Active School Flag; Evaluations, Reviews and Priorities

Scoil Mhuire Convent Primary, Roscommon. Roll Number 15083O. Principal: Úna Feeley

ActiveSchool Flag: Evaluation, Review and Priorities - Primary

School Name

Address 1

Address 2

Address 3

Roll No.

School Principal

ACTIVE SCHOOL FLAG; EVALUATIONS, REVIEWS AND PRIORITIES 2007 - 2010
Area / Current Situation / Possible Development / Priority / Number of Priority
Curriculum Planning

1. The school has consulted and agreed on a whole school plan for P.E., physical activity and extra-curricular sports. This plan has been sanctioned by the Board of Management and is available to all teachers.

/ The school has a whole school plan completed in September 2009. The school plan is on the school website All staff members and members of the community have access to the whole school plan. / Referring to the whole school plan staff need to write a yearly scheme for each class level. / To arrange time for staff to write a yearly scheme for each class level. / 1

1. The school meets the minimum requirements of one hour discrete time for P.E. per week and makes use of discretionary time.

/ All 17 classroom teachers are time-tabled for one hours P.E. each week. The school has a hall and yard which are both used for teaching children skills. Discretionary time is used also to allow children time to attend matches and swimming. / Too much time is spent on Aquatics. This needs to be addressed in order to ensure all strands of the curriculum are adequately covered. / To ensure a maximum of 6 weeks P.E. is devoted to Aquatics including Swimming and Water Safety. / 11

1. The school meets the requirements of the P.E. Curriculum.

/ The school meets the requirements of the P.E. curriculum which aim to to promote the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of the child, to develop positive personal qualities, to help in the acquisition of an appropriate range of movement skills in a variety of contexts, to promote understanding and knowledge of the various aspects of movement, to develop an appreciation of movement and the use of the body as an instrument of expression and creativity, to promote enjoyment of, and positive attitudes towards, physical activity and its contribution to lifelong health-related fitness, thus preparing the child for the active and purposeful use of leisure time. / Teachers need to continuously ensure that all strands in the curriculum are equally balanced and covered – Dance, Games, Athletics, Outdoor and Adventure Activities, Gymnastics and Aquatics. / To design suitable trails and activities for Outdoor and Adventure activities linking with other trails in Mathematics and SESE. / 12

1. The school satisfies the seven key messages of the P.E. Curriculum (listed on p. 2-3 of the PE Teacher Guidelines.

/ The school satisfies the seven key messages of the P.E. curriculum which are,the importance of enjoyment and play, maximum participation by all children, the development of skills and understanding, a balance between competitive and non-competitive activities, a balance between contact and non-contact activities
Providing opportunities for achievement for each child, providing activities equally suitable for girls and boys / After school activities could be opened up to ensure some activities suitable for girls and boys in 1st/2nd classes are included.
Gaelic training could be organised in consultation with parents.
Soccer training could be sought from local FAI. / To organise after school activities providing activities equally suitable for 1st/2nd class boys and girls. / 8
Co-curricular Activities

1. The school makes a range of co-curricular activities available to all pupils on an individual and team basis in school.

/ The school ensures that children are encouraged to develop their individual skills as well as given the opportunity to participate in team activities during P.E. lessons. / To develop the range of after school activities in the school so that children of all interests are catered for in school.
To broaden the range of curricular activities available after school hours. / To broaden the range of co-curricular activites available to all pupils on an individual and team basis after school hours. / 7

1. The school’s co-curricular programme caters for children of all abilities and provides meaningful inclusion opportunities for all.

/ The school is mixed up until 1st class and girls only 2nd – 6th. The school is an intercultural school with children of mixed ability / Physical Education could be used to encourage children who have difficulties socially to develop their social schools.
SNAs could work with children during play times.
Older children could help. / To help develop the social skills of children with Autism and Down Syndrome through the use of team games where children of all abilities are included. / 6

1. The school enlists the assistance of National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in co-curricular provision.

/ The school enlists assistance from the National Athletics Association. Local meetings of the AA are held in the school. The school also enlists assistance from the National Volleyball Association. / The school caretaker is an National Coach with the Athletics Assoc. of Ireland. The caretaker could be involved in developing the athletics skills of pupils. / To use the assistance of the school caretaker who is a National Coach in the development of Athletics in the school. / 9
Additional Promotion of Physical Activity

1. The school involves children in the decision making process in relation to physical activity promotion.

/ Currently class teachers do elicit suggestions from children on P.E. activities. However children have not been involved in the decision making progress. / Senior pupils will be asked to identify suitable activities for the yard and to seek resources and equipment suitable for the yard. Children will also be asked to identify suitable activities for Sports Day. / To involve children in the decision making process in relation to physical activity promotion in the school yard. / 5

1. The school takes steps to promote physical activity during breaks andlunch times.

/ It has been noted that there is a lot less trouble in the school yard when children are active. Children are often sent out to the yard without any equipment or organised activity. / To develop activities for the playground to ensure all children of all interests and abilities are active. / To ensure all children of all abilities and interests are encouraged and motivated to be physically active in the school during breaks and lunch time. / 4

1. The school helps and encourages pupils to walk and cycle to school where it is safe to do so.

/ A very small percentage of children walk/cycle to school. / The school is currently involved in the Green Homes project and the current project (3rd term 2010) is based around transport. / To encourage pupils to cycle/walk to school where it is safe to do so. / 15

1. The school offers pupils opportunities to celebrate their physical activity skills and achievements.

/ During assembly and on the intercom success is celebrated. / The school website could be used to celebrate pupils’ activity skills and achievements. / To use the school website to celebrate the physical activity skills and achievements of pupils. / 13

1. The school organises an Active School Week each year.

/ Each year in June the school organises a Sports Day and Family Picnic Day – both involve plenty of activity for the children. / The Sports Day and Family Fun Day could be run during Active School Week and activities arranged for the rest of the week. / To organise an ActiveSchool week each year. / 14
Links with the Community

1. The school has established links with the local community in terms of the promotion and provision of physical activity.

/ The school has links with Roscommon Sports Partnership, the local GAA, FAI, Handball, Golf and Swimming Club committee members. The school also has links with the local Comhaltas, Fleadh, and Scór committees in promoting Dance in the school. / To develop links with Roscommon Sports Partnership and the GAA to improve the skills of children particularly in Camogie and Gaelic. / To consult and seek advice from Roscommon Sports Partnership in relation to developing the physical activity in the school. To seek help from the GAA to raise the standards of play of the children in Camogie and Gaelic.

1. The school informs pupils about physical activity events, facilities and opportunities in the local community.

/ Using the intercom, homework journals and notes to parents the school informs pupils about physical activity events etc. / To use the school website and text-a-parent to inform pupils and parents of physical events as it has been noted that not all notes/messages get home. / To ensure physical activity events, facilities and opportunities in the local community are conveyed to pupils and parents. / 10

1. The school avails of local facilities that provide for and promote physical activity opportunities.

/ The school is next door to the Secondary School sporting grounds and Gym and uses this facility in consultation with secondary school staff. Transition year students help with refereeing matches and Volleyball training. / This facility could be used more. Currently arrangements are informal. Maybe they should be made more formal by writing to the Post-Primary BoM. However, the informal arrangement is working. / To write to the BoM and request a meeting with the PE teachers in the local Secondary school to see how we both could best work together to ensure physical activity of all children.

1. The school demonstrates the involvement of staff, parents and members of the community in the provision of physical activity.

/ Parents are very much involved in Sports Day and work in partnership with staff. Parents also transport children to matches and inform the school of local events. / Parents could be involved more in the training of the Camogie and Gaelic teams. / To seek more involvement of parents in the development of pupils’ skills in Camogie and Gaelic.
Qualifications, Training and Resources

1. The school encourages staff to attend in-service courses and to participate in other forms of continuous professional development (CPD) appropriate to their needs.

/ The Board of Management is very aware of the important role it has in supporting professional development of staff. The Board subsidises prof. dev. of staff and encourages CPD. / To invite one of Jenny Mosely Circle Time team to give advice to staff on improving and increasing activity in the yard. / To arrange training for staff on strategies and methods that can be used to increase activity in the school yard. / 2

1. The school has adequate resources to provide pupils with comprehensive P.E. and co-curricular physical activity programmes.

/ The school has its own hall which is used for PE. The hall has a broad range of equipment. However much of it is hidden and there are problems with storage. / PE equipment needs to be stored properly while at the same time easily accessible to staff and pupils. / To ensure PE equipment is adequately stored and easily accessible to staff. / 3