An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department
of Education and Science
Subject
Inspection of English
REPORT
Saint
Joseph’s Secondary School
Ballybunion,
County Kerry
Roll number:
61220I
Date of
inspection: 24 April 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
Subject
provision and whole school support
First-year English classes are of mixed ability. All
new first-year students participate in assessment tests prior to enrolment.
These tests facilitate the identification of students in need of additional
literacy support. Further information is garnered from psychological reports,
contact with students’ primary schools and students’ parents. Those who have
been identified in the initial testing process for first-year students are
retested in September of first year. Students in other year groups are streamed
into higher level or ordinary level classes. Students are assigned to these
classes based on the assessment of their present subject teacher, along with
input from the guidance counsellor, their parent or guardian and the new
teacher to whom they are to be assigned in second year or fifth year. In
addition to these arrangements, fifth-year students’ performances in the Junior
Certificate examination are also taken into account. If students wish to change
levels for the state examinations, they discuss this with their subject teacher
and the guidance counsellor. A note is then sent by the guidance counsellor to
their parent, this is signed by the parent and then by the student and their teacher
before the student moves to a new class. This is sound practice.
A library is maintained in the school’s
student-support room. Students may access the library during lunchtime.
Teachers encourage students to use the library and to write book reports and
reviews on the texts they have read. The English department hopes to increase
the range of books available in the library over time. The school is encouraged
to support the department in this endeavour. The development of a departmental
library policy as part of the subject plan is another strategy which the
department should explore. This would provide an opportunity for teachers to
discuss the library as part of an overall ‘reading plan’ to encourage reading
in all year groups. Potentially useful ideas in this regard would include the
development of ‘cosy corners’ and the purchase of readalong
texts and graphic novels for reluctant readers. A handout is provided for
parents of students with literacy difficulties on the subject of shared
reading. It is suggested that a possible area for the English department to
investigate is the creation of a paired-reading programme at lunchtimes for
first-year students with literacy difficulties, possibly with the involvement
of some senior cycle students.
The school has a dedicated audio-visual room but
access for English classes is somewhat limited. It is recommended that
provision for audio-visual facilities for English classes should be increased.
This is particularly important in the context of the central role played by
film in the Leaving Certificate English course, but, beyond this, the impact of
the judicious use of audio-visual resources in junior cycle classes should not
be underestimated. The anticipated introduction of baserooms
for English teachers should greatly facilitate the expansion of audio-visual
facilities in the English department. The assigning of such facilities to
either one teacher’s room in the department or, ideally, the incremental
development of such resources in each English baseroom,
would be most worthwhile.
The school has a computer room and computers are also
provided in the student-support room. There is limited access to the computer
room and this is managed through the use of a booking timetable. A laptop is
also used by different departments in the school and, in the very near future,
a laptop will be provided for the use of the English department. Classrooms
have been connected for wireless broadband internet access. The English subject
plan aspires towards the production of a selection of work on computer by
first-year and second-year students, dependent on the availability of the
computer room. This is worthwhile, as is the practice of teachers downloading
material for English classes from the internet in order to compensate for
students’ lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT). The
English department is encouraged to continue to expand its practice with ICT
wherever possible, particularly with regard to students’ use of ICT with
homework and classwork. Potential areas for
exploration include the adoption of webquests
for use with students’ project work and word-processing packages to increase
students’ awareness of the drafting and redrafting process which is central to
all good writing.
New or substitute teachers are provided with a
handbook about the school and are mentored by the deputy principal. There is
also an arrangement whereby the new teacher may observe other teachers’
classroom practice. All of this is positive.
English teachers have attended in-service training
courses in the past and contact has been made with the Special Education
Support Service (SESS). The English department is encouraged to pursue
opportunities for continuing professional development through both the SESS and
the Second Level Support Service (SLSS). This professional development could be
focused either on areas specific to English or on more general educational
areas, for example, differentiated teaching methodologies. Teachers report that
material from courses attended by members of the English department is shared
with the other members of the department on an informal basis. This is positive
and the department is encouraged to place this practice on a more formal basis
through its inclusion in the subject plan. Practice is also shared with other
schools in the locality through informal links.
Planning
and preparation
A subject co-ordinator for English has been appointed.
One formal meeting of the English team is held per term and these meetings are
supplemented by further informal meetings. Minutes of departmental meetings
have been kept. This is good practice and should be continued. The school is to
be complimented on the generous allocation made for departmental meetings, each
of which is of three periods’ duration. Large files of material appropriate to
the study of English in both the Junior Certificate examination and the Leaving
Certificate examination have been gathered and stored by the English
department.
There is a well-developed English subject plan. This
has been created using ICT. This is positive, allowing for ease of revision as
the plan is evaluated and refined each year. Common yearly plans have been
developed. A particular feature of the plans is the focus which is maintained,
not only on content to be taught, but also on learning goals to be achieved by
students. The English department is to be complimented on its commitment to
developing the subject plan. The department is encouraged to maintain and
expand the focus on learning objectives for students which is already a part of
the plan. An addition which might also be considered, in the section of the
plan setting out methodologies to be used in the teaching of the subject, is
the integration of the language and literature elements of the syllabus in both
classwork and homework. Potential areas for further
exploration through the subject plan might include the linking of the current,
very good, common plans to specific timelines, the analysis of state
examination results and uptake versus national norms, the use of ICT in the
teaching and learning of English and the development of an assessment for
learning policy in English. Information on the latter area can be garnered
from the website of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)
at www.ncca.ie. The department’s already
reflective attitude to its own work is, however, acknowledged in making these
suggestions.
A range of extracurricular, co-curricular and
cross-curricular activities are organised for students by members of the
English department. Among these are included visits to the Irish Film Society,
theatre workshops and visiting speakers. The efforts of teachers in these areas
are to be praised.
Teachers are conscious of the need to facilitate
movement of students between levels when choosing the poems to be studied in
senior cycle. This is commendable. Students in higher level junior cycle
classes study one novel for each year of the course and this too is very
worthwhile. There is limited variation of texts in junior and senior cycle. It
is recommended that English teachers pursue greater variation of text choice in
both cycles, within the requirements of the syllabus. This should be done not only
in order to ensure that texts suit class context and interest, but also as a
means of enhancing and expanding their own professional experiences. A useful
resource in choosing texts for junior cycle classes can be accessed at www.childrensbooksireland.com.
The school is encouraged to support the English department in expanding the
range and variation of texts studied in both cycles. Currently, the study of
two texts is undertaken for the comparative element of the ordinary level
Leaving Certificate course. It is recommended that the study of three
comparative texts be undertaken in all classes studying for the Leaving
Certificate examination, as is required by the syllabus. This provision should
also be set down as an element in the English subject plan.
The school has a special educational needs policy.
This is worthwhile and the school is encouraged to continue to maintain a
reflective attitude towards the policy in the future. The literacy-support programme
is organised on the basis of individual and small-group withdrawal. It is
suggested that the possibility of increasing the flexibility of this programme
through the adoption of some co-operative teaching might be examined in the
coming year.
There are good links between the special educational
needs department and the English department. This is aided by the fact that the
learning-support/resource teacher is also a member of the English department.
Informal meetings also serve to enhance communication between the two
departments. A very positive step has been the development of a range of
resources for English by the learning-support/resource teacher.
Individual education plans (IEPs) have begun to
be developed. Time has been allocated for meetings regarding IEPs for the first time this year. All of this is
commendable. The school is encouraged to continue to develop the IEP process.
Teaching
and learning
A good standard of teaching was observed during the
inspection. Planning was presented in all lessons. Objectives were clear in all
lessons. Particularly good practice was evident in one instance, where the
teacher began by clearly enunciating the objective of the lesson for students.
Teachers were universally affirming of students. There was a good relationship
between teachers and students and good classroom management was evident in all
classes.
A wide range of resources was used in English lessons
to support the teaching and learning process. The emphasis on visual resources
in a number of lessons was particularly praiseworthy. The use of these
resources facilitates increased engagement on the part of students who are less
motivated by purely verbal presentations. The requirement by the English
department that students purchase a dictionary and thesaurus as part of their
English materials is most worthwhile. The impact of these texts might be
further added to through the explicit teaching of dictionary skills in English
lessons and students’ own use of a dictionary and thesaurus as part of everyday
classroom practice. Teachers are to be praised for their imaginative use of
varied resources in English lessons.
Language was consistently highlighted in English
lessons. In one instance, a variety of features of language were pointed out to
students during the examination of a poem. They were then expected to analyse
language choices made by the author. In another lesson, students were
encouraged to develop their use of descriptive language in connection with a
poster of Newgrange. The strong emphasis placed on
the importance of language in English lessons is to be praised.
There was some use of differentiated methodologies
during the inspection. In one instance, students were exhorted to aid their
partners in adding to a descriptive passage they were building during the
lesson. In general, however, the English department is encouraged to pursue a
more widespread adoption of differentiated teaching and learning strategies
such as pair work and group work. This will allow for greater shifts in
methodology and pacing during lessons, while also allowing teachers to cater
more specifically to the needs of individual students.
There was evidence of the integration of the language
and literature elements of the syllabuses in a majority of lessons. The use of
‘real-world’ written exercises was positive, along with the student council’s
role in creating a school magazine. There was some evidence of the integration
of the language and literature elements of the syllabuses in students’
homework. English teachers are encouraged to further expand their use of these
strategies in setting students’ homework. The assigning of genre exercises in
connection with texts studied by students should prove particularly useful as a
means of increasing students’ engagement with written tasks. The further
investigation of means by which students’ genre exercises could be ‘published’
through the use of ICT, the display of folders or portfolios, the development
of class compendiums or the public display of particular exercises in
classrooms, are all areas which would further aid in the advancement of
students’ appreciation of texts and the nature of writing in general.
Students were engaged in English lessons and displayed
a good understanding of the texts they were studying. This was demonstrated by
the facility with which they answered teachers’ questions on aspects of
language and other areas connected with these texts. The
promotion of text-marking by students on the part of teachers as a means of
ensuring that students remained ‘on task’ was positive and teachers are
encouraged to continue to develop their use of similar Directed Activities Related
to Texts (DARTs) in the future.
There was evidence of the development of a print-rich
environment in most lessons and teachers are to be praised for their efforts in
this area. Displays of students’ work, along with posters on grammar, featured
in classrooms occupied by English teachers. The English department is
encouraged to further expand this area of its practice, setting out the
creation and maintenance of a print-rich environment as a key aspiration in the
English subject plan. The anticipated provision of baserooms
for English teachers should serve to further increase the opportunities
afforded to English teachers to enhance their practice in this area.
Assessment
Appropriate amounts of homework were regularly
assigned and corrected. In all cases the use of formative, comment-based
assessment was in evidence. In a number of instances, this form of assessment
might have been expanded somewhat in order to further inform the development of
students’ skills in English.
Examinations are organised for students at each
midterm, at the end of each term and at the end of the year. These examinations
are formally organised for those year groups which will participate in the
state examinations. They are informal in the case of non-examination classes,
apart from the end-of-year examination, which is formally organised. A
percentage of the marks for these examinations is
awarded for students’ classwork and homework.
Teachers are also free to hold occasional class tests should they deem these to
be useful. Mock examinations are organised for third-year and sixth-year
students. A potentially useful area for the English department to explore is
that of teachers moderating each others’ marking of students’ work from time to
time. Provision is made during examinations for those students who have applied
for the Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme.
This is good practice. It is suggested that the possibility of setting common
examinations or common components of examinations for different classes in the
same year group might be investigated. Such provision would allow for the
comparison of students’ performance across a year cohort. In making this
suggestion, however, it is recognised that the current arrangement of class groupings,
along with the size of the school, may legislate against such practice.
Students in receipt of literacy support are generally retested at Christmas and
again at the end of the academic year.
Reports on students’ progress are sent to parents at
every midterm break, at the end of each term and at the end of the year. There
is one parent-teacher meeting for each year group once per year. Contacts are
also maintained with parents through use of students’ journals and parents are
also contacted by phone, 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 good relationship was evident between teachers and students.
- Teachers are incorporating the use of ICT into their practice. The
English department is encouraged to continue to develop its use of ICT.
- Baserooms are planned for English
teachers in the next academic year. This is most positive.
- There is a well-developed subject plan. The department is to be
complimented on its commitment to developing the subject plan.
- Good, informal, links have been established between the English
department and the learning-support department. This is worthwhile and
these links should continue to be developed.
- There are three formal departmental meetings per year of three
lessons’ duration each. The school is to be complimented on its provision
for these meetings. Minutes are kept of meetings and a co-ordinator has
been appointed.
- There was a good focus on language in English classes.
- Pair work and active methodologies were used during the inspection.
The expansion of the use of these and other differentiated methodologies
should be pursued.
- Learning was evident in all classes.
- Homework was regularly assigned to an appropriate level.
- There was some evidence of the integration of the language and
literature elements of the syllabus in students’ homework. This was
positive and the English department is encouraged to include this as a key
strategy in the subject plan.
As a means of building on these strengths and to
address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- Provision for the availability of audio-visual facilities in
English lessons should be increased.
- Three comparative texts should be studied in ordinary level Leaving
Certificate classes.
- Greater variation of texts in junior cycle and in senior cycle
should be pursued by the English department.
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.