Leadership+ Issue 91 March 2016 by Irish Primary Principals’ Network

ISSUE 91 / MARCH 2016

+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS

The change

agenda itself needs to

CHANGE

Legal Diary

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When it comes to assessing the question of negligence of schools, the courts have shown themselves to be very aware of the importance of giving children space to grow, to take some risks and not to be subjected to mollycoddling supervision.

Droichead Survey Results

IPPN decided to conduct a survey of school leaders last November to ensure that the views of school leaders were reﬂected in any discussions on the Droichead process.

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The Deputy Principal’s Role

With the present demands being made on principals, it is now more important than ever that the role of the deputy principal be properly deﬁned and utilised.

The Change Agenda

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The current rate and pace of change is unprecedented and shows little or no regard for the fact that there is a serious deﬁcit in both physical and human resources available in our schools.

Vision into Reality

The ﬁrst step of the journey to develop a more effective school with emotional wellbeing at its heart is describing the school you are seeking to become.

AntiBullying initiative

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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF PRINCIPALS

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+ Leadership

Last October our school took part in an anti-bullying pilot programme delivered by ABI and we’re glad we did! 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 91 / MARCH 2016

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

SCHOOL

TIPS FOR

ASSEMBLIES School assemblies are held to bring together the whole school or groups within the school to share information, provide a face-to-face venue for important announcements, to communicate social, moral, spiritual and cultural concepts and to foster a sense of community within the school.

Key Tips I I

I I I I

Have a clear theme Planning is important - always prepare what you will say and how you will say it Avoid a lengthy gathering especially with Infants! Begin promptly Check sound system in advance Any DVD or YouTube materials must carry a “G” rating and be pre-checked Youngest classes enter last (leave space for them at the front) and leave ﬁrst Beannachtaí a usáid mar thús agus ag fágáil Dul siar ar Nath na Seachtaine agus Seanfhocal na míosa Have designated standing/sitting areas for each class Music playing while leaving or have the children chant or sing – positive atmosphere Use positive language to reinforce school rules.

Suitable songs to start/finish could include: I I I I I

PAT GATELY AND

CÓILÍN Ó COIGLIGH I

I I I I

Month-based themes such as Settle-In September, Outstanding October, Neat Work November Yard/Break-Time Behaviour awards e.g. use Whole Class Dojo to award best class Thought For The Week/Month Maths Problem of The Week Pupil reads his/her favourite poem/piece of writing Seachtain na Gaeilge - play popular songs in Irish, have the children (and teachers) converse with person beside them in Irish (have sample questions to get things going).

Many digital resources are available e.g. Google ‘ideas for assemblies’, see also unicef.org.uk and salvationarmy.ie for relevant materials. Several books are also available on the subject of school assemblies.

Organisation I

I I

Formats I I I

Possible Themes There is a wide variety of possible themes that can be used throughout the school year. The trick is to vary it and avoid repetition as far as possible. Here are some suggestions to consider: I Religious, spiritual, wellbeing I Green Flag, Healthy Schools, Active Schools, school events, national/world events I Acknowledgement of achievements e.g. attendance, academics, behaviour, extracurricular, friendship, awards such as Realt Na Seachtaine, Homework Hero, Principal’s Award

Relaxing /meditation music to start and end assembly School band/choir Amhrán na bhFiann Action Hymns e.g. May God Be in My Mind Themed songs e.g. “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” School Song Seasonal song.

I I I

Principal/Teacher-Led Class-led Pupil-led: e.g. ready the hall; invite all to stand for National Anthem, introduce class and message; award certiﬁcates, invite messages from teachers/principal; invite all to sing ﬁnishing song Visitor/ Local Expert/ Grandparent Member of Board of Management or Parents’ Association Green Flag Committee/ School Council/ Active Schools member speak about current projects Subject-based e.g. Seachtain na Gaeilge, Science Week, Active School’s Week, possibly led by pupils or post-holders.

Special Duties Post-holders – ask them to present at a Staff Meeting to seek volunteers and themes; handle timetables, resources, sound and vision etc. Get a portable microphone and speaker Whiteboard/Interactive whiteboard/Blackboard can be useful e.g. to show relevant (and pre-checked!) YouTube clips Vary the layout of the space occasionally.

Behaviour There should be clear expectations around behaviour at assemblies. Agreed procedures need to be followed to ensure consistency of approach and an environment where positive behaviour can be expected. It is essential that all staff have high expectations for assemblies and model the behaviour that is expected by students (i.e. no chatting!) This article was compiled from a longer piece submitted to the networking mailing list by Pat and Cóilín before Christmas.

March 2016

The change agenda itself needs to

CHANGE

School principals live the reality of being agents of change every day. They are passionate about creating and maintaining a positive school environment where children learn and develop to their full potential in a safe and stimulating space. However, the expectation that schools can address and cure all of society’s ills and failings is totally unrealistic and quite frankly undoable. The current rate and pace of change is unprecedented and shows little or no regard for the fact that there is a serious deﬁcit in both physical and human resources available in our schools. To achieve and deliver quality outcomes for children, the pause button must be pressed on the volume of new initiatives being introduced at an alarming rate into the system. Schools have seen many excellent initiatives introduced in the recent past that genuinely have the capacity to improve and enhance teaching and learning. Some of these changes include School Self Evaluation and the Literacy & Numeracy Strategy. We all recognise that any new initiative requires a reasonable timeframe for implementation review and assessment. But the current reality is that no sooner has one initiative arrived into our schools than the next one is just around the corner. This fast-tracking of systemic change is unsustainable and causing frustration among principals committed to reform and improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in schools.

SEÁN COTTRELL AND MARIA DOYLE keep the show on the road. The absence of a middle management structure is a significant impediment to the introduction and successful implementation of change. Principals cannot and should not be expected to lead change alone and when this deficit is addressed some reasonable confidence can be reintroduced into an overwhelmed and overcrowded system. To this end, at IPPN Conference 2016 we made ‘a renewed call for a moratorium on all new initiatives to give school leaders time to implement, review and assess what is already in place’.

It’s a worrying fact that over half of principals who responded to a recent IPPN survey stated that they would step down from their leadership position if they retained their seniority. This is despite the fact that eight out of every ten principals said they loved their job. Principals say that their current workload is impacting negatively on their health and wellbeing and this fact can no longer be ignored. If workload is damaging principal’s health and wellbeing, it must affect the core work of leading the learning in schools. It is past time for school patrons and Boards of Management to take their role as employer seriously and look at the impact of workload on the wellbeing of school leaders. Initiative overload is a signiﬁcant contributory factor in terms of principals’ workload and this issue needs to be addressed as a priority. It’s time for some serious conversations. IPPN is ready for productive engagement in relation to a calendar of reform and principals’ wellbeing.

Therefore, it is imperative that there is an agreed reasonable and manageable timeframe for future introduction of systemic change. The current practice is unsustainable and therefore a collaborative approach to a Calendar of Reform must be a priority. Stakeholders and agencies need to sit together to discuss new initiatives and map out a reasonable and effective timeline for introduction and implementation. The change agenda itself needs to change. Of course, the moratorium on In School Management has placed unsustainable pressure on school leaders to literally 33

The School’s Duty of Care to Pupils

DAVID RUDDY BL PRINCIPAL OF TALBOT SNS

When parents drop off pupils in the morning they effectively transfer their duty of care over to the school. Schools assume this responsibility and must discharge it in the manner that a reasonable person would do. If a teacher acts with due care so as to avoid causing an unreasonable risk of injury to pupils, he or she will not be found to be negligent even where serious injury results from that conduct. As stated by a Canadian judge in Hamilton V School District No 37, 2010 BC SC 712, ‘The standard a teacher is required to meet is reasonableness, not perfection’. What constitutes reasonable care in any case depends on the particular circumstances. The court makes a value judgement, taking into account the likelihood of injury resulting from the teacher’s actions. When it comes to assessing the question of negligence of schools, the courts have shown themselves to be very aware of the importance of giving children space to grow, to take some risks and not to be subjected to mollycoddling supervision. It should, however, be emphasised that the courts have made it clear that pupils need to be protected from all avoidable dangers against which it is reasonable to

provide such protection. What precisely must be done will depend on a number of factors, with the age of the pupil being of particular importance. It may well be negligent to release young children onto the street during school hours, however more mature pupils can safely be permitted to leave the school for legitimate purposes. The courts appreciate the need to apply a standard of care that respects educational values and is sensitive to the realities of school life. The following cases are illustrative of this type of thinking.

Hosback V Sacred Heart Boys National School 2000 Circuit Court Judge O’Leary said it was in the public interest that children should be encouraged and supervised by teachers to compete in all ﬁeld sports and be brought to swimming pools to learn how to swim. He dismissed a claim for negligence where the pupil fell at a swimming pool when grabbing the poolside ladder.

LEGAL DIARY

Foran V Caherleen National School 2004, Circuit Court In this case a pupil claimed that he had been lining up to go back into the school building after a break when a ﬁght ensued between two boys. One of the two boys who were ﬁghting hit the innocent pupil in the face with his elbow. Judge O Hagan dismissed the claim, asking ‘What can a teacher do to stop that?’

H V Western Education Board 2015, Stephen’s J NIQB In this Northern Ireland case a nineyear old pupil lost the sight in one eye during a rehearsal for a school play when another young pupil, dressed as a fairy, waved a wand that she was carrying in his face. The wand consisted of a stick with a star on top. Unusually for a star, it was ”slightly rounded”, having “no sharp edges”.

The boy’s claim for negligence against the school was dismissed by the judge. The judge considered that the teacher in charge had formed “an assessment of both the wand and also of the pupil that was holding the wand”. While there would be many pupils whom one would not trust with such an object such as the wand, the overwhelming evidence was that the particular girl “was timid and not likely to behave in an inappropriate manner with the wand”. The rehearsal had been appropriately supervised. The girl had not been seen to be waving the wand around. There had been no anticipation of any danger. The injured boy had sustained his injury on the ﬁrst and only occasion on which the girl waved the wand.

‘Reasonable Management’ Cases depend very much on particular facts so one can only draw general conclusions from them as to what constitutes reasonable management of a school day. Judges are human beings and vary somewhat in where they draw a line. Applying the concept of negligence to the real world is not an exact science.

Schools through their adherence to safety statements have become much more conscious of their duty of care. Yard duty rosters should be retained as proof of supervision in the event of litigation. Procedures should be in place to deal with wet ﬂoors and any dangers about the school premises. Personal injury actions against schools tend to be settled. Insurance companies have to operate in accordance with economic reality. Sometimes they will settle claims against schools which, if the case proceeded to a full hearing and judgement, would be likely to result in a dismissal. They do this because litigation is hugely expensive. If they were to succeed in defending the claim, and not be able to recoup their legal expenses, it would cost them more than it does to settle the claim. They will ﬁght the clearly unsustainable claims but, if there is doubt, they may prefer to settle. Source: “The School’s Duty of Care to Pupils: What the Courts Today Require?” by Professor William Binchy, BL.

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

2016

NCLI Leadership Award Sponsored by:

A few months back, we invited nominations for the NCLI Leadership Award. This is the second year that the award took place and it was established to honour and recognise an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities, within the school community. The adjudicators for this year’s award were Virginia O’Mahony, former IPPN President and Deputy CEO and Aogán Ó Fearghail, GAA President. We are delighted to have Bank of Ireland sponsoring this prestigious award. The award was presented at the IPPN Annual Conference on Thursday, 28th January by Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan. This year’s worthy recipient is Caitriona McDonnell, current teaching principal of Ballyfeeney NS, Co. Roscommon. Caitriona started in the school in 2005 as a learning support teacher and was appointed principal just two years later at the age of 27. She was nominated by a member of staff depicting her true leadership qualities and outlining a number of changes and achievements of the school during her principalship,

achieved as a result of her determination, passion, enthusiasm, encouragement and support.

CAITRIONA MCDONNELL COMMENTED ON THE AWARD BY SAYING… Many thanks to my staff at Ballyfeeney NS, Co Roscommon for nominating me for this award. I have been overwhelmed with the kind words, comments, messages from parents and wider community since receiving the award and I had no idea how much people appreciated the work I do. I am privileged to work with such thoughtful, hardworking, pupilfocused teachers and non-teaching staff who have the commitment, kindness and conﬁdence to enable learning in a happy classroom setting. We are also blessed with a “hands on” Board of Management, a creative Parents’ Association, supportive parents and above all wonderful, kindhearted, respectful pupils.

treated in that situation - what would you expect if they were your child, how would you like to be spoken to if you were that student, what support would you expect if you were that teacher, what tone you would want if you were that parent. I wish to dedicate this award to my late husband, Michael, who passed away in September 2012. Michael was Principal of Moylough NS, Co Sligo. His remarkable vibrancy in his career, his work, dedication, commitment & understanding has inspired me to strive for continuous improvements in our school. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (Martin Luther King, Jr). Michael was a true inspiration. Every day I try to be my best, do my best, be mindful, be fair, treat others as I would like to be treated and above all Carpe Diem.

In my opinion it’s so vital to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, consider how you would like to be

Included in photograph: Virginia O’Mahony, Caitriona McDonnell, Seán Cottrell and Lucy Murray of Bank of Ireland

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

2016

“Every year we are being dragged further away from our core purpose – leading the teaching and learning.” SEAN COTTRELL IPPN CEO Being the Principal is a privileged position and most of us love what we do. Unfortunately, the job we love to do is becoming a stranger. Every year we are being dragged further away from our core purpose – leading the teaching and learning – owing to the constant changes in the education system. Some of this change has been good – the Revised Curriculum and the National Induction Programme for Teachers spring to mind. These initiatives had a positive impact on children’s learning, there was a clear vision and strategy, communication with stakeholders was good, and the timelines were, for the most part, realistic. However, regardless of how much effort is put in, without a shared vision and a clear strategy, the introduction of any change is doomed to failure. Of all the change over the past several years, Droichead has probably been the most contentious. Almost 9 out of 10 principals told IPPN that you are not in favour of Droichead in its current form. You explained that the additional workload is a key factor, as well as the availability of release days and the impact on staff relations. The current process involving the Inspectorate is far from perfect. But it does have a number of strengths that must not be lost – specialised training, national standards and quality assurance. As it currently stands, Droichead has none of these strengths. IPPN directly consulted with all principals and 1,400 of you responded. We have discussed the results with the Teaching Council, the DES and the INTO. The Teaching Council is responding to your feedback and we are told that the issues we raised are being taken into account. Be assured colleagues. We will review the new proposals very carefully. Le céad bliain anuas tharla a lán iarrachtaí ar athbheochan na Gaeilge. Theip ar fhormhór na n-iarrachtaí. Is iontach ar fad iad ár gcultúr agus ár noidhreacht. Ach tá an iomarca daoine 88

nach féidir leo Gaeilge a labhairt. Beidh bearna i gcónaí inár gcultúr muna mbíonn ár dteanga againn. Níl straitéis na Gaeilge sa tír seo soiléir – sin mar a dúirt sibhse sa suirbhé a bhí againn. Dúirt sibh freisin gur mhaith libh athrú bunúsach ar churaclam na Gaeilge. Tá am breise á lorg agaibh don Ghaeilge. Ach ní mian libh go leanfar leis na modhanna muinte nach bhfuil ag éirí leo... Modhanna muinte a fhágann daltaí gan líofacht Ghaeilge tar éis ceithre bliana déag caite ag foghlaim na teanga. Tá gá le cur chuige nua, le fís nua agus le straitéis nua. Is féidir ár bhfís don Ghaeilge a léiriú in aon fhocal amháin – líofacht – go mbeidh gach dalta ag fágáil na scoile líofa sa Ghaeilge. Ba chóir curaclam na Gaeilge a roinnt ina dhá chuid – labhairt agus litríocht na Gaeilge. Ba chóir díriú ar an nGaeilge labhartha amháin in ocht mbliana na bunscoile. Ba chóir comhrá Gaeilge a chomhtháthú le gnéithe eile den churaclam. Ba chóir tosú le Drámaíocht agus le Corpoideachas. Beidh 1916 á cheiliúradh againn i mbliana. Bímís bródúil as ár mbrat, as ár gcultúr, as ár dteanga. Agus bímís – Líonra Phríomhoidí bunscoile Éireann – inár laochra don Ghaeilge labhartha inár scoileanna. We are extremely concerned about the number of principals whose physical health and emotional wellbeing are suffering because of the isolation and high-stress nature of the role. This is particularly true for Teaching Principals who are frustrated at being unable to fulfil two distinct roles at once, exhausted from multi-tasking and disillusioned from constant compromise of your professional beliefs and values. Principals have always gone the extra mile, displaying generosity and integrity despite all the added responsibilities and workload but our patience has worn very thin. Even an elastic band has its breaking point! The

school leaders who have been most effective, and who have gained the most job satisfaction, are those who have a strong instinct and selfconfidence about what is the right thing to do for children. They are not afraid to make tough decisions. Instead, they rely on the chances of forgiveness if they do get it wrong. Collectively, principals have the capacity to influence and manage change. Never has it been so important that the authentic voice of Principals be heard. The full speech text is available on ippn.ie under Events/Principals’ Conference/Principals’ Conference 2016/Keynotes.

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IPPN Annual Principals’

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“Our concern for school leaders is that you may lose your way if the pause button is not pressed on the current pace and rate of change.” MARIA DOYLE IPPN PRESIDENT As President of IPPN, I celebrate with you the great privilege it is to influence and shape the future for our children. As the leader of a school community for over 20 years, I know that the expectations placed upon principals by so many stakeholders can be overwhelming and daunting. We as school principals live the reality of being agents of change every day. And the expectation that schools can address and cure all of society’s ills and failings is totally unrealistic and quite frankly undoable. The founding vision of IPPN was to empower every school principal to be an exemplary leader of learning. IPPN has remained true to this vision. Our concern for school leaders is that you may lose your way if the pause button is not pressed on the current pace and rate of change. You are expected to manage an unprecedented number of new initiatives and system changes with little or no meaningful consultation and seriously deficient resources. This workload issue is consistently and forcefully highlighted by IPPN with decision-makers and stakeholders. Four years ago, IPPN called for a moratorium on new initiatives. There has been no relaxation on the pace of change. We have seen little or no reversal to cuts in education and a further erosion of the in school management structure. It comes as no surprise that more than half of principals told us that they would step down from the role of principal if they could retain their seniority. I am making a renewed call for a moratorium on all new initiatives to give school leaders time to implement, review and assess what is already in place. Principals’ work overload is damaging the health and wellbeing of school leaders, as well as their core work – leading the learning in schools.

The change agenda itself needs to change. IPPN would welcome a collaborative approach to a ‘calendar of reform’ where stakeholders and agencies sit together and discuss proposed new initiatives and agree a reasonable and manageable timeframe for the introduction of change. The agencies must work together and consider the needs of schools in working through their individual strategies.

can be attributed in no small way to the quality of our teachers and the commitment of our school leaders. I salute you – our modern day leaders. You continue to do an amazing job despite the numerous speed bumps and obstacles along the way because you continue to have a vision for the children entrusted to you. I have no doubt that Pearce and his 1916 contemporaries would be extremely proud of what you do every day.

A Vision for Leadership

The full speech text is available on ippn.ie under Events/Principals’ Conference/Principals’ Conference 2016/Keynotes.

So what lessons have we learned looking back on 100 years of leadership? Are we living up to the expectations of the men and women of 1916? Well, we have come a long way from the days of children bringing a sod of turf to school to keep the fire burning. But have we replaced that voluntary sod of turf with a voluntary contribution and a cake sale? Today’s education system has a welcome child-centred approach to curriculum learning, replacing the rote learning system of the 1900s which left little or no room for creativity. But, we must be cautious that in promoting a very laudable Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in our modern schools, we must continue to remain true to the holistic development of our pupils. We must make time for the arts and PE, which contribute significantly to the emotional and physical wellbeing of our children. There is no question that today’s schools are happier, safer and more stimulating places for our children. They celebrate difference and diversity and are led by committed principals and teachers. Teaching is still revered in Ireland as a noble and respected profession and our education system, despite its flaws, is still the envy of many countries. This

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

2016

Armed Forces Colour Party Education Spokespersons Panel

Facilitator David McCullagh Minister Jan O’Sullivan

Conference and Seminar Facilitator David Ruddy 10

Seminar Facilitator Dr. Colm O’Connor

Taoiseach Enda Kenny

Seminar Facilitator Siobhán Allen

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

2016

Seminar Facilitator Kathleen Byrne

Newly Appointed Principals Seminar

Professor Ciaran O’Boyle

Shane Martin

Dr. Todd Whittaker

Maria Doyle, IPPN President, presenting IPPN plaque to Professor Ciaran O’Boyle 11

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE IPPN PARTNERS:

2016

EDUCATION EXPO SPONSORS:

We would like to thank the following companies for their generous contributions:

IPPN would like to thank the 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 with the Conference 2016 materials on ippn.ie (CPD & Events menu) 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

Congratulations to all our Passport Giveaway winners: I

Seán Horgan, St Patrick Boys NS Mallow

Anita Healy, Rossport NS, Ballina

Neil Ó Tárrain, Gaelscoil Uí Fhiach, Maigh Nuad

Eileen Curtin, Rockchapel NS, Cork

Anne Berry, Faithlegg NS, Waterford

Pat Hackett, Curracloe NS, Wexford

Máire Moran, St. Josephs GNS, Dublin

Kenneth McCarthy, Kilmeen NS, Cork

Carmel O’Reilly, Lisdoonan NS, Monaghan

Teresa Fitzsimons, Stonetown NS, Louth

Killian O’Mahony, St. Patricks NS, Dublin

Enjoy your prize! Passport prizes are for winners to enjoy themselves and there is no expectation that they should be donated to school. 12

Ciaran Whelan (left) and Alan Black (right) of Allianz pictured with Anita Healy, Rossport NS who was the lucky winner of their prize; Apple iPad Air 2.

IPPN Annual Principals’

CONFERENCE

2016

Raising the Flag, Raising the Praise DAMIAN WHITE PRINCIPAL, SCOIL SHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY One hundred years of leadership since that Easter Proclamation When brave young men and women sought an independent nation The Mad Teachers’ Rebellion was the moniker it acquired When our forebears swapped their chalk sticks for the guns they often fired In pursuit of greater freedom, for Liberty’s bell to toll For workers rights, our Gaelic tongue, brave teachers took a role. McDonagh, Margaret Skinnider, the brave Brothers Pearse Sought equal rights and suffrage, in fighting that was fierce While other brave young Irishmen had followed Redmond’s call To fight a war on foreign soil for the rights of nations small. One hundred years have passed since those critical hours of need We celebrate this Easter their each wellintentioned deed. For Teachers still a leading role to plot the Nation’s way Be it Minister, or Taoiseach, or Uachtaráin GAA. One hundred years of schooling since the Pearse Murder Machine Education after a windy path is now a different scene. And our annual Saggart Conference still hears passion in the calls For the pace of change to slow right down for the betterment of all. Droichead still a bridge to cross, while milestones are the rock On which the literacy plans could perish with our weary teaching flock. One hundred years ago our flag was a sprightly fifty years Since the French through Deises Thomas Meagher sent our Tricolour here. A proud and great occasion then as the Orange White and Green Was piped into the great white tent in a most impressive scene. Mise Eire wafted sweetly as the flag and Proclamation Were handed ceremoniously to the Principals of the Nation. Receiving on our own behalf were Seán and President Doyle Our Cork man of inspiration and his elegant Deise Foil Our Joan of Arc, on trusty steed, leading with élan And a Deise pride and passion to equal John Mullane. A pleasant Thursday reception for our kindly Minister Jan Who when finished made for Limerick with her re-election plan.

For politicians there’s anxiety with a tight general election The political equivalent of our own Whole School Inspection. Gaelic sport and education, and oratory for real From our own GAA President, Cavan’s Aogán Ó Fearghail. An early Friday morning call and a few welcome musical bars From a resurrected Ziggy Stardust without the Spiders from Mars. Seán established ground control knocking plans which seem too fussy Agus le buladh bos ón slua mor chuir se Gaeilge bheal chun tosaigh. A line up of candidates of every known shade Had four minutes in which to have their plans outlaid. With promises, priorities and pleas from every mouth Apart from Sinn Fein’s spokesman who was detained Down South. And Paul Rowe sought translation for an odd word on his phone Rámeis not a word he had ever previously known. Debonair David McCullagh in dark, macabre tones Sought vainly to draw some meat from pre-election bones. Some will taste victory, for others just the falls But a golden ticket for Jim D’Arcy and his two big balls. No more heroes for leaders is the mantra just now And impressively Ciaran O’ Boyle tells us how The leaders of now are not born but they grow From their values, self awareness and experience which flow From time in the arena full of errors and dust For flexible style is a leadership must. Never park your best work on a dust laden shelf So Ciaran adds to his talk with a quote from himself. His speech was in honour of a man with a smile His late teacher and father Seamus O’ Boyle. Todd Whittaker stays firmly in an idiotfree zone Because a practised Idiot is out in his own If your goal is greatness, follow people who’re great But Yoko Ono just won’t take the bait. Twitter’s the key to the leader of now Who shares their good stuff and yearns to know how

To be a great general, to know where it’s at Like Peaceful Paul and Pleasant Pat. Raise the Praise, Minimise the Criticise Ten days out of ten for all girls and boys. Our Taoiseach on Kerry was a keen, positive talker After tracing the spatial footsteps of Luke Skywalker But he’d swap all the peace of those Skellig Beehives For the force to protect him from political knives. As he takes to the roads amid insults and cheers Seeking to govern for four more years. Perhaps he should sit and chat with psychologist Shane And to Cavan / Monaghan’s ticket, add Lily Shaughnessy’s name. Reflecting through his unique lens on our strange and quirky way Making light of the graveyard slot on a long and busy day. Listening to every quibble is our favourite agony aunt But emotional wellbeing is Angela’s constant chant She urges all in this great hall to switch on without blinking To living in the moment and the power of positive thinking. David Ruddy looked the part with the minister on the stand With a tie of Enda yellow, he had questions on demand. And what of the yellow belly, the moustachioed maestro Pat Who leaned into McCullagh for the odd little intimate chat. The office staff worked hard and fast each and every hour Their energy is breathtaking, their knowledge truly power. To all those great Mad Teachers one hundred years ago A lot has happened down the years since you first struck a blow. Not all change was honourable and it’s taken time reach the place Where the Proclamation’s lofty ideals finally have a smiling face. The valour you showed in our hour of most need Has seen us flower from your well scattered seed. The Murder Machine gives way to a bright happy school day And children are taught in a warm friendly way. Opportunity knocks now for our bright young Braves Pearse and McDonagh rest easy in your sacred graves. 13

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Droichead

IPPN Survey Results Having heard what many school leaders had been telling us about the proposed Droichead process at Autumn County Network meetings, at our National Council and other fora, IPPN decided to act on what we heard and conduct a survey of school leaders last November to ensure that the views of school leaders were reﬂected in any discussions on the matter.

Have you been involved in the pilot phase of Droichead?

All other things being equal: if you are expected to sign off on probation, you would be more likely too employ a full probated teacher over a non-probted NQT?

8.2% 14.9%

91.8% 85.1%

Over 1,400 IPPN members replied to the survey, representing 43% of all primary schools. The overwhelming majority of school leaders are not in favour of Droichead in its current form, with three quarters saying they would not sign up for Droichead. The key reasons were ranked, the top three obstacles being work overload and resources, concern about the impact on staff relations and lack of additional remuneration. There were also many positive comments from those involved in the pilot, highlighting the beneﬁts of the approach over the current model. Among these are the beneﬁts of a whole-school, collegial approach, an increased focus on mentoring and continuous assessment rather than oneoff inspection visits.

Yes

No Yes

Are you in favour of Droichead in its current form? Which aspects of a teacher’s career do you as principal wish to be involved in? Tick all that apply? 100%

23% 80%

11%

63%

60%

40%

We have discussed these survey results with the Teaching Council, the INTO and the DES and will also bring them to the attention of management bodies, the Inspectorate and the colleges of

20%

Yes, deﬁnitely No, not really

Over 1,400 IPPN members replied to the survey, representing 43% of all primary schools. We have discussed these survey results with the Teaching Council, the INTO and the DES 14

Yes, somewhat No, not at all

Student Teacher Recruitment Placement

Induction

Probation

CPD

March 2016

Below is the ranked list of potential obstacles to the proposed Droichead process, where a rank of 1 is the most serious obstacle, 2 is the next most serious etc. Answer Options

Ranking

Additional work for already overloaded principals

Concern about the impact on staff relations

Lack of additional remuneration

Not able to form a Professional Support Team in my school

That the inspectorate will provide the appropriate support as required

Lack of clarity about the Appeals process – for both NQTs and principals/PSTs

education. The Teaching Council has taken on board the IPPN survey feedback, as well as feedback from the pilot project itself and the ESRI report ‘Teacher Induction and Probation: Research on the Droichead Pilot Programme’ published in July 2015. We will keep you informed of any planned amendments, if any, to the process. Below are the survey results. The several thousand free-form comments provided have been summarised to encapsulate the very wide range of opinion among school leaders.

SUMMARY OF FREE-FORM RESPONSES What are the main strengths of the proposed model of Droichead? APPROACH I The induction and mentoring programme is a good support for NQTs. I A signiﬁcant emphasis on mentoring and not just inspection I Schools must formulate clear evaluative guidelines when evaluating the work of the NQT. Each step must be successfully completed before moving onto a further step. NQTs are given support by colleagues and a chance to improve at each stage I Collegiality of all staff helping the NQT I Continuous evaluation, assessment and feedback rather that one-off visits I It allows the PST team to verify all aspects of the NQT teaching I Those which apply to mentoring peer support, inclusion, scaffolding, phased learning, staff involvement and whole school involvement I Opportunity for some teachers to take on some additional responsibilities I A structured approach to mentoring

I I I I

Gives principals a say in probation and takes the opinion of the school into account Aim to shape a new teacher to good practices CPD for the PST Team Faster process The framework opens communication channels within schools for further discussion, collaboration opportunities for best practice.

OTHER Allowing teachers / principals with current experience in the job assist newly appointed teachers rather than inspectors who in some cases are out of touch with current practices I An end to the fear factor attached to the inspectors visit I A principal or mentor is more available than an inspector, can offer more frequent advice and feed back I Involves the whole staff in the process I Greater recognition of the need to support newly-qualiﬁed teachers I Fosters better staff relations and collaboration I Self regulation within the profession I From the DES perspective, it saves money by eliminating the need to employ extra inspectors. I

I would not sign up for Droichead because... / main deficiencies of the proposed model ROLE I Essential to have an external, objective ﬁnal evaluation to be as fair as possible to the NQT I Teaching principals would not be able to observe the NQT teaching I The difficulties for principals in Special Schools have not been considered I It is not the role of the principal

I I I I I

I I

I I I

Shouldn’t mix mentoring/induction and probation Lack of role clarity Not practical for teaching principals to sign off Inspectors should probate teachers Teachers should be fully probated when they leave college as part of a 4-year degree Requires middle management posts to be restored Principals should support and advise, not probate Very difficult to motivate staff to take on extra duties so couldn’t form a PST PST - not everyone would be suited to this role and the very people who may be interested may not have the skills to do it well Droichead is much more suited to a large school with an Admin Principal. I cannot see how it could work in a 2, 3 or 4 Teacher school I am currently on the PST. I am happy to induct NQTs but don’t feel that after 4 days ‘training’ I am qualiﬁed to sign off on someone’s probation Lack of outside ﬁnal adjudication Not enough teaching principals have been involved Teaching Principals should get 1 or 2 days a week administrative leave, if they are expected to take on this mantle

WORK OVERLOAD Extra workload on the already overloaded principal I Lack of resources and time I Insufficient administration days for Teaching Principals I Unworkable for Teaching Principals even with additional administration days I Onerous paperwork required I This process cannot be added to the workload of principals while the serious lack of middle management in our schools is allowed to persist I We cannot continue to take on I

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

extra work without adequate resources and back up and proper remuneration Schools do not have the capacity to complete the process in an appropriate manner during school hours, even with substitute cover....when a sub can be found Please listen to Principals who simply cannot take on any more responsibilities.

Impact on relationships I I do not, in principle, agree with the whole process of a Principal evaluating a Newly Qualified Teacher on a formal basis for their Diploma. I believe it creates a conflict of interest in on the one hand informally mentoring/ supporting an NQT and on the other hand having the final say on whether they attain their Diploma or not I Would undermine relationships and prevent true mentoring I Conflict of interest - many schools have past pupils/family/friends working with them & could not probate them in an unbiased way I Would greatly affect the relationship between teacher and principal

I I

Teachers will feel the principal is ‘inspecting’ them every time they are in the classroom Impact on staff morale – would completely change the dynamic of the relationship with the NQT Concern about what happens when a teacher should not be probated An NQT would be unlikely to seek support from colleagues as this may be interpreted as a sign of weakness Onus on principal to determine future career for NQT who is working with them as a colleague.

OTHER CONCERNS Lack of impartiality and objectivity. Lack of standardisation if it is managed at school level. I Probation could be subjective in a small rural area. I The pilot is inherently unfair and unsound as only principals and schools who are in favour or support the idea are taking part I Not every principal may have the same standards for probation. I The present system is fair and worth keeping I Insufficient training I Insufficient remuneration

I I I I I

I I

Proposed model doesn’t allow for standardisation across the board Principals’ views have not been listened to Other models have not been explored or piloted properly Impartiality and consistency would be gone We were ‘consulted’ about Droichead but our opinions were disregarded The pilot has not being properly assessed and the participants have not been listened to Why change a system that is working? Granted there are difficulties with current arrangements as inspectorate is not consistent in standards required but in general it is satisfactory. I will not employ non-probated teachers if this is adopted It is a fantastic model of probation on paper but being involved in the pilot I see how it needs to be correctly resourced in order for it to succeed The mess re probation must stop now - particularly this stressful search for 50 days here and 50 days there.

PRINCIPAL ADVICE

Transforming Vision

REALITY

into

ANGELA LYNCH PRINCIPAL ADVICE MANAGER I must say that I am somewhat out of my comfort zone. In the last edition of Leadership+, I urged you to put emotional wellbeing at the heart of the school community by starting the conversation. Perhaps now is the time to move forward and implement the vision. Details and implementation may not always be my strongpoint, but I am hoping that the following may give you some ideas to support you in leading the process. The ﬁrst step of the journey to develop a more effective school with emotional wellbeing at its heart is describing the school you are seeking to become. If you don’t know where you are going, you probably aren’t going to get there. How do you do this? 1. Begin with where you are right now then identify where you want to go. This is the key to identifying those areas where you need to improve. Schools are already doing this as part of SSE/SIP. 2. Create a set of core beliefs to which the school community can commit. Creating the shared vision is a slow process but it is not difficult. It requires that staff, Board of Management, parents and children share their core beliefs and can describe how this ideal vision would look like in reality. 3. Once each group has done this, build a consensus around these shared beliefs. Use words and phrases to describe the ideal vision. Before beginning the process, it is useful for you as Principal/Deputy Principal to consider the following questions. Once you have answered these for yourself, you will be in a stronger and more conﬁdent position to guide the process with all the other stakeholders. I What do I plan for? I What do I assess/evaluate? I What do I model? I What do I reinforce by way of acknowledgement and praise?

What behaviour am I willing to confront?

Questions for the school community are based around what activities you would like to see in the ideal community. I What are the pupils doing? I What are the teachers/SNAs doing? I What are the administrative staff doing? I What are management doing? I What are the community doing?

The ﬁrst step of the journey to develop a more effective school with emotional wellbeing at its heart is describing the school you are seeking to become.

timeframe and structure. It is individual to each school, dependent on the school’s specific needs, embedded in everything you do as a school and guiding how you interact with each other. It is about reflecting continuously on the vision, consciously bringing it to bear on the daily behaviours and interactions of the school, and monitoring progress. This will not happen in one fell swoop. We apply SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) to other areas of the SSE process. It is especially important in the case of emotional wellbeing. Take small steps beginning wherever you are. The journey begins with that first step.

Delivering the vision Regardless of who is involved in the creation of the school vision, it needs to be owned by all of the stakeholders. Each needs to understand their role. Ask them how they can contribute to the overall vision at staff meetings, Board meetings, parents’ meetings and in class. In thinking about implementing the vision, consider the following: I What practises need to be different? I What role will the BoM and ISM team have in driving and monitoring the vision? I Do we need to create teams? I How will the SIP support the vision? I How can we build on it? I How will we communicate the outcomes? I What are the next steps going to be? This may well seem like a huge task. It is not something with a clearly-deﬁned

TAILORED TRAINING SESSIONS FOR

BOARDS OF MANAGEMENT [1 hours sessions minimum]

Topics include: Corporate Governance Conﬂict Resolution Recruitment Health & Safety Legal Issues Data Protection School Finance Child Protection Anti-Bullying Code of Behaviour

Contact details: Seán Hourihane BL Mobile: (086) 8490193 E-Mail: sean@bomassist.ie

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Anti-Bullying

initiative TOM GATELY

PRINCIPAL OF BALLYMURRAY NATIONAL SCHOOL, ROSCOMMON

In a rural school, like ours in Ballymurray, I feel that behavioural issues, especially bullying, can be quite difficult to handle, as in most cases you’re dealing with a small network of families who are familiar with every aspect of each other’s lives. There’s a risk of something in school having long-term consequences for the whole community. Last October the school took part in an anti-bullying pilot programme delivered by ABI and we’re glad we did! The programme isn’t a once-off awareness raising event, it’s an annual initiative that threads itself through school life. The beauty about this programme is that everyone pupils, parents and staff - learns to appreciate fairness and a more nonjudgemental approach. As Irish people, we tend to not involve ourselves in situations we’re not directly affected by, the ‘stay out of it, it’s none of your business’ advice that our parents drilled into us. This acts as fuel to unfolding situations in school. Through the programme, the pupils get the importance of disclosure, and gain the conﬁdence to say ‘hang on, that’s not fair’. The teachers are given the tools to recognize bullying behaviour patterns and to handle complaints and disclosures, without confusion and major disruptions in class. We now have clear procedures in place that everyone knows and follows, which allows pupils that have engaged in bullying to quickly reintegrate back into the class group. As principals, we’re entrusted with the safety and well being of pupils in our school, so if you’re lucky enough to get the chance to partake in this programme, grab it with both hands it’s worth it. My colleagues from Knockcroghery and Clonown National Schools have similar things to say. Caroline Tully, Principal of Knockcroghery NS, says: ‘We took part in the ABI Programme and in September 2015 we began to implement the Programme. It’s proving to be very successful in our school. Students, staff and parents were all trained on what bullying is and positive behaviours that counteract it. We’re all much more aware of how we can live

positive, caring behaviours ourselves. Adopting a no-blame approach when dealing with speciﬁc disclosures of bullying behaviour by teachers, parents and students really works. We feel the programme is very effective, as it encourages the pupils to discuss and disclose issues in a nonthreatening environment. It has deﬁnitely promoted respectful relationships across our school community’. Fiona O’ Neill, Principal of Clonown NS, says ‘We’re delighted with the programme. We have moved away from dreading the potential problems surrounding the issue of ‘anti-bullying’ to sharing kindness, showing respect and helping one another on a daily basis. It is no longer a stand-alone subject to be addressed at one point of the year. Our regularly updated Care Corner is an important part of the classrooms, and anti-bullying lessons/events are now a normal part of school life. Regular surveys have provided us with vital information on how the children are feeling, and have

made us more aware of what’s happening in our school. The programme is a great support to me as Principal, and has given me conﬁdence in dealing with difficult behaviours and situations.’

ABI Care Programme The Anti-Bullying Institute (formerly NABC), offers an innovative support programme for schools. The programme promotes positive behaviours among students and staff through class sessions, parents’ evenings, staff training and consultative meetings throughout the school year. If you have any queries about the Anti-bullying Programme, contact Monica Monahan of the Anti-Bullying Institute at wwwabi.ie or by phone to 087 269 4369.

March 2016

Principals’ Workload A Conversation with the DES As announced at IPPN Conference 2016, a meeting took place between IPPN’s Board of Directors and an Assistant General Secretary of the DES in relation to principals’ workload. This was a unique opportunity to describe in detail the reality of principals’ day to day work and to highlight initiative overload in particular. Each member of the Board of Directors in turn described their role in leading schools of different types, including DEIS and non-DEIS schools, Special Schools, small schools led by Teaching Principals, and more. Among the issues raised were: I The conﬂicting demands on principals between teaching, leading learning, and administration I The frustration of teaching principals in attempting to do two roles simultaneously I The unsustainable pressures and expectations placed on principals working in special school settings I The implementation of new initiatives one after the other with

I I

no time to embed one before the next is introduced Lack of ISM support in most schools which means that schools’ capacity to implement change is greatly curtailed Duplication of administration across state agencies The excessive bureaucracy involved in securing resources for children with SEN e.g. inability to combine GAM and Resource hours; duplicate information across forms/reports Inadequate funding, particularly for ancillary services (administration, caretaking, cleaning) buildings, IT, curricular resources etc and the time spent fundraising for same which takes time away from leading learning Board of Management structures are very weak in supporting principals’ workload Principals continually pulled into tasks that are not related to teaching and learning e.g. SEAI reports, maintenance problems,

minor works and summer works applications etc. This list is by no means exhaustive but gives a ﬂavour of what was raised on the day. The focus in our discussion was on the need to allow principals to attend to their core work – leading teaching and learning – and what needs to be done to make this happen. When pressed to identify the key priority to address principals’ workload, IPPN reiterated the overwhelming feedback from members – which was to provide one administrative day per week to teaching principals to lead and manage their schools. While this would not resolve all of the issues raised, it would certainly go a long way towards addressing the workload issues of 60% of school leaders. This engagement provided a valuable opportunity for IPPN and the DES to have a real conversation around real issues. We will continue to work with the Department to seek meaningful outcomes for school leaders.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Developing the Role of

Deputy Principal CIARAN MCMAHON PRINCIPAL OF SCOIL BHRIDE BOYS NS, KILCRUTTIN, TULLAMORE, CO. OFFALY With the present demands being made on principals, it is now more important than ever that the role of the deputy principal be properly defined and utilised. It is not the place of deputy principals to stand behind principals but alongside them. The creation of a list of effective duties for the role of deputy principal is important, but this does not outweigh the importance of creating a school climate where the position of deputy principal is recognised as a senior management position that carries with it similar accountability and status as that of principal. ‘Trust in any relationship is absolutely indispensible to success.’ Stephen R Covey Deputy principals should not be perceived in a heirachical context as number two in the chain of command of the school organisation, but rather as co-principals who have to maintain a high visibility in interacting with teachers, students and parents. They also have a part to play in promoting the concept of a learning community. Before they can do this effectively, the school climate has to reflect a relationship of trust between principal and deputy principal. Principals are responsible for the creation of such a school climate. Deputy principals are decision-makers and, as such, need to fulfil their own goals within the organisation. They must do this competently, being wellintentioned is not enough. Similar to the role of principal, the role of deputy principal should carry with it the opportunity to resolve problems. Where this proves to be problematic, a professional conversation between principal and deputy princiapl is crucial in establishing a problem-solving process that is appropriate to the school and in planning to address the specific issues. This is in keeping with a principal’s professional leadership role. Learning on the job and responding to the expectations of others is a reality.

‘Successful leaders learn from their failures as well as their successes.’ Tschannen-Moran The relationship between principal and deputy principal is key in providing leadership to the school community and should, according to the collective wisdom, be reﬂective of a partnership model. This partnership model, however, must be equal in its parts and must share all duties attaching to leadership of a school community. These duties can be categorised as instuctional, managerial, human resources and strategic. Deputy principals must be empowered to lead but they also in their turn must want to lead. Likewise, principals must be willing to share the leadership role, and to an extent, relinquish control of some aspects of school leadership. Deputy Principals, like principals, must initiate and not merely wait to respond. They also must reﬂect on their own practice and seek to improve. Duties should not be differentiated at this level of management but merged. Deputy principals should be encouraged to act.

They must be allowed to make and recover from their own mistakes. In conclusion, deputy principals will succeed in their role when they are treated by principals as equals and coleaders. Their duties should, like those of principals, evolve and flow with the tide of educational change. Deputy principalship can be a rewarding role in a school organisation and many deputy principals attest to this. If they wish to contribute more to the school organisation and learning community, they should not be confined to a list of duties from which to operate. The emphasis in schools should be to create leaders, not restrict and confine them. ‘The best advice I ever received as principal was that you do not have to prove who is in charge, everybody knows who is in charge.’ Todd Whitaker If you would like to get in touch with Ciaran in relation to this piece, you can email him to scoilbhridepo@eircom.net.

March 2016

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 DES CIRCULARS I 0015/2016 - Seniority of Primary Teachers I 0013/2016 - Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools I 0010/2016 - Cost Limits for Primary School Buildings I 0009/2016 - Rescinding of Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools I 0008/2016 - Teacher Fee Refund Scheme 2015 I 0007/2016 - Staffing arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2016/17 school year I 0006/2016 - Post-Graduate Certificate/Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers working with Students with Special Educational Needs (Autistic Spectrum Disorders) I 0005/2016 - Graduate Certificate in the Education of Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) for teachers working with Students with ASDs in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Resource Teachers in mainstream Primary and Post-Primary Schools I 0004/2016 - Combined PostGraduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers Involved in Learning Support and Special Education – 2016/2017.

SUPPORTS

LEADERSHIP+ I Leadership+ Issue 90 – January 2016.

G G G G

E-SCÉALS I A new E-scéal is uploaded each week to this section, outlining key information that is relevant to school leaders – deadlines, decisions, planning prompts, research etc. This section will act as an online archive of E-scéals.

ADVOCACY PRESS RELEASES I It’s time to stop blaming Peig Sayers I IPPN President and Minister for Education agree that the time is right to start a ‘conversation’ on the time given to religion in our Primary Schools I Are Schools about to become Religion Free Zones? I Failure to provide adequate time for PE in schools impacting on Children’s Physical and Emotional Wellbeing.

CPD & EVENTS PRINCIPALS’ CONFERENCE Principals’ Conference 2016 I Videos, Speech Texts (where available) and Bios of the following keynote speakers are available in the Keynotes section: G Minister for Education & Skills Jan O'Sullivan TD

Maria Doyle - IPPN President Seán Cottrell - IPPN CEO Todd Whitaker Professor Ciaran O’Boyle Angela Lynch - IPPN Principal Advice Manager.

Presentation materials from of the following seminars/facilitators are available by clicking Seminars in this section: G Cross-curricular themes Caroline Madigan G Promoting social and emotional wellbeing in primary schools NEPS G What do you do if a teacher in your school is seriously underperforming? - Kevin Hennigan G Special Classes - Peter Gunning and Cóilín Ó Coigligh G Speech & Language Classes Cóilín Ó Coigligh G The Principal & The Board - Seán Hourihane BL G Data Protection in Schools David Ruddy G Managing Challenging Behaviour - Helen Ginty SESS. G Restrictive Practices and Physical Interventions in Irish Schools Siobhán Allen Note: Others will be added as they are made available.

The Education Expo Guide, listing all exhibitors and their contact details, is also available to view.

CURRICULUM & SCHOOL PLANNING SSE Resources I SSE - Science Questionnaire 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.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Honorary Life Membership Award Virginia O’Mahony Virginia O’Mahony was conferred with an Honorary Life Membership Award at IPPN Conference 2016, to the delight and approval of all present. Virginia became the second recipient of this prestigious award following the unanimous endorsement of the Board of Directors of IPPN. Jim Hayes (Past President), her good friend and

colleague during the early years of IPPN, was the only other recipient of the award to date. The exemplary leadership and commitment of Virginia to the organisation that she has always spoken of in affectionate and proud terms made her nomination not only easy, but very appropriate. She served IPPN as

Bronnan Fei dhmean Líonra Phrío mhoidí

nas Náisiú nta

Bunscoile Éir eann

buan-bhall raíocht onó rach

ar Virginia O Mahony as ucht a bh fuil déanta aici mar cheannródaí stairiúil, físi úil, ionsparáidea ch chun ceann asaíocht sco ile a chur chun cinn in Éir inn

President and as Deputy Director and brought great honour to IPPN when she was appointed as President of the International Confederation of Principals in 2011. Virginia was presented with her award by the Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan and, in accepting the honour, she spoke of her deep affection for and pride in an organisation that she felt privileged to be part of. She thanked IPPN for the great honour bestowed upon her and pledged her continued support for an organisation that she has served both selﬂessly and enthusiastically.

DEADLINES I Register on www.education.ie to receive updates on July Provision. MARCH 2016 Publication of Main Redeployment Panel I 1 March – Latest date for a BoM to issue a written approval/refusal to a teacher job-share application I 16 March - Closing date for schools to submit their application for developing post(s) on the basis of their projected enrolments for September 2016 I 31 March – SNA to be informed of BoM decision re their job-sharing application. I

APRIL 2016 1 April – SNA to be informed of BoM decision re their career break application I 13 April – Schools with permanent and fixed –term vacancies have until this date to fill their permanent and fixed-term vacancies from the Main Redeployment Panels. Thereafter, Panel Officers will be appointed I 13 April – Schools must apply to DES, Primary Allocations Section for the sanction of CID Contracts proposed to be awarded for the 2016/2017 school year (DES Circular 0023/2015, Part A1 or A2) I 27 April - Closing date for submission of notification of enrolments in special schools to NCSE.

MAY 2016 After the NCSE approved allocations of resource hours have issued, schools unable to access surplus teaching capacity in these fulltime base posts will be allocated mainly part-time temporary resource hours. I 1 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. I

Note: BoM will notify the DES of job-sharing arrangements on the annual change of staff form. DES GRANTS March – Payment of Ancillary Services Grant I April – Payment of Standardised Testing Grant. I

EASTER BREAK 16 March – Final day of school term for Easter Break, unless the school is making up time lost due to emergency closure. In this instance, a school’s final day of term may be Wednesday 23 March. I 4 April – All schools will re-open. I

DES CIRCULARS 0076/2015 - Revision of Pay Rates from 1 January 2016 for School Secretaries, Caretakers and Cleaners employed by the Boards of Management of Recognised Primary Schools using Ancillary Services Grant funding and Revised Rates of Ancillary Services Grant I 0004/2016 - Combined PostGraduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers Involved in Learning Support and Special Education – 2016/2017 I 0005/2016 - Graduate Certificate in the Education of Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) for teachers working with Students with ASDs in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Resource Teachers in mainstream Primary and Post-Primary Schools I 0006/2016 - Post-Graduate Certificate/Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers working with Students with Special Educational Needs (Autistic Spectrum Disorders) I 0007/2016 - Staffing arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2016/17 school year I 0008/2016 - Teacher Fee Refund Scheme 2015 I 0009/2016 - Rescinding of Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools I 0010/2016 - Cost Limits for Primary School Buildings I 0013/2016 - Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools I 0015/2016 - Seniority of Primary Teachers I 0017/2016 – Indemnity Declaration Form. I

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

Celebration of 1916 Centenary Year Programme, Convention Centre, Dublin

CSL Mentor Training, Athlone

Literacy and Numeracy Strategy meeting, Clock Tower, Dublin

Integrated Primary Language Curriculum, Clock Tower, Dublin.

Wellbeing working group meeting, Offices of the Ombudsman, Dublin

FEBRUARY I

IPPN Board Meeting

School Placement shared learning event, Mullingar

CPSMA Conference Dinner

Teaching Council Meeting, Mullingar.

Teaching Council Meeting, Mullingar

And Finally…

QUOTATIONS

‘

The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already the re.

’

James Buchanan

FUNNIES…

the teacher Q. Why did retaker? marry the ca swept her e h e s u a c e B A. Q. Why were off her feet. the

e Q. What is th vity? centre of gra r "V". A. The lette

teacher's ey es crossed? A. She could n't control her pupils.

Q. How do y ou spell Hard Water with 3 letters? A. ICE. ll a teacher a c u o y o d t Q. Wha ents? without stud Teacher. Wh y are the A. Happy.". Middle Ages sometimes called the D ark Ages? Student: Be cause there were so man y knights.

‘

NS QUOTATIO

ve never a h n e r d il Ch listening t a d o o g been very they have t u b , s r e hem. to their eld t e t a it im d to never faile s Baldwin,

‘

Jame writer American

’

QUOTATIONS One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choo se to follow you. Dennis A Pee

’