Leadership+ Issue 85 March 2015

ISSUE 85 / MARCH 2015

+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS

Daring to Lead

“No blame policy and poor recordkeeping when dealing with bullying behaviour is unacceptable”

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Seven Values of Highly Effective Principals Values are always at play as part of our character, influencing our thinking, and shaping our actions.

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WSE Lessons from Sun Tzu

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It’s inspiring to hear about principals who show great courage in their leadership.

Principal Advice

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As principals, we encounter both dilemmas and problems on a constant basis but are they one and the same thing?

Conference 2015

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Legal Diary

Daring to Lead

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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS

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+ Leadership

In this issue, we look at the highlights of this year’s IPPN Conference.

Three identical envelopes with a harp. Whole School Evaluation. Despite blind panic and a galloping pulse, a glimmer of hope appears.

Could an ancient military book ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu, save our bacon?

Signposts ISSUE 85 / MARCH 2015

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

March 2015

ICT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOM LONERGAN NATIONAL COORDINATOR, TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION, PDST TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION WIRELESS / WI-FI NETWORKS To support effective learning using mobile devices, a fit-for-purpose Wi-Fi network is now critical in schools. WiFi systems connect mobile devices to online resources via the broadband connection and, as such, mobile learning, school Wi-Fi, broadband and use of cloud applications are all interdependent. It is important that if schools are purchasing a wireless network, they seek independent advice. For more information, refer to our advice section on ‘Wireless Networking’.

This article provides a brief overview of some of the main ICT Infrastructure areas that are becoming more relevant to support teaching, learning, assessment and administration in schools. I also highlight some shifts and trends that are happening in how schools are using ICT. KEY ICT AREAS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS The image highlights some key ICT areas for schools, including school wireless networks, which connect teacher and student mobile devices via broadband to cloud-based tools and applications. While each school is unique in terms of size, location and where they are in terms of using ICT, there are some common shifts and trends that are happening in how schools are using ICT. These include: I Increased use of cloud-based tools and applications by schools I The importance of fast/reliable broadband to connect with cloudbased applications I Use of mobile computing devices by teachers and students, including in SEN areas I Importance of suitable Wi-Fi networks within schools to support mobile learning I Changes in how screens are being mirrored and alternatives to projectors in classrooms

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CLOUD-BASED TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS Schools are increasingly using a wide range of useful cloud-based tools and applications to support teaching and learning. Many are free and provide a diverse and evolving range of possibilities to enhance learning. For more information, refer to our advice section on ‘Cloud-based Tools and Applications for Learning’.

BROADBAND Fast, reliable broadband is critical to accessing online resources for learning.

In the coming months, the DES plans to go to tender to procure faster broadband for primary schools to respond to ever-increasing demand.

While broadband is dependent on availability from regional providers, upgrades will begin from September 2015 where possible locally. The Schools Broadband Service Desk remains the single point of contact for schools at or 1800 33 44 66.

MOBILE LEARNING DEVICES / BYOD Increasing numbers of schools are now using mobile devices in classrooms in preference to desktop PCs. Also tablets are increasingly being purchased in preference to laptops as they provide schools with alternative options to support mobile learning. A shift which is gaining momentum is to allow pupils to bring in their own devices (BYOD) for learning. For more refer to our advice section on ‘Tablets for Learning’ and ‘BYOD’.

PRESENTING IN CLASSROOMS Teachers are using a range of interactive approaches for ‘presenting’ in classrooms.

While interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are still fit-forpurpose when used effectively, technologies such as Apple TV or Chromecast can enable teacher or student screens to be mirrored wirelessly to a large screen. Also, large interactive flat screens (though more expensive to purchase) can provide an alternative to IWBs and/or a projector.

For more information, refer to our advice section on ’Presenting in the classroom’.

MORE INFORMATION A range of additional advice on ICT infrastructure areas is available on our website at: www.pdsttechnologyineducation.ie/ technology.

Schools are also welcome to email their queries to ictadvice@pdst.ie.

The primary school Good Practice Videos show how teachers are using ICT to support learning, and are available at www.pdsttechnologyineducation.ie/Go odPractice/Videos/Primary.

The e-Learning Handbook is a guide to developing a school e-Learning plan.

For more see: www.pdsttechnologyineducation.ie/ elearningplan.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

March 2015

Daring to Lead It’s inspiring to hear about principals who show great courage in their leadership. They keep the children at the heart of everything they do. They fight for every possible resource and support for those who need them. They make sure every child is supported to reach their potential. They offer support and encouragement to the teacher who may be struggling. They listen to the needs of others, often paying scant attention to their own. They put others first and they lead by example.

Being a leader sometimes means daring to challenge the status quo.

For example, it is not an easy task to discuss poor performance with a colleague or to challenge the school enrolment policy, which always gave priority to the children of past pupils. Attempting to challenge poor practice can leave the principal isolated but it would be hard to argue that it wasn’t the right thing to do.

Being a principal is like having to constantly walk a tightrope. They need to: I build close relationships with staff, yet keep a certain distance I provide strong leadership, but let others lead also I trust their staff, yet keep an eye on what they are doing I be visionary, yet focus on the dayto-day business I gain consensus, yet be willing to make tough decisions when required I be confident, and also humble I be ambitious, but not for themselves.

SEÁN COTTRELL This describes the vast majority of principals. They lead and manage a complex array of human and other resources - with no handbook, no preappointment training, inadequate resources and high expectations from all sides that they will succeed, and in almost all cases they exceed those expectations.

For some principals, though, the relentless pressures are slowly draining them of the hope and enthusiasm they need to be confident leaders. IPPN is supporting principals who are struggling in the day-to-day leadership of their schools. Because of stress, these principals have lost perspective and may have also lost the capacity to make decisions. They are unsure when to consult with staff, parents or the Board and when not to. They spend more time reacting to the urgent rather than focusing on the important.

They ask many questions and they want someone to tell them where the answer is written down.

It is really concerning that some principals are living in a state of constant anxiety, even in fear. Fear of what might happen if they try to move a reluctant teacher to another class or

living in dread of a meeting with an angry parent or a difficult chairperson.

Living such an existence can only result in stress and the first victim of stress is judgement. A principal in this state of mind can lose their selfconfidence and avoid decision-making.

It is safer to act in good faith and with compassion, even if we get it wrong, than to fail to act at all. While it is important to try to gain consensus and bring people with you, ultimately, the final decision is the principal’s.

For school leaders, personal development – particularly interpersonal and intrapersonal skills - is just as important as professional learning.

The way we listen, communicate and behave defines us as a leader. We can be an expert on the curriculum, knowledgeable about the key legislation and have all the pupils safely in the POD. But if we can’t communicate or manage conflict effectively, if we are not aware of our own strengths and weaknesses, we will not thrive in our role. Principals who are self aware and prioritise their personal development have the added layer of confidence to guide them in their decision-making. If principals want to thrive and not just survive in their leadership role, they must be grounded in a strong personal belief in what they are doing, so that they can face whatever tough challenges come their way; so that they can dare to lead.

Adapted from Seán Cottrell’s keynote speech at IPPN Annual Principals’ Conference in Citywest on Friday 30th January 2015

NEW DEPUTY CEO IPPN is pleased to announce that, following a recent recruitment process carried out on our behalf by Lyl Consultants, we have appointed Pat Goff as our new Deputy CEO. Pat will replace Virginia O’Mahony who will be retiring in the Summer.

Pat is already well-known to members. He has a long and distinguished history of service to IPPN, having served as President as well as being a long-serving member of the Board. He is currently Treasurer and is hugely involved in policy development and infrastructure.

Pat is a proud Wexford man and is currently principal of Coolcotts N.S. in Wexford Town, a DEIS Band 1 school. He has served as cochair of the National Consultative Forum for Special Education as well as on the NEWB School Implementation Group and DEIS Advisory Group.

We wish him well in his new role, which is on a three-year contract, and look forward to seeing him take up this new position on 1st September.

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“No blame policy and poor record-keeping when dealing with bullying behaviour is unacceptable” R. COLLINS V ABBEY CHRISTIAN BROTHERS SCHOOL The County Court Division of Armagh & South Down 201

DAVID RUDDY BL

PUPIL’S ALLEGATION A post primary pupil, R. Collins, gave evidence that he started school in September 2005 and that he enjoyed it for the first year. From the start of the second year in September 2006 he recounted his worsening relationship with another pupil and daily incidents of bullying. He claimed that another boy in his class had

similar experiences and had to leave the school. Eventually, he told his parents. His father accompanied him on an unsuccessful visit to the home of the alleged bully to resolve the situation. There was an altercation between Mr Collins and the father of the alleged bully which led to police intervention. Months later a court case ensued in which Mr Collins was acquitted of criminal charges. Mr. and Mrs. Collins raised concerns with the school regarding the bullying of their son. R. recounted a number of incidents of alleged bullying. An incident in February 2009 occurred whereby his school bag was found in a toilet. After this incident, he left the

PRINCIPAL OF TALBOT SNS

The school had a very difficult situation to manage. This was partly due to entrenched parental attitudes. The fact remains that R. was bullied over a period of time. The monitoring process conducted by teachers was poorly recorded.

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LEGAL DIARY LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

school. After investigation, it appears that a number of boys were involved in the incident.

SCHOOL’S RESPONSE The Deputy Principal of the school stated in evidence that his first concern was to stop the bullying behaviour rather than impose sanctions on students. He could not sanction where recounts of events were not accepted by both parties. He was keen to defend the ‘no blame’ policy of the school. He was 100% certain that R. was not bullied for the two years in the school as claimed.

From February 2008, another teacher was involved in discussions with R. nearly every day after school until the end of May 2008.

EXPERT EVIDENCE Psychologist Dr Katrina Collins gave expert evidence to the Court. Dr Collins was of the view that bullying takes various forms. She stated that no school can prevent every incident. She referred in detail to the bullying policy of the school. She considered that this policy was derivative of a ‘no blame’ policy. She was of the view that this was outdated. Her criticism of the school was that the reaction to the situation involving R. Collins was more of an investigation rather than a restorative process.

JUDGEMENT The school had a very difficult situation to manage. This was partly due to entrenched parental attitudes.

The fact remains that R. was bullied over a period of time. The monitoring process conducted by teachers was poorly recorded. The balance between the rights of the victim and the rights of the alleged bullies was often struck in favour of the benefit of the latter at the expense of the former.

The judge commented on the diary of Mrs Collins, R.’s mother. The school accepted the accuracy of this record but more important was the comparison between the quality of her records and that of the records kept by teachers. It was clearly the school’s responsibility to keep an accurate record, not only of the complaints but also of the responses. They were only able to say there were regular meetings about the matter but they were unable to produce any detailed records of these meetings. He concluded that the efforts of the teachers lacked a certain amount of structure.

A lot of evidence was given to the court about a ‘no blame’ policy. It was considered that the proper test of the policy was whether or not it was

In these types of cases the most difficult exercise which the school has to complete is to balance the rights of the bully and the victim. Both have rights. The victim has the right to protection from such behaviour and the alleged bully has the right to defend him or herself against unproven allegations. effective. The purpose of an antibullying policy is to prevent bullying and if the implementation of the policy is clearly not working effectively, then the policy should be reviewed.

the monitoring by teachers, R. eventually had to leave the school. The psychiatric damage was of a relatively moderate nature and the sum of £10,000 was awarded.

The transfer of R. from his class to another was an effective solution but this should have been done much earlier. It was evident that the policy was implemented but the school’s intervention did not work. The incident which led to R. leaving school was clear evidence that the policy did not succeed. It is significant that no evidence was given in court by the teachers of any sanction being applied to pupils as a result of this incident.

The incident was a traumatic one which could only have occurred when a group of pupils agreed on a collective act of gross bullying.

OBSERVATION DES Circular 45/2013, which deals with schools’ anti-bullying policies, emphasises the importance of records to include actions taken. We need to be proactive when dealing with allegations of bullying behaviour. The Anti-Bullying policy should be part of an overall Code of Behaviour. When restorative practice and the ‘no blame’ approach falters, we should not hesitate to use sanctions to deal with the bullying behaviour.

In these types of cases the most difficult exercise which the school has to complete is to balance the rights of the bully and the victim. Both have rights. The victim has the right to protection from such behaviour and the alleged bully has the right to defend him or herself against unproven allegations.

The evidence of the daily taunts directed at R. Collins from other pupils in the school was not challenged. R. was deliberately targeted by persistent bullying. It is clear that, over a period of time, R. was isolated from his peers and felt under very severe pressure because of the behaviour of his fellow pupils. The school conducted active investigations and monitoring. However, the school did not take the necessary steps quickly enough. As a result, R. Collins was subjected to bullying which could have been prevented.

R. Collins had good mental and physical health prior to the incidents.

He has since developed a phobic anxiety disorder. There is no doubt that he has suffered a psychiatric injury which was caused by the bullying at the school.

These particular events overwhelmed the Principal and his staff and, despite 5

PRINCIPAL ADVICE

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

ANGELA LYNCH

DILEMMAS VS PROBLEMS

PRINCIPAL ADVICE MANAGER

As principals, we encounter both dilemmas and problems on a constant basis but are they one and the same thing? Usually a problem can be solved with a single discrete solution. The heating in the school fails. We investigate and discover that the oil has run out. We have a problem, but immediately go on to solve the resulting difficulties that it has caused and hopefully put measures in place to ensure that it will not happen again.

Problem solved, no great damage done. I know you will all be able to list a plethora of problems that you have resolved.

Most dilemmas require that the principal makes a series of decisions geared towards seeking a resolution.

Dilemmas, on the other hand, do not present a clear solution and, in most cases, cannot be solved, but have to be managed over time towards a resolution. Dilemmas involve emotions, yours and the emotions of all those involved. This is what makes them difficult. Most dilemmas require that the principal (who is managing the situation) makes a series of decisions geared towards seeking a resolution.

Dilemmas are usually the interpersonal conflicts that inevitably arise within the school, the ones that take time and effort, draining us and leaving us feeling as if we have been through a heavy-weight boxing final.

I would like you to consider the following when making decisions around dilemmas: 6

1. Recognise that in all interpersonal conflicts, the emotions for all involved, including yourself, will be high, resulting in the thinking part of our brains being out of balance.

Observe it in yourself as well as in others.

2. Take time to think it through.

This seems obvious, but good decision-making will only come when emotions are in balance with our rational minds. The following may help: I Ask yourself ‘What is the nub of this situation’?

I Define the risks and the conflicts I Who are the main parties? Who does this impact most?

I Are there any relevant policies in place which may impact on your decision?

I What possible courses of action can I take?

I What are the consequences for a positive outcome if I make a particular decision? What are the negative impacts if I do not make a decision here?

I Having thought through these questions, what action(s) are the least desirable/favourable?

Eliminate them and ask yourself ‘why you are doing this?’

3. Not every decision you make will have the desired outcome. You will have to decide who is the most important person/party in this situation. Not everybody will gain equally. You may need to justify why you are prioritising one party over another.

4. Make your decision. You come to a decision about what you need to do in the short and long term. It may be damage limitation. In the short term you do not usually resolve a situation and long-term

actions will be needed. These need to be planned.

5. You may get it wrong. During the course of our lives we make more mistakes than get things right.

Acknowledge your mistakes and make changes in order to fix these mistakes. The important thing here is that we learn from them.

6. Stop beating yourself up! If a mistake has been made, how long are you going to berate yourself about it? All this does is to stop you from making decision in the future.

7. Commit and follow through. Be consistent in following up on actions decided to make something happen. Take the time and effort for follow-through to ensure your goal is reached.

8. Build resilience in yourself. With each decision made, you build trust, credibility and selfconfidence. This is the resilience you need to cope with the demands of the role.

9. Trust yourself. Trust that you will make decisions based on the best advice available to you, having considered all elements of the situation and in good faith. Face your actions with a positive mentality. Go for it!

“You will never be brave if you don’t get hurt.

You will never learn if you don’t make mistakes.

You will never be successful if you don’t encounter failure.”

Author unknown Remember that the Principal Advice Panel is only a phone call away.

Seven Values of HIGHLY EFFECTIVE Principals At its foundation, the leadership that we undertake as Principals is about a collection of values which are applied consistently and consciously to the everyday cut and thrust of our role.

DAVID J C MCKENZIE PRINCIPAL OF EDENDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL – SOUTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Values are always at play as part of our character, influencing our thinking, and shaping our actions.

Values are most commonly demonstrated in and through relationships. A school is a complex and diverse collection of relationships including our staff, the pupils, our parent communities, Board members, supporting businesses, wider community groups, and education agencies. It could easily be argued that for a principal every value is important. A lack of just one could be our undoing. However, I do believe that there are a special cluster of seven high stakes values that when aligned with the leadership role of a Principal increase our effectiveness and influence. These seven values are…

RESILIENCE We juggle diverse expectations and

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conflicting opinions and have only finite financial resources and personnel at our disposal to solve some difficult decisions. It can be draining physically and emotionally.

We need resilience. It is needed to get back up after the knock downs, to face up when we know there is opposition, to move forward when others want to stay anchored to past structures and beliefs. Resilience helps us to keep going and going and going when we would otherwise stop.

It is a deep inner strength that overcomes in the face of adversity.

SELF CONTROL It is my belief that we overlook the value of self-control at our peril as leaders. Robert E Lee in the 19th century once stated, “I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.” I believe this applies equally to us as the men and women

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who lead and exert influence over our schools here in the 21st Century. Some of the situations that we face can be very emotionally straining. Our levels of tolerance can be pushed to their extremes. It is in these moments when a good dose of self-control is crucial to help us not to react emotionally or unintelligently. A negative reaction could compromise our professionalism and credibility with our staff and community. Comments once out of our mouths are hard to retract.

Statements once made in writing through e-mails, blogs or on social media can turn around and bite us.

Having the self-control to hold our voice gives us the high ground. Selfcontrol means we remain silent when emotionally we may want to vindicate, justify and defend our course of action. Self-control also means that we stay professional when we want to let our humanness overwhelm our response. Easily said but harder to put into practise.

INTEGRITY As leaders of our nation’s schools, a huge amount of financial and physical resources pass through our hands. We are also privy to a considerable amount of information that we need to report to various internal and external people or agencies including our Boards, the children’s parents, auditors, the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office.

When dealing with all this we must do it with integrity. Implicit in integrity is honesty and truthfulness. A lack of integrity is when we knowingly, consciously misrepresent something in order to save face or obtain some perceived gain. A lack of integrity ultimately erodes trust, damages our credibility and can undo a career. We as Principals face a plethora of situations. Even after years of experience new incidents occur. It is not always entirely clear what should be said, written or done. There are times where it truly is a judgement call. Integrity does not mean we don’t make mistakes. These will happen regularly. Integrity simply means the mistakes that we do make are honest mistakes. They are mistakes from a genuine lack of experience or knowledge. Integrity means those mistakes are soon put right and we move forward back onto firm ground.

RESPECT This is summed up by the adage “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Respect is very much about acknowledging the inherent humanness in everyone. Respect, when shown in actions, is very honouring. Respect is easy to show to people who we admire for their

talents, appreciate for their personality and esteem for their accomplishments. The first challenge with respect is to give it to people that we actually don’t like, disagree with, or can’t gel with. A second and greater challenge with respect is to give it to someone who has shown to us the complete opposite and has been openly impolite, actively unkind or overtly offensive. In these situations we have to ‘turn the other cheek’ and give back to them what they have not given to us – politeness, kindness and encourage-ment. They say respect is earned. I believe one of the ways that it is earned is by showing it to everyone irrespective of who they are.

HUMILITY One of our core functions as Principals is to equip and empower our staff to be the best they can be.

Who does this better, an arrogant leader or a humble leader? A humble leader will act strongly in their strengths but, will openly acknowledge their weaknesses and get people around them to support them. Humility is knowing our good points, and knowing our weak points.

A humble leader will acknowledge the contributions of others, will allow other leaders in their school to grow and develop; will encourage each staff member to grow in their gifts and talents; will not feel threatened by the accolades and accomplish-ments of others around them and will support a staff member when they make a mistake so that they grow and learn from it. Arrogant leaders will want to draw the praise to themselves. They won’t acknowl-edge others’ strengths.

Arrogant leaders are driven by their own egos at the expense of everyone else. Staff find it hard to grow and blossom in the shadow and darkness of an arrogant leader. Humility in leadership is a binding cohesion for a talented team.

March 2015

dropping the mental lists of hurts; the gift of forgiveness. If we as principals cannot forgive, the stress of the job will consume and erode us. We are not exempt from the damage this causes us on the inside. We can become cynical, bitter, critical, impatient, intolerant, snappy and judgemental. Grace enables us to break free of all this to be the Principals that we need to be. Of all the seven values I would rate grace as a mega-value. It is that important.

These are, I believe, the high stakes values that are at the heart of a highly effective Principal. They are like a personal vision to aspire to. I can guarantee that when these seven are exercised in unison, on a daily basis, over time, through and in the situations that we face, they will give us credibility, professionalism and sustainable longevity in the very important role that we undertake as school leaders.

This is an abridged version of an article David wrote for ‘NZ Principal’ in June 2014. Published with the kind permission of both David and the Editor of NZ Principal, Liz Hawes. The full article is available on www.nzpf.ac.nz.

REFLECTION Reflection requires a leader to look at how something went and then wring out of it the good, the bad and even the ugly. A reflective leader will go into the darkness of mistakes, problems and disputes in order to learn, and learn, and learn. A reflective leader knows they don’t know it all. A reflective leader is a listener; an observer; a reader; a thinker; a change agent for improvements. Our schools need us as Principals to be constantly reflecting so that each year our schools grow and progress.

GRACE This final value is a very deep value; possibly one of the deepest of the seven. Grace is that second chance; 9

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“Is líonra é IPPN, agus níl áit ar bith is fearr ná an tionol seo chun líonraíocht a fhorbairt is a chothu.”

BRENDAN MCCABE IPPN PRESIDENT SOCIAL INEQUALITY The success or failure of that education system cannot be measured by looking solely at the outcomes for the children of middle Ireland. We must also look to the margins and see how those children fare. The mark of any civilized society is the extent to which it looks after its weakest members. One of the unpalatable features of most developed countries is social inequality, the growing gap between those who have and those who don’t. Ireland is no exception, as the recent UNICEF report confirms that child poverty rates in Ireland rose by 10% between 2008 and 2012.

The ESRI, in a recent study, points to the importance of the role of early educational success on the long-term educational outcomes of children.

Educational aspirations are formed early and remain stable thereafter. A second free Early Childhood Care and Education year would be a wonderful investment in our children’s future. It would allow our children to enter primary school on a much more level playing pitch. It’s maximum impact for minimum investment.

ESRI research also confirms that parents are the greatest single influence upon their children’s development. Perhaps we don’t often utilise to best effect the positive influence of parents as motivators in their children’s education.

After all, we all have the same thing in common – wanting children to receive maximum benefit from their education.

We need to offer guidance as to how parents can work with us in a way where we can combine the best of both the

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school and home learning environment and experience. With real meaningful parental supports in place, inequality can be lessened, and surely that is an aspiration worth pursuing.

TEACHING PRINCIPALS Principals of small schools are attempting to do a job that has simply become undoable. You are NOT a teaching principal. You are a Principal AND a full-time Teacher. It is completely impossible to do both to the consistently high standards we as principals strive to achieve. You can do both roles separately but, for that to happen, you need one full day a week release time. This is number one priority for IPPN. STEP-DOWN Almost a third of principals tell us they are considering stepping back from principalship or taking early retirement.

Some principals feel they have given all they can to their schools and wish to move back full-time into the classroom.

Unfortunately there is no dignified or fair means by which this can be done - a principal who steps back into the classroom becomes the most junior teacher in the school. The Minister for Education is aware of this anomaly, and hopefully she will put this nonsensical situation right without delay.

IN-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT The collapse of in-school management is of major concern to all schools. With the ongoing moratorium on the filling of middle management posts in schools introduced in 2009, the number of these posts has been hugely reduced. Existing post-holders have retired and have not

been replaced. It is every Principal’s desire to lead and manage their schools in the best way possible. They want to be instructional leaders. They want to introduce new initiatives and learning programmes. They are happy to embrace the best of what is new in modern learning. But… they cannot do it on their own.

Even senior DES officials in their briefing of the new Minister last August warned that the moratorium “has had a significant impact” on the leadership of many schools. “The current position is unsustainable,” they said. When the moratorium is lifted, it will provide an opportunity to review In-school Management, its function and its alignment to the needs of the school at any given time. In-school Management supports for Principals must be outside of class teaching time and matched to the right person. The new iteration might see posts assigned for a limited period of time and reviewed annually. In other words the posts must serve the needs of the school. I call upon the DES to ensure that the voice of principals is heard in any discussions which will take place as to how promoted posts may be re-constituted. “None of us is as smart as all of us.” We want those posts back, but we need them to be meaningful.

The above are excerpts from Brendan’s keynote address at Conference 2015. He also spoke about speech & language therapy, the new SEN allocation model and school broadband. The full speech text is available to view from www.ippn.ie – Events – Principals’ Conference - Principals’ Conference 2015 – Keynotes.

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Pedlars of

HOPE

DAMIAN WHITE PPRINCIPAL OF SCOIL SCHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY AND IPPN BOARD MEMBER

At Winter’s End, near the entrance to Spring We find ourselves at this same old thing.

Congregating with Daring to Lead in mind, Temporarily leaving troubles behind.

This winter abates with a seasonal blow As Saggart chills ‘neath a blanket of snow.

President Brendan said it pretty damn bleak If the Department wouldn’t give one day per week To Teaching Principals to administer their schools And anything else just isn’t cool.

Yes, such release for these principal teachers Will make them happier, healthier creatures.

And Seán was inspiring, talking up the profession Urging us to act in good faith, with compassion.

Je suis Charlie, he called, to raucous acclaim Which would have pleased CJ, of Charvet fame.

Limerick, you’re a lady sang Minister Jan Joined at Top Table by many ’s the man A pleasant first visit for a Minister new Some decisions needed soon on the school issues queue.

A powerful discussion on mental health and depression An awareness-raising and enlightening session.

The Great Exhibition of all sorts of school trade From new prefab buildings to a small learning aid.

Photographers, printers, equipment for sound; Financial advisors are always around.

Floor covering fabrics, tour venues and charts; Book covering, music and stuff for the Arts.

A wellness centre for yoga and rubs While others sought wellness in well-stocked pubs.

From tomorrow morning, find a small quiet space Close your eyes and slow down life’s pace As pedlars of hope we are daring to lead.

To the words of Phil Riley and Rob Evans, take heed.

Mindfulness matters when it comes to your cheer Look after yourself and we’ll see you next year.

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November 2014

FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT leading children into positive mental health FERGUS FINLAY You can’t talk about mental health honestly without exploring darkness.

On average, every third school in Ireland has had a child who is selfharming. One in every 30 schools has suffered a suicide among its students.

And there is an even more widespread statistic that is intrinsically linked to the mental health of young people. One in every four of our children reports having been bullied in the recent past.

And that number goes up significantly if the child is a traveller, if the child has immigrant parents, or if the child has a disability or chronic illness. In other words, children who are different in any way are bullied more.

My colleague in Barnardos, John Wills, goes to schools on a daily basis to talk to students, parents and teachers about bullying, and particularly about cyber-bullying. John has spent days in hundreds of schools, and met thousands of children. He says he has never been in a school where there isn’t bullying, and he has seldom been in a school where parents and teachers are fully aware of the extent of it.

Keynote speaker Dr Rob Evans 12

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BARNARDOS

There are huge public policy issues behind all this. Services for children, especially those in their mid-teens, are woefully inadequate. The supports available to have traditionally been under-resourced, too. Mental health has always been the cinderella of the health service.

But the problem is compounded by secrecy, stigma and shame. Most children who are suffering from bullying, for instance, believe that if they tell someone it might make things worse. Cyber-bullying is especially pernicious. It can happen when you’re alone in your bedroom at night, and it can easily come to seem as if the whole world hates you.

That’s why talking about it is so important. Conor Cusack has spoken openly about his own depression. At the conference, he talked passionately and eloquently about the need for openness and honesty. He was critical of government policy, pointing out that we spend about 6.5% of the health budget on mental health —about half the investment of other European

Conference facilitator Olivia O’Leary

countries. He said that the emotional well-being of students was far more important than their academic achievements. Referring to the theme ‘darkness into light’, he challenged all school principals to be lanterns for their students. “We need brave and courageous principals and teachers,” he said, “who are willing to stand up and say our students come first, they are not a product. I reckon we all need a bit more courage. Particularly where cyber-bullying is concerned, a lot of us cop out. If there is a risk that our children can be put in harm’s way by accessing social media, we have a duty to understand what’s going on as well as we can.

Above all, we’ve got to talk. If we’re capable of suffering physical pain, we’re capable of suffering mental or emotional pain. We look for help with a headache or an injury that bleeds — why are we so reluctant to admit it when our heart is bleeding?

Excerpts from Fergus’s keynote input at IPPN Conference 2015 on Friday 30th January.

Seminar facilitator Robbie O’Leary

IPPN Annual Principals’

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CONFERENCE

2015

November 2014

THE RIGHT REVEREND

DR PAUL COLTON, BISHOP OF CORK When it comes to schools, teachers, principals, the education system in general, every single one of us has been well and truly marinated in the experiences, memories, and insights of our own schooling and, if we have children, of their journey too. In Cork Grammar Junior School, at the age of 8, was my first encounter with diversity: children who didn’t have Irish accents, whose families had recently arrived in Cork; two Jewish girls further up the school; a blind teacher who took us for English; and our own teacher who was a returned missionary. These were the days of reading, writing, and dictation. The teacher wrote what she knew on the board, and we copied it down. That was all there was to know. The teacher had the information and her role was to give it to us. I realised that questions were good, that teachers, or anyone else for that matter, do not know everything, that there is nothing wrong with saying ‘I don’t know’. I learnt to be wary of people who never say ‘I don’t know’. Education today is a world away.

leadership of women, to children, and to discipline, for example.

you treat them as such. That is daring to lead.

The percentage of the majority religious grouping - Roman Catholics has dropped from 95% in 1961 to 84% in 2011. A different aspect of diversity that you engage with professionally is the many new forms that the ‘family’ takes in Ireland. As well as such families of mother, father and children, within your school communities you are already including, caring for, and educating children from an increasingly diverse range of family backgrounds: single parents; children where one parent has died; single parents with new partners; married parents who for work reasons spend substantial periods of time apart; the child of a lesbian or gay parent, whether genetic or adopted; children being parented by two adults of the same gender; children living with one parent and not another; children living with grandparents, or a guardian or a foster parent … and all of these perceive themselves to be family, and

The question is: if we have change and diversity on an unprecedented scale in our society – in terms of nationality, cultural identity, language, religious affiliation, non-belief, and in social structures such as our sense and organisation of family life, how are schools, how are you as principals to respond? Obviously you have to dare to lead. Your daring to lead places an onus on you of engagement with the diversity in your school communities and more widely. Schools are one window onto the changes in our society.

You as principals, with your colleagues, have a unique vantage point on, and role in, all of this and I encourage you to continue to dare to lead.

Bishop Colton also spoke about accommodating religious diversity, the teaching of Religion; the need for a national debate; the role of principals.

The full speech text is available on http://www.ippn.ie.

For the last 25 years I have been actively involved in education management. I am hugely conscious of the giftedness, the achievements, and the commitment in this room. I see it in the principals in my own Diocese. I know the demands that are placed upon you. As an organisation, you in IPPN, are always ‘Daring to Lead.’

Much of what you have done and do goes unheralded. Your job as individual principals is multi-faceted, and you are required to have insights and abilities that push you well beyond the parameters of your initial teacher training. You are to be admired for it and society is hugely indebted to you.

The new diversity in Ireland is a wonderful and exciting thing. Ireland is much the better, in my view, for this fresh, rich tapestry of outlooks and experiences. With diversity comes change. I’ve no doubt that you are encountering changed attitudes to parenting, to authority, among some new arrivals to the authority and

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IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

2015

November 2014

Principals and Deputy Principals’ HEALTH & WELLBEING

DR. PHILIP RILEY

When we looked at the hours spent at work we see that approximately 54.4% of you work upwards of 41 hours a week during term with just over 18% working upwards of 56 hours per week and nearly 10% working more than 60 hours on average. That is 10 hours a day, 6 days a week! During school holidays, 22.6% work upwards of 25 hours per week. So it seems there is an issue about rest and recuperation. Not taking appropriate time off is a recipe for poor health.

The sheer volume of work causing the long hours is the greatest stressor. The second highest stressor is the lack of time to focus on teaching and learning.

Student issues and statutory obligations run close behind. ‘Administrivia’ is consuming too much of your time. And this is disproportionally affecting teaching principals and deputies, who have less discretionary time to get the work done. This a structural problem in the system that needs addressing. Not to put too fine a point on this, we know from 40 years of workplace research this kind of strain predicts increased coronary heart disease.

One of the resources that can reduce health risks associated with high-strain work is professional support. Once again, teaching principals report less support than their administrative colleagues. You also told us how you feel

about the support coming from your employers - on a scale of 1 to 10 it does not even register 1. It is clear that everyone is supported at home, but that is not enough. The level of professional support is a stronger indicator of health.

Once again the employer does not come out well - many principals tell us they get more support from their doctors!

Irish principals and deputy principals score on average well above the population on all the negative elements (burnout, sleeping troubles, somatic and cognitive stress) and below the average on positive measures (self-rated health, mental health, coping, relationships and self worth). This is despite the fact that everyone is getting very good support at home, you are relatively well paid, well educated, in secure jobs... You have all the attributes of people who should be scoring well above average on these measures but you are collectively below the average. This means it is very likely to be the demands of the job that are causing this… but we only have one year’s data and we need higher numbers of you to participate if these suspicions are to be confirmed.

So what can be done immediately to help deal with the stress of the job?

enemy. It suppresses the immune system, decreases bone formation, is correlated with diabetes, memory difficulties, heart disease, and increased chance of miscarriage. Too much of it and you are not able to sleep properly, to recover and replenish your system.

Cortisol levels naturally cycle up and down during the day but need to be low enough at the end of the day for you to sleep well. So the thing to do is not let it get too high during the day. One way of doing this is through mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is really as simple as being fully present and aware of what is going on around you right now. Even a busy principal can spare a few 1-minute blocks of time during the day to look after themselves. We build up ways of operating in the world that become habit and we become ‘mindless’.

Mindfulness is the opposite of that - it is a concentrated form of rest and recovery… the opposite of the fight/flight response. Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.

The full report is now available to download from from www.ippn.ie. The 2015 Irish Principals and Deputy Principals’ Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey is now open for new participants.

Stress causes increases in cortisol production in your body. Cortisol is your

Minister O’Sullivan Speech Highlights I acknowledge the role that I and my Government colleagues will have to play in enhancing the primary sector.

I welcome the attention your Conference is giving to mental-health and well-being, amongst both students and staff in our primary schools.

I am pleased to announce that a new Centre of School Leadership will shortly be created. This Centre is being established in partnership with the IPPN and NAPD. We also need to think about how we support serving principals who experience professional difficulty or challenging situations.

For the first time in the history of the state, we are developing a coherent information system – centred on every learner in the Irish education 14

system. This will provide us with the up to date information that we need to make good decisions, as well as eliminating the frustrating process for schools of providing the same data many times to different areas of the Department and agencies.

Early intervention is often the key to improving educational outcomes. In years to come, we need to have the ability to look back at and evaluate the impact of initiatives such as school completion programmes or DEIS. We will also be able to see how different cohorts of children, from different backgrounds, have progressed through their educational lives.

I want to acknowledge the incredible work that has been done to deliver these reforms. School leaders, teachers, teacher educators and parents have all worked together. By doing so, we have collectively delivered real and measurable improvements to the education of our children.

The full speech text is available on www.ippn.ie.

IPPN Annual Principals’

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CONFERENCE

2015

November 2014

Highlights from CONFERENCE 2015 Catríona O’Reilly at the newly-appointed principals seminar

Three Boston Gentlemen

‘Enough is en ough, Angel - Angela Lync a!’ h & John W illiams

David Ruddy, our legal eagle, at the ‘Avoiding litigation’ seminar

ce g at conferen Healthy eatin

Alan Shortt (as Michael Noonan) brings light relief

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SPONSORED BY IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

2015

IPPN would like to thank the 131 companies that exhibited at Education Expo this year. The support of exhibiting companies helps IPPN to deliver our annual conference - please consider these companies when making purchases for your school over the coming year.

An interactive version of the Education Expo Guide is available in the conference archive on ippn.ie or can be accessed by scanning the icon on the right.

Finally, we would like to thank the many principals who have referred companies onto the National Support Office and who go on to exhibit at our Education Expo.

completed

Ciarán Whelan, Allianz presents Martin Morris, Croí Rí Naofa JNS with a prize of an All-Ireland Final weekend in Dublin.

We would like to thank the following companies for contributing prizes for the Passport Giveaway:

Communication Technology Limited

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Passport prize winners (Left to Right) Una Feeley, Scoil Mhuire, Roscommon, winner of the Moneysave prize, John McGann, Scoil Mhuire, Glenties, Donegal winner of the Forbo Flooring prize and Louise Cunningham, Scoil Aonghusa Junior, Tallaght, Dublin, winner of the Folens prize.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

WSE LESSONS FROM SUN TZU

PAUL O’DONNELL PRINCIPAL OF ST PATRICK’S NS, SLANE, CO. MEATH Three identical envelopes with a harp.

Whole School Evaluation. What other words are needed? Despite blind panic, a galloping pulse and an impending dose of the trots, a glimmer of hope appears. Could an ancient military book ‘The Art of War’

by Sun Tzu, save our bacon? ‘All war is based on deception’ states the philosopher. I grab a mug of coffee and a pen.

We hadn’t seen an inspector for an age and thought our cigire was a phantom made-up Irish name. But our phantom now speaks of preevaluation meetings, planning notes and four subjects. She is courteous and accommodating.

We are obviously still in Sun’s area of ‘accessible grounds which can be freely traversed by both sides’. So far, so good.

We hadn’t seen an inspector for an age and thought our cigire was a phantom made-up Irish name.

But our phantom now speaks of preevaluation meetings, planning notes and four subjects. ‘We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbours’ warns Sun. To hell with that! Finding recent bedevilled schools with completed WSE preevaluation forms and updated policies becomes a top priority. I race through my list of contacts. All are obliging, most informative and a few are worth their weight in gold, frankincense and, soon-to-be-closelyscrutinised SSE documents.

‘Regard your soldiers as your family and they will follow you into the deepest valleys’ advises the general.

The staff members are restless. Most have changed classes recently. They worry about lesson plans, cuntaisĂ­, SEN, and timetables. We have the most productive Croke Park hour since Manus Boyle scored nine points for Donegal in the 1992 All Ireland football final. The deputy principal mulls over Sun’s assertion that ‘strategy without tactics is the slowest route to success’. We reassure everyone collectively and some on a one-to-one basis. When everyone goes home, I ring the Samaritans.

D-Day arrives. There is a distinct waft of heated laminating sheets and sleeping bags are to be found stuffed in the corner of classrooms. On the upside however, the school looks like an art gallery. Despite stains of corn flakes, Danish pastries and red bull, I can just about make out ‘when the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, they are relying on the natural strength of their position’. A scream comes from deep inside the bowels of the school. ‘I can see the two of them in the car park!!’ There is an eerie feeling around the school two days into the week. A paper mountain appears. I hear chainsaws in a far away rainforest and the chuckle of our photocopying supplier. Teachers prep themselves and deliver their Oscar-winning performances. Sun advises me that ‘there is no instance of a country having benefitted from prolonged warfare’. It feels like an eternity half way in.

The verbal report is very favourable towards the school. There are some points of clarification and recommendations which we are happy to take on board. The inspectors have been conscientious, fair and professional throughout. Sun tells us to ‘build our opponent a golden bridge to retreat across’,

which we metaphorically do via the exit in the school car park.

The open-ended nature of the inspection leaves us with the feeling that we have just been burgled. I slump into my chair, flick through the post and freeze as I spot a brown envelope with a harp in the corner. It’s the September census returns. False alarm.

Ashen-faced and exhausted, we muster enough adrenaline for a good night out. ‘In the aftermath of war, be still, rest and drink fine wine’ is not a quote attributed to Sun Tzu but it bloody well should be.

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Monitoring and Reporting Annual Energy Use The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has developed a central system to collect energy data which will help public bodies and schools track and improve energy savings.

Schools must complete reports by 29th May 2015 For further support and details on how to report visit

www.seai.ie/PublicSectorReporting

For more details on SEAI’s school programmes, including teaching resources for the primary curriculum, visit www.seai.ie

Structural Funds Programme co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.

REFLECTIONS LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Is the Principal a BEAST OF BURDEN? DAMIAN WHITE PRINCIPAL, SCOIL SHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY My first encounter with the outside world each morning is my face-to-face with the neighbours’ donkey. Before any smart ass suggests that encounter happens as I shave, let me clarify.

The field opposite my gate is not overstocked. Its sole occupant much of the time has his day shortened by exchanging glances with me as I pause briefly before joining the rat race when the road is clear. Neddy is owned by my neighbour, whose husband possibly slightly misunderstood her birthday request for ‘Something nice from the Sanctuary.’ Note to wives: sometimes you have to spell it out for us country fellas!

Neddy is 5th generation unemployed.

The car now has an engine and the tractor has horsepower, lots of it. Long the beast of burden, his generation have become surplus to the needs of the vast majority, to which the dwindling numbers testify. A life of some luxury with a loving family to look after him was something his predecessors could never aspire to. Walking down through the village on St. Patrick’s Day wearing a straw hat is as close as he comes to work.

promoted as part of Catholic Schools’ Week in our Diocese. I was reticent at first about the idea in the way we humans react to new ideas. However, it turned out to be the most wonderful day, borne out by the large number of cards, letters and calls of thanks subsequently. Quite a few of our visitors were still at school in 1973, and were parents when Minister John Boland banished the ‘bata’ in February 1982.

Their perspective was interesting, particularly when they shared it with pupils in their grandchildren’s classes. ‘I hope you’ve a big stick, teacher’ joked some, to the bemusement of teachers, with the exception of the DP and me, too young to remember the sting of bamboo on flesh as a means of persuasion.

‘Your job is very different now to teachers in our time’ a number of people confided over tea and cakes, happy to see on their grandchildren’s faces the happiness they never experienced at school. ‘Would you believe, my job description is the same as it was in 1973!’, I shared. They looked

I felt acutely aware of the changes that have come about in the meantime as Grandparents Day was recently celebrated in our school. at me in astonishment. They looked at the interactive boards, computers, photocopiers, rows of files and filing cabinets, reading schemes, projects and displays. I listed the people with whom we must now deal – psychologists; occupational, speech and play therapists; social workers; SENOs; inspectors; department officials; board members; and parents . I didn’t get to the moratorium on post holders, of which I have none, apart from the DP, in a school of almost 300 children.

One old man shook his head. ‘And they say your job is the same as the lad nearly 40 years ago. When you have an ass you might as well saddle him’. He laughed and walked away.

I’m not sure if Neddy knows I’m a Principal. It’s often dark as I return from work and the times vary. If he knows though, he might chuckle to himself at the irony of life. In 1973, when his great grandfather was beginning to find work harder to come by, the Department of Education defined, in their 16th circular of that year, the role of the Principal.

They have not done so since. Thirty eight years ago, a teacher could still beat a child (or a donkey for that matter) with a stick. Paperwork was mainly confined to the correction of copybooks and maintaining the register, roll and leabhar tinrimh. A teacher could be appointed as they alighted from a southern or western train in a midlands town by the local parish priest. A parent rarely crossed the school threshold.

I felt acutely aware of the changes that have come about in the meantime as Grandparents Day was recently celebrated in our school. It was 19

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:

JANUARY I

Consultation on the proposed new allocation model for resource teaching and learning support, DES Marlborough Street

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IPPN Annual Conference, Citywest Convention Centre.

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FEBRUARY I I I I I

Partnership Schools Meeting, NPC Presentation to B.Ed Students, Coláiste Mhuire, Marino SMEI - Society for Management in Education in Ireland Children’s Rights Alliance- Launch of Report Card 2015

MARCH I

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DEADLINES I I

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Register on www.education.ie to receive updates on July Provision 2nd March 2015 - SENO to be notified if schools are opening a special class in September 2015 18th March 2015 - LITH and SNA application forms to be submitted to SENO 27th March – Final date for inputting of pupil details on POD 31st March – SNA to be informed of BoM decision re their job-sharing application 1st April - SNA to be informed of BoM decision re their career break application 10th April - BoM Approved teacher Job-Share applications submitted to DES 24th April – Applications to be submitted to Bus Éireann for school transport 1st May G BoM approved teacher Career Break/Extension to Career Break applications to be submitted to DES G BoM approved SNA job-sharing applications to be submitted to DES Non Teaching Payroll Section G BoM approved SNA career break applications to be submitted to DES.

DES GRANTS I I

March – Payment of Ancillary Services Grant April – Payment of Standardised Testing Grant

EASTER BREAK I

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27th March – Final day of school term for Easter Break, unless a school is making up time lost due

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to emergency closure. In this instance, a school’s final day of term may be Wednesday 1st April 13th April – All schools will re-open

Centre for School Leadership steering group meeting, DES Marlborough Street An Forás Pátrúnachta Conference, Red Cow Hotel.

NAPD Symposium ‘A curriculum to inspire with resources to support it and the leadership to implement it’ INTO Consultative Conference on Special Education CPSMA Conference Dinner.

EVENTS I

Teacher Absence Resource Bundle available on ippn.ie

NOTABLE CIRCULARS WINTER READINESS I

A dedicated website www.winterready.ie - is provided by the office of Emergency Planning and has a dedicated section for schools. It provides a pre-event evaluation step-by-step guide of what should be or could be put in place to facilitate the opening of a school during severe weather. See E-scéal 407 for more information.

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0005/2015 - Staffing arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2015/16 school year 0009/2015 - Payment of Travel Expenses to GAM/EAL (Learning / Language Support) and Resource Teachers in Recognised Primary Schools.

Note: All circulars are available on ippn.ie under Resources/DES Circulars.

E-scéals are also archived on the website under Supports – E-scéals.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

March 2015

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.hallahan@ippn.ie.

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The following are the new resources available in the different sections of the website:

with ASDs in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Resource Teachers 0001/2015 - Combined PostGraduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers involved in Learning Support and Special Education – 2015/2016

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SUPPORTS RESOURCES STAFF MANAGEMENT Priorities for Principal Teachers I Priorities for Principal Teachers Workbook BOARD OF MANAGEMENT DES Guidance - Schools & Severe Weather

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SCHOOL POLICIES Child Protection I Record of school visit from Social Work Department (Tusla) PLANNING PROMPTS Weekly Planning Prompts

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DES CIRCULARS 2015 I 0015/2015 - Revised Payment Mechanism for Casual and NonCasual Teachers - Cessation of ‘Rolled-up Holiday Pay’ I 0014/2015 - Extension to the ‘Grace Period’ for Superannuation Teachers I 0013/2015 - Extension to the ‘Grace Period’ for Superannuation - SNAs I 0012/2015 - Extension to ‘Grace Period’ for Superannuation - Clerical Officers and Caretakers employed under 1978/79 Scheme I 0009/2015 - Payment of Travel Expenses to GAM/EAL (Learning / Language Support) and Resource Teachers I 0008/2015 - Teacher Fee Refund Scheme 2014 I 0006/2015 - Parental Leave Entitlements for Clerical Officers and Caretakers employed in National Schools under the 1978/79 Scheme I 0005/2015 - Staffing arrangements for the 2015/16 school year I 0003/2015 - Post-Graduate Certificate/Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers working with Students with SEN (Autistic Spectrum Disorders) I 0002/2015 - Graduate Certificate in the Education of Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) for teachers working with Students

Leadership+ I Leadership+ Issue 84 - January 2015

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ADVOCACY PRESS RELEASES 17th February I IPPN supports small boost for small school

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30th January I More PE time needed 29th January Children need more speech and language therapists I Health and Wellbeing Survey launched I Leadership Crisis in schools I Are Irish Parents Undervalued?

I New Proposed Resources for Special Needs Children will hurt schools I In School Management must be replaced in our schools I Is the Primary School Curriculum fit for purpose?

I Majority of Primary Schools still without Broadband I Two years of free pre-school would lessen social inequality I Children’s Learning affected I

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Pre-retirement Seminar - John O’Byrne Priorities for Principal Teachers managing our workload - Tom McGann & Páiric Clerkin ICTs in the primary school: Tutor, Tool and Tutee - Robbie O’Leary Gaeilge a chur chun cinn - maidir leis an bPlean Feabhsúcháin scoile Máire Nic an Ri, Bríd Ní Dhonnchadha Integration & Inclusion of Special Needs Children in mainstream schools – good policies & practices Pat Goff From Policy to Effective Practice in Your School – Implementation and the DES Anti-Bullying Procedures Seán Fallon Avoiding Litigation in Schools David Ruddy Looking After You First – How to Deal with Stress and Burnout - Dr Philip Riley The Personality Of Leadership - Pat Lyons

Education Expo 2015 Guide

25th November €28m Minor Works grant

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EVENTS PRINCIPALS’ CONFERENCE Principals’ Conference 2015 Keynotes I Brendan McCabe - IPPN President I Bishop Paul Colton I Dr Philip Riley I Minister Jan O’Sullivan I Seán Cottrell - IPPN CEO I Fergus Finlay Seminars Multi-grade teaching - Practical Tips for Teaching Principals - Caroline Madigan I Establishing and Managing Early Start/Autism Units in Mainstream Schools - Larry Fleming I New Religious Education Curriculum for Catholic Primary Schools - Elaine Mahon I

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