Meeting between representatives of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB) and members of the Inspectorate

Thursday 07 January 2016

11.30- 13.00

Purpose of meeting: To provide representatives of the JMB with an opportunity to meet with members of the Inspectorate to discuss and provide feedback on:

  • proposed revisions to seven existing evaluation guides and to three new draft evaluation guides
  • current school self-evaluation practice, the next phase of SSE, and the draft revised domains and standards for school leadership and management.

In attendance:

  • John Curtis: General Secretary JMB
  • Fr Paul Connell: President AMCSS/JMB
  • Michael Redmond: Director, Research and Development JMB
  • Harold Hislop, Chief Inspector
  • Emer Egan, Deputy Chief Inspector
  • Deirdre Mathews, Assistant Chief Inspector
  • Kate O Carroll, Senior Inspector
  • Mary Culhane, District Inspector

Participants were welcomed and invited to comment on the draft documents.

Summary of main points raised regardingSSE and the leadership and management domains and standards

Representatives of the JMB:

  • Felt that the standards outlined in proficient practice should be sufficient, as these are much clearer that statements of expert practice
  • Would welcome
  • Greater autonomy for schools, in the next phase of SSE, to select their own areas of focus and to outline their own timeline to address areas for development
  • more input and support from inspectors on SSE in the course of their evaluations in schools.
  • Indicated a need to ensure correlation between SSE and SIPbut welcomed the fact that the ‘compliance’ checklist was separate to the SSE report
  • Suggested that consideration should be given to incorporating spiritual intelligence (such as the framework proposed by Danah Zohar: ‘Spiritually Intelligent Leadership’, 2005 ) into the standards
  • Referred to the managerial experience of the Inspectorate and suggested that inspectors shadow principals for a period of time to assist in developing an understanding of the role of the principal

Summary of main points raised regarding draft guides to inspection

JMB representatives:

  • Welcomed the shortened notice period for WSE but wondered if5 days was too short
  • Suggested that
  • a phone call on issue of notification to school would be welcome
  • the documentation required and sought from principals in advance of evaluation should be streamlined;documents sought during evaluations should be kept to a minimum and inspectors should not ask for documents already available in the DES
  • clarity regarding the planning required of teachers (termly/annual plans) would be useful
  • the timing of inspections in May was difficult for schools as they prepare for state examination
  • Requested that the Inspectorate avoid:
  • reference to subject departments and to subject coordinators, as they do not exist in some schools
  • reference to ‘legacy’ language such as School Development Plan
  • Referred to the possibility of problems posed by an ASTI directive to members

The Chief Inspector thanked the representatives of the JMB for taking the time to carefully consider the documents and for the suggestions made. Their observations, along with the observations of other education partners, would be carefully considered in any revisions made.