Leadership+ Issue 101 October 2017 by Irish Primary Principals’ Network

ISSUE 101 / OCTOBER 2017

+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS

CONTROLLING OUR Response to Change

! E T O N Y R A DI

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

2018

CITYWEST HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTRE

Thursday 25rd and Friday 26th January 2018 - EARLIER DATE! NOTE: Seminars will start on Thursday morning I Early check-in on Wednesday evening I Contact the hotel asap to book your room See conference.ippn.ie for more information and to register

Do you have a need for a substitute teacher in your school? If so, do you use IPPN’s TextaSub facility? This service is available to fully qualiﬁed primary school teachers only. I Their Teaching Council number is validated I They need to register their availability every 7 days I They can subscribe for up to two counties I On average there are 316 fully qualiﬁed primary school teachers subscribed to the service every day I There are approx. 450,000 SMS messages issued annually through this service. If you have a requirement for a substitute teacher in your school, you can avail of this service by visiting www.ippn.ie and selecting the TextaSub logo on the right hand side.

Legal Diary

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David discusses Data Protection and General Protection Regulation in Schools.

Super Chickens

What ultimately drives us to do our best work and what deﬁnes a good leader is the quality of relationships within the workplace.

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CSL Research and Evaluation The main challenge for any type of professional learning is the level of engagement with it and the impact it has on practice in schools.

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Controlling our Response to Change Change is a constant and mostly outside of our control. However, we can control our response to it.

Principal in Profile

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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS

Catherine Carragher tells us about her ﬁrst year as a Principal.

Who Runs Our Schools?

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+ Leadership

Brendan McCabe looks at the evolving nature of patronage of schools.

Irish Primary Principals’ Network, Glounthaune, Co. Cork • 1890 21 22 23 • www.ippn.ie I I

I I I I

Editor: Geraldine D’Arcy Editorial Team: Geraldine D’Arcy, Páiric Clerkin and David Ruddy Comments to: editor@ippn.ie Advertising: sinead.omahony@ippn.ie ISSN: 1649-5888 Design: Brosna Press

The opinions expressed in Leadership+ do not necessarily reﬂect the official policy or views of IPPN

Signposts ISSUE 101 / OCTOBER 2017

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Counselling demand and provision in primary schools in Ireland DR. ROSALEEN MCELVANEY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN PSYCHOTHERAPY, DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

Readers of Leadership+ will be aware of this recent study conducted by a research team from Dublin City University (Dr. Rosaleen McElvaney, Dr. Evelyn Gordon & Deirdre Judge Dooley) and funded by St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services. With the increasing trend towards providing school counselling in primary schools across the globe, this study sought to investigate, firstly, the presenting psychological, emotional and behavioural needs of children attending primary schools in Ireland; and secondly, how schools respond to those needs, and the extent and nature of counselling service provision in schools. Recent studies in the UK evaluating school counselling have shown promising results with improvements in children’s confidence, learning and self-esteem, peer relationships and general wellbeing in school (see Benerjee and colleagues, 2016 for review). However, the research is sparse and it is as yet unclear the extent to which improvements can be directly attributed to counselling.

Recent studies in the UK evaluating school counselling have shown promising results with improvements in children’s conﬁdence, learning and selfesteem, peer relationships and general wellbeing in school Our study is the first such study in Ireland. We surveyed all primary school principals in Ireland (3,256) through an

online survey and interviewed a small sample of principals (5) and counsellors (5) where school-based counselling is available. We received tremendous support - 1,282 schools responded, a response rate of 39%. Some of the key findings from the study are outlined below.

ON-SITE COUNSELLING I

COMPLEX NEEDS OF CHILDREN I

86% (1,100) cited general family issues as a presenting issue for children currently in primary schools in Ireland. This was followed by G separation/ divorce/ marital breakdown issues (79%) G anxiety issues (79%) G behaviour-related issues (73%) G anger-related issues (73%). School principals and counsellors referred to the ‘layers and layers’ of issues as both increasing in range and severity, such as: G Anxiety - ‘We’re just noticing a huge rise in anxiety amongst our primary school children but from speaking to other principals I think we’re not alone there’ (P003) G Cyberbullying - ‘last year and this year, in both of our fifth classes, there was an element of cyberbullying which we hadn’t seen before which we would be very concerned about’ (P001) G self-harm and suicidal ideation - ‘Issues such as mood swings, bereavement, thoughts of harming and suicide. We have to deal with them even in the primary setting’ (C005) G gender identity issues - ‘what has presented in the past a little bit is around sexuality and I suppose identity. A couple of students who had transgender confusion or issues’ (C005).

I I

30% of schools surveyed have access to on-site school counselling Children who attended on-site counselling were described as more confident, more outgoing, showing improvements in emotion regulation and engagement in the classroom, the wider school environment and in the home On site counsellors, in addition to providing one-to-one counselling to children, also provide support to teachers and to parents 72% (928) of schools would like access to on-site counselling School principals expressed a clear preference for access to art/play therapist, counsellor/psychotherapist, and psychologist (other than NEPS) on site rather than external to the school 58% (737) stated that accommodation is available in their school.

The nature of counselling provision and delivery at present, while appearing to provide some benefits, is under-funded, under-resourced and not supported by national policy. Findings from international studies of school counselling suggest that the lack of national policy and funding are significant barriers to the mental health and wellbeing provision in primary schools. Banerjee, R., McLaughlin, C., Cotney, J., Roberts, L. & Peereboom, C. (2016). Promoting emotional health, well-being and resilience in primary schools. University of Sussex, available at: http://ppiw.org.uk/. Contact rosaleen.mcelvaney@dcu.ie for a copy of the final report

October 2017

EDITORAL

CONTROLLING OUR Response to Change Founding IPPN president Jim Hayes outlined the vision for IPPN in issue 1 of Leadership+, in January 2000. He stated that IPPN would seek to foster, co-ordinate and develop, in a structured manner, a culture of professional support and professional development for primary school leaders. He outlined the hope that through consultation and partnership, IPPN would actively inform and influence those making policy decisions concerning primary education, especially in relation to leadership of our schools. We must ensure that IPPN provides the highest standards of peer support, professional development and representation for school leaders. This is especially true now with unprecedented focus on the change agenda. The pace of change is challenging for all organisations and the capacity for change is limited. Principals and Deputy Principals are key agents to the change process in our schools. Successful reform within our schools is largely dependent upon their leadership. It is appropriate therefore that school leaders continue to challenge and questions the change agenda in a constructive and meaningful way. Change is a constant and mostly outside of our control. However, we can control our response to it. We must plan and prioritise and do what is right for the children attending our schools. Our primary focus must always be to enhance the positive learning environment of our schools and consider the wellbeing of our pupils and of our staff.

PÁIRIC CLERKIN

make Ireland’s education and training system the best in Europe. It proposes to deliver a learning experience to the highest international standards which will equip learners of all ages and capacities to participate and succeed in a changing world. Are these realistic ambitions when many of our schools will effectively lose 50% of their promoted posts in comparison to the 2003 schedule?

AND DAVID RUDDY

Change is a constant and mostly outside of our control. However, we can control our response to it. majority of schools will see no improvement and will have little prospect of alleviation on the basis of the 2017 schedule. The DES’ ‘Action Plan for Education 2016-2019’ aims to

Be assured that IPPN will work to seek a more equitable schedule. IPPN will also work with our educational partners to seek more administrative days for teaching principals. You can play your part in relation to both of these top priorities. Brief your political representatives on the challenges that you face as a school leader in delivering quality learning to our pupils and the key supports that will enable you to do so.

This new academic year commenced with the long-awaited publication of circular 0063/2017 on Leadership and Management. The circular lifts the moratorium on the filling of some management posts in schools and incorporates some recommendations from IPPN, including external appointment for the position of deputy principal. However, the vast 33

Data Protection and General Protection Regulation 1. What is Data Protection, and why does it apply to schools? Schools hold a vast amount of data on pupils, parents, and staff. Schools are obligated to seek and hold such information in compliance with Data Protection rules. The following are the eight rules: I Obtain and process information fairly I Keep it for one or more specified, explicit and lawful purposes I Use and disclose it in ways compatible with these purposes I Keep it safe and secure I Adequate and not excessive I Retain no longer than necessary

DAVID RUDDY BL IPPN PRESIDENT

The Data Protection Acts 1988-2003 enables parents and pupils over 18 years to enquire whether schools are processing information about them and, if so, to access that information A copy of the data must be made available to the data subject on request.

2. What rights do data subjects have? 4

The Data Protection Acts 1988-2003 enables parents and pupils over 18 years to enquire whether schools are processing information about them and, if so, to access that information. It enables these individuals to ensure that personal information about them is being fairly processed and, if not, to have that personal information rectified or erased.

3. What is the difference between sensitive and nonsensitive data? Non-sensitive data relates to PPSN, name, and address. Parents/guardians are advised by way of notice as to how and why this data is recorded and for how long it is retained. Sensitive data refers to matters such as ethnic/cultural background of the pupil and religion. The express written consent is required from parents/guardians before such information is recorded on the Primary Online Data Base (POD). The Department of Education and Skills (DES) published Circular 0017/14 on the POD. The obvious place for seeking consent is on enrolment.

4. Who is the Data Protection Officer (DPO)/Data Controller in a school? This is the person who either alone or with others controls the content and use of personal data, (normally the School Principal).

LEGAL DIARY

5. What is the situation regarding the transfer of information about pupils between schools, and other Educational Agencies?

SAFE STORAGE AND RETENTION PERIODS

Section (28) of the Education Welfare Act 2000 allows for personal data to be transferred to other schools, the DES, the National Council for Special Education, and the Child and Family Agency. The Education Passport requires the principals of primary schools to furnish post primary schools for which the pupils have been accepted, a copy of the end of year report card, to include information from standardised Literacy and Numeracy test results taken in 6th class.

PUPILS

6. Can State agencies request sensitive information from the school about pupils and their families? Section (8) of the Data Protections Acts 1988-2003 allows exemptions in relation to schools providing information to: I The Gardai I The Revenue Commissionears I Department of Social Protection (DSP) I Applications on foot of a court order I Child & Family Agency Applications for the release of Data should be in writing (rather than over the phone) and should state the purpose for which it is required. If you are in doubt as to whether to release data or not, always seek advice from The Data Protection Commission Office.

7. What is General Data Protection Regulation? A: The new European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives data subjects the right to request from schools whatever data is being stored about them and to withdraw consent to its use, effectively ordering its destruction. According to Article 12, this request must be free of charge, easy to make, and must be fulfilled within one month. However, a school is entitled to hold lawfully obtained data about pupils in order for it to carry out its business. As emails can and often do contain personal data, GDPR demands that schools manage backup and archive copies of them with sufficient rigor. Schools can minimise risk by keeping retention periods for emails as short as practically possible. The challenge for schools will be to comply with record retention requirements and respond to an individual’s deletion request without the risk of losing others’ emails. It could be prudent to retain emails for as short a retention duration as possible in order to minimise administration of data access requests.

RECORD TYPE

RETENTION PERIOD

School Register / Roll Books

Indefinitely

Enrolment Forms

Hold until Pupil is 25 Years

Disciplinary notes

Never Destroy

Test Results – Standardised

Hold until Pupil is 25 Years

Psychological Assessments etc

Never Destroy

SEN Files /IEPS

Never Destroy

Accident Reports

Never Destroy

Child Protection Reports / Records (10) S.29 Appeals

Never Destroy

INTERVIEW RECORDS FOR STAFF Interview Board + Marking Scheme + Board of Management notes (for unsuccessful candidates)

18 months from close of competition plus 6 months in case Equality Tribunal needs to inform school that a claim is taken

STAFF RECORDS Contract of Employment, Teaching Council Registration, Vetting Records etc.

Retention for duration of employment + 7 years

Accident / Injury at Work Reports

6 years to make a claim against the school plus 1 year for proceedings to be served on school

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT RECORDS BOM Agenda and Minutes

Indefinitely

CCTV Recordings

28 days normally. In the event of criminal investigation – as long as is necessary

Payroll & Taxation

Revenue require a 6-year period after the end of the tax year

Invoices / receipts

Retain for 7 Years

Audited Accounts

Indefinitely

OBSERVATION Safe storage and retention periods The recommendations regarding safe storage and retention periods for the different types of information are in the table across. Why in certain circumstances does the Data Protection Commission recommend the holding of records until the former pupil has attained 25 years of age? The reasoning is that a pupil reaches the age of majority at 18 years and that there should be a 6-year limitation period in which it would be possible to take a claim against a school, plus 1 year for proceedings to be served on a school. The Statute of Limitations imposes a limit on a right of action so that after a prescribed period any action can be time-barred.

The advent of GDPR on May 25th 2018 requires business, government, and schools to update Data Protection policies to include a Safe Storage and Retention section. Whilst some of the requirements may seem idealistic, there are very sound reasons as to why they should be implemented. The Data Protection Commission, DES, management bodies and of course IPPN will no doubt endeavour to help schools with issues that may arise with this EU directive. In the interim, schools should ensure that they have a robust data protection policy in place and familiarise staff with their obligations and responsibilities. www.dataprotection.ie 5

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of

Farewell to Maria Doyle… Welcome to David Ruddy!

As this is the ﬁrst ‘proper’ issue of the new school year - Issue 100 being a commemorative issue - it is timely to bid a very warm adieu to Maria Doyle and an equally warm welcome to David Ruddy. The role of IPPN President is not for the faint-hearted! As well as representing the organisation at many and varied events and meetings throughout the two-year term of office, the role also involves working side by side with the IPPN CEO and staff at the National Support Office to drive and deliver on IPPN’s Strategic Plan, as well as chairing meetings of the IPPN Board of Directors and National Council, among countless other activities, projects and tasks. During the period 2015 to 2017, Maria Doyle, who retired from Our Lady of Mercy SNS in Waterford City in 2015, oversaw a number of key pieces of work. This included an overhaul of the governance function of the organisation, ensuring compliance with the various elements of legislation as well as training and support for the directors of IPPN in their governance role; consulting, compiling and disseminating our strategic plan - IPPN 2020 – among all the key stakeholders; and the transition from IPPN’s ﬁrst CEO Seán Cottrell to

his successor Páiric Clerkin. Maria also worked tirelessly to advocate among stakeholders for progress on IPPN’s stated priorities for school leaders. If this were all Maria undertook, it would have been exhausting, but these are just three from among a signiﬁcant number of challenging and crucial projects she led or contributed to. We thank Maria sincerely for her sheer dedication to the cause and her relentless focus on building collaborative relationships and delivering results for school leaders. Maria will be involved with IPPN for the foreseeable future, initially serving as Past President for the period 2017-2019. David Ruddy, IPPN President 2017-2019, is no stranger to IPPN, having been involved from the very beginning, acting as Legal Advisor until his presidency, being a member of IPPN’s Executive Committee from 2000 (now the Board of Directors) and authoring 100 Legal Diaries in Leadership+. David, who retired from Talbot SNS in Clondalkin, Dublin in August, has wasted no time getting involved in the detailed work of IPPN and he has been working on the advocacy and representation aspects of the role right from the start of the school year. He is very open about his key

priority during his term as IPPN president – to work towards achieving one administration day per week for teaching principals. Indeed he has already been discussing this with the key stakeholders and seeks to collaborate on this, and other issues, over the next two years. David met over 500 principals and deputy principals at the Brieﬁng Day in September and hundreds more during the Autumn County Network meetings. He is heartened by the palpable lift in morale among those he has met, yet very well aware of the challenges facing school leaders and IPPN in the coming years. In recent weeks, David has taken a lead role in relation to consulting and advocating for school leaders in relation to Budget 2018 and what it can deliver for primary schools and he will continue to use his network of contacts to further that aim. We look forward to working closely with David and progressing IPPN’s key priorities. For more information on Maria and David’s biographical details, please refer to Leadership+ Issue 100.

RETROSPECTIVE

VETTING OF TEACHERS BRENDAN O’DEA DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE TEACHING COUNCIL

As of mid-September 2017, 83% of the 97,000 teachers on the Register of Teachers have now been vetted. Since the start of 2017 the Teaching Council has successfully facilitated the vetting of more than 16,000 of the 32,000 registered teachers who had not been previously vetted through the Council as part of the registration renewal process. On 11 September, the Council issued notices to the remaining 16,000 registered teachers who are required to be vetted as part of the retrospective vetting process. Please encourage any teachers in your school, who received a notice, to comply with both stages of the vetting application process in the 28-day timeframe speciﬁed. Teachers who have been previously vetted through the Council are exempt from the retrospective vetting requirement. Registered teachers can check their vetting status by logging on to the My Registration section of the Teaching Council website www.teachingcouncil.ie. Teachers with the ‘Approved’ status are exempt from the 6

retrospective vetting process and can take a screenshot of the vetting status screen to present to their employer. Please note that the statutory vetting requirements for teachers changing schools/jobs continue to apply as set out in DES Circular 31/2016, while the retrospective vetting requirements are outlined in DES Circular 16/2017. From April 2016 to May 2017, the Council processed 30,000 vetting applications through the e-vetting process compared to a maximum of 12,000 using the paper-based system. The Council would like to thank you and your teaching staff for their cooperation and collaboration in ensuring that all registered teachers are vetted. This will be another important achievement in maintaining and enhancing the high regard in which the teaching profession is held. For more information about retrospective vetting, please visit: http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/FAQs/ Retrospective-Vetting/

October 2017

IPPN Position Papers

Special Schools The workload and responsibilities of special school principals are at such a level of intensity, breadth and complexity that a different approach from decision-makers at all levels is now required. Principals of special schools feel very strongly that they lack a voice when important decisions are being made yet they are charged with the responsibilities associated with the most complex, vulnerable group within the educational sector – a group that the system cannot support anywhere else. The following are some of the reasons why special schools are currently struggling to provide adequately for all of the needs of their pupils: I Special schools manage and lead large numbers of staff I Dealing with violent behaviour I Signiﬁcant Health and safety issues I Pupil Teacher Ratio not revised since 1993 – wholly inadequate I Considerable issues managing the transport escort system I Access to and working with multidisciplinary teams and visiting professionals I Dealing with complex medical needs – lack of skilled nursing supports I Junior Cycle/Leaving Cert Applied – no programme available for special schools I School buildings often wholly unﬁt for purpose I School governance challenges I Challenges in the transfer from mainstream to special schools I Initiatives introduced without consideration for special schools I Complex emotional and socioeconomic difficulties I Lack of capacity for July Provision.

RECOMMENDATIONS IPPN recommends the following: 1. All special school principals should be administrative 2. All special school deputy principals should be administrative when the school reaches 6 classroom teachers; the remainder should have a number

of ‘administration days’ on a prorata basis 3. All staff should be included in calculating principals’ and deputy principals’ allowances 4. Principals need to have adequate skilled administrative staff to whom they can delegate effectively 5. Schools managing pupils with extreme and violent behaviours require additional resources to manage these situations home/school liaison officers, resource teachers, behaviour therapists and SNAs. Training and guidance is required as a matter of urgency.

10.

11.

12.

13.

All staff should be included in calculating principals’ and deputy principals’ allowances. Principals need to have adequate skilled administrative staff to whom they can delegate effectively 6. A review of special schools resourcing must be fast-tracked. IPPN recommends a move to a Pupil Teacher Ratio of 4:1, down from the current 6:1. 7. The management of escort supports in each special school requires dedicated resources, including out-of-hours work 8. The number and complexity of health and safety risks, including the risks around child protection, require that additional resources be made available to special schools e.g. additional middle leadership capacity with speciﬁc responsibility for health and safety or a greatly improved PTR. 9. Skilled nursing support is required in each special school to appropriately manage pupils’

14. 15.

16.

medical conditions and complex medical needs Ensure every special school has access to essential clinical services such as psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work Ensure that the HSE Progressing Disability Service does not reduce the resources and access available to pupils in special schools Dedicated post-primary curriculum supports are required to ensure that pupils undertaking Junior and Leaving Certiﬁcate programmes in special schools can avail of the highest possible standards of education Skilled professionals should be allocated to plan, manage and oversee school building work, this could be shared across multiple schools A review of special schools’ governance structures is required Increased access to assessments is required to ensure that all children who require access to a special school, or special needs supports, can do so All discussions around education sector change should include an assessment of the speciﬁc impact on special schools and involve principals of special schools.

Special schools are now ﬁnding it impossible to meet the demands that are placed on them. To ensure that these schools can fully meet their legislative responsibilities requires both political commitment and adequate resources. Implementing the above recommendations would go a long way to ensuring that all pupils have equal access to a high quality education. The full position paper is available to view and download from the Advocacy – Position Papers section of www.ippn.ie. If you have any further issues or recommendations to add to the complete position paper, please email geraldine.darcy@ippn.ie.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

THE NATIONAL INDUCTION PROGRAMME FOR TEACHERS (NIPT) MÁIRÍN NÍ CHÉILEACHAIR PRIMARY PROJECT TEAM NIPT is the support service for newlyqualiﬁed teachers (NQTs) and the mentors and Professional Support Team (PST) who support them. NIPT has trained over 1,900 mentors in Irish primary and post-primary schools, with over 700 schools, 400+ at primary level, registering for training. Since 2013, NIPT has been responsible for the training of PSTs in schools offering the Droichead process, with over 720 NQTs inducted via Droichead since 2015. What is Droichead? Droichead is a non-evaluative, structured induction programme, based on the principles of mentoring, that supports the professional learning of NQTs. There are two strands: school-based support provided by a PST and additional professional learning conducted in an Education Centre or similar learning environment. Droichead is now national policy and has entered a 5-year growth phase. In 2017-18, it is the only route of induction for NQTs in large schools (primary schools of 24 classroom teachers, post-primary schools with more than 700 pupils), and for all teachers in SEN settings. The Teaching Council will continue to engage with all stakeholders during the growth phase and the policy will be reviewed in 2019. What is a Professional Support Team? A PST is a team of experienced, fullyregistered practising teachers that works collaboratively to support and guide an NQT through the Droichead process. The team can be entirely school-based or schools can nominate an external PST member, who can be a teacher from a local school or selected from an NIPT panel of trained PST members.

What training and supports are available for schools? Each PST member receives 4 days training, with substitute cover, to equip them with the skills and knowledge required to guide an NQT through the process. It is based on the principles of mentoring and support. NIPT also provides advisory visits, support and professional development for trained PST members. Between 4 and 7 days with substitute cover is available to schools supporting an NQT through the Droichead process. What is involved in the Droichead process? The PST agrees a timeline with the NQT, with a minimum period of 60 consecutive days, if the PST decides such a timeframe is appropriate. The NQT and their PST meet and engage in professional conversations. The NQT has opportunities to observe classroom practice and to be observed by the PST; attends cluster meetings with his/her peers; identifies opportunities for professional development; and maintains a ‘Taisce’ to document his/her learning and support reflective practice. At the end of the process, a joint declaration is signed by the NQT and PST confirming that they have “engaged in a quality teaching and learning process”. What are the benefits? NQTs have described Droichead as “a more humane process”. As Droichead is ‘a process and not an event’, they feel that they can participate in all aspects of school life rather than only being assessed on their classroom practice. They report less stress in their induction year as they are not constantly waiting for ‘the knock on the door’. Through ongoing support interaction with the PST members, any challenges are addressed as they arise.

Schools that participated in the Droichead pilot between 2013 and 2016 have outlined the following beneﬁts for the whole school from engagement in the process: I Structured support for NQTs I Promotes professional conversations and reﬂective practice I Builds a sense of community in school I De-privatisation of practice I Professional development opportunities for experienced staff I Enhanced teaching and learning in classrooms. Registering for Droichead Training If your school is interested in registering for Droichead 2017/18, complete the online form available at www.teacherinduction.ie. A school does not have to have an NQT to attend training, however large schools or schools with NQTs in SEN settings will be prioritised. NIPT’s vision remains ‘Quality Induction for Every Teacher’. Through your engagement in the Droichead process, we hope that you will help us to achieve it. Further details are available at http://teacherinduction.ie/en/ supports/droichead.

IPPN COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES To see who is your County Rep, go to www.ippn.ie – About Us – Our People – 2017 County Committee

PRINCIPAL IN PROFILE

Reﬂections on my

FIRST YEAR AS A PRINCIPAL CATHERINE CARRAGHER

PRINCIPAL, SCOIL MOCHUA, CELBRIDGE

I have just commenced my second year as Principal. Not surprisingly, I walked into the staffroom this year with a greater sense of purpose and determination than last year. Prior to starting my principalship, I was on secondment for three years with the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT), where I was immersed in the induction and mentoring of NQTs. I am so grateful to my principal at the time, Paul Ryan, for supporting me in my professional development and agreeing to my secondment. He could see the bigger picture, understanding full well that my learning would eventually be brought back to the school. Little did either of us know the sad circumstances under which I would return. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

I have witnessed the commitment, dedication and caring nature of my teaching colleagues and I have seen the positive impact they have on the children in their classrooms. I enjoyed my first year as principal. It has been, and will continue to be, a steep learning curve. I was asked recently if it is what I expected it to be. Parts of it are… I will start with the positives. I spend a lot my time visiting classrooms, chatting to the children, hearing their news, and checking-in with the teachers. Last year, we began implementing the Primary Language Curriculum. We supported two NQTs on their journey of induction into the profession. We conducted an overhaul of our Health and Safety policy. We explored a new approach to teaching numeracy at

infant level. I have witnessed the commitment, dedication and caring nature of my teaching colleagues and I have seen the positive impact they have on the children in their classrooms. I have worked closely with a supportive Board of Management and Parents’ Association. These are the aspects of the role that I love. All of the above have a direct impact on the teaching and learning in the school. They inspire and motivate me. They are at the very core of why I wanted to be a principal - to ensure that Scoil Mochua continues to be a happy place where we all come to learn. I quickly learned that there is another side to the role. It is the sheer size of this ‘other side’ that has taken me by surprise. Numerous building maintenance issues, procurements, RCT, leases full of legal jargon, accounts, old prefabs, alarm maintenance, blocked pipes, etc. I have had no experience or training in dealing with any of the above, nor do I want any! I had a light-bulb moment during Misneach. We were asked to list five tasks that we had completed in the last week and we then had to categorise them under various headings, one of which was Leading Learning. To my shame, none of my tasks came under that category. I vowed that, as a school leader, it will be my main focus. Two of the things that will focus us on teaching and learning this year are: I Inducting six NQTs - through mentoring, observations and professional conversations, we will learn from and with each other I Using the new SEN model to explore team teaching and other collaborative approaches to teaching with a view to enhancing the learning experiences for the children.

Embracing initiatives that enhance teaching and learning affords us the opportunity to develop leadership capacity within the staff; it promotes professional conversation and it facilitates collaborative work practices. It ticks all of the boxes. I am determined to remain focussed on what really matters. Will I be pulled away? I expect so. But I will keep coming back.

I quickly learned that there is another side to the role. It is the sheer size of this ‘other side’ that has taken me by surprise. Numerous building maintenance issues, procurements, RCT, leases full of legal jargon, accounts, old prefabs, alarm maintenance, blocked pipes, etc. I am a Príomhoide. Teaching and learning are what I know. I would dearly love for the powers that be to redefine the role of the principal, creating space for us to do the important work. It is in the best interest of our children, and indeed, our education system.

REMINDER! Have you renewed your IPPN membership for 2017/18? Download a renewal form from ippn.ie 9

OnYourBehalf Highlighted below are a few examples of IPPN’s advocacy and representative work on behalf of principals and deputy principals, through meetings, events and submissions, since the last issue of Leadership+:

JOINT IPPN/NAPD OFFICERS MEETING, JUNE 1ST 2017 Expanding capacity of the Post Graduate Diploma in Leadership (PGDL) The group spoke at length around the newly-launched PGDL and current capacity for participants. It was acknowledged that demand at second level in particular outweighs capacity and the same applies to the traditional course offered by Maynooth. It was agreed to bring future extension of course capacity to the DES in discussions regarding the ongoing direction of CSL. The aim is to encourage and facilitate course participation by as many school leaders as is practicable.

teaching staffs in relation to responsibilities outlined in Children First Act. The group were very clear that whole staff training was the minimum acceptable requirement to support teachers in relation to the commencement of the Act and their role of Mandated Person. TES outlined current arrangements for training – PDST being the training arm of the DES - PDST has been updated in relation to the revisions agreed by the Working Group in preparation for training rollout.

that David, as President, could not act as Legal Advisor to IPPN as heretofore. Therefore, the Advisory Group recommended suppression of the position of Legal Advisor. The Board agreed with this recommendation and the Council ratified the recommendation. Special Schools Project IPPN is undertaking a special schools’ member engagement project, whereby we are seeking to provide direct support to school leaders in special schools and to better understand the significant and varied issues in these schools. IPPN has already worked with special schools to develop a comprehensive position paper which has been used to engage with the DES and other stakeholders. This member engagement project aims to progress the issues further and develop specific supports for these school leaders. Many members of the National Council will be involved in school visits to their local special schools within their county later in the school year.

Patron Bodies committed to providing training for Boards of Management (BoMs) regarding child protection. However, it was highlighted that all BoM members must engage in training – not just the chairperson and principal. TES agreed to take on board the strong The importance of the research aspect opinions expressed by the Working regarding training and of CSL will be highlighted and Group committed to reverting within a short progressed. timeframe. International Confederation of IPPN NATIONAL COUNCIL REPORT – Principals - Council 17TH JUNE 2017 Meeting 2018 This meeting will take place at The Deputy President of IPPN Brehon Hotel in Killarney during August The Governance and Nominations Other items discussed: 2018. A joint steering group has been Advisory Group - comprising all past I Election of new IPPN Treasurer – Brian O’Doherty, principal of St established, chaired by former IPPN presidents of IPPN, the current Patricks Loreto PS, Bray, Co. Assistant Director Virginia O’Mahony, to president and the CEO - oversaw the Wicklow – succeeded Páiric Clerkin oversee the planning for the event. process for the election of the new who undertook the role until the Deputy President/President Elect. end of April 2017 Teaching Council Representation There was only one nomination for the I The International Confederation of The lack of representation from IPPN role. The Advisory Group were satisfied Principals honoured Seán Cottrell & and NAPD on the Teaching Council was that the candidate met all of the criteria Virginia O’Mahony – see page 13 discussed and it was agreed to for the role. I Introduction of the new highlight this matter with the DES & TextaParent App - a key feature will Teaching Council. Carol Burke-Heneghan (Dublin) be lower-cost ‘push notifications’ proposed that Damian White - Principal see back cover for more Data Protection Regulations – of Scoil Shinchill, Killeigh in Offaly, information Implications for Schools founding member of IPPN, a member of I The transition from former CEO IPPN and NAPD will provide IPPN’s Board of Directors, erstwhile Seán Cottrell to new CEO Páiric Clerkin went very smoothly and information for schools regarding the editor and current regular contributor Páiric is now fully immersed in his new regulations. The involvement of to Leadership+, be elected as Deputy IPPN leadership role Patron and Trust bodies is essential in President/President Elect. I The Board of Directors and IPPN this process. staff celebrated Seán’s retirement Deirdre Kelly (Sligo) seconded the with fitting tributes, with everyone Strategic Alliances for IPPN/NAPD proposal. Damian was duly elected as thanking Seán sincerely for his I CSL Deputy President/President Elect. wonderful legacy I Development of leadership CPD Congratulations Damian! I The IPPN One-Teacher Schools modules for school staff who wish Project concluded, with a report by to develop their skills and potential The Position of Legal Advisor to IPPN consultant Shay Bannon regarding but may not be ready to commit to Following discussion with incoming the health, safety and wellbeing of PGDL or similar courses. President David Ruddy, the IPPN principals of one-teacher schools Governance and Nominations Advisory adopted by the IPPN Board of DES WORKING GROUP ON CHILD Group agreed that the position of Legal Directors. Shay will write an PROTECTION, MOYVALLEY, CO. Advisor to IPPN was no longer overview of his report in the next TH KILDARE, 8 JUNE warranted. Independent legal advice is issue of Leadership+. The purpose of the meeting was to available to IPPN through Ronan Daly discuss whole-school training for Jermyn as required. It was also agreed 10

OTHER MEETINGS/CONFERENCES ATTENDED/HOSTED I Teaching Council – 28th June I NIPT – Cork, 11th July I SNA Working Group – Dublin, 17th July I DES – SEN, Jim Mulkerrins – Athlone, 27th July I National Parents’ Council – 28th July I IPPN Ciall Ceannaithe online course facilitation – July I IPPN principals and deputy principals’ summer courses– Donegal and Athlone – 3rd – 7th July I DCYA Working Group meeting – Dublin, 2nd August and 7th September I Children’s Rights Alliance – Dublin, 15th August I Headstart - IPPN training course for newly-appointed principals – Citywest, 16th August I Misneach – IPPN presentations – Athlone, 21-22 August I Wellbeing for Teachers and Learners’ Group meetings – Dublin, 28th June, 28th August I IPPN Professional Brieﬁng Day – Citywest, 6th September

I I I I I

I I I

I I

Teaching Council – Droichead launch – Maynooth, 6th September IPPN Board of Directors’ CPD Think Tank – Athlone, 8th September Seán Cottrell retirement function – Athlone, 8th September IPPN Autumn County Meetings – September and October Centre for School Leadership – various meetings – mentor/group mentoring training, stakeholder consultation, Research & Advisory Group, Cairde training, steering committee, School Admissions Consultation – Dublin, 19 September ETBI Conference – Kilkenny, 21st September INTO Principals and Deputy Principals – Mullingar, 29th September NCSE Working Group – various meetings scheduled between July and December 2017 NABMSE Conference – Mullingar, 11th-12th October IPPN Board of Directors’ Meeting, Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on 13th October NAPD Conference – Killarney, 19th20th October.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS I Meetings with key stakeholders CPSMA, INTO, DES, NIPT, the Teaching Council and the National Parents’ Council to discuss principals’ and schools’ priorities – October to December – updates in the next issue of Leadership+ I IPPN Board of Directors’ Meeting, Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on 17th November I IPPN National Council Meeting, Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on 18th November I Wellbeing for Teachers and Learners’ Seminar – Croke Park, 18th November I CSL shared learning event – Athlone, 23rd – 24th November and 5th – 6th December I CSL Mentor training – Sligo 21st – 22nd November; Cork 28th – 29th November I IPPN annual principals’ conference in Citywest on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th January 2018 Note: this year Conference will start with seminars on Thursday morning for all attendees.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

IPPN Submission

DES Action Plan for Education 2016 to 2019 – Priorities for 2017 GERALDINE D’ARCY IPPN RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS MANAGER The Programme for a Partnership Government May 2016 and the related Department of Education Action Plan 2016-2019 set out a large number of proposals. IPPN has already made submissions to the Department in relation to both sets of plans, highlighting those aspects we agree with, those we see as somewhat problematic, as well as key omissions. Furthermore, IPPN’s stated priorities as an organisation were outlined in our October 2015 submission to the DES – Principals’ Priorities for Education Budget 2016; these priorities were reiterated in subsequent budget submissions and published in Leadership+ Issue 99. In IPPN’s view, while comprehensive, the government and DES’ plans don’t go far enough in some key areas, and represent a missed opportunity. This is particularly true in terms of supporting and empowering school leadership, the very people who are needed, on a day to day basis, to support, manage and implement all system change as it affects schools. A key example of a ‘missed opportunity’ is the introduction of Circular 63/2017 – Leadership and Management in Primary Schools, which has caused widespread incredulity and upset among school leaders. While there are some positive elements e.g. open competition for the role of deputy principal and more ﬂexibility in allocating work to post-holders, the reduction in the overall allocation means that the lack of leadership capacity will continue to constrain schools’ ability to lead and manage. NEW ACTIONS TO INCLUDE FOR 2017 While there are hundreds of actions listed under the various goals and objectives within the Action Plan, very few are aimed at ensuring that school leadership is adequately supported in their role, and in implementing change within schools. IPPN is pleased with the introduction of a new CPD programme for aspiring principals and fully supports the work of the Centre for School Leadership, in which IPPN plays a partnership role, in delivering mentoring and coaching for school leaders. Except 12

for the partial restoration of middle leadership posts, which will make a signiﬁcant difference to school leaders in smaller schools, the challenges of the day-to-day role of school leaders are not dealt with to any great extent. IPPN strongly supports the key action stated in the Vision section of the Action Plan - ‘strengthening school leadership and middle management’ as this is the key to achieving all outcomes across the schools sector. We also very much welcome the Programme for Government commitment (as listed in Appendix 3 of the Plan) to ‘examine the potential for measures to assist teaching principals’. Almost six out of every ten principals are teaching principals with a full class teaching role in addition to the crucial school leadership role. The role of Teaching Principal has been highlighted in numerous reports, including those of the DES itself, as being overloaded and unsustainable. This government action hasn’t been clearly outlined in the DES Action Plan and should constitute a new action for 2017. Such an examination would ideally take into account several of IPPN’s stated priorities: I provide additional administration days for teaching principals I reduce the threshold for administrative principalship I review the staffing schedule in special schools and I provide a digniﬁed step-down facility for principals without loss of seniority/pension. These, together with an equalisation of capitation funding in line with secondlevel schools and the provision of skilled administration supports to all principals would go a long way towards enabling teaching principals, indeed all principals, to carry out their primary leadership role of leading teaching and learning. We would hope therefore that these would constitute new actions within the Plan in the next few years. EDUCATION PRIORITIES IPPN welcomes the Department’s focus on wellbeing of learners and has played

an active part in raising awareness of the need for a culture of wellbeing in all schools. However, there needs to be equal focus on the wellbeing of staff in schools, including principals. There can be no meaningful progress on developing a culture of wellbeing unless the wellbeing of those charged with its implementation are themselves looked after. IPPN also agrees that increased autonomy would, over time and with the necessary supports, resources and training, enable schools to function more effectively. However, the lack of expertise and resources available to Boards of Management in relation to finance, education and employment law, HR administration, building and other management accountabilities will constrain schools in embracing increased autonomy. Certainly, providing inadequate budget and resources to schools and saying they are now autonomous and all decisions rest with the school will not work! Helping those delivering education services to continuously improve is a laudable aim and the focus on lifelong learning is welcome. However, this needs to be balanced with support for the leadership of learning in schools, and principals will need professional development themselves in this area to maximise the benefit and outcomes. All such CPD needs to be available with substitute cover and teachers need to receive CPD themselves directly, not delivered to them by their principal. The focus on improving DEIS and SEN provision is to be commended. IPPN has been involved in consultation regarding these provisions and is hopeful that our concerns in relation to administration and resources will be listened to and acted upon as a priority. All actions and plans relating to ICT must be preceded by the full roll-out of adequate broadband in ALL primary schools. Without this, any Digital Strategy remains impossible for schools to implement. SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PRIORITIES IPPN’s recent submission clarifies the

October 2017

key priorities affecting school leadership, which in turn have a signiﬁcant impact on school and pupil outcomes. To reiterate, these priorities are: 1. Minimum of one administration day per week for Teaching Principals 2. Improve the pupil/teacher ratio 3. Increase the Capitation Grant 4. Restore middle leadership posts (Circular 63/2017 in September progresses this to a limited extent) 5. Reduce the threshold for administrative principalship 6. Revise the staffing schedule for special schools 7. Digniﬁed step-down facility for principals without loss of seniority/pension 8. Children’s Emotional Wellbeing 9. Information Technology and Digital Learning in Primary Schools.

that this approach will strengthen the way the Department plans and assesses its own work and will be helpful as a communication tool with external parties, including IPPN, in raising awareness of the Department’s own priorities and plans.

HOW SHOULD THESE ACTIONS BE

In some cases, we feel that key items within objectives have been set out with a very limited focus. The DES’ objective to enhance wellbeing in our school communities is an objective that we share. IPPN has made this a priority in our own Strategic Plan ‘IPPN 2020’. However, we feel that the Department is so focused on student/learner wellbeing that the staff who are expected to deliver ALL of the objectives relating to schools are omitted almost entirely, particularly when the speciﬁc measures, targets and indicators for this objective are reviewed. Not a single metric is aimed at ensuring that staff are supported in their own health and wellbeing. This is surely counterproductive and a key omission.

MEASURED? IPPN welcomes the clarity of the targets and indicators set out in the Action Plan. For the most part, the objectives are speciﬁc, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. We believe

Furthermore, CPD metrics that provide solely for a particular number of events will not be a true measure of success. Key performance indicators for Continuous Professional Development

Further information about each of these priorities is provided in Leadership+ Issue 99.

should include the extent to which participants’ skills and understanding have increased as a result of attending or participating in a CPD programme. This would require benchmarking of skills and competencies prior to commencement of each programme and a review and comparison after the programme. Attendee feedback should also be included to ensure that each programme is reviewed and improved to meet the needs of participants. Similar metrics could be applied to wellbeing – awareness, personal wellbeing can be measured before and after a programme is rolled out to ensure outcomes are as expected. Finally, metrics regarding resource inputs are useful - to compare trends in investment over time in particular areas and across sectors, for example. However, these need to be balanced with metrics about outputs and outcomes and this information used to inform future policy decisions, plans and priorities. This would be a valid counterpoint to the input-based measurement system that applies today. See the full submission on ippn.ie – Advocacy - Submissions

ICP honours IPPN leaders At the Convention of the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) in Capetown, South Africa in September, IPPN’s first CEO Seán Cottrell and first deputy CEO Virginia O’Mahony were awarded honorary life membership of ICP – a fitting tribute to two exemplary leaders. Both Seán and Virginia played very active roles in ICP during their IPPN leadership roles, with Seán contributing significantly at Council meetings and seminars and Virginia contributing as ICP President for the period 2011-2012. ICP President Fiona Forbes specifically acknowledged the ground-breaking work that both Seán and Virginia had done in sustaining ICP during difficult times.

We are very proud of this wonderful recognition of IPPN’s contribution to global school leadership and ICP’s singling out of two of our most respected school leaders in this way. Our engagement with ICP over the years has helped IPPN in many ways – collaborating on research, advocacy, governance and planning projects as well as strengthening our work for and with Irish school leaders in myriad practical ways.

Introduction to the FSSU The Department has now published Circular 0060/2017 which sets out the arrangements for the roll out and operation of the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) at primary level. The FSSU will provide advice and support to schools on financial governance matters including standardising arrangements for compliance with the accounting requirements under Section 18 of the Education Act 1998. As part of its work, the FSSU has developed templates for use by schools in relation to financial matters. These templates are available on its website fssu.ie. The fssu.ie website will be an important resource for schools and will provide a wide range of templates, guidelines, videos and webinars focused on finance which will be of benefit to all primary schools and their Board of Management.

The FSSU Support Line 01-9104020 can be contacted by primary schools from 9am to 7pm on Mondays to Thursdays and to 5pm on Fridays. Queries can be e-mailed to the FSSU at primary@fssu.ie Below is a screenshot of the FSSU website.

REFLECTIONS

Ploughing and the art of

Incidental Learning DAMIAN WHITE PRINCIPAL OF SCOIL SHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY AND IPPN DEPUTY PRESIDENT

‘Would oo get away adout the wellatins?’ enquired the old man disembarking from a crowded Jetta in a stubble field far away from his usual southern bailiwick. ‘You’d get away with bedroom slippers today’ I replied, ‘But not tomorrow by all accounts’. The seasoned but sprightly man of the south smiled. ‘Erra, we’re used to rain if it comes anyway’ he quipped as he left his car amongst the thousands of others and led presumably two other generations of his own family on the considerable trek towards their annual place of pilgrimage, The National Ploughing Championships, for the second time running, in Screggan, Co. Offaly. As our school is only 4 miles from the site, we closed the school on Tuesday and, thanks to a request from the Gardaí, we opened late and closed early on Wednesday and Thursday. Just as well, for on the first day alone, 114,000 are reported to have attended with 300,000 attendees in total over the three days. It left me free to spend considerable time each day parking cars along with other members of my GAA club, who were well rewarded for our efforts. Our car park, a fifty acre field close to the site, was used exclusively by those travelling from the south and south west. If any cows were milked in Cork, Kerry, Limerick or Clare on those days, it happened very early or extremely late. The site itself is almost biblical in proportion, and for three days Screggan was Ireland’s second largest city, a city built for three days before being torn down again to make way for next year’s corn crop. The vista resembled a giant, teaming Asian market, as thousands moved along temporary iron roads, visiting trade stands, machinery displays, food emporia, cookery demonstrations from celebrity chefs, stock management talks, forestry demonstrations, sheepdog trials and much more. The prevailing music was country and Irish. The ‘Wagon Wheel’ was played often at the various bars, leading to the wonderful sight of hundreds of people jiving in wellies, a sight all the more spectacular on the Wednesday as the rain poured down, making brown soup of the underfoot conditions. There were more Stetsons than you’d see at an

Alabama Trump rally, though the fact that they were blue, and distributed by a cut price German retail outfit might drive the current POTUS into a spasm. Politicians of every other hue were thick on the ground though, pressing flesh and, in Leo’s case, posing for selfies. Celebrities galore gathered in their country haute couture. Louis Walsh left an X-Factor judge’s luxury hideout in the Caribbean to land in my neighbour’s field via helicopter with Vogue Williams and Glenda Gilson for company. On Tuesday and Wednesday, roll call in our school, as in many others locally, was not in keeping with our usual good percentages. Tusla’s Attendance Strategy letter was a week late, and perhaps a dollars’ worth of notice short. Some children will only get the silver attendance award this year because of the ploughing, though I cannot deny the amount of incidental learning they would have picked up in Screggan. Talks attended by wide eyed children at the heel of their interested parents included presentations on grassland management, cattle feed composition and animal health will surely have accentuated positive views towards careers in the relevant sciences. The ploughing itself is as much about measurement and angles as it is about blackening the ground. The RTÉ, Newstalk and other media tents are a showcase for all things broadcasting. Engineering is a feature of several stands, as is healthy lifestyle, organic food production and enterprise. Every second child carried a hurl, many of them signed by Joe Canning or Jamie Barron. Children attending the Ploughing Championships, The Bloom festival, Electric Picnic or The Listowel Racing Festival have incidental learning opportunities that we could not possibly replicate in any classroom. The opportunity for intergenerational discourse and family fun at such events compares in value to the educational opportunities we present at our best. Perhaps for attendance at the ploughing, we should get extra course days - just a thought!! Pack the ‘Wellatins’, just in case.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

NEW GUIDELINES FOR TYPE 1

DIABETES in Ireland DR ANNA CLARKE DIABETES IRELAND

The prevalence of Type 1 diabetes in school-going children and adolescents has increased dramatically. In 2015, on average 23 children per month were diagnosed with the condition, bringing the total number of children with Type 1 diabetes to nearly 3,000, with approximately 40% of those attending primary school. Schools are faced with the extra challenge of supporting more students with Type 1 diabetes while in school. Alongside this, new research, medications and technologies, while positively supporting more effective diabetes management, are further adding to the challenge. At the centre of these developments is the fact that a more intensive insulin regime is more beneﬁcial to pupils, both in their academic studies and their avoidance of short and long-term health issues. The increasing prevalence of diabetes in children means that teachers are increasingly likely to have a pupil with diabetes in their class. A pupil with diabetes can do everything their peers do, but, because of their diabetes, they may need to be assisted, supported or supervised to meet their diabetes care needs during school hours.

The increasing prevalence of diabetes in children means that teachers are increasingly likely to have a pupil with diabetes in their class. The purpose of the ‘Best Practice Guidelines for Meeting the Care Needs of Children and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes during School Hours’ is to assist schools to develop clear guidelines and procedures at the onset of each school year as to the roles and responsibilities of designated staff 16

who will assist the pupil and ensure that his/her care needs are met during school hours. Diabetes Ireland has a schools’ resource manual available on www.diabetes.ie and www.into.ie for use by families and school personnel. The resource manual was prepared in 2011, however recent advances in diabetes management has resulted in the manual becoming outdated with respect to international best practice. In 2015, Dr Michael O’Grady (Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist) was appointed to lead a subgroup of the Paediatric Diabetes Working Group on school-related diabetes issues. During 2016, Diabetes Ireland, working with Dr O’Grady, convened a group representing clinicians, nurses, school principals and special education providers and prepared a new set of ‘Best Practice Guidelines’ for publication. The group consisted of representatives of Paediatric Endocrinologists, Diabetes Ireland, Irish Diabetes Nurse Specialist Association. Padraig McCabe (IPPN) and Mr Anthony Torrance (NCSE) represented school stakeholders. From a school perspective, the effects of Type 1 diabetes on cognition have been recognised for many years. In addition to the cumulative effects of diabetes on cognitive development, it is accepted that both acute hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) can affect academic performance in real-time. Blood glucose ﬂuctuations can produce short-term impairments in attention and information processing. Both low and high blood glucose levels were associated with slowed mental efficiency and approximately 20% longer was needed to complete prescribed arithmetic tasks during an episode of abnormal blood glucose levels. Factors such as this have

translated into lower academic test scores in some students.

In addition to the cumulative effects of diabetes on cognitive development, it is accepted that both acute hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) can affect academic performance in real-time. It is hoped that the developed ‘Best Practice guidelines’ will be adapted as they will improve diabetes education of school staff, help schools develop individualised care plans for children with Type 1 diabetes and overcome barriers to insulin administration in schools. This will pave the way for clinicians to choose an intensive diabetes management regime for use in young children with Type 1 diabetes that is ﬂexible enough to allow effective implementation at local level by school authorities. These improvements will be of huge beneﬁt to students with Type 1 diabetes, both in their academic studies, their short and long-term management and avoidance of health issues.

DID YOU KNOW? There are on average 316 qualified primary teachers subscribed to TextaSub every day?

LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

Super Chickens THE LESSONS WE CAN LEARN ANGELA LYNCH LEADERSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAMME MANAGER An experiment conducted by William Muir at Perdue University set out to breed, over a number of generations, a flock of ‘super chickens’, selecting the best of the flock – those who looked the best, produced the most eggs and were the plumpest. The remainder of the chickens, the ‘average birds’, continued to be bred normally. The result of the experiment was not what the scientists had envisaged. The ‘super chicken’ flock ended up with only three live birds, as the chickens killed each other. The ‘average flock’ thrived, were healthy and egg production increased. Margaret Heffernan in a Ted Talk on ‘Super Chickens’ speaks about the organisations built on the super chicken model of picking the super employee, giving them all the resources and all the power, but ultimately resulting in chaos and failure. In her own words, ‘If the only way the most productive can be successful is by supressing the productivity of the rest, then we badly need to find a better way to work and a richer way to live.’ She goes on to speak about the importance of building ‘social capital.’

equal but different – equal in terms of the value of our contribution but different in our roles. How much more we could give each other if we just stopped trying to be super chickens! There are lessons to learn here about human behaviour, the way we work, how we could do better and how we could re-think the pecking order.

What ultimately drives us to do our best work and what deﬁnes a good leader is the quality of relationships within the workplace. Many of you will recognise these elements in your school community. Others may be struggling to achieve the ‘we’ culture. Conflicts there will always be. Avoid arguments and nothing happens. Change in culture

will not be achieved by great dramatic gestures. Rather it is the accumulation of small actions that will effect change. You might consider having a discussion with staff about how you, as a team, could make things better for each other. At staff meetings, for example, do you give each other equal time to talk, without monitoring or regulating the inputs, so that no one dominates or no one is a passenger? How might you ensure that this happens? How might we become more socially alert to each other’s needs? The discussion might even be started by showing the Ted Talk on Super Chickens at a staff meeting - an interesting discussion would surely follow! To view the TedTalk, go to www.ted.com/talks and search for ‘Margaret Heffernan’

I have been contemplating and drawing some parallels on how schools operate, in order to produce more of a ‘we’ driven culture. Culture defines any organisation and none more so than the school community. What ultimately drives us to do our best work and what defines a good leader is the quality of relationships within the workplace. At its heart is a group of people who are prepared to support each other, challenge each other in a helpful manner, argue with each other and acknowledge that everyone in the school community really matters. It is a community where we all care passionately about our shared success. We forget the pecking order, as with the super chicks, and come to an acknowledgement that we are all

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

WHO OWNS

Our Schools? BRENDAN McCABE IPPN PRESIDENT 2013-2015 There is one outstanding feature which makes primary schools in Ireland different from their counterparts around the world: patronage. In most European countries, and indeed in America, primary schools are established and run by the State and these State schools run in parallel to private schools which are established and run, at their own expense, by different religions and interest groups. In the US, for example, the Constitution requires a separation of Church and State, and forbids compulsory religious observance in public schools. Private schools are available all over the US, providing religious and secular schools to parents who have the means and desire for an education which reﬂects their family’s values and aspirations. About 10% of children attend a private school. The schools are run by private boards and can adopt any curriculum of their choice, subject to enough parents being willing to pay for their children to attend.

When national schools were being established from the 1830s onwards, both the Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church vied for control so as to ensure the certainty of religion being taught to children of their respective ‘ﬂock’. In Ireland, the majority of primary schools (96%) are owned, not by the State, but by the religious denominations. This is what has created the stalemate and caused such difficulties for the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary

Sector, whose remit was to promote divestment from denominational to other forms of schooling. Many people wonder how the concept of patronage came about. Put very simply, when national schools were being established from the 1830s onwards, both the Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church vied for control so as to ensure the certainty of religion being taught to children of their respective ‘ﬂock’. The government relented and allowed denominational schools to be established under religious patronage. That situation has prevailed to the present day. Until quite recent years, the site for a school was provided locally – either directly by the patron (normally the local bishop) or by a board of trustees nominated by the church authorities. Sometimes the site was bought by a patron through local fundraising. This gave the patron complete ownership of the school, subject to a deed of trust signed by the owners ensuring that the building would continue to be used as a school - surely the property deal to beat all deals. If the State paid the full cost of a site, the State owned the school building and leased it free gratis to a patron under a lease or a deed of trust. There are 9 “model schools” which are owned by the State. There are also several special schools owned by the State. The special schools have a range of different owners – some are owned by the DES, some by the Commissioners of Public Works, some by the HSE and some by religious orders. Multi-denominational schools are usually owned by a limited company (for example, Educate Together) or a board of trustees. Gaelscoileanna may be denominational and come under the same patronage as Catholic schools but some have their own limited company (Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lán-

Ghaeilge). The most recent patronage model is that of Community National Schools. The remit given by the Minister to these schools was to provide a primary school education for pupils which would include religious education for children of all faiths and none during the school day, in accordance with the wishes of their parents. Thus, these schools are something of a hybrid, welcoming pupils from both faith and non-faith backgrounds. Their patrons are the ETBIs, formerly the VECs. As such, you could argue that they are Stateoperated schools.

Until quite recent years, the site for a school was provided locally – either directly by the patron (normally the local bishop) or by a board of trustees nominated by the church authorities. The Education Act 1998 gives a statutory basis to the role of patron and sets out the rules for determining who the patron is. The patron may manage the school personally or may appoint a board of management to act as manager. Under the Act, the patron has the power to remove the board and take over managing the school or appoint another board. This indicates the high level of control over schools currently vested in the patron.

DIARY NOTE IPPN Deputy Principals’ Conference 2018 will take place on April 19th – 20th at Citywest Hotel

March 2017

www.ippn.ie Latest resources RESOURCES SCHOOL POLICIES Child Protection I Reporting Procedures for DLP New SEN Model I IEP Planning/Review Sheet

RECRUITMENT Ancillary Staff I Caretaker - List of Duties

FORMS & TEMPLATES Sample Contract for Pre-School Facility I Special Needs Assistant Appointment Form I Appointment and Re-Appointment Form Primary Teachers 2017-2018 I Junior Infants Open Day Power Point I

DES CIRCULARS 0038/2017 - Information in relation to Standardised Testing and Other Matters 2016.2017 and subsequent year I 0042_2017 -Recruitment of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) Supplementary Assignment Arrangements for the 2017.18 school year I 0043/2017 - Cost Limits on Primary School Buildings I 0050/2017 - Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2017/2018 – Special Education Component I 0051/2017 - Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2017 /2018 - Children without a school place I 0052/2017 - Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2017 2018 – Maternity

IPPN EVENTS I 18 November 2017 – IPPN National Council AGM I 18 November 2017 - Wellbeing for Teachers and Learners Seminar, Croke Park, Dublin I 25-26 January 2017 - IPPN’s Annual Principals’ Conference will take place in Citywest Hotel, Dublin. Registration for this event will open in November. DES GRANTS September – DEIS Grant will be paid to schools. DES could not provide a date at time of print.

Related Absences Component 0053/2017 - Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2018 (Haddington Road Agreement_Lansdowne Road Agreement) Revision on Teachers Salaries 0056/2017 - HSE Primary School Vaccination Programme 2017.2018 0060/2017 - Roll out and operation of the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) at Primary Level 0061/2017 - Scheme for leave of absence following assault for registered teachers in recognised primary and post-primary schools 0062/2017 -Scheme for leave of absence following assault for special needs assistants in recognised primary and postprimary schools 0063/2017 - Leadership and management in primary schools.

CURRICULUM & SCHOOL PLANNING New Language Curriculum Planning Template

Planning Prompts A new prompt is uploaded each week to this section, outlining activities that schools may wish to consider at that particular time of year. This section will act as an online archive of planning prompts, which are also issued via Escéal.

ADVOCACY Publications I IPPN 2020 - Strategic Plan 20162020

OCTOBER MID-TERM 30 October – 3 November 2017 – All schools will close from Monday 30 October 2017 to Friday 3 November 2017 inclusive.

TEACHER APPOINTMENT The latest date for filling a permanent post on a permanent basis is Monday 6 November 2017. Thereafter, a permanent post may be filled only on a fixed-term basis, unless the appointee is a permanent/CID-holding teacher from the Main Panel.

SUPPORTS Leadership+ I Legal Diary Topics I Class Allocation Topics 2017/2018 I Leadership+ Issue 99 – June 2017 I Leadership+ Issue 100 – September 2017. E-SCÉALS A new E-scéal is uploaded each week to this section, outlining key information that is relevant to school leaders – deadlines, decisions, planning prompts, research etc. This section will act as an online archive of E-scéals.

CPD & EVENTS PROFESSIONAL BRIEFING DAY 2017 Brieﬁng Day I Children First - presented by Pádraic Joyce I Data Protection - presented by John Keyes, Data Protection Commissioner I Financial Support Services Unit presented by James Keating, Louise McNamara & Joe Conlon I National Council for Curriculum and Assessment - presented by Derek Grant & Patrick Sullivan, Structure & Time in the Primary Curriculum I National Council for Special Education - Presented by Mary Keane, Inclusion Support Unit, NCSE I Centre for School Leadership presented by Anna Mai Rooney & Mary Nihill I IEPs - presentation by Mary Nugent of NEPS.

OTHER 6 November 2017 – Closing date for submission of applications for Travel Pass Scheme. See www.education.ie for more information

DES CIRCULARS See www.ippn.ie Latest Resources above for a list of recent primary sector circulars.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Active Flag 2017 DENISE FOLEY

PRINCIPAL OF BARRYROE NS, LISLEVANE, BANDON, CO. CORK

The Active Flag process began in our school in 2016. Urged by the principal to take part, teachers Sinead Kelly and Karen Hickey went to an information meeting and started the folder. They began by recording what we do already and marched on from there. Setting up a committee, Sinead took hold of the process to drive the school team towards a more active school. Firstly, break times became more organised. The children came up with the idea of having zones in the yard. A map of the yard was drawn up and a timetable to allocate classes to the zones. Classes were rotated between grass, tarmac, basketball, soft ball and the hall. As the year proceeded, the children were able to ask why they were only allocated one break on a certain zone! Timetables were revisited and rotations changed throughout the year. Children felt safer on the yard and there was no confusion as to where they could run and play.

The wonderful equipment which had been stored nicely in the equipment room for use on PE day was now being used a number of times a week. A rota for equipment was set up and children brought out skipping ropes, bean bags, hoops, Jenga, connect 4 etc. to the yard at break. This wonderful equipment which had been stored nicely in the equipment room for use on PE day was now being used a number of times a week. Soccer leagues were run with older classes. A guest referee came for the day of the final and handed out medals to the finalists, with all classes watching with great excitement. Gymnastics was seen as an area of improvement for our school. All

teachers agreed to attend a PDST course on this PE strand. With the help of a local volunteer, the children enjoyed 10 lessons and the teachers enjoyed the development of this strand for future years. Our perimeter challenge was undertaken by Juniors to 6th and times recorded in our hall. Active lines after break in the yard, active assembly, busy breaks in the classroom, fancy dress sports day, active week, cluiche peil idir rang a 6 agus rang a 5, a parish cycle, walk in the woods incorporating beach clean up, walk to school, Tug-o-war and cricket kept us active and focused throughout the year. These were in addition to Sciath na scol, rugby, orienteering, basketball, cross county running and city sports that already took place in the school. The Active Flag ties in with various areas of the curriculum – helpful for busy teachers to know: I SPHE G Myself – taking care of my body, self identity G Myself and others – friendships I Maths – Measures – Length, area, data I PE – all strands but huge improvements for us were in outdoor and adventure activities and Gymnastics. The Active flag can also overlap with the Green Schools Flag in areas such as: I Travel - Walk on Wednesday I Litter and Waste - Caring for the environment I Energy. Aiming for the flag kept the school community focused on an end goal. Parents were delighted with changes and those pupils who did not enjoy team sports got an opportunity to see how to be active in other ways. Raising a flag or receiving an award is always a great excuse for a party and

Aiming for the ﬂag kept the school community focused on an end goal. Parents were delighted with changes and those pupils who did not enjoy team sports got an opportunity to see how to be active in other ways. promotion of work throughout the year. Children displayed their activities to their parents before raising the flag. Of course someone has to constantly drive the Active School message throughout the year and without the cooperation of the staff, projects cannot be completed. Our school community are grateful for taking part and will continue the process in the coming years. www.activeschoolflag.ie

QUERIES ABOUT ENTITLEMENTS RE. ABSENCES AND LEAVE? See Absences & Leave Resource Bundle on www.ippn.ie

– Resources – Resource Bundles

October 2017

Dyspraxia and the transition to secondary school DR DOROTHY ARMSTRONG OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, CELBRIDGE, CO. KILDARE. Dyspraxia, a form of Development Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a common disorder affecting ﬁne and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. Dyspraxia can affect speech, organisation, planning, sequencing, working memory and various other psychological, emotional and social problems. There is no cure for dyspraxia, but the earlier a child is treated, the greater the chance of improvement will be. A lot of the skills that people take for granted will never become automatic for children with Dyspraxia, so they will have to be taught these skills. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and extra help at school can all assist these children with coping or overcoming many of the difficulties they face. Dyspraxia/ DCD is characterised in children and adults by difficulty with thinking out, planning and carrying out sensory/motor tasks. It is estimated that Dyspraxia affects up to 8% of the population but, due to its varied symptoms, it can often go undiagnosed. Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland aims to ensure that adequate resources are available, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, psychological support and education. To that end, we have launched a practical guide which will assist families with their child’s transition from primary to secondary school. Entitled ‘The Next Adventure’, the booklet provides constructive advice for families, teachers and educational establishments as well as useful checklists for children, parents and teachers. The author is Dr. Dorothy Armstrong, an Occupational Therapist, who spoke with a wide range of teenagers and young people about their experiences and used their stories to highlight many of the challenges involved in moving from ﬁrst to second level. Their ‘voices’ form an integral part of the book and enable the reader to gain an essential insight into the ‘lived experience’ of transitioning from primary to secondary school. There is a section which gives clear guidelines as to how to prepare the student whilst in primary school and what needs to be included during the induction to secondary school. The book includes checklists of tasks for parents and teachers to help these students make a successful transition and there is a helpful summary of the current ‘Reasonable accommodations for the state exams’ at the back. Dr Armstrong found that the transition to secondary school meant that students became more aware of having DCD as they encountered a range of challenges. Their problems with motor coordination made some tasks difficult for them to do independently. They often needed to look for help from other students or teachers, which in turn highlighted their differences. The increased need for self-direction in secondary school accentuated the difficulties they had regarding memory, organisation, planning and prioritising. Those who understood their condition and had been prepared for the transition coped best. Check out www.dyspraxia.ie for further details or follow us on Twitter at @dyspraxiaIRL. For further details, please contact: Harry Conway, Dyspraxia / DVD Ireland, Carmichael House Dublin 7 or by phone to 01 874 7085

HOW TO RECOGNISE A CHILD WITH DYSPRAXIA? The pre-school child: I Is late in reaching milestones e.g. rolling over, sitting, standing, walking, and speaking I May not be able to run, hop, jump, or catch or kick a ball although their peers can do so I Has difficulty in keeping friends; or judging how to behave in company I Has little understanding of concepts such as ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘in front of’ etc. I Has difficulty in walking up and down stairs I Poor at dressing I Slow and hesitant in most actions I Appears not to be able to learn anything instinctively but must be taught skills I Falls over frequently I Poor pencil grip I Cannot do jigsaws or shapesorting games I Artwork is very immature I Often anxious and easily distracted. The school age child: Probably has all the difficulties experienced by the pre-school child with dyspraxia, with little or no improvement I Avoids PE and games I Does badly in class but signiﬁcantly better on a one-toone basis I Reacts to all stimuli without discrimination; attention span is poor I May have trouble with maths and writing structured stories I Experiences great difficulty in copying from the blackboard I Writes laboriously and immaturely I Unable to remember and /or follow instructions I Is generally poorly organised. I

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Local School Service Allianz have a network of local service representatives strategically placed throughout the country to provide a personal service to schools. Our local representatives have many years of experience and expertise in schools Insurance and can provide assistance and guidance on a range of School Insurance-related matters. SERVICES THAT YOUR LOCAL ALLIANZ REPRESENTATIVE CAN PROVIDE FOR YOUR SCHOOL: I Visit your school and discuss an ‘indicative reinstatement valuation’ (Excluding Buildings with Preservation Orders). Your Board of Management is responsible for setting your Buildings & Contents Sums Insured. An indicative reinstatement valuation will assist you and your Board of

OUR NATIONAL SCHOOL SERVICE NETWORK Mairead Mullins North West 087 248 5065 mairead.mullins@allianz.ie Noel O’Loughlin South West 087 258 8943 noel.o’loughlin@allianz.ie Neil Tobin South 087 252 8018 neil.tobin@allianz.ie Martin Sinnott South East 087 686 2329 martin.sinnott@allianz.ie Shane Mooney West 087 919 0428 shane.mooney@allianz.ie Alan Carroll North East 087 9566721 alan.carroll@allianz.ie If you are insured through an insurance intermediary, please contact them for any assistance.

Management decide on the appropriate level of protection. Assist with the completion of risk assessments of your school property. This may help reduce the possibility of an accident occurring and can inform your Safety Statement. Address speciﬁc Health, Safety and Security issues and guide schools on cost effective solutions. They can also provide written documentation outlining the issues of concern which may assist with funding applications. Meet with the Principal, member of the Board of Management or other nominated school personnel to discuss insurance-related issues. Provide you with an overview of your insurance coverage. In our

experience, school Principals have found this most beneﬁcial and helpful in alerting them to potential issues that may arise in the future. Act as a single point of contact, advising on a wide range of Insurance, Risk Management or Health and Safety issues Update you on past claims or advise you on how to proceed with future claims; or on how to address potential issues.

Your Local Representative is available to provide assistance, support and advice when you need it, so please feel free to contact them at the number below. www.allianz.ie

October 2017

CSL Research and Evaluation INTERIM REPORT ANNA MAI ROONEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR PRIMARY, CENTRE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP An external evaluation of the work of CSL was undertaken by Fitzpatrick Associates in January 2017 to research the fundamental areas of continuing professional development provision for school leaders and to evaluate the process, experience and impact of the work of the Centre for School Leadership. The Interim Report was presented to the CSL Steering Committee on June 30th, and the following is a snapshot of some of the more pertinent points. MAKING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ATTRACTIVE The report examines the challenge of presenting the role of school leader as an attractive position. Considering the many demands involved, a positive perception is indeed a challenge. Critical to success in the role, therefore, are the professional learning and support opportunities available to school leaders. The main challenge for any type of professional learning is the level of engagement with it and the impact it has on practice in schools. COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS The differences in the contexts and locations of schools is acknowledged by the report but the similarities of the leadership journey, despite these differences, is cited as signiﬁcant. This is an interesting perspective, the idea of the two teacher and the twenty teacher school providing mutual support and schools teaching through the medium of English and Irish learning from each other. Due to the many mentoring relationships being formed by the CSL formal mentoring initiative, this collaborative approach to learning is already happening successfully in many areas of the country. DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP Distributed leadership is key and leads to the recognition of leadership potential at various career stages, according to the report. Also, achieving the balance between leadership and

management in professional learning is examined. The emphasis currently being placed on mentoring, coaching, reﬂective practice and the value of networking and collaboration between schools strengthens leadership and broadens perspectives which in turn, helps to address management issues. According to the report, operational issues are best addressed locally and in short-term learning.

The report examines the challenge of presenting the role of school leader as an attractive position. A CONTINUUM OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR SCHOOL LEADERS Developing a continuum of supports for school leaders at all stages of their career and offering choice to select professional learning - relevant to their experience, context and current need is emphasised throughout the report. The continued development of CSL, along with the success of formal mentoring and network-building, are cited as key to the successful provision of supports from aspiring leadership, through induction, and onto experienced leadership. System leadership, which also features in the report, is an under-developed phase in Ireland. It is experienced leaders working in the system to support leadership outside of the context of their own schools. As an example of this, the partnership with IPPN and NAPD is cited as supporting the Centre’s widespread recognition and positive reception. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The report acknowledges the time it will take for the Centre to have a signiﬁcant impact on ‘the sphere of activity it is charged with inﬂuencing and enhancing.’ It clearly states the fundamental importance of supporting the leadership role and in ‘mapping,

systemising and streamlining’ existing provision, as well as developing a framework for quality assurance. The report ends by highlighting the diverse needs of schools, how the over-arching view of the Centre is necessary to examine the full spectrum of provision and to understand and expand the highest standards of leadership. Fitzpatrick Associates will produce a final report in November 2017. BRIEF UPDATE Check out the CSL website for details of Shared Learning Days for CSL mentors and for upcoming training for new mentors - confined to certain counties where there is a deficit - in Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon and Cork. There are still opportunities to avail of the CSL coaching service. The details are on the website www.cslireland.ie or call the CSL administrator, Geraldine McNamara on 065 6845510. The Professional Diploma in School Leadership (PDSL) began in UL on September 8th with 254 participants, and details about next year’s intake will appear on the website in due course.

NEED HINTS AND TIPS… To help you prioritise your workload? See ‘Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus’ on www.ippn.ie – Advocacy – Publications 23

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

FIRST MID-TERM PAUL O’DONNELL 31st August. Refreshed, reinvigorated and ready for action WEEK 1 Staff meeting, archive documents, plan WSE follow up, assemble art supplies storage, advertise for new staff, adjust heating schedule, remove ﬂightless pigeon from yard, analyse standardised test data, train pupils to look after school hens, set up many, many timetables and stock up on multivitamins. WEEK 2 Host school assembly, rail against lost NEPS provision, attend PA meeting, carry out lunchbox, uniform and jewellery tiger raids on classrooms, source English classes for parents, liaise with architect on building project, attend IPPN brieﬁng day, meet with SEN and ISM teachers, harass Enable Ireland, harangue SENO, hunt down HSE assessments and buy more coffee. WEEK 3 Update policies, plan expenditure items for PA, chase other schools for information on new pupils, host coffee morning for outgoing PA, attend Forbairt training, complete somebody’s “vitally important” research questionnaire, plan station teaching initiative, facilitate staff Gaeilge CPD, disappear down DES telephone vortex to secure new Esinet password and start eating chocolate again. WEEK 4 Play eenie meenie minee mo to choose pupils for educational assessments, chase CPD certs, dodge sales rep., order class furniture, attend Do This In Memory meeting, bring sick hen to vet (X 5 days), mentor parent how to care for her child, teach, complete extra yard duty rota, coach GAA, complete Croke Park hour minutes, decipher circular on garda vetting and eat box of Milk Tray after sending sick hen to hen heaven. WEEK 5 Deescalate, mediate and counsel parent and wangle place on Rainbows

course for child, follow up on art and craft money, update website, chase speech and language therapist, listen to other principal on phone with conundrum, ring another principal with my conundrum, teach, attend sandwich and cocktail sausage event, have update meeting with SNA, create Forbairt action research project, pretend to implement Forbairt action research project and go to bed at half seven. WEEK 6 Unload to deputy principal, listen to advice from deputy principal, order more coffee, identify head lice on pupil head, teach lesson for NQT, listen to feedback from NQT, feel like NQT, chase cuntaisí, complete census return, purchase iPads, prepare for and attend BOM meeting, facilitate secondary school visits, identify perpetrator stuffing blue paper in toilet, chase SENO, speech and language therapist and Enable Ireland and play phone tennis with all of the aforementioned simultaneously and promise to exercise next week. WEEK 7 Attend staff funeral, dodge sales rep., teach, collect last few garda vetting forms, organise swimming pool logistics, train new librarian volunteer, contact social worker for advice, learn

junior infant names, secure substitute at 11pm, have happy birthday party in staff room, ﬁx plumbing leak in toilet with caretaker, praise pupils, buy spare infant underwear and eat half of staff member’s birthday cake. WEEK 8 Facilitate Mata sa Rang road trip for teachers, ﬁnish porridge at 12.30pm, assess Gaeilge with pupils, thank secretary for keeping sales rep. at bay, tweet, teach junior infants, sing with junior infants, laugh with junior infants, solve problem for junior infant mammy, leave tomato in pocket for one hour, clean trousers, celebrate at staff event, plan Christmas concert and order more coffee. WEEK 9 Learn how to properly boil eggs, teach pupils how to boil eggs, organise meeting with infant parents, wipe pupil tears, dress up for Hallowe’en fancy dress, assess station teaching, catch pupil cycling at high speed down village, go swimming with pupils, give mock interview, assess sick child, move curriculum planning and policy review until after mid-term break, input OLCS and eat one more box of biscuits for luck. 28th October. Completely calved.

And Finally… DESIDERATA

‘

QUOTATIONS

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it Henry Ford

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Max Ehrmann, 1927

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

‘

QUOTATIONS

If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it Mary Engelbreit

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COM I

NG S

OON

NEW APP We are delighted to announce that work on our new Textaparent.ie App is at an advanced stage. The TextaParent.ie App will be available on both Apple and Android devices.Working alongside your existing TextaParent account, the App should dramatically reduce the cost of sending messages to parents and staff.

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A MASSIVE SAVING OF 50% FOR YOUR SCHOOL* The FREE App will be available on the App Store and Google Play. Parents will need to download this to their smart phone. You will have the ability to view those who have the App installed and those who do not, so no missed messages, your account will offer you the option of sending a standard Textaparent.ie text message to those who do not have the App downloaded. As always, there is no set up fee or minimum purchase. IPPN is a not-for-profit members’ organisation. TextaParent.ie is a key revenue source for IPPN. All revenue generated is reinvested to provide core IPPN member services including the networking@ippn.ie mailing list, Professional Guidance call-back service and County Network meetings.

If you have any queries, or would like to try TextaParent.ie for yourself, please contact info@textaparent.ie or 1890 401 501 *Prices and savings will vary depending on how many standard SMS messages need to be sent. See www.textaparent.ie for more details

Irish Primary Principals’ Network Líonra Phríomhoidí Bunscoile Éireann