ISSUE 83 / NOVEMBER 2014
+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS
Ní hé lá na gaoithe
lá na scolb
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Data Protection
In our Legal Diary we look at Data Protection and the Primary Online Database.
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Leadership Award 2014
NCLI is now accepting nominations for a Leadership Award from within the primary school community.
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SNAs A Practical Guide A handy FAQ to help Principals to understand what they need to know when employing SNAs.
Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb
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Budget 2015 has been a bitter disappointment for Irish primary schools.
Priorities for Principal Teachers
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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS
In this article, we will explore the interactions between the Principal and Staff.
Principals’ Health & Wellbeing
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+ Leadership
Principals, deputy principals and teachers deal daily with parents’ greatest hopes and deepest fears: the lives and potential futures of their children. This places an enormous responsibility on the profession.
Signposts ISSUE 83 / NOVEMBER 2014
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
www.ippn.ie Latest resources www.ippn.ie – Latest resources If your school has a policy or plan that is not available on ippn.ie, or which would supplement available resources, we would appreciate if you would submit it for review by email to rachel.brannigan@ippn.ie. The following are the new resources available in the different sections of the website:
RESOURCES School Policies I CCTV System and Data Management Child Protection DES Additional Child Protection Guidance
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DES Circulars 2014 I 0069/2014 - HSE Primary School Vaccination Programme 2014/2015 I 0065/2014 - Sick Leave Scheme for Clerical Officers and Caretakers employed in National Schools under the 1978/79 Scheme and Clerical Officers employed in Post Primary Schools under the 1978 Scheme I 0060/2014 - Sick Leave Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools I 0059/2014 - Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools I 0058/2014 - Implementation of Clause 2.31 of the Haddington Road Agreement - revised pay scales and allowance for persons recruited to certain direct entry grades - Special Needs Assistants (Amended 28/7/14) I 0053/2014 - Implementation of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2016 (Haddington Road Agreement) - Teachers - Increased Incremental Salary Scale, Part-Time Rates and Allowance Rates for post1 January 2011 Entrants to Teaching Resource Bundles I Parental Separation - Implications for the School
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Coming Soon – Teacher Absences. Comprehensive list of all approved DES short–term teacher absences. Details regarding substitution for each type of leave is provided and how it can be recorded on OLCS.
RECRUITMENT Teachers I DES Booklet - Appointment of Principals, Permanent & Temporary Teachers I Substitute Teacher - Probationary Requirements for Registration Purposes for Primary Teachers I Appointment of Principals, Permanent & Temporary Teachers I Teacher - Establishing Seniority I Teacher - Fixed-term and Specific Purpose Contracts in Plain English I Teacher - Appointment & Reappointment Form 2014/2015 (Irish) I Teacher - Permanent Contract I Teacher Recruitment Registration & Qualifications I Teacher - Requirement to be registered with Teaching Council I Interview Selection Committee Report
CURRICULUM & SCHOOL PLANNING I I
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E-Learning Plan 3 Teaching Council - School Placement Guidelines Teaching Council - Quick Reference Guide for Schools
Forms & Templates I Teaching Council - Student Placement Template Policy for Schools
STAFF MANAGEMENT I
Positivity/Friendship Week Plan
Planning Prompts Please note that planning prompts are uploaded each week to this new 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 E-scĂŠal.
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SUPPORTS Leadership+ I Leadership+ Issue 82 - September 2014
ADVOCACY Press Releases I 25th Sep 2014 - Principals call on Department to Loosen Purse Strings
SUBMISSIONS I
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Submission to Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection re Proposed New Model For Allocating Teachers for Children with SEN in Mainstream Setting (October 2014) Submission to the DES Special Education Section re. Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with SEN in Mainstream Setting (2014)
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
Ní hé lá na gaoithe
lá na scolb Budget 2015 has been a bitter disappointment for Irish primary schools. In his Budget speech, Minister Howlin seemed to take pride in announcing that class sizes would not increase this year. In view of the fact that one in four primary school pupils is currently in a class of over thirty, that is not a concession no matter how it’s spun. Much is being made of the fact that there will be an additional 1700 teachers and 365 additional SNAs. When you delve into the detail, this, in the primary school context, works out at 855 mainstream teachers, 480 resource teachers and 365 SNAs. It is acknowledged that this is in response to increasing demographics, but in view of the fact that in the last school year there were 10,000 more children in primary schools than one year earlier (536,317 as opposed to 526,422), it is clear that this additional teacher allocation will not suffice. A glaring omission from the Budget was the reinstatement of the Minor Works Grant. This grant was the lifeblood of many schools, literally keeping the roof over some. It allowed schools to carry out minor repairs and maintenance work in an ongoing and timely way and in doing so saving the need for major, and very expensive, refurbishments in the future. Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb.
A glaring omission from the Budget was the reinstatement of the Minor Works Grant. IPPN is seriously concerned about the continued decrease in capitation grants for 2015. A 1% reduction a year for primary school capitation and related grants was announced in Budget 2012, the final percentage decrease will take place in 2015. The grant paid by the state for the operation of primary schools was €200 per child in
SEÁN COTTRELL AND BRENDAN McCABE 2009/2010. In 2015, this grant will have fallen to €170 per child. So much for austerity being over. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection, in June 2013, issued a unanimous statement calling on principals and BoMs to immediately cease asking parents for voluntary contributions. Their plea on behalf of parents was well intended but removed from the reality of managing a school on an everyday basis. There are unavoidable costs in a school which on their own have become the reason why BoMs and principals are left with no choice but to ask parents to help out. What started as voluntary contributions 4 to 5 years ago has now become more like ‘bail out’ contributions to help pay for basic operational costs. This amounts to yet another tax on hardpressed families. The major utility bills for schools are little different from our homes, all of which we have little choice but to pay. In the last five years the cost of heating fuel, insurance, electricity, water and refuse collection have increased disproportionately to other services, in the same time the capitation grants have gone in the opposite direction.
NEPS psychologists to support primary schools. Early detection and prevention of issues affecting mental health at primary school age is more effective and less costly than seeking to address the same issues further down the track. A succession of IPPN surveys have uncovered continuing disturbing increases in the levels of depression, anxiety, emotional trauma and neglect amongst primary school-going children. With the increasingly strong influence of social media and cyber bullying, children are being exposed to levels of pressure that they may not have experienced before. They are growing up in a very competitive world of self image, peer pressure and at a time when families are suffering immense financial pressure. There was never a greater need for the supports and services that they need, and deserve.
IPPN is extremely concerned that the government has failed to prioritise children’s mental health issues. In its Pre-Budget submission IPPN pointed out that there is an immediate need for the establishment of a national panel of mental health experts to work with primary schools on a regional basis where potential serious mental health issues have been identified. We also called for the appointment of additional 3
(POD)
Data Protection and the PRIMARY ONLINE DATABASE
DAVID RUDDY BL PRINCIPAL OF TALBOT SNS
The Data Protection Commission has recently published on its website helpful advice and tailored templates for schools. The Department of Education and Skills (DES) have published Circular 0017/14 on the Primary Online Database (POD), as well as a frequently answered question section. All primary and post-primary schools are requested to record specific details of the pupils enrolled in their schools. The following questions and answers summarize and simplify my understanding of some of the information contained in the three documents referenced above and in relation to Data Protection in the broader context: (1)
What is Data Protection, and why does it apply to schools? Schools hold vast amounts of data on pupils and staff. Schools are obligated to seek and hold such information in compliance with Data Protection rules. Whilst there are eight rules, the following four are the most pertinent to schools: (a) Obtain and process information fairly (b) Keep it for one or more specified, explicit and lawful purposes (c) Use and disclose it in ways compatible with these purposes (d) Keep it safe and secure. (2) What is the difference between sensitive and non sensitive data? Non sensitive data relates to PPSN, name, and address. Parents/guardians are advised by way of notice as to how
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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 POD. (3) Who is the Data Controller in a school? This is the person who either alone or with others controls the content and use of personal data. In practice the school secretary will manage and input a lot of the data. Teachers too will be able to manage the data. However, the principal on behalf of the Board of Management will have the ultimate responsibility for the management and accuracy of the data supplied. (4) What is the situation regarding the transfer of information about pupils between schools, and other Educational Agencies? Section (28) of the Education Welfare Act 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 with a copy of the end of year report card for pupils for whom enrolment has been confirmed, including information from standardised Literacy and Numeracy test results taken in 6th class. The
LEGAL DIARY LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
required reporting templates are available from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). Parental consent is required to transfer assessments between schools. It is advisable to receive this in writing from parents. (5) 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: (a) The Gardaí (b) The Revenue Commissioners (c) Department of Social Protection(DSP) (d) Applications on foot of a court order (e) Child Protection. 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. Requests for pupil information by state agencies outside our jurisdiction require parental consent. If you are in doubt as to whether to release data or
not, you can always seek advice from The Data Protection Commission Office. (6) What are the recommendations regarding safe storage and retention periods for different types of information? 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. (7) Can schools now collect PPSN? Yes. The (DES) has consulted with the Data Protection Commissioner in relation to the collection of individual pupil information for the Primary Online Database. They have stated that PPSN can now be collected by schools, the purpose being that it is a
requirement of the POD. A field in POD for the mother’s maiden name has been included because if a school cannot get the child’s PPSN, an arrangement is in place to obtain the PPSN from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) by matching the child’s details with the mother’s maiden name. POD will then be populated with the missing PPSN. Therefore, if you have the PPSN of the pupil, the mother’s maiden name field will not be compulsory and vice versa. The obvious time for the PPSN details to be collected is on enrolment. Observation The introduction of the Education Passport and POD by the DES has made it opportune to revisit the whole area of Data Protection. It makes sense for schools to formulate or update Data Protection policies to include a Safe Storage and Retention section. Whilst some of the recommendations in the templates may seem idealistic, there are very sound reasons as to why they should be implemented.
The recommendations regarding safe storage and retention periods for different types of information are: PUPILS
RETENTION PERIODS
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
Never Destroy
S.29 Appeals
Never Destroy
INTERVIEW RECORDS FOR STAFF
RETENTION PERIODS
Interview Board + Marking Scheme + Board of Management notes (for unsuccessful candidates)
STAFF RECORDS Contract of Employment, Teaching Council Registration, Vetting Records etc Accident / Injury at work
18 months from close of competition plus 6 months in case Equality Tribunal needs to inform school that a claim is taken RETENTION PERIODS Reports Retention for duration of employment + 7 years (6 years to make a claim against the school plus 1 year for proceedings to be served on school)
BOARD OF MANAGEMENT RECORDS
RETENTION PERIODS
BOM Agenda and Minutes
Indefinitely
CCTV Recordings
28 days normally. In the event of a 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 5
REFLECTIONS LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
People Carrying and the Art of Sanity Maintenance DAMIAN WHITE PRINCIPAL, SCOIL SHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY Chez White, last Tuesday evening was typical. Between the hours of 4 and 9pm, our children between them played a school football match, attended soccer, rugby and camogie training, a ballet class and two hours of drama. In case you think we are a Catholic family in the stereotypical sense, we have 3 children only. These children also managed to complete their homework and consume dinner, albeit at speed, in this time. In spite of shared lifts to some activities, we still managed to add 70 miles onto the clocks of two ageing cars and visit 3 different towns. Carlsberg don’t do people carriers but if they did, and included a built-in kitchen, they’d be the best cars in the world. As a kid, we travelled regularly by people carrier, one designed by Massey Ferguson. Dusky autumn evenings would involve a transport box full of neighbours’ children on the way home from a potato field with black fingernails and a jingle in their pocket to hand to their mother. Apart from an occasional GAA match or a music lesson if you were so inclined, autumn evenings were for work and home based play. If you were handy at sport, you didn’t go to a development squad or a centre of excellence. Your core training was carried out with a fork in a hayshed. The 21st century child in Ireland is a busy little person. Many have several engagements per week with drama, music or dance teachers, sports coaches, boy scouts or girl guides. Some could travel over 100km in midweek round trips for violin or piano tutoring. Tiger Mom and Lion Dad arrange their lives around pick-ups and drop-offs, car pooling and fees. The ubiquitous people
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carrier, mostly with a number plate fitted in better times, is replacing the dinner table as the centre of family conversation. Children are being seen and heard regularly as sports blitzes, drama shows and feiseanna have parents unconsciously mind-mapping to fit everything in. Why then, with all this sport and movement, are we being constantly bombarded with scary messages about childhood obesity and the growing problem it seems to present? Are children, who are so exposed to sports and activity of every kind, because of the frantic speed at which they live their lives, the ones most at risk? Are these children eating properly at all, or are they exposed too regularly to the crispy contents of fast food meals, even those cooked at home? Are we, as modern philosopher Bono might put it, ’running to standstill’? Parents who bring their children to evening events are unsung heroes in my opinion. They are determined that their children will get every chance to express themselves and develop into fulfilled and rounded adults. What about the children whose parents either refuse, or are unable to provide the support necessary to provide their children with such stimuli as others merely take for granted? In the much referenced Finnish system, a huge part of the child’s primary education focuses on active involvement in sports and community organisations. They have no formal exams or inspectors and little
standardised testing. Yet their children frequently top the OECD charts in literacy and numeracy attainment. As we contemplate new changes to our 15 year old curriculum, is it time to radically examine what we prioritise and seek the work-life balance all children and their parents should have? Should we be trying to reduce the number of subjects or the content in them as we differentiate as fast as our little computers can cut and paste? We might once more sit down as families in the evenings. The wagon train of people carriers heading east or west each evening might be replaced by the family room once again being just that. And the car might smell less of last week’s pizza.
Priorities for Principal Teachers
Staff PÁIRIC CLERKIN PRINCIPAL OF ST PATRICK’S NS, CASTLEKNOCK, DUBLIN 15
In Issue 82, I explored the interactions between the principal and children. In this issue, I examine another of the key groups principals interact with, namely staff, and give examples of tasks that could perhaps be shared in a different way, by considering the following: I I I
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Key priorities we, as principals must do ourselves Priorities we could delegate or share Tasks we should not do ourselves/ could agree to de-prioritise, at least for a while.
It is extremely important that we begin to consider and discuss the priorities for our school and how activities and responsibilities can be delegated amongst the school community. I certainly don’t have all of the answers and what works in my school may well not work in yours. However, I’m sure most principals would agree that the staff is the greatest asset of the school. In times of need many will step forward and take on additional work / responsibility. At times we may need to discuss which activities will be deprioritized because of time or resource constraints. Not only does this type of engagement with staff help in the management of a busy workload and the reduction of stress, but it also helps to build leadership capacity among all of the staff, not
just those who may be in receipt of a promoted post allowance (though those are dwindling by the day!). Tom McGann and I have discussed the challenge of managing workload as outlined in the Priorities for Principal Teachers publication with hundreds of principals around the country at a number of seminars. The consensus is that we should firstly discuss the prioritisation of tasks within our local principals’ support group, followed by discussion with our deputy principals. This will help us when we then consult with the rest of our staff and our Board of Management with a view to building consensus regarding priorities and management of same. It is extremely important that we begin to consider and discuss the priorities for our school and how activities and responsibilities can be delegated amongst the school community. We need to promote the concept of distributed / shared leadership and empower those around us to help develop and take ownership of a shared vision for the school. Note: Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar - A Vision for Shared Leadership: Creating Deputy Capacity - may be useful in helping to put a structure on the prioritisation process within individual schools. See also sample school policies and templates on www.ippn.ie.
PRIORITIES FOR PRINCIPALS
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
In relation to dealing with staff, the following is the guidance presented in Priorities for Principal Teachers Key Priorities for the Principal – Must Do
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Lead the teaching and learning in the school Affirm, support, motivate, counsel and empower the staff, encouraging best practice, creativity and innovation Be conscious of the health and well-being of all staff Facilitate a culture of instructional leadership Ensure that staff carry out their duties in accordance with statutory obligations and those mandated by ministerial circular Allocate teachers to classes and other roles based on pupil requirements, teacher talents/preference and in line with school policy Provide constructive feedback to teachers Ensure that BoM decisions are implemented by the staff.
Other Priorities – Could Delegate or Share
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Ensure Children First Guidelines are implemented Assist staff experiencing professional difficulties Attend relevant CPD events - to develop distributed leadership among staff Act as Safety Representative Attend meetings re. school activities Conduct standardised testing and communicate results to parents Review/revise selection of textbooks for book lists Monitor school and pupil performance according to School Self-Evaluation guidelines.
Other Tasks – Deprioritise / Principal should not need to personally undertake I I I I
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Ensure the care and storage of materials & equipment Maintain school website Manage an inventory of teaching and learning resources Manage routine class discipline & behaviour (primary responsibility rests with the class teacher) Attend one on one parent/teacher meetings (unless requested by teacher) Handling any tasks or queries relating to salary, taxation, PRSI, Teaching Council status, holiday and other entitlements.
*The complete list is in the publication
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
September 2014
Leadership Award 2014
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) has recently established the National Centre for Leadership and Innovation (NCLI). This centre is the first of its kind and is dedicated to unlocking the capacity of leadership within school communities. NCLI is now accepting nominations for a Leadership Award from within the primary school community. This award will honour and recognise an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities. Along with other traits, the award recognizes those who are driven by a compelling belief that the future can be a better place. They influence others through their actions and demonstrate personal integrity, honesty, and trust. The chosen Awardee will receive a sponsored cash prize of €2,000.
ELIGIBILITY To be eligible for a nomination, the nominee must be one of the following: I Primary school pupil
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Parent/guardian of a primary school pupil Member of a Parent Association Primary school teacher School ancillary staff Current or retired primary school principal Member of a Board of Management.
CRITERIA Individuals nominated for this award should have demonstrated some or a number of the following criteria: I Have motivated or inspired people around them I Overcome significant personal challenges with a positive attitude I Acted in a manner that has influenced others and changed attitudes I Demonstrated and encouraged creativity and innovation I Boldly taken a risk for what is right and just I Created a compelling vision for the future with a proactive approach
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Pursued a cause which might not have been popular.
NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS A nomination form must be completed and submitted to NCLI. A Nomination forms are available on www.ippn.ie or by emailing info@ncli.ie. Nominations must be submitted by 28th November 2014. An independent Adjudication Committee will review all nominations and, based on the criteria, will determine the award recipient. The Award will be presented at IPPN’s Annual Conference on 30th January 2015. Members of IPPN Board of Directors and IPPN employees are not eligible for nomination.
NOMINATE
NOW!!!
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Health & Wellbeing Survey
2014 - RESULTS I
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DR PHILIP RILEY Principal Researcher
Principals, deputy principals and teachers deal daily with parents’ greatest hopes and deepest fears: the lives and potential futures of their children. This places an enormous responsibility on the profession, which is taken very seriously and, like all professional responsibilities, can be a heavy burden to carry. The Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey is a longitudinal project seeking to understand the occupational rewards and risks of this very important role. The results presented here are taken from the survey conducted earlier this year.
RESULTS - A SNAPSHOT I
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404 Administrative and 284 Teaching Principals, as well as 38 Administrative and 105 Teaching Deputy Principals took part. 65% were from the primary sector. 40% based in cities or large towns; 49% in small town/villages or rural locations. 62% female. Average age 48 years. Most were quite experienced, averaging 12 years in leadership
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following 13 years in teaching. They work long hours: 43% work upwards of 46 hours a week during term with just over 15% working upwards of 56 hours per week. During school holidays, 55% work upwards of 25 hours per week. Annual salaries range from <€40,000 - >€120,00 per annum. Average primary salary range: €61- 80,000, and €81- 90,000 for second level. 84% rate personal achievement as very important. 97% rate personal relationships with family and friends as very important. 83% are in a partner relationship, and 82% report partners as their greatest source of support. Almost half of their partners also work in education. 37% volunteer their time for community support outside of their role. 41% are active members of a formal community or sporting association. 55% conduct regular spiritual practice. Only 82% of respondents rate their own happiness as very important. They are generally very positive about their job, scoring higher than the population. Most maintain a healthy alcohol intake, and do not use it to manage stress. Principals and deputy principals experience nearly twice the prevalence of threats of violence
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and actual physical violence at work of other population groups. The prevalence is higher for females. Despite having many predictive attributes for high scores on both wellbeing and quality of life, collectively they score less than the general population on both. Their mental health ranges from very good to very poor.
RECOMMENDATIONS A: Increase Professional Support The survey shows that principals and deputies who avail of the least professional support have the greatest challenge in maintaining their mental health. 1. Encourage increased take-up of IPPN and NAPD professional support networks, and time for informal and formal support. 2. Increase the capacity of experienced principal mentors, perhaps retired principals, visiting schools and facilitating practical professional learning. B. Increase Professional Learning Provision of ongoing professional learning will assist all principals and deputies in two ways. First, by skill improvement and secondly through the benefits of increased support outlined above. The three areas that all principals and deputy principals’ report lacking in confidence about their managerial skills are time management; dealing with stress and, budgeting. C. Review the work practices of Teaching Principals and Deputies As the roles of principal and deputy
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
principal have become increasingly complex in the last 15 years, they may be becoming impossible to carry out effectively. The job is rapidly becoming too complex to be considered a parttime role. D: Address Bullying and Violence There is need to form a national working group to independently investigate: Figure 1: Hours spent at work during term and holiday periods
1. adult-adult bullying (occurring at triple the rate of the general population); and 2. threats of, and actual violence in schools (occurring at double the rate of the general population). Previous research has shown that the most effective ways to prevent or diminish bullying and violence are through whole school approaches. The research presented in this report suggests the problem is system-wide and therefore a system-wide approach is needed. Philip Riley is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Principal Researcher of the Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey at the Faculty of Education and Arts, ACU, Australia. He has authored over 150 publications.
DEADLINES/ IMPORTANT DATES I
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Monday, 3rd November 2014 is the final date for filling a permanent post on a permanent basis. The teacher must be appointed to the school on or before this date. If the appointment process has not been completed before this date, the post must be filled in a fixedterm capacity for the remainder of the school year. Permission from the DES must be received by schools prior to advertising/filling the additional hours announced by the NCSE on 13th October Closing date for applications for the redeployment panel is Friday 13th December 2014 The first Capitation Grant payment will be received by schools in January.
Figure 2: Comparing Irish principals and deputy principals with the General Population
EVENTS I
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Your School and Confronting Conflict - Managing Adult Relationships in the School Community seminar by Dr Joe O’Connell and IPPN’s Angela Lynch will take place at the Radisson Hotel, Little Island, Cork on Saturday 22nd November. More info on . IPPN National Council AGM, including the election of new members of the Board of Directors, takes place on Saturday 15th November Date for your diary! The IPPN Annual Principals’ Conference 2015 will take place on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th January at the Citywest Hotel, Event and Convention Centre, Dublin. Registration for the event will open soon...
NOTABLE CIRCULARS I
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0033/2013 - Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2016 (Haddington Road Agreement) Supervision Scheme in Primary Schools (2nd Part of Circular came into effect on 1st September 2014) 0052/2014 - Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2016 (Haddington Road Agreement) Teachers - Review of Usage of Croke Park Hours 0059/2014 - Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools
Note: All circulars are available on ippn.ie – See Resources/DES Circulars
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PRINCIPAL ADVICE
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Parent Teacher MEETINGS ANGELA LYNCH PRINCIPAL ADVICE MANAGER
Over the next few weeks and months we will be talking to parents about that which they treasure most – their children. I know that when I attended P/T meetings as a parent myself, I approached them with a sense of anxiety. As a parent I only wanted to hear good news. In practical terms, I knew that this was not going to happen. Even for the most able pupil, there will always be scope for improvement. When parents hear criticism of their child, it is often taken as a criticism of their own parenting skills. For any teacher talking to a parent, John Powell sums up effective communication “The genius of communication is the ability to be totally honest and totally kind at the same time.” Communication is a skill that needs preparation, to look at the language we use, the ways in which we deliver our message and in becoming aware of the emotions affecting both ourselves and others. It is essential to discuss with staff, particularly newly appointed teachers, the format of a P/T meeting, how best to deliver information and highlight concerns. We normally take communication for granted in this day and age of instant transmission when we do it so frequently, but it is actually a complex process. This may well be the first time that many teachers will have to speak to parents face to face. Parents are nervous when it comes to these meetings but then, so too are teachers.
“The royal road to a man’s heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.” Dale Carnegie
You might also discuss with staff a repertoire of language, the use of which may be helpful. Some examples come to mind. “is strong in —-“ “is especially good at—-“ “still needs guidance or support in—-“ “has improved steadily in —-“ “has made consistent progress in—-“ “quality of work is improving in—-“ “would benefit from—-“ When delivering a difficult message or raising a concern, use the “sandwich” method. Begin with some of the child’s strengths, highlight the issue or concern and end with what we (school and home) can work on to achieve an improvement. Give the parents some practical activities that they might use to support the child at home. Parents can often feel helpless in their lack of understanding or in knowing what to do to help. It is good to have them leave with a sense of hope. The discussion with staff might include the following:
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Preparation for meetings – gather test results, identify strengths of each pupil, identify specific areas of concern to be raised with parents and outline ways of addressing the issue Tthe language used during meetings. “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Mother Theresa Compile some lists of useful resources (useful websites/reading strategies/maths language sheets etc.) that teachers might like to distribute to parents The importance of listening to parents Arrangements for follow up with some parents if deemed necessary.
Time spent on this discussion, I have no doubt, will yield benefits. “Constantly develop your communication skills, as they are one of the key skills in life.” Plato
These meetings are an excellent opportunity to enhance the relationship between home and school. However, if not managed appropriately, the result will be ongoing difficulties in the relationship. Dr. Rick Kirschner in his book “Dealing with Difficult People” maintains that “Even when you choose your words well, if your tone of voice is hurried, hostile or defensive, people may hear something very different from what you intended.” Can I suggest that you have this discussion with staff prior to embarking on P/T meetings? 15
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
SNAs
Practical Guidance What should the school do when a child for whom the school has been allocated SEN resources leaves the school? Upon confirmation of a letter or notification from another school that a pupil is now enrolled there, the school should inform the SENO that this pupil has moved from their school. It is highly likely that this other school will apply for SEN resources, especially if the pupil requires an SNA.
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BY PAT GOFF AND
What to do if parents communicate with the SNA instead of the classroom teacher? There should be very clear role definition for teachers, SNAs and parents. Very often there are no guidelines or protocols in place for SNAs, or indeed for parents. In-house training should be provided for all SNAs in what to do in such a situation. Contact between the SNA and the parent is normal in handing over or receiving a child. The query or contact might be as simple as toileting or some other care issue. It is not a problem for the SNA to answer this. The SNA should be instructed to inform the parent in relation to any other questions that they really have to talk to the teacher. A meeting with parents of all special needs children should also be held - to outline the protocol to be used when dealing with queries in relation to their child.
RACHEL HALLAHAN
What are acceptable/unacceptable SNA duties? Can these be reviewed, if so how/how often? SNAs are recruited specifically to assist schools in providing the necessary nonteaching services to children with special educational needs who also may have additional and significant care needs. SNA support promotes the inclusion of SEN pupils in a mainstream setting with the minimal disruption to class or teaching time.
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BoM. Their work is supervised either by the Principal or another teacher as determined by the Principal. Those duties include,but are not limited to: I I
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The duties of an SNA are non-teaching in nature and are listed in Appendix 1 of DES Circular 15/2005 - Contract of Employment for Special Needs Assistants. Their duties are assigned by the Principal acting on behalf of the 16
Preparation and tidying up of classrooms Assisting school children to board and alight from school buses. Where necessary travel as a bus escort during school hours on school buses may be required Assisting children with particular difficulties e.g. helping special needs pupils with typing or writing or computers or other use of equipment Assistance with clothing, feeding, toileting and general hygiene and being mindful of health and safety needs of the pupil Assisting on out-of-school visits, walks, examinations and similar activities Assisting the teachers in the supervision of pupils during assembly, recreation and dispersal from the classroom Accompanying individuals or small groups who may have to be withdrawn temporarily from the classroom General assistance to the class teachers, under the direction of the Principal, with duties of a nonteaching nature. (Note: Special Needs Assistants may not act as either substitute or temporary
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teachers. In no circumstances may they be left in sole charge of a class or group of children) Participation with school development planning, where appropriate and co-operation with any such changes to policies and practices arising from the school development process Engagement with parents of special needs pupils in both formal and informal structures as required and directed by school management Other duties appropriate to the grade as may be determined by the needs of the pupils and school from time-to-time. SNAs may be assigned to other work appropriate to the grade when special needs pupils are absent or when particular urgent works demand otherwise.
If an SNA’s hours are amended (up or down), what are the implications for hours worked each day and breaks? It is at the discretion of the principal, as the day-to-day manager of the school acting on behalf of the BoM, when, where and with whom the SNA works. There is flexibility for the principal to assign SNAs to best meet the needs of the school and to work with other pupils. There are very few SNAs in schools now assigned to just one pupil. The norm now is that the SENO grants access to an SNA for a number of pupils. Schools normally apply the same break entitlements to SNAs as to teachers. If this is a 10-minute break in the morning and a 30-minute lunch break for teachers, the same should apply to SNAs. Circular guidance is not provided on this topic. It does not make for good staff relations if SNAs are treated differently to teachers in terms of breaks. What happens if I have an SNA redundancy in my school? Details of the operation of the SNA Redundancy Scheme are contained in DES Circular 0058/2006 - Redundancy
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Arrangements for Special Need Assistants & DES Circular 44/2014 – Recruitment of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) – Supplementary Assignment Arrangements for 2014/2015 school year A redundancy situation arises where the post ceases to exist / is reduced and the SNA is not replaced. This redundancy situation arises when an SNA post is surplus to the approved allocation to their school, usually due because an SEN pupil terminates their enrolment in the school. SNA redundancy is on a ‘last in first out’ basis, unless the most junior SNA in the school has a child-specific contract. An SNA should be formally notified of the redundancy by the BoM. The SNA RED1 Form & RP50 Form need to be completed and forwarded to the DES SNA Redundancy Unit - Payroll Division. Additionally, the BoM should immediately give the SNA a completed Panel Form 1 (PF1). An SNA with a minimum of 1 year’s service from 1 May 2013 is eligible to receive supplementary panel assignment status. This does not include service in a substitute capacity i.e. covering for maternity leave, sick leave, career break, job-sharing or SNAs whose hours have been reduced. A certified copy of the completed form should be given to the SNA. An SNA’s panel rights are not affected by taking up a substitute position. An SNA is not permitted to secure a redundancy payment and to continue SNA service in another school within a 12-month period. In this instance, the SNA will be
November 2014
There should be very clear role definition for teachers, SNAs and parents. Very often there are no guidelines or protocols in place for SNAs, or indeed for parents. obliged to reimburse the payment to the DES. Is there an SNA ‘Panel’ and how does it work? The redeployment of SNAs is explained in DES Circular 44/2014 – Recruitment of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) – Supplementary Assignment Arrangements for 2014/2015 school year. It replaces and supersedes DES Circular 0037/2013. With effect from 1 May 2013, any SNA with one year’s service, whether fulltime or part-time, who receives notification from their BoM that they are to be made redundant is eligible to be a member of the Supplementary Assignment Panel for SNAs. The BoM can allocate any additional resource hours to the school approved by the NCSE to an existing member of staff without advertising the vacancy. All other SNA vacancies must be advertised as per Appendix E,
Constitution of Boards & Rules of Procedure 2011. Should an application be received from an SNA with certified panel rights, then the BoM is obliged to offer the vacancy to that SNA following interview, subject to meeting all essential qualifications, competencies and requirements as advertised. If there are 5 eligible applicants or fewer, all eligible applicants should be called for interview. To begin with, the interview panel is only permitted to interview SNAs with certified panel rights. If the BoM does not receive an application from a certified panel applicant or if, following interview, it is considered that no panel applicant meets the requirements, the BoM can fill the vacancy using normal recruitment practices. The interview for the vacancy will take place on a separate day. Acceptance of the vacancy by the SNA should be notified to the BoM no later than 8 days from the date of the letter of offer. An SNA appointed from the panel becomes the most junior SNA for seniority purposes. SNA appointments (excluding substitute or cover vacancies) are required to be notified to the DES using the Process Verification Document. The completed form must be returned to the Supplementary Assignment Manager within 6 weeks of the SNA
Upcoming International STUDY OF MATHS AND SCIENCE Next year, Ireland takes part in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) – the world’s largest study of educational achievement, involving 550,000 students worldwide. TIMSS runs every four years, dating back to 1995. The 149 Irish primary schools randomly selected to participate will receive a letter from the Educational Research Centre later in November, with more details. TIMSS is one of the key studies listed in Circular 0056/2011, and the importance placed on taking part is underscored by the availability of a half-day of substitution cover for the work involved in its implementation.
AIDAN CLERKIN
To find out more, please see our website (www.erc.ie/timss) or email us (timss2015@erc.ie). The site includes real questions used in the 2011 assessment, and Irish reports on the findings from TIMSS 2011.
Educational Research Centre
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
IPPN SUPPORTS & SERVICES
GERALDINE D’ARCY IPPN RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS MANAGER
Almost 900 principals and deputy principals completed the IPPN Membership Consultation Survey in June. The following are the results relating to IPPN supports and services. Service
EducationPosts.ie
99%
ippn.ie
98%
Resource Bundles
97%
TextaParent
97%
Networking mailing list
95%
Principal Advice
95%
Ciall Ceannaithe
93%
Annual Principals’ Conference
93%
Leadership+
93%
Planning Prompts
93%
Principals’ Professional Briefing Day
92%
E-scéal
91%
Airgead Bunscoile – school accounting package
90%
Annual Deputy Principals’ Conference
84%
County Network Meetings
84%
Pre-retirement Seminars
84%
TextaSub
79%
Mentoring
76%
PRINCIPAL ADVICE SERVICE As indicated above, IPPN’s one-to-one confidential advice and support phone service for principals experiencing a crisis situation, critical incident or school tragedy is rated very highly. Of
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‘Excellent’ and ‘Quite effective’
the principals who have used the service in the past year, 81% have used it between 1 and 3 times, 15% between 4 and 7 times and 4% more than 8 times.
Almost a third said they preferred to avail of Principal Advice by email while the remaining two thirds (69%) preferred to avail of the service by phone.
VARIANCE IN RESPONSES Role The responses to most questions by teaching and administrative principals are very similar. However, Administrative Principals’ feedback on IPPN supports and services suggests that they are slightly happier with the services offered than Teaching Principals, with higher numbers selecting ‘Excellent’ as their rating of choice.
It is encouraging that the vast majority of principals availing of the supports and services available through IPPN rate them highly. Indeed, the demand for more and better services seems to be quite clear…
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Age Profile There is a fairly clear distinction agewise in terms of feedback on technology-led supports, with principals under 40 twice as likely to rate such services - including ippn.ie, networking and planning prompts and also the Principal Advice service - as ‘excellent’ than those aged over 60. On the other hand, far more principals over 50 years rated such supports as Leadership+, resource bundles and the Ciall Ceannaithe online course as ‘excellent’ compared with those under 40.
CONCLUSIONS It is encouraging that the vast majority of principals availing of the supports and services available through IPPN rate them highly. Indeed, the demand for more and better services seems to be quite clear, particularly from teaching principals. The majority are telling IPPN that we’re on the right track, with between 80% and 99% saying our supports and services are ‘very effective’ or ‘quite effective’. We will continue to work on improving each of our services to meet principals’ needs. If you wish to make a suggestion or comment in relation to any of the services or supports provided, please email geraldine.darcy@ippn.ie. We thank all those who participated in the membership consultation survey. It is a vital tool to gauge your needs, clarify your challenges and obtain feedback on what IPPN is doing on your behalf.
November 2014
ADVOCACY-RELATED SUPPORTS Publication
‘Excellent’ and ‘Quite effective’
Ciall Ceannaithe – Sound Advice and Borrowed Wisdom
96%
Quality Leadership Quality Learning
94%
Investing in School Leadership
93%
Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus
92%
Primary School Governance – Challenges and Opportunities
91%
Supporting Each Other (Principals and Parent Associations)
91%
Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar Distributing Leadership - Deputy Principals
91%
Submissions / PR
‘Excellent’ and ‘Quite effective’
Priority Issues for Leadership in Schools
92%
Administration Burden
88%
Principals’ Workload
87%
Curriculum reform
85%
Pre-budget submissions
83%
Press releases
83%
Patronage and pluralism
81%
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NEW AND IMPROVED!
Over 2,200 schools use Textaparent.ie on a weekly basis. On a number of occasions, we have delivered more than 100,000 messages a day through TextaParent.ie. We are pleased to announce the release of our new website. Designed with user-friendly navigation and upgraded to ensure that messages are delivered with minimum interruption or delay.
Great new look and feel While TextaParent.ie will retain all of its current functions, we’ve stripped back the site to allow you to send messages with less effort. We have also added a few extras. The new fresh design allows users to quickly send messages or schedule messages to send later.
But don’t worry, all of your favourite features will stay: G 4 cent per message - a straight line price with no hidden taxes or charges added G Online payment option - schools can also be invoiced for later payment G No cost to parents to receive messages G No set-up costs G No minimum purchase amount required to avail of our low rate G Textaparent.ie is a not-for-profit service owned and operated by IPPN G TextaParent.ie directly supports IPPN’s Principal Advice service.
If you have any queries or would like to try TextaParent.ie for yourself, please contact Sarah McNamara by email to info@textaparent.ie or by phone to 1890 401 501
Irish Primary Principals’ Network Líonra Phríomhoidí Bunscoile Éireann
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
Children and Young People’s Services Committees COLMA NIC LUGHADHA NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES COMMITTEES Children’s Services Committees are now referred to as Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC). The change of name for these county level interagency structures simply aims to more adequately reflect that CYPSCs are about services working together across their organisational boundaries, to improve outcomes for all children and young people from 0 to 24 years of age. Earlier this year I interviewed a number of school principals about why they have gotten involved in the work of Children and Young People’s Services Committees as your IPPN representative and as a representative of the primary school sector in your county. Dr. Úna Feeley of Scoil Mhuire Convent Primary School, Roscommon considers that it makes sense to work together: “So often I attend meetings run by one organisation and then the same child is discussed at another meeting - info being repeated, forms
seeking the same info being filled in again and again... We need to work together for the benefit of the children: TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More”. Tomás Ó Slatara of Scoil Naisiúnta na Gráinsí, Cluain Meala, is a member of South Tipperary CYPSC and he has found that being a CYPSC member has enabled him to see and learn about the way services are delivered by other groups and organisations in the county. He now has an input on your behalf into key areas of support for children in South Tipperary and has been able to “voice the school experience and perspective in reaching agreed decisions and recommendations... while giving IPPN a relevant profile in South Tipperary with school leaders and other service providers.” According to Gerry Murphy, retired from St Joseph’s NS, Dundalk, Co. Louth and member of Louth CYPSC and the IPPN
Board of Directors, IPPN intends to develop strategies to improve how its representatives on CYPSCs across Ireland share information on local CYPSC plans and work with school principals in their county. There are a number of possibilities for doing this without re-inventing the wheel by using existing IPPN county network meetings, events and conferences, circulars and publications such as this one. As National Co-ordinator for CYPSCs I look forward to continuing to work with IPPN to develop a stronger voice for primary schools on Children and Young People’s Services Committees. In the meantime there are now 21 CYPSCs established across Ireland with plans for full national coverage very soon. You can contact your IPPN representative on your county’s CYPSC or get in touch with me at the national office for more information.
CYPSC
IPPN Representative
School
Carlow Kilkenny
Maria Kelly (Kilkenny) Patricia Wall (Carlow)
Presentation Primary School Formally of Holy Family BNS, Askea
smuirekk2@eircom.net askeabns@hotmail.com
Cavan Monaghan
Anna Mai Rooney
St. Louis GNS
principal@stlouisgns.com
Cork
Angela Lynch
IPPN Support Office
angela.lynch@ippn.ie
Donegal
David Oliver Pauric Cannon
Ballyraine NS Scoil Cholmcille NS
principalballyraine@eircom.net scoilcolmcillelk@eircom.net
Dublin City North
Mark Candon
St Laurence O ‘Tooles Junior Boys School
stlarjbs.ias@eircom.net
Dublin City South
Angela Mitchell
Loreto Primary School, Scoil Muire Ógh I
loretoseniorprimarycrumlin@gmail.com
Fingal
Enda Mc Gorman
Mary, Mother of Hope Senior National School
hopens@eircom.net
Galway
Breda Dolan
St Josephs Special School
stjosephsp.ias@eircom.net
Kerry
Ursula Coffey
Holy Cross Mercy NS
holycrossmercy.ias@eircom.net
Kildare
Mary Pierce
Scoil Naomh Bríd
oifig@scoilnaomhbrid.com
Limerick
Rena O’Shea
St. Munchin’s GNS
office.mainchin@iol.ie
Longford Westmeath
Brid Glynn (Longford) Monica Fanning (Westmeath)
Colehill Mixed NS St. Feichin’s NS
scoilsinneach@eircom.net forens.ias@eircom.neT
Louth
Gerry Murphy
IPPN Board of Directors
gerry.murphy@ippn.ie
Meath
Anne Fitzpatrick
St Anne’s Loreto Primary School
office@stannesnavan.ie
Roscommon
Dr. Una Feeley
St Marys Convent NS
ufeeley@conventprimaryroscommon.ie
Sligo Leitrim
Jean Mc Gowan
St Edwards NS
stedwards@eircom.net
South Dublin
Pádraig McCabe
St Mary’s Junior NS
smj.ias@eircom.net
South Tipperary
Tomás Ó Slatara
Grange National School, Clonmel
grange3@eircom.net
Waterford
Maria Doyle
Our Lady Of Mercy Senior PS
mariadoyle@ippnstaff.com
Wexford
Pat Goff
Scoil Mhuire Coolcotts
scoilmhuire@coolcotts.com
Wicklow
Emer Breen
St Philomena’s Primary School
ravengns.ias@eircom.net
National Co-ordinator for Children and Young People’s Services Committees Colma Nic Lughadha
01 416 0511
cniclughadha@effectiveservices.org
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
DES
Inadequate capitation funding ‘could trigger school closure’
In a briefing document prepared by senior civil servants for the new Minister for Education, which was released under the Freedom of Information Act, the Department describes as a “critical issue” the inadequacy of capitation funding, which has been reduced at primary level from €200 per pupil to €170 over the past four years. Any further reduction in the grant “may create a risk that some schools would not be able to cover critical costs such as insurance or heat and light, the absence of which could trigger school closure”, it says. It also points out that the ongoing moratorium on promoted posts “has had a significant impact” on the leadership of many schools. “The current position is unsustainable,” it says. In the area of special education, it points out that the increase in the provision of SNAs has fallen behind the growth in the student population. Between 2010 and September 2014, the SNA allocation rose by 4.1 per cent but the school population grew by 8.25 per cent. Senior DES officials seem to have been listening to what we have consistently been saying for years. It’s good to know that the civil servants are trying to highlight the weaknesses within the education system to the minister. In a country where economic pressures prevail, there are choices to be made. Governments with finite resources available to them have, of necessity, to prioritise. But surely in any civilised society, children’s well-being and education must come first. Another matter highlighted in the briefing document, which runs to 600 pages, is that of small schools. It cites a need to further reduce the number of small schools for both economic and organisational reasons, one of which it sees as a “lack of management capacity”. IPPN has consistently argued that small
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schools are educationally viable. Our 2005 research document “New Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland” provides alternatives to school closures, based on international
research into a variety of clustering models. IPPN will continue to support principals and advocate on their behalf.
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
Meeting with Minister Jan O’ Sullivan
IPPN, along with our post-primary counterpart NAPD, met with the Minister for Education, Jan O’ Sullivan TD, on September 23rd last. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss school leadership in both sectors. Firstly, both organisations voiced serious concern about the effects of the moratorium on middle management posts in schools. It was explained that the ongoing implementation of whole school evaluation, along with the many initiatives introduced by DES, is virtually impossible without a middle management team in schools. We reported on the many schools whose posts have been hugely eroded through retirements. The DES acknowledged their awareness of the problem but is forced to view it in a budgetary context. While the moratorium on civil service posts was lifted in the recent budget, there was, very unfortunately, no lifting of the moratorium on middle management posts in schools. Consequently, the significant leadership capacity issues will worsen and will spread to more and more schools over time.
We also discussed the need for the DES to prioritise and to invest heavily in a continuum of CPD for principals, from pre-appointment right through to retirement stage, to ensure all principals are fully prepared for the leadership challenges at every stage in their career. A final key point raised was the need for a more dignified step-down facility for those principals who may wish to step down from leadership but who are not yet ready to retire. The Minister seemed quite taken aback to learn that a principal who wishes to step back into a teaching role can only do so if there is a permanent vacancy
available in the school and also becomes the most junior teacher in the school. She promised she would look further into this situation. The Minister seems to have a strong appreciation of the difficulties facing schools and principals and she also seems well disposed towards looking for workable solutions. As always, though, in such discussions with DES everything eventually comes back to the issue of budgetary constraints. In future discussions with the minister and her officials, we will continue to press for the needs of primary schools, and primary principals, to be prioritised.
IPPN went on to make a strong case for increased administrative support for teaching principals, pointing out their dual role and consequent onerous workload. We asked that teaching principals be given one release day per week, as is the case in Northern Ireland. While the response was not very positive, we will continue to press for this essential support for teaching principals.
IPPN went on to make a strong case for increased administrative support for teaching principals, pointing out their dual role and consequent onerous workload. 23
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
September November 2014
SCHOOL PLACEMENT
FOR STUDENT TEACHERS: A partnership approach by schools and colleges School placement, previously known as teaching practice, is a critical part of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). It allows student teachers to experience teaching and school life in a variety of contexts, and in a structured and supported manner. The term “school placement” has replaced the term “teaching practice” as it more accurately reflects the range of teaching and non-teaching activities involved. Since 2012/2013, all undergraduate programmes of initial teacher education are now at least four years in duration, and now from 2014, all postgraduate programmes are two years long. Typically, a student teacher will spend in the region of 20 weeks in schools over the course of those programmes, and, in all cases, the second half of the programme must include one 10-week block placement. Based on existing good practice, the Teaching Council has prepared School Placement Guidelines in partnership with stakeholders, including IPPN. The Guidelines acknowledge the voluntary support provided by principals and teachers to student teachers. They provide a structure for the school placement and are aimed at promoting collaboration and balance of responsibility between Colleges of Education and schools. Colleges are expected to consider the timing of the placement in the school calendar as well as the stage the student teacher is at on the ITE programme. Non-teaching hours should include classroom observation, collaborative work with experienced staff, and engagement with the day-today life of the school. Structured support for the student teacher is critical, and colleges will ensure that student teachers are observed, supported and assessed for grading purposes by two or more placement tutors. The Board of Management and principal decide on their school’s capacity to facilitate placements. Principals have a pivotal role to play in leading and supporting a whole-school approach to school placement, in accordance with a policy formulated by the Board of Management. A template policy has been included in the Guidelines, but schools may prefer to devise their own policy. It is the responsibility of each school management authority (in consultation with teachers, parents and learners) to devise a policy appropriate 16 24
to their school’s own particular circumstances, in the context of schools and the teaching profession engaging in the process of teacher education, in partnership with the HEIs. As heretofore, the principal assigns student teachers to the classes of co-operating teachers. Co-operating teachers are asked to work collaboratively with the student teacher, the placement tutor and the principal. Along with the principal, they provide structured support to student teachers but do not have a role in grading them. The Guidelines encourage the placement tutor and cooperating teacher to collaborate in relation to any advice given to student teachers. Co-operating teachers introduce the student teacher to the pupils; classroom; plan of work; rules and procedures; and, the roles of other staff involved with the pupils in the class. They are encouraged to allow the student teacher to observe their teaching. In turn, they observe the student teacher’s practice and provide them with feedback.
As the student teacher’s competence develops, the co-operating teacher should allow them to teach more independently and may avail of discretionary time during those times. This facilitates engagement with the student teacher at other times. To ensure that student teachers experience a variety of teaching settings, it is desirable that all recognised schools are open to hosting student teachers, though it is acknowledged that this may not always be feasible for a variety of reasons. From the school’s point of view, the benefits of placement are many. Schools can develop as learning communities. Co-operating teachers can observe and be informed about a variety of approaches to teaching and learning, and can avail of bespoke CPD programmes provided by some colleges in acknowledgement of their role in supporting the student teacher. The Teaching Council’s School Placement Guidelines, along with a Quick Reference Guide for Schools, is available from www.teachingcouncil.ie and www.ippn.ie.
GAA Launch New Primary School Teaching Resources The GAA has launched a number of resources for Primary School Teachers and Coaches. PE Céim ar Aghaidh is a Teaching Resource book designed to assist Primary School Teachers to deliver the Physical Educational Curriculum through Gaelic games activities. It is the most recent addition to the GAA Céim ar Aghaidh/Step Ahead Resource Pack, which is a crosscurricular education resource, supporting delivery of the wider Curriculum based on the theme of the GAA. A new innovative web based Coaching Resource called the GAA Activity Planner was also launched. The planner contains 100’s and Gaelic games activities which Coaches/Teachers can build into Coaching Sessions, save, share and print out.
The full complement of free current resources is available at learning.gaa.ie/primary-school
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
November 2014
And Finally…
‘
QUOTATIONS
be humble. Talent is God-given; be thankful. Fame is man-given; be careful. Conceit is self-given; John Wooden, ll coach American basketba
Out of the mouths of babes...
’
One that comes to mind is a child in 2nd class asking if he could get the 'GAA cloth' (as opposed to the 'J cloth') to wipe up something! Another year, I had 42 pupils in my class, one of whom had a prosthetic arm from the elbow down. During a hectic crafts class, a child tugged at my sleeve and declared 'Ciara's arm is after fallin’ off'. A cold shiver coursed through me at the thought....! I'd taken it literally. First aid kit no good there! Liam O’Sullivan, Deputy Principal, Ardfinnan NS ‘That one is a square, that’s a triangle, and this one is a rectal’ If you have a similar anecdote you would like to share via this page, please email editor@ippn.ie
‘
QUOTATIONS
The more I live, the more I lea rn. The more I learn, the more I rea lise, the less I know Michel Legrand, French compos er, conductor, and pianist
’
On Your Behalf Since the last issue of Leadership+, IPPN has continued our advocacy and representative role on behalf of principals, through meetings, events and submissions in relation to the following:
AUGUST I
I
Information Session on the progress of the development and implementation of the Primary Online Database (POD) at DES Meeting with Secretary General Sean Ó Foghlú
SEPTEMBER I
DES Working Group on School
I I I I I
I
Leadership- Dublin West Education Centre National Parents Council Partnership Schools, Dublin Education Matters meeting, Galway Meeting with Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan, TD Redeployment Panel Review Meeting DES Athlone Review of the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedures 2011 booklet, DES Athlone SEN Resource Allocation consultation Meeting with the DES
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I I I I I
OCTOBER I
Education and Social Protection regarding the Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Children with SEN in Mainstream Setting Consultation on Criteria for Entry to Initial Teacher Education with the ESRI. Dublin ‘Your School & Confronting Conflict’ event, Portlaoise Junior Cert Science Consultation event, Dublin Castle NAPD Conference, Galway NABSME Annual Conference, Tullamore Ashoka Changemaker Schools programme, Dublin
Presentation to Joint Committee for 25