An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna Department of Education and Skills Whole School Evaluation REPORT St John the Baptist Boys National School Downey Street, Pennywell, Limerick Uimhir rolla: 16715H Date of inspection: 02 October 2013
1. Introduction St John the Baptist Boys National School is a four-teacher school, situated in the Pennywell area of Limerick city, which caters for boys from second to sixth class. It operates under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Limerick and it participates in Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS), the Department s action plan for educational inclusion. It has two mainstream classroom teachers, one full-time resource teacher and a shared learning support teacher. A shared post for literacy has been assigned to the school, under the auspices of the Limerick DEIS Primary Schools Literacy Initiative. The school also has the services of a shared home-schoolcommunity liaison (HSCL) co-ordinator. There were thirty-nine pupils enrolled in the school at the time of this evaluation. The attendance levels of the majority of pupils are good. However, the poor attendance of a minority is an ongoing concern. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report, and the response of the board will be found in the appendix of this report. This report presents the findings of a whole-school evaluation undertaken in the school in October 2013. The evaluation focused on the quality of teaching and learning in English, Irish, Mathematics and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE). 2. Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Further Development The following are the main strengths of the work of the school: The commitment and diligence of all staff members are evident. There were examples of very good instructional practices in some settings. The principal and other members of the teaching staff display a clear awareness of pupil background, welfare and individual needs. Pupils are well-behaved; very effective systems of pupil management have been established and are implemented successfully. Attractive and well-organised learning environments have been created throughout the school. Parents and members of the local community are actively involved in supporting school activities. Opportunities are provided for pupils to participate in a broad range of extra-curricular activities. The following main recommendations are made: The school should identify and implement a range of interventions which focus specifically on improving pupil outcomes in literacy and numeracy. The initiatives in place to support pupils should be reviewed regularly to evaluate their effectiveness and their impact on pupil progress. The targets set for improving standards and raising pupil attainment in literacy and numeracy should be monitored, reviewed and discussed regularly. 1
The board of management should formulate a long-term strategic plan, which would identify future priorities for the school s development. 3. Quality of School Management The board of management is supportive of the work of the school. It is properly constituted and regular meetings are convened. School accounts have been certified and financial reports are provided. Minutes of meetings are documented carefully and provide a clear record of matters discussed and decisions made. In order to carry out its statutory duty in relation to the appropriate and regular oversight of the teaching and learning in the school, the board should place its primary focus on ensuring that the school makes a measurable impact on standards of literacy and numeracy among the pupils. To this end, the board should monitor the targets set for improving standards in literacy and numeracy and should discuss regularly how well these targets are being achieved. A long-term strategic plan should be formulated by the board, which would identify future priorities for the school s development. The principal who took up this position in September 2011 currently holds the resource teaching post. The deputy principal works in very effective collaboration with the principal and she displays great commitment to fulfilling a wide range of leadership responsibilities. The principal demonstrates an indepth knowledge of, and interest in, the school community. Since taking on his role, he has been very proactive in introducing a variety of school initiatives, in leading developments aimed at improving school accommodation, in improving pupil behaviour and in promoting a positive school environment. He has also been very successful in developing clear lines of communication with parents. To build on these successes, it is recommended that particular emphasis now be placed on matters concerning teaching and learning. One way of doing this would be by focussing on the school s interventions in literacy and numeracy and assessing the impact of these supports on the quality of pupils learning outcomes. To ensure that the board of management is well informed in areas such as pupils attainment levels, resource requirements and teachers professional development needs, the principal should provide the board with regular reports on the work of the school. The work undertaken in recent times to improve the school s internal accommodation and to provide attractive and well-organised learning environments is commended. A dedicated computer room is currently being developed and information and communication technology (ICT) resources are used productively. All pupils surveyed indicated that they use computers/interactive whiteboard in school most days. Pupils are well-behaved and very effective systems of pupil management, which include the promotion of positive behaviour and discipline for learning, have been established and implemented successfully. The school should ensure that the retention of pupils is permitted only for educational reasons and in exceptional circumstances, as outlined in Primary Circular 32/03. In all cases, age-appropriate placements should be ensured. The parents association, which was established in the school year 2012-2013, makes a positive contribution to the life of the school. Parent questionnaires indicate high levels of satisfaction with the school. All parents expressed the view that the school is well run. 4. Quality of School Planning and School Self-evaluation A wide range of organisational policies has been reviewed and ratified by the board. However, many of the school s curricular policies are generic in nature and do not reflect 2
the school s current context and practices. Further work is required to tailor all curricular policies to the school s circumstances and to ensure that expected learning outcomes in relation to pupil attainment are delineated at each class level. It is advised that the board initiate an annual review and ratification process regarding an agreed number of curricular policies. The school s work in school self-evaluation is progressing satisfactorily. Priorities for school improvement have been identified and teachers have begun to implement a station-teaching programme in the area of literacy. Systems to track and record individual pupils progress in response to interventions should now be agreed and implemented. The quality of individual teacher planning is satisfactory. All teachers provide long-term and short-term planning to guide classroom activity. A combined short-term plan and monthly progress record is formulated at present. Short-term planning could be improved by focusing on a small number of clear objectives and by identifying specific learning targets and outcomes. Confirmation was provided that the board of management has formally adopted the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools without modification and that the school is compliant with the requirements of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. 5. Quality of Teaching, Learning and Pupil Achievement The quality of teaching observed during the evaluation ranged from satisfactory to very good. Very effective practice was evident in some settings along with some innovative teaching approaches which the teachers have implemented. Classroom interactions are positive and pupils are consistently encouraged to work purposefully. Standardised tests in literacy and numeracy show that pupils attainment levels have improved over the past two years. To sustain this improvement, it will be necessary to ensure that clear and attainable targets continue to be identified and reviewed within a measurable timeframe. To this end also, the school s curricular interventions should be monitored regularly to evaluate their effectiveness and to measure their impact on pupil learning. The quality of teaching observed in English ranged from satisfactory to very good. In accordance with the targets outlined in the school s improvement plan, commendable work has begun recently in implementing a literacy programme at all class levels. This is at an early stage of implementation and the challenge for the school is to ensure that the support interventions in literacy have a measurable impact on pupil attainment. To maintain the pattern of improvement made to date in reading and writing outcomes, there is a need for differentiated teaching approaches to be further developed throughout the school. The introduction of guided reading initiatives as a basis for the teaching of reading should be prioritised. In this regard, it is important that staff members continue to access continuing professional development (CPD) support as it becomes available. Tá caighdeán sásúil ag baint le teagasc na Gaeilge agus breathnaíodh gnéithe de straitéisí inmholta. Cé go bhfuil tuiscint chóir ar an ábhar atá múinte, tá foclóir Gaeilge na ndaltaí teoranta. Chuige sin, ba chóir na trí thréimhse cumarsáide a chur i bhfeidhm i ngach ceacht agus deiseanna rialta a sholáthar chun an Ghaeilge a dhaingniú. Moltar scileanna léitheoireachta na ndaltaí a fhorbairt go foirmiúil agus timpeallachtaí saibhir-ibprionta sa Ghaeilge a chruthú tríd an scoil. Moltar úsáid níos forleithne a bhaint as an ríomhaire chun saothar scríbhneoireachta a fhorbairt agus a thaispeáint. The standard of teaching in Irish is satisfactory and aspects of commendable strategies were observed. While pupils display an appropriate understanding of the material taught, 3
their acquisition of Irish vocabulary is limited. To this end, the three phases of communication should be implemented in every lesson and regular opportunities should be provided for consolidation. Pupils reading skills should be developed formally and print-rich environments in Irish should be created throughout the school. It is advised that greater use be made of computer resources to develop and display written work. The quality of teaching observed in Mathematics during the evaluation varied from satisfactory to good. The aspects of effective practice observed in some classes included the implementation of active learning strategies, the productive use of mathematical resources and the focus on the development of pupils oral mathematical skills. Progress has been made in raising pupils attainment levels in numeracy over the past two years. However, standardised tests results indicate that the majority of pupils are challenged by this area of the curriculum. To enhance provision further, results of assessment tests should be used to inform the implementation in all classes of differentiated mathematical activities which are suitable to the learning needs of the pupils. Problem-solving skills and the use of mathematical language should be extended and frequent opportunities should be provided to consolidate learning. Tracking of pupil progress in respect of concept acquisition and knowledge attained should be undertaken regularly. The quality of teaching and learning in SPHE is very good. Very effective teaching strategies were observed. The findings from parental surveys indicate that almost all parents believe that their child feels safe at school. A very good commitment to the development of a positive school climate and to the promotion of respect was evident. Pupils self-assessment and peer-review strategies are supported effectively. Various strategies are employed to assess pupil progress; these include standardised tests, teacher-designed tests and the maintenance of pupil folders. There is a need for a systematic approach to assessment to ensure that the data generated is used more effectively, to monitor overall standards and to assess the impact of specific interventions on pupil outcomes in literacy and numeracy. 6. Quality of Support for Pupils The quality of teaching approaches and interventions for pupils with special educational needs is good. Activities tailored to pupils needs and strengths are undertaken and individual teacher planning is documented comprehensively through the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Individual Pupil Learning Profiles (IPLPs). It is now important to ensure that the progress of individual pupils in receipt of support provision is recorded on a regular basis.the teachers have begun to work collaboratively to support pupils literacy development within mainstream class settings, With the support of the shared literacy co-ordinator, baseline assessment data is being established, on-site professional development is being provided and station teaching in literacy is being developed. This work is commendable and should be extended further by conducting regular reviews of the effectiveness of the initiatives. The school benefits from the home-school-community liaison service and frequent home visits and school-based adult education courses are organised. Family cluster meetings are convened and parental involvement in initiatives such as the Incredible Years programme is fostered. Work is also undertaken to support pupils transition to secondlevel school. Paired reading activities are facilitated and organised in collaboration with the school s shared literacy co-ordinator. The work of the parents association is supported and links have been established with the School Completion Programme coordinator. Published June 2014 4
Appendix SCHOOL RESPONSE TO THE REPORT Submitted by the Board of Management 5
Area 1 Observations on the content of the inspection report The Board of Management welcomes the Whole School Evaluation report of October 2013. The Board also acknowledges the very high levels of satisfaction indicated by parents and pupils in their questionnaire responses. It would be the Board s contention that greater consideration should be taken of pupil s literacy and numeracy levels at entry to senior schools. This would apply to our intake pupils, many of whom enter second class, i.e., after three years in school, with low levels of literacy and numeracy. Furthermore, the Board believes greater consideration should be given to the prevalent rate of children with mild and borderline general learning disabilities that exist in the school at any particular time. St. John the Baptist B.N.S. has always prided itself on its open and inclusive policy for children with various special educational needs as well as those from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Area 2 Follow-up actions planned or undertaken since the completion of the inspection activity to implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection. The school has taken on board the recommendations made and the implementation of these has been prioritised as part of the school s development plan. Guided reading has been introduced in all literacy groups and has been very successful. As part of the school self-evaluation process, further improvement of attainment levels in numeracy will be the target for the 2014/2015 school year. Systems are in place to monitor the effectiveness of initiatives associated with improving literacy and numeracy. The Board is in the process of formulating a long term strategic plan. 6