A Self Evaluation Guide for Boards of Governor and Principals

School Management

Key Aspects2010

Foreword

A strong School Management team is a hallmark of a good school. It is integral to the life of the school and is intermeshed with the academic, social and cultural dimensions within the school. Indeed it is there to ensure that the student can benefit fully from the educational provision in the school. This document is intended to assist those Governors, Principals and others in considering how they might improve management and leadership in their schools. Manage is fundamental to the ethos of the school, in fact it is ethos made tangible.

Understanding your management roles– principalsand governorsshould have a clear understanding of the management roles in a school ensuring that the highest standards of education are developedand encouraged.

This paper is not about providing you with predetermined outcomes. It is about, informing the vision of the management team in the school. It is intended to help you find some answers in each of the identified areas of Management. But take your time. You should not try to improve more thanone or two of the areas mentioned in any one year. One of the many strengths of our schools is their emerging capacity for self-evaluation as a means of monitoring performance and striving for improvements. It is a constant process which informs SchoolDevelopment Planning; Target Setting and Action Planning. As a process it involves all the key contributors to the achievement of positive outcomes for all our young people.

This is a tool for school managers and leaders to enable themto self-evaluateand develop their capacity to manage. It should reflect the needs of the whole school.

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CONTENTS

Preface for Boards of Governors of Irish-medium Schools . . . . .3

Preface for Principals of Irish-medium Schools ...... 3

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Irish-medium Ethos...... ………………… ...... 4

1.2 Use of Guide...... …… ...... 4

1.3 Steps for Self-Evaluation ...... … ...... 5

1.4 Essential Considerations...... …...... 6

2 SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

2.1 General Background ...... …...... 7

2.2 Quality Indicators ...... …...... 8

3 INCLUSION AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

3.1 General Background ...... …...... 10

3.2 Quality Indicators ...... …...... 11

4 CHILD PROTECTION

4.1 General Background ...... … ...... 12

4.2 Quality Indicators ...... … ...... 13

5 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT (Every School a GoodSchool)

5.1 General Background ...... 14

5.2 Quality Indicators ...... … ...... 15

APPENDIX A

School Development Planning- Questionnaires...... 16

Special Needs Questionnaires...... 19

Child Protection - Pupils Questionnaires ...... 23

School Improvement - Questionnaires ...... 25

Check list for Governors and Principals...... 29

APPENDIX B

Evaluation Pro Forma ......

School Management2010

Preface for Boards of Governorsof Irish-medium Schools

The Board of Governors of an Irish-medium school has overallresponsibility for ensuring effective management in all areas of school lifefor all pupils attending the school. Governors need to be aware of the effectiveness of their management of the school. This guide is intended to provide asupport for Boards of Governors in fulfilling their responsibilities in thearea of School Management.While the Governors have ultimate operational responsibility for aschool, they will delegate to the Principal and Senior Management Team.School Management shouldensure sound working partnerships areformed which encourage all members of the school community toparticipate in decision making and policy formation. The schoolcommunity includes teaching and non teaching staffs, parents, pupils andGovernors.

In the Irish-medium school, Governors and staff should devise Management structures that are discussed and based on the sharedunderstanding of what it means to be anIrish-medium school.They agree managerial principles that reflect the ethos which underpin their Management Programme.

One of the key indicators of the effectiveness of a school’s generalprovision is the quality of its management and leadership, which in Irish-medium Schools is embodied in the Gaelic ethos of the school.Where Governors and other partners work towards ensuringexcellence in management, this will inevitably result in positiveimprovements in all areas of school life, such as pupils’ attainmentsand achievements.The purpose of this guide is to assist Governors and school managersto make informed judgements on the quality of provision across a rangeof management issues.

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Preface for Principals ofIrish-medium Schools

It is recognised that the quality of provision in a school is determinedby the ability, drive and determination of the Principal. The role of thePrincipal is pivotal to the delivery of quality education.Effective leadership is a vital ingredient in any Irish-mediumschool. It shapes and influences the entire experience ofteaching and learning within the school community.

The Principal should have a clear vision for the direction and futuredevelopment of the school and by working with the whole schoolcommunity make this vision real.This guide focuses on key aspects of management identified in recent school inspections. It is hoped that Principals will be able touse the guide to evaluate and clarify the quality of management withinthe school and the direction which the school should take to enhanceand improve current provision.By following the guide a school should be able to identify aspects of management that can be developed and improved and reflected in the School Development Plan.The guide should be used in conjunction with School Development Planning.3

School Management 2010

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Irish-medium Ethos

The ethos of an Irish-medium school promotes the linguistic, intellectual, socialand personal development of all its pupils. It takes account of the uniquenessof pupils and of their need for individual support and guidance.In a Irish-medium school the management dimension is the ethos of theschool in tangible form. What determines good Management is thequality of relationships at all levels in the school.In the present climate of rapid and complex socialchange which is resulting in substantial uncertainty, insecurity and stressin families and society in general, it is even more important that school management is always a high priority.Management cannot be thought of in separate terms from teaching andlearning within the school. It is a key determinant of successful learning.Strong Management is exemplified by:

• Quality teaching and learning

• Positive discipline

• High expectation of pupil performance

• Caring relationships at all levels

The main indicator of an effective Management system isthe efficient delivery of the curriculumensuring the most appropriateenvironment for learning.

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.2 Use of Guide

The guide is intended to be used as a self-evaluation tool by all Irish-medium schoolswhich wish to review and develop their current practice. Recent school inspections have shown thefollowing areas as those where schools would benefitmost from guidance:

• School Development Planning

• Special Needs

• Child Protection

• School Improvement

The guide provides for each section: background information; qualityindicators; questionnaires for staff, parents and pupils and evaluationPro Formas. The questionnaires ask for a view on a series of statementswhich are closely linked to the quality indicators. An opportunity isprovided for further comment which may add qualitative insights.Questionnaires for the most of the sections are includedin the guide as exemplars others will have to be drawn up by the school. 5

School Management 2010

1.3 Steps for Self-Evaluation

As part of the Self-Evaluation cycle Governors and Principals shouldconsider one or two areas of management in any school year to enablemanageable improvement to be set in place.Governors and Principals will determine how the questionnaires shouldbe used. The following suggestions may help.

  • Questionnaires should be distributed to all staff. Questionnaires should be distributed to all governors. Thequestionnaires for parents and pupils may be completed by all, orby a sample group depending on the size of the school.
  • Schools may choose to modify the language used to reflect moreclosely the background of the school and/or age of the pupilsinvolved.
  • Governors should set aside time for detailed discussion about theinformation collated from all sets of stakeholders and theviews of the Principal.
  • It is possible that some responses may be perceptions and are notnecessarily an accurate comment on provision. However,perceptions are also important and any negativity should beaddressed as part of the continuous improvement process.
  • Any obvious mismatch in response from the groups mentioned mayhighlight issues of communication or collaboration which may alsorequire action.
  • For each indicator the Governors should reach agreement on which of the four statements below best represents the school’sactual position:

1. A Major Strength

2. A Strength

3. Needs Development

4. Priority For Development

The Governors should complete the overall evaluation of provision andconsider what action, if any, should be taken. Any action required canthen be included in the School’s Development Plan for the future.

Fundamental to the success of the development planning process is the ability of the school to self-evaluate against identified quality indicators. How a school sets about the process of self-evaluation is a matter for itself; however, a range of information and evaluation tools is available to help schools to review their provision, e.g. published statistics, research and in particular ‘Together Towards Improvement – A Process for Self- Evaluation’ (TTI) published recently by the Education and Training Inspectorate as well as a series of DVDs.In addition schools may find it useful to refer to the Chief Inspector’s Report, ‘Evaluating

Schools’, ‘Evaluating Pre-School Education’, ‘Evaluating Pastoral Care’, SETAQ, EFQM, IIP and/or the Charter Mark. At departmental/subject levels, schools could use ‘Evaluating Subjects’, ‘Improving Subjects’, and in the primary phase ‘Children and their Learning’. At an individual teacher level, ‘The Reflective Teacher’ could be used.

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1.4 Essential Considerations

Cognisance must be taken of the following factors whenundertaking improvement in any area of School Management.

(a) Legislation

Relevant legislation must be taken account of when devising andimplementing managerial policies and programmes.

(b) Consultation

Policies and programmes should be consulted on and collectivelydeveloped to ensure whole school ownership and successfulimplementation.

(c) Training

Training in management issues should be adequately budgeted for in termsof staffing, professional needs, allocated time and material resources.

(d) The Use of External Agencies

Where external agencies engage with a school they must work insupport of the school’s ethos. Programmes should:

• be consistent with Irish-medium education’s ethos

• be agreed in advance and in writing

• be integral to the curriculum

• be reported back to the governors.

(e) School Development Planning

School Management impacts on all areas of pupils’ lives and it is therefore crucial that planning for improvement is staged over a number of yearsto ensure success.Quality Managementdevelopment should be a recognised key characteristic of Irish-medium schools and as such should be an integral part of all schoolplanning.

School Management 2010

2 SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

2.1 General Background

The School Development Plan is primarily a working document for use by the school. It will be based on the school’s systematicanalysis of current levels of performance its assessment of how current trendsand future factors may impact on the school and set out prioritiesand targets for improvement for the period ahead.

The legislation places a duty on the Board of Governors to prepare and regularly revise the School Development Plan (SDP). While Governors may choose to delegate the preparation of the plan to the Principal, it is the Board of Governorsthat must formally approve the planand they must understand all it’s implications before giving their formal approval. Where the Board of Governors prefers to undertake the preparation of the plan, they must consult with the Principal. The Board of Governors must also approve formally any subsequent revisions to the plan. It is the responsibility of theGovernors and the Principal to ensure that all programmes deliveredwithin the school are in keeping with school’s ethosand reflected in the individual planning of all the staff in the school. The SDPand all itscontent and modes of delivery should be agreed with the principal and staff and minuted by the governors prior to introduction.

Below are the four key stages for consideration when drafting anSDP.

Stage 1 The confirmation of the school’s ethos, culture and aims.

Stage 2 An audit of current provision and identification of areas for improvement.

Stage 3 Prioritisation for action and the implementation of development planning.

Stage 4 The determining of the arrangements for monitoring and the reviewof the plan in the light of that monitoring.

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2 SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

2.2 Quality Indicators

Governors and Principals should consider how the schoolcan currently be rated against the following qualityindicators.

  1. The School has a clear understanding of the SDPand hasconsulted,through the principaland thestaff with all parents and pupils on all related issuesand it confirms the school’s Irish language ethos.
  1. An assessment has been carried out of the school’s current position, its strengths, areas for improving the quality of learning and teaching and the various factors which will influence the management and development of the school over the next 3 years.1
  1. The audit includes a review of the performance of the school by focusing on its effectiveness in terms of the learning and the experiences of its pupils:
  • The school has a base line assessment for all the pupils in the school.
  • The school knows how its performance compares with that of other schools operating in similar circumstances.
  • The school knows its present performance compared with the achievement of the school in previous years.
  • The school has gathered evidence of where the pupils’ work and attainments in certain subjects/areas of study/key stages/year groups are at present.
  • The school knows if some groups of pupils are doing better than others.
  • The school has measured the performance of boys compare with that of girls.
  • The school is planning to improve all these areas.
  1. The SDP details the short-term and the long-term objectives of the school Objectivesand are measurable and evaluated to allow for corrective measures if and when necessary. The BOG monitors this process throughout the year.The Plan is reviewed at least once each year.
  1. The school evaluates, in a constructively critical manner, the nature and quality of its provision across a wide range of areas, especially the standards attained by its pupils, examining the areas set out in the regulations. In particular, this exercise involves ananalysis of the performance of pupils, comparing: current performance, across the school and in each subject, with that of previous cohorts;the performance of the same cohort across different subjects; andcurrent performance against the performance of pupils in schools of similar size and/or characteristics.
  1. All the staff have opportunities to reflect on and evaluate their roles in relation to the SDP to identify the best ways to implement or even improve it. All staff arecommended for their efforts and achievements. All the staff meets with principal to take account of any feedback on their roles and responsibilities throughout the year.
  1. The targets reflect the areas for improvement identified as part of the school development planning process. Every target has clear steps as tohow the school is going to progress towards achieving it. The school’s 3-Year schooldevelopment plan, targets for Years 2 and 3 are supported by milestonetargets in Years 1 and 2 respectively.
  1. In determining its priorities for action, the school takes full account of its financial position, including, importantly, making provision for any foreseeableexpenditure that the Board of Governors is legally or contractually obliged to incur.If the school is in deficit, or if there are likely to be reduced income levels, then theschool also needs to identify actions which may be necessary in order to ensurethat the income and expenditure balance.
  1. The target-setting is SMART, ietargets should be:Specific - clearly expressed;Measureable – delivering anoutcome which is quantifiable;Achievable – reasonable and realistic yet challenging;Relevant to the school’s values and priorities within its development plan;Timebound – aimed at a date by which the target should be achieved.It is also essential that objectives and targets be:informed by an accurate evaluation of what is currently being achieved; and,affordable, in terms of humanand other resources.
  1. The school development plan is a living document which every member of staff canand does use, routinely, as a referencepoint in how they develop, improve and carry out their work. It is the improvement inthe quality of learning and teaching in the classroom and the pupils’ attainments, and allthe learning and development experiences of the pupils in their charge lies atthe heart of the school’s development plan.

School Management 2010

3 INCLUSION AND SPECIALEDUCATIONAL NEEDS

3.1 General Background

From Sept 2005 the Special Education Needs and Disability Orderapplies to all schools. As a result there is an increased requirement tobe more inclusive of pupils with a wide range of educational and otherspecial needs, which is in keeping with the Irish-medium Ethos.It is a defining quality of Irish-medium schools that each pupil isregarded as a unique person and has the right to have access to thewhole curriculum and to take part in the varied activities andopportunities of school life.The Irish-medium sector is committed to the promotion of Inclusion and deems Inclusionto be the necessary core of a school’s policy on Special EducationNeeds.The inclusive school adopts systems and structures that fullyinvolve all pupils and adults.These may include, for example, adaptationsto the curriculum and buildings.The inclusive curriculum is characterised by the setting of suitablelearning challenges where all pupils have the opportunity to experiencesuccess. A generic approach, lacking differentiation or the recognitionof the base line from which each pupil is working, is avoided.School policies and practices conform to the requirements of theSpecial Educational Needs Code of Practice.Making provision for all pupils, especially those with specific physical orcognitive learning needs can be challenging, and can have significantimplication in terms of appropriate resources. This challenge must bepositively embraced.

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3 INCLUSION AND SPECIALEDUCATIONAL NEEDS