Leadership+ Issue 89 November 2015 by Irish Primary Principals’ Network

ISSUE 89 / NOVEMBER 2015

+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS

Time to

lead and

Manage

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Legal Diary

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David Ruddy examines a case from this year where an unsuccessful candidate failed in a challenge to appointment of a school Principal.

Homophobic Bullying

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Leadership Training

In order to be effective leaders in our schools, we must understand what leadership is.

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Time to Lead and Manage

The commitment by the Department to establish a dedicated Centre for School Leadership indicates an increased awareness at the highest level of the critical importance of school leadership.

The Centre for School Leadership

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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS

The new Centre for School Leadership (CSL) is a joint collaboration between IPPN, NAPD, and the DES.

Traveller Education

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+ Leadership

Martin Collins, Co-Director of Pavee Point on breaking educational disadvantage for Travellers.

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

Editor: Seán Cottrell Deputy Editor: Geraldine D’Arcy Assistant Editor: Maria Doyle Comments to: editor@ippn.ie Advertising: louise.obrien@ippn.ie ISSN: 1649-5888 Design: Brosna Press

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

Signposts ISSUE 89 / NOVEMBER 2015

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Primary school EXPERIENCES and child wellbeing DR EMER SMYTH RESEARCH PROFESSOR, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE The large-scale Growing Up in Ireland survey allows us to look at children’s well-being from their own point of view – their happiness, how they are getting on with schoolwork, whether they feel anxious, how popular they are, how they feel about their appearance and behaviour. A recently published report on Wellbeing and School Experiences among 9 and 13 Year Olds examines how individual, classroom and school factors shape children’s self-image. In this article, I focus on what we have learnt about the effects of the primary school setting on how children view themselves.

The nature of the school and classroom climate, especially the quality of relationships with teachers, emerges as a crucial inﬂuence on children’s self-image. SCHOOL SIZE The study finds that schools make a significant difference to child wellbeing. A third of 9 year olds are taught in multi-grade classes but there has been very little research on how children experience these settings. Girls in multi-grade classes report poorer behaviour, are less confident as learners, see themselves as less popular and are more negative about their physical appearance than those in single-grade settings. This seems to result from comparing themselves to their, often older, peers and making negative self-evaluations. New findings on school size reveal 2

that, contrary to popular discourse, child self-image is less positive in smaller schools compared with larger schools (those with more than 100200 students) across all aspects of self-image, except anxiety. This is related to the greater use of multigrade settings and more emphasis on teacher monitoring of behaviour in smaller schools. The fact that larger schools are in urban areas, where child self-image tends to be more positive, also plays a part. RELATIONSHIPS Social relationships with teachers and other children play a crucial role in influencing child wellbeing. More negative self-image is found among students who ‘never like’ their teacher and who have discipline problems. Negative relations with peers in the form of bullying are associated with poorer self-image across the board. In addition, girls who never see their friends outside school are less happy and see themselves as less popular.

Schools and classrooms can make a difference to children’s view of themselves. At the same time, even children in the same class group have different experiences of school and react to it in different ways. The findings point to the importance of supporting teachers through initial teacher education and continuous professional development in using approaches which engage students with different abilities and selfimages. The nature of the school and classroom climate, especially the quality of relationships with teachers, emerges as a crucial influence on children’s self-image. It is therefore vital that the creation of a positive climate be seen as a central component of school development planning as well as initial and continuous professional development for teachers. The influence of primary

school factors, including the child’s relationship with their teacher as well as their engagement with school and school subjects, persists over the transition to second-level education. SELF-IMAGE Sports participation fosters a positive self-image among children. The influence of sports involvement appears to relate to its role in fostering a sense of belonging and fulfilment. It is not strictly related to its physical benefits as we do not find the same relationship between physical exercise and child selfimage. This finding poses challenges for schools in a context where an average of one hour a week is devoted to physical education at primary level, schools vary in their access to sports facilities and in their provision of extra-curricular sport, and children differ in their access to team-based sports outside the school setting. Wellbeing and School Experiences among 9 and 13 Year Olds can be downloaded at www.esri.ie.

November 2015

Time to lead and

Manage

The commitment by the Department to establish a dedicated Centre for School Leadership is a very welcome development and indicates an increased awareness at the highest level of the critical importance of school leadership. However, the Department continues to disappoint principals in many other ways. There is growing awareness that the role of the Teaching Principal as it currently presents is unsustainable. IPPN had reached this conclusion many years ago, saying that the role had become undoable. And this was long before the moratorium on promoted posts, the removal of substitute cover to attend CPD events and reduced ancillary services grants, not to mention the myriad new initiatives introduced that have come along since, all of which work on the assumption that the principal is not a full-time class teacher. We welcome the increase in ‘administration days’ for Teaching Principals announced in Budget 2016. Every teaching principal knows the importance of non-teaching time during the school day to address the leadership aspect of the role. IPPN has lobbied consistently for one nonteaching day per week. Although the small increase provided in the Budget falls far short of one day per week, it is at least a step in the right direction. One non-teaching day per week continues to be top priority for IPPN and will continue to be the focus of our engagement with the DES. Teaching principals know best what their needs are. They have consistently stated that they need a minimum of one non-teaching day per week to fulfil their leadership and management role. To ensure adequate and consistent cover for Teaching Principals’ ‘administration days’, a national panel of qualified substitute teachers allocated to clusters of schools needs to be established. Allocating administration days based on the number of mainstream class

have a huge impact on principals’ ability to lead and manage the whole school community.

SEÁN COTTRELL AND MARIA DOYLE teachers is neither fair nor equitable and shows a serious lack of understanding of what it takes to lead a school community. Non-teaching days should instead be linked to pupil enrolment numbers, recognising the increasing volume of work associated with managing higher numbers of classroom teachers, support teachers, ancillary staff, SNAs and other nonteaching staff. Special schools’ particular needs must be recognised – we recommend that all special schools have an administrative principal, given the complexity of the environment they lead and manage.

The decline in In-School Management posts has also added extensively to the workload of principals, who have had little choice but to undertake the additional work themselves. IPPN has made the Department aware of our vision for a more effective form of middle management, which we described in Issue 88. There is an urgent need to address management and administrative capacity for all schools as well as weekly non-teaching time for teaching principals. Principals want to be the Príomhoide of the school. It’s time that the system allowed them to do so.

The needs of the ‘larger small schools’ must also be taken into account. They are defined as ‘small’ simply because they are led by a teaching principal. However, in reality they are quite complex organisations and may have 20 or more staff, up to 177 pupils and may also have a special class. Schools have organisational and administrative needs which are best served by a skilled administrator. It is beyond belief that we still have thousands of principals grappling with the minutiae of administration and systems when their focus needs to be on the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. School administration is vitally important but in many cases it is being done by the wrong person – the teaching principal. If adequate administrative support for all principals was in place, this would 33

“Unsuccessful candidate fails in challenge to appointment of school Principal” Teacher A - Applicant V A National School and Bishop McDaid (Patron) & Teacher B - Notice Party (High Court) McDermott J 2015 BACKGROUND

DAVID RUDDY BL PRINCIPAL OF TALBOT SNS

A High Court challenge was brought by the Applicant in relation to her unsuccessful application for the position of school principal at the school. The applicant had a total of 36 years’ experience in the school, and 5 of those as deputy principal. She sought and was granted an injunction restraining the appointment of the successful candidate, the Notice Party, from exercising her new role as principal. The notice party was employed in another school and had in fact resigned her fixed-term post to accept the new position. It was consented that, pending the determination of proceedings, the notice party would be paid her salary and appropriate allowances. It was also consented that another teacher other than the applicant would be appointed acting principal.

BoM WISH LIST FOR A NEW PRINCIPAL On the retirement of the outgoing principal, and in advance of the selection process, the Board of Management (BoM) made the following recommendations to be conveyed by the chairperson to the selection panel: 1. The desirability of a suitablyqualified teacher with relevant experience at junior level 2. A candidate with experience of teaching children with special educational needs to cater for the mild to moderate class in the school 3. A candidate with management experience. THE SELECTION BOARD Two independent assessors were appointed by the chairperson, after consultation with the patron. Both were highly experienced school principals, and assessors. The following work was undertaken by the board: 1. An initial two-hour meeting was held to appraise the desired credentials that were necessary to determine the best possible candidate for the school. The recommendations of the board were also discussed and accepted.

LEGAL DIARY LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

2. A second five-hour meeting was held to formulate criteria to include: a. Leadership qualities b Professional development and leadership c. Culture and vision d. School self-evaluation e. Planning and administration f. Special education g. Catholic ethos h. Líofacht sa ghaeilge i. Discipline and anti-bulling j. Teamwork and partnership. 3. Having established the criteria, the applications were opened and shortlisted. THE INTERVIEWS The chairperson advised the assessors that his command of Irish was not sufficient for him to award marks. It was determined that he would award the average of the two marks awarded by the assessors. All applicants were informed of this arrangement at the commencement of the interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews, the notice party came first, another candidate second, and the applicant came third. THE AFTERMATH The chairperson telephoned the applicant to inform her of the outcome. The applicant was disappointed, and informed the chairperson that she felt unappreciated “when an outsider with no leadership experience could walk in and get the job under interview only”. The applicant alleged that, in reply to a question, the chairperson stated that her experience in the school and as a leader counted for nothing, whereas the chairperson claimed that it counted for “nothing extra”. A BoM meeting was convened to ratify the decision of the selection board. It appears that a number of Board members were dismayed at the failure to appoint the applicant who was the deputy principal. It was alleged that a majority of the members were very concerned, and that the chairperson was asked if the appointment proposal could be rejected. He stated that as the process was correct, the BoM could not veto the appointment, as the patron would ratify it anyway. Some BoM members claimed that they ratified the decision reluctantly on the basis of the chairperson’s advice. THE APPLICANT’S CASE 1. The decision not to appoint the applicant was irrational and

unreasonable 2. It was alleged that the only documentation provided to the board by the chairperson in relation to the ratification meeting was a written report identifying the successful candidate. Section 2.6 of the 2011 booklet, Boards of Management of National Schools Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure (“The Rules”) require the chairperson to furnish three pieces of documentation: a. The written report b. The final marks and ranking of candidates c. Confirmation of the receipt of references. 3 Relevant experience at junior level as stipulated by BoM not adhered to by Assessors 1. Special educational needs stipulation also not adhered to by assessors 5. Management experience stipulation not adhered to by assessors 6. Conflict of interest/bias on the part of the chairperson. APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES The Education Act 1998 (S15) directs that it is the duty of the Board to manage a school on behalf of the Patron. The Board also performs its functions in accordance with the policies as determined by the Minister. Appendix D of the 2011 Rules (“Teacher and Principal Appointment Procedures”) recites the role of the BoM under Section 24 (1) to (4) of the Education Act 1998. Rule 1.3 provides that “All appointments of teachers in the school shall be made by the BoM in accordance with the Rules for National Schools, current DES circulars, and subject to the prior approval of the Patron.”

This advice was conveyed to the chairperson of the BoM. Section 2.5.5. of Appendix D of the 2011 Rules deals with the disclosure of interest/integrity of board proceedings. Board members are required to make a disclosure, not only in the case of a family relationship but in respect of any relationship which could be regarded as prejudicial to ensuring absolute impartiality in the selection process. A professional relationship in itself does not necessarily mean there is a conflict of interest. HELD The grounds for challenging the procedure and decisions of the selection board were not established as a matter of fact or law. No good and sufficient reason was advanced during the course of the board meeting as to why the nominee should not be appointed. The court was satisfied that a fair, reasonable and transparent procedure was followed by the selection board, resulting in its recommendation being ratified by the BoM.

Under rule 2.6.9., “The BoM must appoint the highest-marked candidate to the post “unless it has good and sufficient reason not to do so and such reason was not known to the selection board”. If that is the case, the matter must be referred to the Patron “whose decision in the matter shall be accepted by the Board”.

In relation to the conflict of interest, it was alleged that the chairperson’s children were being taught by the notice party at the time of the interview. It was claimed she coached the chairperson’s children in Gaelic Football, and that her Principal (who acted as her referee) was closely associated with the chairperson through the GAA. The notice party stated that she had two short interactions with the chairperson, one at a parent teacher meeting and the other at an open night in the school when she gave a presentation on the curriculum. It was claimed that theses relationships were not notified to the BoM or assessors. There was no evidence of a material relationship or one of such approximate and continuous nature as might give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias or that the requirement of impartiality would be breached. They were not friends and had a low level of contact on two occasions.

A member of the executive of a Management Body stated that, whilst selection boards are required to give rankings of candidates, this is not always done in practice. This is because applicants include internal as well as external candidates. The reasoning is that this is confidential information and personal data relating to third parties.

SUMMARY Boards of Management must appoint the highest-marked candidate unless it has good and sufficient reason not to do so, and such reason was not known to the selection board. If that is the case, the matter is referred to the Patron, whose decision in the matter is final.

PRINCIPAL ADVICE November 2015

Availability of

Substitute TEACHERS In response to anecdotal information about declining availability of substitute teachers in Irish primary schools, IPPN conducted a survey of principals in May 2015. Over a third of all primary principals (1,251) participated in the survey. The results confirm that there is difficulty among schools throughout the country accessing substitute teachers and that the problem is most acute in the third term. Principals were asked the following key questions: 1. how often they had failed to find a substitute teacher since January 2015; 2. whether availability was getting better, getting worse or staying the same, compared with the last school year; 3. what availability was like in each term – good, scarce or very scarce; 4. which methods/tools they use to find substitute teachers. THE KEY FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: I 50% had failed to find a substitute teacher between 1 and 3 times since January; A fifth had failed to find a sub more than 3 times I Half of respondents consider the situation to be worsening, only 6% stated it’s improving I In general, there is good availability in the first term, scarce availability in the second term and very scarce availability in the third term I Schools are availing of a range of methods to find substitute teachers. A third use TextaSub, more than four out of five use a written list and three quarters phone personal contacts – schools are using several methods at the same time as no one method is certain. I Special Schools, Gaelscoileanna and Island Schools reported particular difficulty finding suitable teachers. I A number also cited the requirement for Garda vetting as a specific challenge.

Donegal (35%), Meath (31%), Longford (29%) along with more than 20% of Carlow, Dublin, Louth, Wicklow and Westmeath principals. The majority of principals in ALL counties had difficulty, at varying levels, throughout the year. As regards term by term availability of subs: G Only three counties reported availability to be mostly ‘scarce’ or ‘very scarce’ in Term 1 – Cavan, Louth and Meath. Availability is generally good in Term 1. G In Term 2, only two counties reported availability to be mostly ‘good’ – Kerry and Mayo. The majority stated availability to be ‘scarce’. G In Term 3, the majority of principals in Cavan, Donegal, Longford, Louth, Leitrim, Monaghan and Wicklow said availability was ‘very scarce’.

Note: More than four out of every five principals in Kerry, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon and more than three in four principals in Donegal and Westmeath are teaching principals. WHAT CAN BE DONE? The reasons why availability is poor in certain counties and at certain times of the year are varied and include the introduction of the 4-year B. Ed. Programme, widespread teacher emigration, geographical issues (e.g. remote/island schools) and specific skill deficits (e.g. teaching through Gaeilge, SEN). Given increasing enrolments in schools over the coming years, the likelihood is that availability of substitute teachers will decrease further. It is crucial that steps are taken to support schools in finding substitute

teachers quickly and easily. In seeking to resolve this difficulty, IPPN has taken into account the methods available to schools in searching for substitute teachers. In our discussions with the Department, the Teaching Council and other education partners, we will be recommending the following: 1. A formal panel of substitute teachers to be set up in each county (or for multiple smaller counties) with a central administrator - similar to the redeployment panels currently in operation 2. The administrator maintains a list of available substitute teachers for each diocese (and the equivalent for each management body), ensuring that all teachers are registered with the Teaching Council and have the relevant Garda Vetting and other documentation in order 3. When schools have a vacancy for a short-term substitute teacher (i.e. not a maternity leave substitute post, which IPPN believes should be filled by open competition), they contact the central administrator with the details – duration, position, location, specific skills needed etc. 4. The central administrator matches the school’s needs with available substitute teachers in the geographical area (up to X kms from their base location) and confirms to both the school and the teacher. The administrator updates the availability log for that teacher so they cannot be doublebooked. 5. The administrator logs the details on OLCS and the school confirms it so the substitute gets paid on time. In addition, we will be speaking with the Teaching Council about their interim report on Teacher Supply. Regrettably, there is no mention of the (lack of) availability of substitute teachers in the report. This is an area we hope will be covered in the final report. If you have any feedback on the proposal above, please email with your comments.

Notable differences between counties were as follows: I The counties that struggled most in ﬁnding subs were Cavan (36% of principals failed ﬁve times or more) 7

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Alcohol HEALTH

ALLIANCE Alcohol Action Ireland is the national charity for alcoholrelated issues. Our role is to: I inform and educate the public about alcohol harm I protect the young and the vulnerable from alcohol harm I advocate for the burden of alcohol harm to be lifted from society I campaign for the implementation of evidence-based public health policy measures to reduce alcohol harm.

Alcohol marketing to children is unregulated and there are no statutory protections in place to protect our children from alcohol advertising either in traditional media such as on TV or online Parents have an important role to play and tend to underestimate their inﬂuence on the drinking of their children The average age of ﬁrst alcohol use for children born in 1990 was 14 – in 1980, it was 15.

Here is how you can make your voice heard on this issue: Visit: alcoholireland.ie/campaigns/bill/

Together with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, we have recently established the Alcohol Health Alliance, a new initiative to support the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, a ground-breaking piece of public health legislation that has the potential to save lives and to signiﬁcantly reduce the harm caused by alcohol consumption in Ireland. It is a broad alliance that brings together a number of strong advocates with medical and public health expertise who are campaigning to bring about a meaningful change in our harmful relationship with alcohol. There is much evidence to show that Irish children and teenagers are drinking at very young ages and that we have the highest rate of drunkenness amongst young people. I

One in eleven children in Ireland say parental alcohol use has a negative effect on their lives – that is almost 110,000 children

For more information on Alcohol Action Ireland you can visit our website at www.alcoholireland.ie, email us at: admin@alcoholactionireland.ie or phone us at (01) 8780610.

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:

SEPTEMBER I

Consultation with members of the Children’s Rights Alliance on the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People

Principals’ Professional Brieﬁng Day, Citywest Hotel

Centre for School Leadership Steering Committee meeting, Dublin

Teaching Council meetings G

Fitness to teach brieﬁng session

Consultative forum on Teacher Supply

Cosán, the draft national framework for teachers’ learning

DES G Primary Online Database (POD) Information Session G Meeting re. Teacher allocation and redeployment arrangements for 2016/2017

ETBI Annual Conference, Galway

Meeting with Fine Gael Education Committee

IPPN County Network meetings in 26 Counties.

OCTOBER I

I I

INTO Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Conference - Kilkenny Your School and Confronting Conﬂict Seminar - Dublin NAPD Conference Meeting with NAHT, Belfast.

NOVEMBER I

National Symposium on ‘Emotional Wellbeing – at the heart of school communities’, jointly hosted by IPPN and NAPD.

November 2015

My Role as a TEACHING DEPUTY

PRINCIPAL ÁINE FITZPATRICK DEPUTY PRINCIPAL, MOTHER OF HOPE SENIOR NATIONAL SCHOOL, LITTLEPACE, CLONEE, DUBLIN 15

I joined the staff of Mary Mother of Hope School in 2005 to teach in a vertical school, having spent fourteen years teaching in a senior school. Due to rapidly increasing numbers, the school split into a Junior and Senior school in September 2008. I was appointed Deputy Principal of the senior school with Enda McGorman as principal. Our school is an intercultural school with nearly half of our pupils coming from newcomer backgrounds. We have 16 classes from 3rd class to 6th class with almost 470 pupils. We share the campus and continue to work in close partnership with our junior school. One of my responsibilities as deputy is to foster and develop links within our intercultural community in partnership with the junior school. We have developed a comprehensive intercultural policy and host an Intercultural Week annually in collaboration with parents. My most rewarding responsibility is my role as Special Education Needs (SEN) Coordinator in the school. We have six teachers on our SEN/English as an Additional Language team and four Special Needs Assistants. As SEN Coordinator, my duties include the management of pupils with low incidence hours, the coordination and timetabling of literacy and numeracy support, team teaching, the management of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and liaison with outside agencies. I also manage the transition of pupils from our junior school and to postprimary school. In partnership with our very committed teachers, the SEN team has worked hard to develop an ethos of collaboration, openness and dialogue. We also seek to implement effective procedures which ensure consistency of practice throughout the school. In-class support is one of the initiatives of which we are particularly proud.

probably the most challenging and most frustrating aspects of a teaching deputy in a large school. Why? Guilt! Over the years, I have endeavoured to develop the duality of the job within the SEN team so as to ensure the most effective use of my teaching time as a leader within the school. I support third and sixth classes mainly, which allows me to focus on the children in transition. Emotional and behavioural difficulty is an area of particular interest to me. I have seen a worrying increase in recent years in the number of children presenting with emotional and behavioural difficulties, in particular anxiety, low self-esteem and mental health issues. We have implemented a number of programs to help meet the needs of these pupils and were also one of ten primary schools recently involved in a research project, with the DES, on school supports promoting children’s wellbeing I have completed a number of leadership courses since my appointment, including Tánaiste, Forbairt and Ciall Ceannaithe.

Participation in these and other courses have given me opportunities to research leadership practice, to reflect and learn about my leadership style and to develop my intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. I attend the IPPN Deputy Principals’ Conference annually and find these to be rejuvenating, affirmative and inspiring. My school has benefited from conference workshops: Building Bridges to Understanding and Mindfulness are now part of school practice. I thoroughly enjoy my job and am very fortunate to have a very close relationship with my principal Enda which is built on trust, respect and friendship. In our years together we have seen our school grow, develop and change. We have celebrated many wonderful occasions but like most, have also supported our school community through tragedy and the most challenging of times. We have talked, debated, argued, worried, cried and laughed through many school days but are always thankful for the privilege of being part of a wonderful community of children, staff and parents.

My duties as a member of the SEN team involve team teaching at different class levels and support for pupils experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. The management of teaching and administration duties is

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

IPPN Annual Principals’

2016

CONFERENCE 100 Years of Leadership Citywest Hotel & Convention Centre Thursday 28th and Friday 29th January 2016 SEMINARS CONFIRMED TO DATE I Principalmeet - Kathleen Byrne and Ciara Brennan I Boards of Management & The Principal - making it work for you Seán Hourihane I Leading learning & positive staff relationships - Mary Burke I Underperformance, Section 24 and the Principal's role - Kevin Hennigan I Data Protection and Schools David Ruddy I Wellbeing in schools implementing the DES guidelines - Margaret Grogan (NEPS) I Restrictive Practices – Guidelines & Policies - Siobhán Allen I Multigrade teaching - Caroline Madigan I Curriculum Evaluation Model/SSE evaluations - Martin Whyte (DES Inspectorate) I Managing special classes in mainstream schools - Peter Gunning & Cóilín Ó Coigligh (seminar titles are provisional)

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Aogán Ó Fearghail - President, GAA I Nóirín O'Sullivan - Garda Commissioner I Professor Ciarán O'Boyle - RCSI Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland I Dr Todd Whitaker - Bayh College of Education, Indiana State University, whose books include ‘School Culture Rewired’; ‘Implementing school change’, ‘What great principals do differently’ and ‘The power of emotion’. I

EDUCATION EXPO We look forward to bringing more than 125 companies to Education Expo over the 2 days of conference, enabling you to research and conduct school purchases in a convenient way. A broad range of learning products and school services will be represented and a list of exhibiting companies can be previewed on conference.ippn.ie.

TEACHER ZONE IS RETURNING IN 2016 Teacher Zone will be open for teachers to visit Education Expo on Thursday 28th January between 2.30pm and 7.00pm and on Friday 29th between 2.30pm and 5.00pm. Teacher Zone is only open to teachers from schools where the principal is booked to attend Conference. Full details about how teachers can register will be announced in December. WELLNESS AND SELF CARE An expanded programme of activities including spinning, yoga, aquafit and pilates is available this year - important self-care! Classes book out quickly as capacity is very limited – book early to avoid disappointment! Our Wellness Zone will host health screening as well as an onsite salon which gives attendees the opportunity to avail of the facilities without moving offsite.

PRINCIPAL ADVICE

A safe harbour

for SHIPS ANGELA LYNCH PRINCIPAL ADVICE MANAGER

Being from Cork the following quotation, part of which is the motto of the Cork coat of arms struck a chord with me. “A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are made for. ” John A. Shedd Often it is more comfortable to stick with the familiar and do things as we have always done them. Change is uncomfortable. There are times when change is thrust upon us and we have no choice but to embrace it. At other times opportunities will arise that will ultimately be great benefit to the children and the school. Then as Jimmy Carter says, we must “Go out on a limb, that’s where the fruit is.”

Staff are often overwhelmed by what has been described as death by initiative. If it is something worth doing, then it will be necessary to persuade colleagues to buy into and embrace it. I am in no way advocating taking unnecessary risks. I am suggesting that taking calculated risks after much reflection can lead your school from good to great. I am very conscious that for many principals, workload issues mean that taking time to reflect for the most part does not happen. Is there some change you would like to make in your school? Is there some initiative you think would be of benefit to the teaching and learning? Staff are often overwhelmed by what has been described as death by initiative. If it is

something worth doing, then it will be necessary to persuade colleagues to buy into and embrace it. Communication is the key here. Recently I heard a colleague of mine describe this process perfectly. I I I

Tell them what you are going to do, and why Do it Then tell them that you have done it

Sharing the vision is essential. Just because it all makes great sense to you, does not mean that others can read your thoughts and ideas unless you have told them. I have often been guilty of this type of presumption myself. If I can offer some advice to you, it would be this: I Start with a conversation outlining your goals,ideas and plans. Look for buy-in. “I need help with this.

Communication Technology Limited

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Printers

I I I

Has anybody ideas how we can make this work.” Set out the plan Implement Communicate on outcomes to all parties involved.

Having begun with the image of the ships in harbour, the words of Mark Twain resonate “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Before you sail out, describe the journey, prepare the boat, load the provisions and then in confidence set forth. Come back home and tell of the sights, discoveries and successes of your journey.

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

LEADERSHIP

AWARD

NCLI Leadership Award 2016 is sponsored by Bank of Ireland Full details are available on www.ippn.ie and www.ncli.ie Nominate your chosen leader now Last year’s recipient, Catherine Farrell, retired primary school principal of Holy Family Special School in Cootehill, Co. Cavan

“Nobody’s perfect and sometimes I would wonder if I was doing a good job. It means a lot to be appreciated by my colleagues. I felt privileged, humbled and proud to be the chosen recipient of the inaugural NCLI Leadership Award.” SPONSORED BY

November 2015

NEPS Services Responding to our changing context MARY NUGENT REGIONAL DIRECTOR SOUTH EAST/SOUTH MIDLANDS, NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE As school principals will know, the DES is currently piloting the introduction a new model for allocating additional teaching resources to schools to support pupils with special educational needs. Under the proposed new model, all additional teaching resources for pupils with special educational needs will be allocated to schools in line with each schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational need as identiďŹ ed through the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational proďŹ le. While there are many anticipated beneďŹ ts to this approach, it also creates challenges for schools. In order to support schools in this regard, NEPS, in collaboration with IPPN, is highlighting key services and resources available. These services and resources should be helpful to all schools, whether they are already part of the pilot or they wish to strengthen their practice in anticipation of changes inherent in this new model of resource allocation. This is the ďŹ rst in a series of articles that will highlight this support. SUPPORT FOR LITERACY This article is focussing on Support for Literacy. Schools will want to be able to identify studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs in literacy, using a range of formal and informal assessment and screening tools. They will then want to use that assessment information to offer, graduated, evidence-informed interventions to support studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; development. The ďŹ rst resource that may prove helpful is the (new) Balanced Approach to Literacy Development in the Early Years. This good practice guide draws on international research, evidencebased practice and samples of that practice in Irish primary schools to give a coherent and comprehensive guide to teachers. This is a resource that can be used by class teachers working with children from Junior Infants to First Class. It may also be helpful to schools who have identiďŹ ed the need to improve reading standards as part of the school-self-evaluation process or professional learning community practices. It will be a cornerstone of graduated, evidence-informed teaching, and should help to prevent

the emergence of literacy difficulties. This resource is freely available on the DES website or the NEPS Resources page. However, there are likely to be some children who continue to struggle to read in primary school, and NEPS has developed evidence-based resources to support these children. They include a good practice guide and an accompanying resource pack, entitled Effective Interventions for Struggling Readers. These resources bring together evidence from over 4 years of action research in NEPS, as well as an up-to-date review of international literature. 12 months progress in reading over 3 months of intervention - this resource will show you how! Evidence-based approaches Classroom tested interventions Free downloads and links to resources Video footage of interventions in action in Irish classrooms.

www.databizsolutions.ie ww ww.databizsolutions.ie info@databizsolutions.ie info o@databizsolutions.ie (091) 556 755

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CSL

the Centre for School Leadership ANNA MAI ROONEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR – PRIMARY, CSL The new Centre for School Leadership (CSL) is a joint collaboration between IPPN, NAPD, and the DES. The Centre has an initial staff of three seconded school leaders. They are Mary Nihill, principal of Calasanctius Secondary School in Oranmore, who has been appointed as National Director; Máire Ní Bhróithe, principal of Ratoath College, who holds the Deputy Director Post Primary position; and myself as Deputy Director Primary. The role of the Centre, overseen by the Steering Committee, is the development of a coherent continuum of professional development for school leaders commencing with pre-appointment training through to induction of newly-appointed principals to continuous professional development (CPD) throughout the leader’s career. The Implementation Group makes recommendations and provides support and advice to the Steering Group, with Clare Education Centre ably providing administrative support.

I have always believed that CPD of high quality and direct relevance to the everyday work of schools is essential in school improvement and in ensuring better outcomes for children. It is a great privilege to be part of this exciting new project. I have always believed that CPD of high quality and direct relevance to the everyday work of schools is essential in school improvement and in ensuring better outcomes for children. School leaders deserve easy access to professional development which will enhance both their focus on teaching and learning and their leadership skills.

MENTORING The Centre’s first responsibility is to develop a formalised mentoring system for newly-appointed principals. Training will take place after Christmas for forty post primary and sixty primary principals who will be invited to express their interest in being mentors. A mentor selection process forms a key part of this pilot phase of the project, which will be confined to one geographical area at primary level. The trained mentors will begin their work in September 2016. The training will then be extended to other areas when this pilot is completed. International research points to the benefits of a formalised system of mentoring and the numerous ways in which having access to an effective mentor can improve confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, and work as a mutually successful learning opportunity for both the mentor and the ‘mentee’. This new system of mentoring will build on the work already undertaken by PDST, IPPN and NAPD, which has supported so many school leaders over the years. COACHING Coaching is emerging as a very effective tool for overcoming challenges, improving performance and enhancing communication in many different professions. The CSL will tender for professional coaches to assist principals experiencing challenge and to build on effective practice in schools. The research into coaching and the training developed by PDST will be a valuable starting foundation for this work. QUALIFICATION FOR ASPIRING PRINCIPALS The Centre will also develop a third level qualification for aspiring school leaders. The present Toraíocht programme will finish in Maynooth next year to be replaced by the new CSL course in September 2016. The excellent work completed by PDST in the development and facilitation of Toraíocht will serve as

a sound basis for the new programme. The inclusion of practitioners, both working and recently-retired, will be essential to its success.

Coaching is emerging as a very effective tool for overcoming challenges, improving performance and enhancing communication in many different professions. CPD REVIEW Finally, the new Centre will complete a review of all CPD currently provided for school leaders. This review will serve as a basis for recommendations to the Steering Committee on the learning opportunities currently available, the gaps in this provision and the avoidance of duplication. This work will also include the development of a Quality Framework against which all CPD for school leaders will be measured. The development by the DES of the new Standards for School Leaders, which are to be included in the next phase of School Self-Evaluation in Management and Leadership, underpin the entire work plan for the Centre. Irish school leaders deserve the very best support possible in their challenging and demanding roles. They have a right to professional development which will assist them in their everyday work, inspire staffs and school communities and have a direct and positive effect on the outcomes for their pupils. The Centre for School Leadership will build on the important work already undertaken to make this a reality. See our website at www.cslireland.ie and follow our Twitter feed by searching for @cslireland.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

November November 2015 2014

LESSONS FROM

Finland SIOBHÁN FITZGERALD

PRINCIPAL OF EGLISH NS, BALLINASLOE, CO GALWAY

We frequently hear about the worldleading Finnish education system. It was a privilege for me and my colleague Elizabeth Mulry to take part this Summer in an Erasmus programme, which enables teachers to attend training courses in other EU countries. Elizabeth attended a weeklong course on PISA, the Programme for International Student Assessment, while I attended a School Management course. As a teaching principal, it was a golden opportunity, one that came about as a result of our school’s participation in ‘Erasmus Plus, Key Action 1’, an EU-sponsored programme that supports and funds learning in the education, training and youth sectors. With over 200,000 lakes, borders with Norway, Russia and Sweden, cold winters and warm summers, Northern Lights, Lapland and saunas in every home, Finland is well worth a visit. The nature is breath-taking. It has a rich history and is a feast for all senses and interests. There is some truth to the stereotypes of Finnish people that they are shy, patient, hard-working, clever, not corrupted and make quick decisions. I also found the Finnish people I met to be down-to-earth, uninhibited and extremely helpful, taking great pride in their work. As to their education system, Finland has not only continued to rank at the top in the world PISA rankings but it is also recognised as a world leader by

other standards. Why is this? Their education system is founded, quite simply, on the principles of trust, autonomy and responsibility. Teachers are selected from the top 10% of university graduates. All teachers must have a Masters Degree, which is fully subsidised. Teachers are given the trust and autonomy to do the job they are qualified to do. There is a National Curriculum which is used as a broad guideline and framework. There is no system of school inspectors - that was discarded 25 years ago. Schools are governed by municipalities that receive funding from the government. Principals are assigned a budget by the municipality and given the authority and responsibility to spend it appropriately, based on the needs of the students of their school. The school system is 100% state-funded. Education is free, not just in theory but in practice– it includes books, 3 hot meals a day, school transport and education-related trips. Public early childhood education and care is available from birth until 5 years old if parents wish to avail of it. After that, the child has access to a ‘preprimary’ year. Compulsory education begins at 7 years and continues until 15. Students do not wear uniforms and, in most cases, address teachers by their first name. Parents trust that the best school for their child is the nearest. All schools are unisex and open to all religious faiths. 99% of

schools are public. There are no Standardised Assessments. Where it’s believed to be in the best interest of the child, inclusive Special Education support is provided within the class. Nearly 30% of children receive some kind of additional help. Children rarely take exams or do homework until they are into their teens. They are encouraged to relax and engage in their hobbies when they are at home - soccer is popular in the summer and sledding and ice hockey in winter. In short, the Finnish strategy for achieving equality and excellence in education is based on constructing a publicly-funded comprehensive school system where the student is at the heart of the system, and given every opportunity and support needed as early as possible. Our Finnish colleagues admitted that there are challenges but they don’t shy away from these challenges, regularly evaluating themselves, making quick, evidence-based decisions and moving on. Lifelong learning opportunities for teachers are encouraged and funded. It seems that there is a lot to be gained from trusting our teachers more. Trust them and give them the responsibility to do the jobs they are professionally qualified to do. The Finnish education system shows that it works.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS How do school leaders ‘feel’? DR. GERARD FARRELLY PRINCIPAL OF GORESBRIDGE NS, CO. KILKENNNY (CURRENTLY ON SECONDMENT)

Recent research gathered from nearly 9% of school leaders investigated the frequency with which school leaders had dealt with homophobic bullying during the academic year 2012-2013 and the nature of the homophobic bullying. HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING Nearly one in ﬁve (19%) reported they had dealt with incidents of homophobic bullying during the 2012-2013 academic year; ﬁndings which are similar to a study by the NSPCC (2006) in the UK. Respondents said they had dealt with different types of homophobic bullying including physical abuse (6%); exclusion (12%) and cyberbullying (8%). SCHOOL POLICY The introduction of the DES guidelines has led to all schools having to consider the creation and adoption of a school anti-bullying policy which refers to all forms of bullying including homophobic and transphobic bullying. Interestingly however, the study revealed that in responding to incidents of homophobic bullying, more than half of respondents (59%) felt that there should be no distinction made between homophobic bullying and other forms of bullying behaviour. THE ‘EMOTIONAL RESPONSE’ TO HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING The study also revealed that school leaders (93%) recognise the emotional

damage that homophobic bullying causes to ‘victims’ of this form of bullying, which is important in terms of how schools respond to this form of behaviour. Research shows that victims of homophobic bullying experience high levels of emotional pain in later life (Rivers, 2011). The study also identiﬁed that the majority of school leaders (90%) felt greater levels of empathy towards victims of homophobic bullying rather than perpetrators (39%), which suggests that school leaders make a strong emotional response to bullying behaviour, which has implications for how homophobic behaviour is dealt with. This is important because as research by Plaford (2006) indicates, perpetrators of bullying fail to develop aspects of their emotional intelligence, including the ability to show empathy towards others and an incapacity to form healthy social relationships. Data evidence from this study also indicated that school leaders display varying degrees of emotion when dealing with homophobic bullying with 1 in 4 (25%) displaying no emotion when dealing with an incident of homophobic bullying whilst more than two thirds of respondents (67%) felt it was important to understand their own feelings when dealing with an incident of homophobic bullying. This is interesting when considered in light of other research by Beatty (2000) who identiﬁed that

school leaders felt in order to maintain control and power, and to protect themselves from feeling hurt, they managed to both control their emotions internally and how they displayed their emotion when dealing with different situations. CONCLUSION The DES 2013 guidelines have challenged schools to review their antibullying policies and have mandated them to include identity-based bullying such as homophobic and transphobic bullying within such policies. However, dealing with it on an emotional level is a very different thing for school leaders. Evidence within neurology research suggests that the feelings people experience internally are necessary to make good decisions. Although displays of very intense emotion can make decision-making more difficult, recognising and managing this emotion rather than suppressing it in a situation such as homophobic bullying can lead to a much better outcome for children concerned. Displays of emotion reveal how someone is feeling, how they see the world and how they relate to others. The details of Gerard’s thesis can be found on the St. Patrick’s college website www.spd.dcu.ie by putting ‘homophobic bullying’ in the search ﬁeld. Gerard can be contacted by email to gerardee@eircom.net.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Is fearr mall

ná go brách… MARC DE GRÁS GAELSCOIL NA NDÉISE, PORT LÁIRGE Bóthar fada, casta agus an ceann scríbe sroichte! Tar éis naoi mbliana déag a chaitheamh i gcóiríocht sealadach, cuireadh tús lenár bhfoirgneamh nua in Eanáir 2014. AN TIONSCNAMH FÉIN Bheartaigh an Roinn Oideachais agus an t- udarás áitiúil ar champas a thógaint i gCarraig Phiarais. Comhthionscnamh atá i gceist le dhá bhunscoil le sé seomra ranga déag agus aonad um riachtanais speisialta. Tá halla spóirt fairsing ar an gcampas a bhíonn in úsáid ag na scoileanna i rith an lae agus a bheidh ar fáil don phobal i ndiaidh am scoile. Tá leabharlann phoiblí ar an láthair mar aon le háiseanna a bheidh in úsáid chun seirbhísí pobail a chur ar bun. NA BUNTÁISTÍ Gan amhras, tá na coinníollacha timpeallachta i bhfad Éireann níos oiriúnaí do phobal bunscoile. Táimid ag aithint na buntáistí láithreacha de ghnáthrudaí a dhéanann scoileanna neamhiontas dóibh cosúil le spás, solas nádúrtha, teas rialaithe agus leithrisí sna seomraí ranga. Ar ndóigh, tá an tádh linn go mbíonn ollhalla spóirt ar fáil dúinn gach uile lá agus go mbeidh

leabharlann phoiblí d’ardchaighdeán ar fáil san fhoirgneamh go luath. Is iontach an rud é freisin gur féidir linn an tumoideachas a chur i bhfeidhm i suíomh den tsaghas seo a thugann stádas nua-aimseartha dár dteanga. Cuireadh deis ar fáil dúinn páirt a ghlacadh i dtionscnamh ealaíne. Bheartaíomar ar chomhar-phíosa ealaíne a chruthú ina mbeidh an scoilphobal ar fad páirteach inti. Thógamar ealaíontóir áitiúil ar bord chun píosa mósáiceacha agus leabhar scéalaíochta a chruthú. Cé go raibh ualach oibre ag baint leis an tionscnamh seo, fuaireas an-chuid tacaíocht ón gcoiste ealaíne a bhunaíomar, tuismitheoirí agus foireann na scoile. B’fhiú go mór an tionscnamh seo a chruthaigh sceitimíní faoin bhfoirgneamh nua agus a chothaigh comhoibriú i measc na rannpháirtithe. D’éirigh linn cistíocht a fháil ón Roinn Oideachais chun troscán nua agus trealamh teicneolaíochta nua a fháil chomh maith. Cuireann an troscán nua go mór leis an bhfoirgneamh nua ach bhí dúshlán ollmhór ann chun an tairgead seo a fháil i dtosach báire. Ansin is féidir leis an bpróiséas

tairiscinte agus ordaithe a bheith liodánach. ‘Sé an diﬁr is mó atá le mothú ins an foirgneamh nua ná an t-athmhúscailt suime agus spioraid dearfach i measc an scoilphobal. Bhí an t-ádh linn i gcónaí gur oibrigh an fhoireann agus na tuismitheoirí go dian ar son na páistí ach is léir go bhfuil níos mó ionchur dearfach ó bhogamar ó na seomraí réamhdhéanta NA DÚSHLÁIN Ar ndóigh, tá saincheisteanna bainistíochta le freagairt san fhoirgneamh nua. Le háiseanna roinnte idir dhá bhunscoil agus seirbhísí poiblí, bhí orainn teacht le chéile chomh minic agus gur féidir chun struchtúr bainistíochta cuí a bhunú. Cé go bhfuil roinnt oibre déanta againn, tá ualach oibre fós le déanamh ionas go mairﬁdh an campas ar chomhthuiscint. Gan amhras, ba bheag saoire a bhí agam i rith an tSamhraidh i mbliana. Roimh dúinn na heochracha a fháil, bhí an-chuid eagrúcháin le déanamh idir an seanfoirgneamh agus an foirgneamh nua. Ansin, d’éirigh linn na heochracha a fháil ach níor fhág sé sin

November 2015

ach trí seachtain chun an foirgneamh a bheith réidh do thús na scoilbhliana! Bhí an t-ádh dearg liom go raibh an príomhoide tánaisteach in éineacht liom an t-am ar fad agus go raibh foireann na scoile toilteanach teacht isteach le tuismitheoirí. Fuaireas an téarma deireanach den scoilbhliain seo caite thar a bheith dúshlánach freisin. Tá a fhios againn ar fad cé chomh gnóthach agus a bhíonn an téarma deireanach ach cheapas go raibh an t-ualach oibre dodhéanta. Bhraitheas cosúil le fear grinn sa sorcas ag déanamh lámhchleasaíocht le scrúdaithe caighdeánacha, tuairiscí scoile, ranganna don scoilbhliain nua, troscán nua, cruinnithe le tógálaithe,

tairiscintí TFC agus mar sin de. Bhraitheas chomh maith go raibh easpa treorach agus comhairle chuí ar fáil ón Roinn. Ní hamháin go raibh easpa treorach ann maidir leis an bhfoirgneamh ach bhraitheas go raibh bearna eolais ann maidir leis an troscán nua agus an bonneagar TFC. Faraor, bímid i gcónaí in ann braith ar a chéile! Táim fíorbhuíoch do na príomhoidí ar fad a thug cabhair ‘s comhairle dom AG SMAOINEAMH SIAR Ba mhaith liom sibh a fhágaint le cúpla pointe machnaimh: I Cad a tharlódh mura raibh mé féin agus foireann na scoile toilteanach

teacht isteach ar scoil le linn laethanta saoire an tSamhraidh? Cén mhaitheas atá ionam mar cheannaire scoile agus mé tuirseach traochta ag tús na scoilbhliana? Cén tionchar a bhí ag an tionscnamh tógála ar mo shláinte agus mo leas féin?

Tá dúshláin ag baint leis an bhfoirgneamh nua, ach tá sí ag déanamh an-difríocht do shaol na bpáistí agus an fhoireann. Tá domhan nua againn a chuirﬁdh go mór le seirbhísí Gaelscolaíochta sa cheantar do na glúinte atá romhain.

New Resource Bundle

on Supervision DES Circular 18/2003 states that ‘The overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of school supervision will continue to rest with the principal teacher’. The topic of supervision is one that exercises the minds of many principals and this is reflected in the increased volume of queries logged with IPPN’s Principal Advice Team. While there is no prescriptive answer provided by the DES, the liability of the Board of Management is predominantly based on judicial decisions and precedence in previous cases. Duty of Care is central to defining appropriate levels of supervision. Rules 121(4) and 124(1) of the Rules for National Schools and Section 23(2) of the Education Act 1998 oblige teachers to ‘take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of pupils when the pupils are on school premises, during school time and/or on school activities’. The measure of duty placed on the principal and teachers, in any primary school, is “to take such care of the pupils as a careful parent would of his/her own children”. This legal principle is known as “in loco parentis” (in the place of the parent). Reflecting on these two key elements, IPPN has developed its latest interactive

resource bundle titled ‘School Supervision & Duty of Care’. The resource bundle provides best practice and advice on the most frequentlyasked queries received on the topic of supervision as well as supporting resources. The following questions are addressed: Do all teachers have to partake in the supervision scheme? I Is the BoM responsible for pupils who are dropped to the school early or collected late from the school? I What is the correct level of supervision? I Can SNAs supervise pupils? I Does the BoM have a duty of care to pupils availing of school transport? I Who is responsible when a Bus Escort is employed – BoM or Bus Éireann? I Is the BoM responsible for children who go home for lunch or leave the school on other occasions? I What should a BoM do if a child is a ﬂight risk and leaves the school without permission? I What is the required level of supervision for PE? I Who is responsible for supervision of pupils at swimming?

I I I

I I I I

Is the liability of teachers covered when carrying pupils in their car? Teachers’ private motor insurance What if the teacher has an accident whilst using his/her car on school business? Why should the teacher have to suffer loss and lose No Claims Bonus when he/she is using the car on behalf of the school? How do you manage Supervision in a two-teacher school? What supervision levels should be in place for school tours? Are there any restrictions on class numbers? Do classes with SEN students require greater supervision levels?

It is advisable that a school contact their school insurance provider to receive speciﬁc guidance regarding their individual circumstances as they are the conduit to process all school insurancerelated queries. COMING SOON An SNA Absences & Leave Resource Bundle is currently being developed and it is hoped that it will be available in late November. For a list of all available Resource Bundles, go to www.ippn.ie and select ‘Resource Bundles’ within the Resources menu. 19

REFLECTIONS LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Grannalysis DAMIAN WHITE PRINCIPAL, SCOIL SHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY Writing this article as Ian Madigan shares a few tears with the camera and all past glories, victories and calamities are contextualised around a momentous victory over France cause me to reflect on where our own profession has travelled. A recent brief exchange with a pramtoting grandmother at the school gate started the process. ‘Do you know we have no blackboards in any classrooms now ‘ I waxed, impressing myself at least. ‘Chalk, instead of making dust, is gathering dust’, I clichéd with a regrettable lack of embarrassment. ‘We can talk live to classes in other parts of the world’, ignoring the fact that classes in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere are in bed while we are at school. She looked at me quizzically, as if I’d delivered a dissertation on the merits of gas over oil heating. ‘And are ye one bit better off for all that?’, she asked, not intending to take me out in mid-air with her tackle. Granny had been a parent when I first came to the school. She had done her stint packing bags in Tesco and baking buns to ensure the new man’s first request for extra equipment- an overhead projector, could be purchased. She’d collected egg cartons - or paint

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trays as we knew them. She cut up old ﬂoor covering sample books for use as craft mats. The pub was a source of resources too. Before teddy bears of various colours for counting activities, red, green and cream coloured counters came courtesy of Budweiser, Heineken and Guinness bottle tops. The van man delivered an altogether more basic load of accessories to the school. At one level, Granny’s question was rhetorical - a good teacher will teach the lesson with whatever equipment is available. The pragmatic child may even better understand lessons taught using bottle tops and old crisp bags and milk cartons in the class shop. From another standpoint, however, today’s child enjoys greater advantage. Resource and Learning Support services are a vast improvement on where they were twenty years ago. Differentiation of lessons to allow a child work at their own level was not a requirement back then. IEPs, though not yet obligatory, are nonetheless expected now for each child with low incidence needs. Grants are now available to purchase ICT hardware and software to support individual children’s learning needs. Schools have far superior planning procedures in place. ICT tools generate instant reports when results are inputted, informing individual and overall school planning.

A long-retired principal friend once said to me that he was sceptical when told his first office computer was an initial step towards a paperless office. He felt that the work the computer would do on the principal’s behalf would leave room for more unnecessary work to replace it. A chat yesterday with a friend in the throes of the pilot project to examine the relative merits of the old and new learning support allocation model confirmed his view. The paperwork around this whole area is horrendous. Its requirement seems to assume that no relevant party, class or LS teacher, post-holder or parent ever holds a discussion around children without the need to record vast amounts of notes for filing in the school’s version of Fort Knox. Were children at a loss for such copious verbiage twenty years ago? Will its compilation and storage see results sufficiently improve as to merit the exhaustive effort put in to ensure backs are covered? Time will tell. Granny pushed her daughter’s pimpedup pram homewards unconvinced, I’m sure, of the progress I’d attempted to celebrate. Like Joe Schmidt, I will celebrate the victories while remaining constantly aware of the collateral damage suffered during a long campaign.

November 2015

A Case for Establishing

Leadership Training at an Earlier Stage CIARAN MCMAHON PRINCIPAL OF SCOIL BHRIDE, TULLAMORE, CO. OFFALY In order to be effective leaders in our schools, we must understand what leadership is. Leadership and manage-ment of schools are often referred to in the same import but are two distinct entities, albeit their characteristics are intertwined. The best theories at their core are solidly grounded in action. David Sloan Wilson Management is the effective operation of school routines. Management involves designing and carrying out plans, getting things done and working effectively with people. Leadership relates to mission, direction and inspiration. Knowledge of leadership theory is key if we are to successfully manage school organisations. Day to day management of schools tests leadership theories and grounds them in everyday work practice. When younger leaders are cultivated from within the rank, the likelihood of continuity and good direction is greatly enhanced. Michael Fullan As a school principal, I have often reflected with colleagues on the theories advanced in the literature and found correlations with our own experiences and the challenges that they have presented. These same theories have been tested against real situations and have helped me to make sense of them. This is the essence of what leadership theory is. It helps us to make sense of practical real-life situations. It has also led me to the view that leadership courses of study should be available to all aspiring principals, deputy principals and include middle management personnel in schools. Leadership courses and study should not be the preserve of principals and deputy principals alone, but should be available to those involved in school management or teaching staff who exhibit leadership mindfulness. This

would help grow and nurture future school leaders, while at the same time offer the opportunity to upskill at an earlier stage those who are contemplating embarking on leadership or management roles. It may also in practical terms alleviate the problems faced by schools - how to motivate teachers who are not in promoted posts to take on more leadership / management roles. Acknowledgement, recognition and professional development can also be great motivators. We will already have taught you to do the right thing in the setting in which you work Elmore, 2007 Earlier leadership training would also assist and enrich the preparation and transition experience of those taking on the position of principal for the first time, referred to in the article Leading in Challenging Times in this publication in September 2014 as still being ‘erratic’. If leadership training which recognizes the interconnectedness of management and leadership were made available at an earlier stage to middle management personnel and those teachers recognized as leaders in the making, a starting point for the leadership journey could be initiated and firmly established. No longer would there be uncertainty or major adjustment on entry to the position of principal. The stark realization that we do not initially possess all of the necessary skill-set to achieve what we ourselves, and others, expect us to do, would be less of a shock. If we lack experience of leadership positions, we lack insight; if we lack practice in how to recognize and create leaders, we remain static. We must be responsible for creating our own leadership culture in schools. Where better to gain experience in leadership than at ground level in our

schools? In-school management structures in schools enable us to build leadership capacity. Let us as leaders of our schools share in the creation of future leaders, by building leadership capacity. Let us encourage the new centre for school leadership to think of all teaching staff in schools when providing leadership courses. Let these staff then test their knowledge against on-the-job experience. In this way we can build leadership capacity for the future and strengthen leadership practice in our schools. The most lasting and effective change is the change that occurs from within.

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Traveller Education Breaking Educational Disadvantage MARTIN COLLINS CO-DIRECTOR PAVEE POINT TRAVELLER AND ROMA CENTRE Professor Stafford Hood, adjunct professor in the Department of Education Studies in Dublin City University, recently noted that, with the increased diversity of the Irish population, a number of issues require ‘careful and immediate attention if the country is serious about avoiding the all-too-common alienation and underachievement experienced by ethnic minorities elsewhere.’ I whole heartedly agree. However, the mistakes he rightly urges the state to avoid have already been made in relation to Ireland’s indigenous ethnic minority, Travellers. The consequences are plain to see for parents, pupils and teachers alike. 55% of Travellers leave school by the age of 15. The attainment level of Traveller pupils remains significantly lower than that of their settled peers and Traveller children are more likely to be bullied in school. These are the facts. Following budget 2011, the state’s response was to cut Traveller-specific education supports by 86.6%, resulting in dismantling the Visiting Teacher for Traveller Service and Resource Teachers for Travellers. Aside from practical implications, the cuts were disheartening and demotivating for educators and Travellers who face the subsequent challenges on a daily basis. So how do we begin to address the challenges? Firstly, we need to address why so few members of the Traveller community are teachers. Having Travellers working in the education system would provide positive role models for young Travellers, challenge prejudice and stereotypes, and build trust between parents and the education system. Positive action measures, which mentor and support Travellers to become teachers, are crucial in achieving this. 22

Such measures can and do work. The Royal College of Surgeons has effectively implemented a Traveller Access Programme, which has already resulted in one Traveller qualifying as a GP and a further three Traveller students pursuing studies in medicine. We also need to equip teachers to address discriminatory attitudes and behaviour through initial teacher education and continuing professional development, such as the delivery of intercultural education, identity and belonging to first and third year students by Pavee Point. Such measures can equip teacher students with necessary tools to challenge their own attitudes as well as those of their future students.

Traveller prejudice and stereotypes, and allow the majority population to understand the contributions of Travellers to wider Irish society.

It is important to remember the negative experiences of Traveller parents in education, including segregation and compulsory showering up until the late 1970s, which impacts parents’ educational expectations for their own children. The legacy of this poor relationship means that ‘an open door approach’ is not sufficient if schools wish to include Traveller parents. School is not always perceived as a ‘safe space’ by Traveller parents. Steps need to be taken to ensure Traveller parents view themselves as part of the school community and are supported to engage in school structures. Best practise highlights the importance of increasing minority parents’ positive interactions with schools, through involvement in planning sports days, school concerts etc. Identity-based bullying also needs to be responded to with an appropriate level of gravitas if positive relationships are to be developed.

Looking at solutions, there is a major difference between segregated educational provision and targeted measures. Targeted measures are crucial in ensuring Traveller pupils are in a position to engage with the mainstream system on par with their settled peers. Given the complexity of the problem, there is no one solution. However, taking the right steps, it is possible to break the cycle of educational disadvantage once and for all.

The omission of Traveller culture from the formal curriculum sends a message to Traveller pupils that Traveller culture is neither valued nor welcomed. Including Traveller culture would address the issue of self-worth among Traveller pupils, combat anti-

Finally, if we are to break the cycle of disadvantage, we need early intervention initiatives to ensure Traveller children begin school at a comparable level to their settled peers. The Parent Child Home Programme, currently piloted by Pavee Point and the National College of Ireland, promotes ‘learning through play’ with Traveller parents and their preschool children. The programme encourages the parent as the child’s first and best teacher and prepares children for later success in school.

Anne - Early Childhood Educator

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

RESOURCES SCHOOL POLICIES I Data Protection & CCTV policy I Parents as Partners Policy I Administration of Medication Request - Parents I Dignity at Work Policy. STAFF MANAGEMENT I Post Holder Duties. RECRUITMENT Special Needs Assistants I SNA - Policy and Guidelines for Special Needs Assistants.

DES Circular 40/97 relating to the discounting of sick leave as a result of an assault remains in place. The circular has been extended to include SNAs. A separate Assault Leave scheme for Teachers and SNAs will be considered when reviewing the circular during the school year. Monday, 2nd November 2015 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 fixed-term capacity for the remainder of the school year. Up to Monday, 30th November,

DES Circulars Assaults on Teachers / Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) I NCSE Guidelines in relation to the Personal Pupil Plan (PPP) for the further implementation of DES Special Needs Assistant Scheme Circular 30/2014 I 0054/2015 - Sick Leave Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools I 0053/2015 - Sick Leave Scheme for Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools I 2016/2017 Staffing Schedule I 0050/2015 - Primary Online Database - Special Schools I 0047/2015 - Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme for the Education Sector I 0045/2015 - Travel Pass Scheme 2016 I 0044/2015 - HSE Primary School Vaccination Programme 2015/2016 I Home Tuition Scheme 2015 /2016. I

schools can enter their new pupil data on POD. Any new full-time post, clustered or otherwise, must receive sanction from the DES before recruitment processes can begin. If additional hours are received from NCSE, then the school must check with ﬁve neighbouring schools to see if there are any surplus hours available. Christmas Holidays: All schools will close on Tuesday 22nd December 2015, which will be the ﬁnal day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Wednesday 6th January 2016. Teachers with conditional registration that is due to expire on Thursday 31st December are requested to contact the Teaching

RESOURCE BUNDLES Supervision & Duty of Care.

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

SUPPORTS Leadership+ I Leadership+ Issue 88 – September 2015.

ADVOCACY PRESS RELEASES I 14th October - Primary Education – Budget Measures.

Council to review their registration immediately. If registration lapses, a teacher will not be paid by the DES. 22nd December 2015 has been identified by the DES as the date for schools to complete transitional arrangements for the ratification of the Vetting Act. All appointment being made up to this date must comply with the requirements of DES Circular 63/2010. Closing date for submission of applications for the Supplementary Panel has not been released at time of publication. It is expected that it will be mid December. The first Capitation Grant payment will be received by schools in January.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

January 2015

Digital Strategy for Schools more of the same? SINEAD COAKLEY

IPPN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

IPPN welcomes the news that a multi-annual grant will be issued for the upgrade of ICT infrastructure in schools. However, we have significant reservations regarding implementation of this strategy. In the report, Minister Jan O’Sullivan acknowledges that ‘the strategy recognises that schools require a robust, reliable infrastructure in order to effectively integrate ICT into all aspects of school life’. However, there are over 1,500 schools in the country without adequate broadband access. The government’s National Broadband Plan seeks to address this by way of an Intervention Plan which will enable connection to all schools within the Intervention Area. Worryingly though, the procurement process for this phase of the strategy is only due to commence in late 2015. This means that it is likely that this will not come to fruition for some time. IPPN is concerned that this will lead to a greater digital divide between schools depending on their location, whereby urban schools can progress the Digital Strategy whereas their rural counterparts cannot, owing to limited broadband access. IPPN has sought meetings with the ICT Policy Unit of the Department of Education & Skills (DES) as well as the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) with whom the DES intend to collaborate in relation to bringing enhanced broadband to primary schools in Ireland. The Digital Strategy also acknowledges that ‘digital technology has the potential to create a more inclusive education system for all learners’. The report goes on to mention that ‘ICT is a principal enabler for children at risk of educational disadvantage, with low levels of achievement in the formal education system’. IPPN agrees that, in an ideal world, where all pupils share the same level of access to broadband and thus have access to the same level of ICT facilities to aid their learning, this could lead to a more inclusive education system. Given that over 1500 schools in the country are without adequate broadband access, this makes for a less inclusive education system for all learners and widens the gulf between disadvantaged pupils who, without access to the ICT facilities, in turn become even more disadvantaged. The digital strategy recognises that ‘there is a need for distributed leadership in order to truly integrate ICT across our education system’. Indeed this is true and it also highlights what IPPN has been saying on behalf of our members for some time - it is time for the Department to reinstate posts of responsibility within schools. We agree that the implementation of the Digital Strategy in schools will benefit our pupils but this cannot be done without increasing principals’ workload, which is already a key issue. We will continue to advocate on principals’ behalf

and say that this strategy can only be implemented properly with this key measure put in place. Finally, the strategy states that ‘it is envisaged [...] that the Inspectorate will collect data regarding the implementation strategy once schools have had sufficient time to make progress on relevant actions in the 2016/2017 school year’. The Inspectorate cannot reasonably expect to assess the implementation of a key strategy in schools where fundamental barriers to its implementation exist. IPPN will make representation to the Department in relation to full broadband connectivity in all primary schools, up-to-date training for teachers and principals in relation to ICT and a lifting of the moratorium on posts of responsibility. IPPN will also request that the Department outline clearly the manner in which they intend to support schools in the implementation of this strategy, something which the document fails to highlight.

NS QUOTATIO

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Teacher: Billy, your essay on

PURPLE FROG

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Teacher: Marie, why are you

students - on it was a picture

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the ﬂoor?

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in, one little boy had coloured

it without tables!

the frog bright purple. The teacher scolded him, asking, “How often have you seen a purple frog?” The little boy answered, “The same number of times I've seen a frog holding an umbrella.”

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QUOTATIONS

Communication is the real work of leadership. Nitin Nohria

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