teachers organise informal meetings. Minutes are kept of English department meetings and this good practice should continue. As part of the subject department planning process, an annual budget has begun to be assigned to the English department, allowing for greater planning regarding the acquisition of texts and other resources into the future.
There is a subject plan for English. A focus for the development of the plan in recent times has been the creation of common plans for each year group. Such a plan has been created for first year and comprises syllabus-based, termly plans. This is most positive and the department is to be complimented on the concise, but useful, manner in which these plans have been developed. Equally, the centring of the plan on the requirements of the syllabus is to be praised. Currently, subject planning is focused on the further development of such common plans to include second-year and third-year classes. This process should be continued and it is suggested that the further division of the current termly plans into monthly segments might prove useful as a further aid to common planning. A further, impressive development is the move toward individual student profiles which is taking place within the department, in order to enhance evaluation of students and communication between teachers in the school. In particular, the strong focus of these draft profiles on learning objectives for students is to be praised. The department has also recently agreed on common assessments for some year groups. The analysis of state examination results and uptake versus national norms has been undertaken by the English department in the past and this good practice should continue. It is suggested that the assessment for learning area on the website of the NCCA at www.ncca.ie, could serve to further inform the very good work already being accomplished by the department in the area of formative assessment.
A novel is studied by English classes in each year of their junior cycle course. A particularly noteworthy approach has been the choice of a first-year novel based on student input. There is some variation of texts in junior cycle and in senior cycle. This is particularly the case in first year, however, variation in other year groups tends to operate within a relatively narrow band of texts. The department is encouraged to continue with the practice of varying texts and extend it, where practicable. This will not only allow texts to be suited to different class contexts and interests, it will also facilitate necessary professional development for English teachers themselves. The department’s current efforts to develop class sets of texts could serve to further these aims. There is common agreement within the department on the comparative texts to be studied in fifth year and in sixth year by higher level and ordinary level class groups. This is done to facilitate student movement between levels and is good practice.
English teachers are involved in organising a wide range of co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Among these are included debating, visits to the theatre, links with Poetry Ireland and workshops at the Cork Film Festival. Of particular note are the recent success of a student in a Poetry Ireland writing competition and the involvement of all first-year students in speech and drama lessons. Students participating in this latter area regularly enter a choral verse competition and take part in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) examinations. Teachers are to be lauded for their dedication in organising these activities.
There is a subject-specific programme for English as part of the TY programme. This is well thought out and has clear learning objectives for students. The development of students’ appreciation of literature is emphasised through a reading list for students and the compilation of personal response journals by students. In addition, imaginative modules on creative writing, with input from Poetry Ireland, along with a variety of workshops, ensure that the programme stays true to the aims of the TY programme. The programme changes each year based on evaluation questionnaires which are distributed to students. All of this is commendable.
The school has made contact with Integrate Ireland Language and Training (IILT) regarding students for whom English is a second language. The school is encouraged to maintain these contacts. In addition, students and staff from the school have links with a local centre which provides English language support. While language support is currently delivered through a combination of small group and individual withdrawal, it is suggested that, wherever possible, individual lessons in language support should be avoided in favour of group lessons. This will aid the communicative nature of such lessons. Further ideas on this area can be garnered from the IILT publication, A resource book for language support in post-primary schools (2007).
The school has begun to develop a special educational needs policy and there have been several meetings on this subject. This is worthwhile and the policy should continue to be developed. Inservice training courses have been provided for staff by both the Special Education Support Service (SESS) and the Second Level Support Service (SLSS) in the areas of special educational needs and differentiated teaching strategies respectively.
Literacy support is provided for students through individual and small-group withdrawal from classes. There has been some consideration of utilising co-operative teaching as a further mode of support for students with difficulties in literacy development. The adoption of such a strategy would be most worthwhile, facilitating the creation of a flexible model of provision which could be adapted to suit the specific learning needs of individual students. The school is encouraged to explore the possibilities offered by the use of co-operative teaching, where appropriate. There are good informal links between the English department and the special educational needs department. A number of teachers in the English department are also involved in the area of special educational needs and liaise with their colleagues. The further development of these links is being discussed with particular reference to the creation of individual student profiles. These efforts are to be encouraged.
Teaching and learning
A very good standard of teaching and learning was observed during the evaluation. Objectives were clear in all lessons. Planning was evident in all lessons. Particularly good practice was observed in a number of classes where teachers provided students with timetables with regard to the work which would be covered during the year. This made students aware of what would be expected of them and of the progress they would be expected to achieve during the year. It is suggested that the extension of this practice would be of considerable benefit across the English department.
A wide range of resources was used during English lessons. Among these were included the whiteboard, overhead projector, photocopies and a variety of texts. Teachers are complimented on their use of varied resources and are encouraged to continue to develop this area of their practice in the future.
Most lessons began with an effective recapitulation of work previously covered by students. Questioning was used in all classes to evaluate student learning. This was most effective where a mix of global and directed questioning was used and a consciousness was displayed of the need to distribute questions across the whole class group. This occurred in almost all cases and was most worthwhile.
There was a very good focus on language in English lessons. In one lesson, the strong focus on sound in an exploration of a poem was very worthwhile, while in another, junior cycle, lesson students were exhorted to find different types of language devices in a poem and succeeded admirably in doing so. The inclusion of a dictionary and thesaurus on the department’s booklist for students is most positive and it is suggested that the use of these texts in all classes, by students, as part of their daily classroom practice would be very beneficial. The English department is to be complimented on the high expectations displayed with regard to students’ appreciation of the use of language in English lessons.
In almost all classes there was some evidence of the use of an integrated approach to the language and literature elements of the syllabuses in the setting of students’ homework. The adoption of a ‘reading log’ in connection with the study of a comparative text was an example of good practice in one lesson observed, while the setting of exercises based in the world of media in connection with a Shakespearean play was observed in another classroom. It is suggested that this integrated approach might also be set down in the subject plan as a key methodology to be used in the teaching of English and that as wide a range of genres as possible might be explored in connection with texts being studied in English classes. This will serve to heighten students’ enjoyment of and engagement with the texts in question.
There was a good relationship between teachers and students. Teachers were affirming to students. There was good classroom management in all cases. Teachers facilitated this, in different lessons, through linking topics being studied to their own, or to students’, life experiences, and by enthusiastic presentations and the use of humour.
Students contributed ideas and questions readily in classes. Students were engaged in almost all lessons. In the one instance where student engagement might have been enhanced, a shift in methodology would have been of benefit as a means of varying the pacing of the lesson. Spontaneous note-taking on the part of students was frequently evident in classes and students displayed a good knowledge of the work they had studied when questioned.
There was evidence of the development of a print-rich environment in all English teacher base rooms. This was most positive and, in a number of cases, teachers had engaged in excellent practice in this area. This included displays of students’ work in different written genres, the use of ICT in the creation of displays by students, the display of motivational posters centred on the value of reading, quotations and relevant film posters. This was very sound practice and the English department is encouraged to include the maintenance and further development of a print-rich environment in English classrooms as a key aspiration in the English subject plan. Such a focus will not only serve to facilitate better learning experiences for students who respond well to visual stimuli, it will also enhance students’ sense of audience.
Assessment
The creation of a homework policy has been identified as an area to be developed under the school development planning process. Homework was regularly assigned and corrected in all classes. Appropriate amounts of homework were assigned in all classes. In almost all instances, there was appropriate use of formative, comment-based assessment. In the one instance where this might have been increased, further exploration of opportunities for peer correction along with the drafting and redrafting of written work by students would have been worthwhile. Teachers are to be complimented on their use of formative assessment as a means of advancing student learning through their homework. Where English subject folders were in use by students, they were maintained neatly and with great diligence.
Students’ progress is evaluated using continuous assessment in the months leading up to Christmas. Formal house examinations are organised at the end of the academic year. English teachers organise common examinations for classes in the same year group and level for these examinations. TY students are awarded marks for a series of written projects in English during the year and on the basis of tests conducted after each module in the English course. Mock examinations are organised for those students who are participating in the state examinations. The marking scheme utilised in the state examinations is applied to students’ work from the beginning of fifth year. This is good practice. Teachers informally confer on the marking of examinations and it is suggested that these informal arrangements might profitably be formalised in the subject plan.
Parents receive reports on students’ progress twice a year. Parent-teacher meetings are organised once a year for each year group. Parents may also arrange meetings with teachers should the need arise. These arrangements are worthwhile.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
- A very good standard of teaching and learning was observed.
- There is a school library. Considerable dedication is evident in the management of the library.
- Teachers’ involvement in co-curricular and extracurricular activities is to be applauded.
- A subject plan is being developed.
- Draft student profiles have been developed by the English department as a means of tracking students’ achievement during their time in the school. This is most positive.
- There is a well-developed TY programme.
- A number of teachers distributed their plan for the year’s work to students. This was excellent practice.
- Teachers were diligent in their correcting and assigning of homework.
- There is a convenor for English, appointed on a rotational basis. Minutes of meetings are kept. This is positive.
- Texts in junior cycle and in senior cycle are varied. The department is encouraged to pursue and extend this practice.
- A very good print-rich environment was evident in most classrooms. This is most worthwhile.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- The provision of televisions and DVD machines should be pursued for all English base rooms.
- The school should move towards a system of full rotation of English teachers between levels and cycles.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the teachers of English and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.