ISSUE 115 / OCTOBER 2020
+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS
Sailing safely in choppy waters
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Primary School Parent
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Dr. Ann Devitt discusses her experiences of home learning during the lockdown.
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Things turn out best…
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School communities depend on your leadership now more than ever before.
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The impact of Creativity on Well-being
While the arrangements to safeguard their physical well-being might dominate immediately, the mental and emotional well-being will be of equal concern as there has been much discussion about the possible impact of the pandemic on the mental health of pupils.
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Living with Covid-19
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Educational institutions across Ireland closed with unprecedented abruptness on 12th March, 2020, as COVID-19, spread at an alarming rate throughout the island of Ireland.
Lessons Learned
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Recently Retired Leadership Support Manager Angela Lynch looks back at the lessons she has learnt in life.
The Moral Purpose of School Leaders
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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS
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+ Leadership
Padraig McCabe looks back on his 22 years as a School Principal.
Irish Primary Principals’ Network, Glounthaune, Co. Cork • 1890 21 22 23 • www.ippn.ie n n
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Editor: Geraldine D’Arcy Editorial Team: Geraldine D’Arcy, Páiric Clerkin and Damian White Comments to: editor@ippn.ie Advertising: adverts@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 115 / OCTOBER 2020
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
IPPN Events Update NORA PETERS IPPN GENERAL MANAGER Each academic year, IPPN delivers a calendar of face-to-face CPD. These events offer an opportunity to hear fresh thinking from national and international figures in education, to participate in stimulating workshops and to network with colleagues. This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, IPPN has had to make a number of changes to our CPD calendar. We know nothing replaces face-to-face when it comes to building relationships and networking with peers. We endeavour to deliver a blend of virtual and faceto-face events in the year ahead.
CPD events: ■ Professional Briefing Day – will resume in Autumn 2021 ■
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7th 2021 and will be held in the Citywest Hotel, Dublin.
County Network Autumn meetings – these meetings are being held online. See the full schedule at www.ippn.ie and attend the one that suits you best
Planning for our events is well underway and we look forward to seeing you virtually over the coming months and we also look forward to returning to Citywest on 6th and 7th May 2021.
Annual Deputy Principals’ Conference – this will now be a virtual one-day event to be held on Thursday 12th November
Until then, stay connected virtually through our mailing lists, social media channels, website, webinars and virtual events.
Annual Principals’ Conference and Education Expo – this has been postponed until May 6th and
Dates for your Diary IPPN Deputy Principals’ Conference 2020 A virtual, one-day event on Thursday 12th November
Sustainable Leadership: Challenges & Opportunities Speakers include: n n n n n n n
Dr. Naomi Masheti, co-ordinator of the Cork Migrant Centre Dr Niall Muldoon – Ombudsman for Children Prof. Finn Ó Murchú - Mary Immaculate College Maria Tully - Deputy Principal & Finbarr Hurley - CSL Prof. Padraig Ó Duibhir - DCU Mary McGrath - NCSE Donal Kerins - IPPN.
See www.ippn.ie for more details, and to register for the event.
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October 2020
Sailing safely
EDITORIAL
in choppy waters A teacher who contacted the Ryan Tubridy show put it as well as anyone: ‘In returning to school, I feel as if I am getting on a ship, one of the huge fleet which is putting out into choppy waters. Our maps are at best unreliable, and our direction is likely to change rapidly, and with little or no warning. None of the ships’ captains, as good and experienced as they are, have ever sailed these waters before. Staying on board for now is my main ambition’. To milk the above metaphor, we are now ‘out to sea’. As those manning the bridge on these ships, we hope that so far , you have avoided the many perils as you head for the open ocean and a return to normality. This summer, the entire focus of all school leaders was to orchestrate a safe return to school for pupils and staff. Most had little or no break from the highly pressurised and constantly evolving business of preparing their school buildings for reopening in the new reality of social distancing, bubbles, pods, PPE, signage, and the provision of isolation areas in the event of an outbreak of the virus. These buildings had last been in use for their designated purpose on March 12th, following instruction from NPHET. They were then abandoned with little prior warning, as Ireland and the world tackled the imminent problem of ‘flattening the curve’ to prevent hospitals being overrun with Covid-19 patients with critical medical needs. Since then, school leaders have operated at full throttle, in the first instance, dealing with the establishment of protocols and supports, and leading their school communities with new and challenging plans for distance learning. When it became clear that there would be no return to normal school life before the end of June, schools had to reshape plans around end of year activities such as graduation, school reports, enrolment, sacramental ceremonies, and the allocation of classes for 2020/21.
day per week for teaching principals, and the certainty that the newlycreated clusters provide around substitute cover.
PÁIRIC CLERKIN AND DAMIAN WHITE In recent years, the months of July and August had evolved into a race to have appointments made, repairs carried out and building jobs completed, all of which have involved ever reducing the time off for school leaders. This year’s Covid-19 pandemic has led to little or no downtime for school leaders. In seeking to defeat the dreaded virus, you have been front line in the race to be ready for schools’ reopening. You have stoically taken on the challenges presented by each circular and update, more often than not, released on Friday evenings, and led your schools towards readiness for the return. You have led your school communities and have been supported by colleagues, boards and friends of your school.
This year’s Covid-19 pandemic has led to little or no downtime for school leaders. In seeking to defeat the dreaded virus, you have been front line in the race to be ready for schools’ reopening.
In IPPN, we have sought to support your needs in every way we could. We have worked collaboratively along with Department officials and other education partners to ensure that all issues and concerns were raised and manageable solutions and requisite funding were provided. ESCI Chairperson and Waterford Education Centre Director, Celia Walsh, highlights in her article how the benefits of working together in innovative ways has brought organisations closer for the benefit of all. To continue the maritime theme - ‘A rising tide lifts all boats’. In this issue we pay tribute to two very special IPPN people who retired at the end of August. Deputy CEO and former IPPN President, Pat Goff, and Supports and Services (Members) Manager, Angela Lynch, have given decades of quality guidance and empathetic assistance to school leaders countrywide. They share a deep understanding of the job of school leadership and have always been a source of wisdom and reassurance for the hundreds of people they’ve advised and supported. They have both been a privilege to work with. Neither Pat nor Angela are abandoning ship though. Let’s just say- should you seek advice from the Leadership Support Service, you may hear some familiar and reassuring voices!
INTO General Secretary John Boyle highlights in this issue, the adaptability, flexibility and vigilance of school leaders, and how crucial you are in suppressing this virus. IPPN joins with INTO in welcoming the granting of one leadership and management 3
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
DAVID RUDDY BL
Your Code of Behaviour Why it’s Time to Review Codes of behaviour are as much to do with fostering and reinforcing the positives as they are about imposing sanctions. IPPN has developed an excellent resource bundle entitled ‘Pupils with Behaviours of Concern’, which catalogues all resources and supports that are available to support pupils with challenging behaviour, including the National Behaviour Support Service which operates under the auspices of the NCSE. However, lawyers tend to be asked to advise on sanctions as they are a necessary evil to help with the maintenance of order in schools. The recent commencement of all the substantive sections of the Admission’s Act limits the ability of schools to refuse applications for admission even in situations where the school is concerned about an applicant’s previous history of serious misbehaviour. Equally, the reopening of schools in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic demands that schools
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provide for the safety and health of pupils and staff alike. What happens if pupils show serious disregard for the protocols? Another topical issue is racism, what does your code say about racism? Unfortunately, schools find themselves in situations where they need to impose sanctions on pupils, including suspensions and expulsions in exceptional cases. In 2015/2016, the following statistics were published: Suspensions of pupils (for 6 days or more): ■ Primary - 1,438 ■ Post Primary - 13,383 Expulsions: Primary - 28 ■ Post Primary - 195 ■
These figures do not take account of suspensions of 5 days and less or of shortened school days.
The Education Welfare Act (2000) provides that a school can only refuse to enrol a student consistent with its Admissions Policy. Before the Admissions Act, the education team in Mason Hayes & Curran (MHC) used to advise schools to include a proviso in their Admissions Policy allowing them in certain exceptional circumstances to refuse to enrol a student. For example, where the student concerned posed a threat to the health and safety of students and/or staff and where, by enrolling a student with very complex SEN, even with maximum DES support, the school would be unable to cope. They no longer advise schools to include this proviso in their Admissions Policies, as the Admissions Act explicitly provides that the Admission Policy must ‘provide that the school shall admit each student seeking admission to the school…… other than ■ where the school is oversubscribed
LEGAL DIARY September 2020
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where the parent when requested by the Principal to do so fails to confirm in writing that the Code of Behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance.’
Many schools have retained the original proviso in their policies. We will not know definitively whether it continues to be fit for purpose until an appeal has been determined by a S.29 Appeal Committee. There is a real risk that it will not because of the very tight wording of the Admissions Act and for other reasons related to GDPR and data privacy. Even if the proviso were to be upheld on appeal by a S.29 Appeal Committee, it would not assist schools in dealing with a student, already enrolled, who presented a serious threat to health and safety. The better way to address very real concerns about a threat to health and safety of staff and students is to ensure that the Code of Behaviour is robust enough to enable school management to address serious threats of violence
or actual violence against staff and students efficiently, fairly and in compliance with the statutory guidelines on Codes of Behaviour as determined by the Education Welfare Act 2000. Don’t forget that these Guidelines (the NEWB Guidelines) allow schools to act immediately where ‘the student’s continued presence in the school constitutes a real and significant threat to safety’. There is a further reason to upgrade your Code of Behaviour and that is all to do with the Covid-19 pandemic. You need to be sure that your Code is fit for purpose in dealing with issues of misconduct on the part of students which give rise to a serious threat to safety to staff and students. Having taken the necessary steps to make sure that it is fit for purpose, you will able to contact parents, with confidence, at the start of the new school year, notifying them of what you expect from their children and of the consequences of non-compliance.
There is a further benefit to be gained in taking these steps which should not be underestimated. You will be able to re-assure your staff returning to school in uncertain times that you are thinking of them and that you have ‘beefed up’ your Code of Behaviour to further protect them (and the pupils) from any threats to their health and safety. Reference: ■ IPPN Resource Bundle ‘Pupils with Behaviours of Concern’ LINK ■ ■
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Mason, Hayes & Curran Ezine ‘Why You Need to Urgently Review Your Code of Behaviour’ Liam Riordan / MHC Webinar July 3rd National Education Welfare Board Guidelines: ‘Developing a Code of Behaviour for Schools’, 2008 LINK
If you have any questions in relation to this article, you can contact David Ruddy at druddy@mhc.ie.
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Living with
Covid-19 MARIA DOYLE ICP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PAUL BYRNE NAPD DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND ESHA BOARD MEMBER Educational institutions across Ireland closed with unprecedented abruptness on 12th March, 2020, as COVID-19, a virulent respiratory virus transmitted by people to others in close contact, spread at an alarming rate throughout the island of Ireland. There were no warning bells. What followed was a total countrywide lockdown, predicated by sweeping restrictions. Along with Ireland, most European education systems implemented swift school closures to slow down the spread of the virus. This began with Italy on March 5th with the UK being the last to declare school closures on March 23rd. Over a period of time, systems right across the globe followed suit as the virus gained momentum. While schools in Ireland anticipated a two-week school closure initially, it quickly became apparent that this period would be extended. Educators and system leaders, both at home and globally, were catapulted into a situation where remote learning was to become the key to maintaining contact with parents and students. The global response saw a surge in the use of webinars, instructional videos, professional development tutorials, and communication platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as educators adapted to a new model of teaching and learning. Staying connected became imperative for educators as the true impact of the pandemic unfolded. School leaders and teachers, as true professionals, shared experiences and practices via Twitter, WhatsApp Groups and Facebook. Yet, despite the resilience and determination of educators to move to remote learning, there were many obstacles to the delivery of an equitable system accessible to all learners. The lack of availability of digital devices and of a stable broadband connection laid bare the deficiencies in remote learning globally. In conversation with educators in other countries, the broadband 6
connectivity issue was mirrored. However, countries like Estonia were able to adapt to remote learning with relative ease as they had invested time and money in digital education and digital governance.
COVID-19 has impacted teaching and learning on a scale that the world could never have imagined. The global response from systems is frustrated by the unpredictability of the virus, and countries that have reopened their schools, no matter how careful the plans, may have to close again. COVID-19 has impacted teaching and learning on a scale that the world could never have imagined. The global response from systems is frustrated by the unpredictability of the virus, and countries that have reopened their schools, no matter how careful the plans, may have to close again. This was the case in Beijing, China’s capital, in June when schools were abruptly closed following an outbreak of COVID-19, despite stringent procedures. Israel opened schools too quickly and had to close them again after the number of cases of COVID-19 spiked.
In Kenya, a radical approach to tackling the virus has resulted in schools shutting down in July until the new school year begins again in January 2021. All students in Kenya will repeat the full school year. Australia has recorded zero cases of the virus in some areas such as Tasmania, where schools are operating as normal, while Victoria and New South Wales are in lockdown with schools closed. In Ontario, Canadian educators called for delaying the start of the school year from September 3rd to September 14th to allow more time for preparation and staff training. Relationships between government officials and practitioners in Ontario have been challenging. In Europe, schools are slowly reopening with varying degrees of success. Denmark introduced a phased system of return to school which began on April 15th, beginning with the youngest students followed by older students. This has been seen by many as measured and the best international example of success. Finland reopened schools for two weeks at the end of May before the scheduled end of term in June. There were cases of COVID-19 reported in a number of schools within a short space of time. Berlin saw a return to school on August 10th where pupils and teachers were not required to wear masks, but by the time of writing on 21st August, 41 schools had reported cases. The Netherlands reopened schools on August 17th despite witnessing a worrying spike in new cases of COVID-19 nationally. The UK opens schools on September 2nd following the well-documented controversy surrounding exam results and predicted grading. With Irish schools targeted to open in late August, there has been a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases reported nationally. How this surge manifests itself and its inevitable impact on the pathway to reopening remains unknown. It must be acknowledged that the collaborative approach to
October 2020
planning the reopening of schools in Ireland is not replicated in many countries globally. Of course, as with any relationship, there have been some significant challenges with this approach. However, through their involvement with both ICP (International Confederation of Principals) and ESHA (European School Heads Association) NAPD and IPPN have kept a watchful eye on how other countries are addressing the enormous challenge of reopening their schools and have communicated regularly with school leaders globally. This has been a very valuable experience, notwithstanding the unique context of each global system. In Ireland, the DES has facilitated virtual meetings to plan the reopening pathway for schools. Here, regular contributions from IPPN at primary level and NAPD at post primary are welcomed by all stakeholders, as first-hand knowledge of the global experience gained through international involvement is considered a distinct advantage. Responding to the COVID crisis has brought together the key players in the Irish education system in a spirit of collaboration which is the envy of many of our colleagues in other countries, where the decisionmaking is non-collaborative and is exclusively the remit of the officials, without recourse to the practitioners.
delivery of key messages to school communities on a regular basis, thus supressing the power of the sensational headline. School leaders serve many masters; students, teachers, parents, the Board of Management and the DES. The supports from the DES are very much appreciated but this must be accompanied by co-operation and understanding from all the other bodies listed above. Working together as school communities is imperative if we are to keep schools open and safe. Never before was this more important. The provision of equitable learning opportunities for all students must be a priority going forward. Many of our students have experienced significant trauma while schools remained closed and we need to be constantly alert to this fact. Special needs pupils in particular will need additional and sustainable supports, to adapt to what is a new and unfamiliar environment in schools. There will be high levels of anxiety among parents, students and teachers in the short to medium term and reassurance that all is being done to provide a safe school environment must be clearly and regularly communicated to everyone.
This includes our school leaders who are navigating unchartered territory and who do not have all the answers! This is not a return to school as normal. ‘Maslow before Bloom’ must now be our guiding principle as we support students, parents and teachers to transition and adjust to a wholly changed environment. We need to be kind to one another. We need to be patient. Adjusting to this new ‘normal’ is bringing many challenges, and we recognise that some unknowns yet to be encountered. Students and colleagues are fragile and anxious. There will be time to analyse, research and assess the effect of this pandemic on the education system, both in Ireland and globally, when we learn to live with COVID-19. Some of this valuable work is already taking place and we in Ireland look forward to contributing to that conversation. But for now, we take small steps towards recovery and continue to do the best we can to bring some normality back to what is a very abnormal landscape. Ní neart go cur le chéile.
School leaders and teachers care deeply about their students, and the response from them to the unprecedented challenge of connecting with their students in a virtual space has been remarkable. School leaders have become ‘first responders’ in education by default and they continue to show incredible determination and strength of character, resilience and adaptability in their response to the crisis. The crisis has once again highlighted the need for additional support for our school leaders. This Includes enhanced administrative support, IT support and more practical support from communities. Unfortunately, negativity driven by some media sources has damaged the perception of the complexity of the work school leaders and teachers are doing. The dripfeeding of information through media outlets has caused enormous and unnecessary stress to school personnel and indeed, parents. This trend has also been highlighted as a concern by our colleagues in SAPA (South Australian Principals Association). System leaders must ensure timely, swift and credible 7
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Primary School Parent Experiences with Home-Learning DR ANN DEVITT
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
At the end of May 2020, after two months of lockdown, my colleagues and I in Trinity surveyed 797 parents of primary school age children, to ask about their experiences of homelearning. The children of the parents surveyed came from DEIS and nonDEIS schools all across Ireland, schools of different sizes and in different urban, suburban and rural settings. The aim of the survey was to identify what factors impacted on continuity of learning from their parents’ perspectives and what communications, activities and resources were most helpful in supporting parents and children with home-learning. What we found was that parents were overall doing lots of varied home-learning activities with their children during school closures, including schoolwork, but with a wide range of family literacy and learning practices. Just over half of the parents were happy that their children were continuing to learn, but a quarter said their children had not continued to learn during school closures. Parents of children in senior primary and children with disabilities were more likely to report that their child had not continued to learn. Three-quarters of parents felt confident to support their child’s learning. Parents were more confident when they were clear on the curriculum and the learning goals for their children. As regards to resources in homes, tablets were more widely available and more regularly used for learning than laptops or computers. Good home-school communication was found to be very important in parents feeling that their child was continuing to learn. The vast majority of parents (79%) were happy with how their school communicated with them and their child during school closures. Good communication was associated with having opportunities to interact with parents and children, connecting with different members of the school 8
community, and teachers providing feedback to children.
Parents were more confident when they were clear on the curriculum and the learning goals for their children. Where communication was only in relation to providing schoolwork, this was viewed as being very poor. The recommendations from this research are focused on broadening the scope of communication with parents, to provide them with clarity on the learning goals for children associated with the tasks suggested and to also provide regular feedback on work to children and their families linking to these goals while also remembering the social dimension by maintaining regular, personal contact. In addition, it is clear from this and other research that not all families have access to the same resources. To prepare for all eventualities, schools can ask families about resources available in children’s homes in order to identify needs and to tailor provision accordingly (e.g. use of worksheets posted to homes where devices or broadband are not adequate).
and infographics and a webinar for schools on effective communication with parents with experts from Learnovate, NALA, MotherTongues and the School of Education as well as resources for schools of key messages about school in multiple languages for multilingual school populations. LINK
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Dr Ann Devitt is Director of Research and lecturer in language and literacy education at the School of Education Trinity College Dublin and Academic Director for Learnovate, the educational technology centre hosted in Trinity College funded by Enterprise Ireland. Dr Devitt co-authored the report with Dr Colm Ross, Dr Aibhín Bray and Dr Joanne Banks, all of whom are in the TCD School of Education. This research was part of a project Ann is leading on family digital literacy in families with unmet literacy-learning needs. The project is funded by the Irish Research Council. For more information and resources on home learning, click here: LINK
If you would like to contact Ann in relation to this article, you can email her at ann.devitt@tcd.ie.
The full report with recommendations for policy and for schools and parents is available here. LINK
We have produced video resources and webinars for parents on home learning for literacy (Literacy on the Loose ) and numeracy (Numeracy in the Now ). Our Home Languages Home Learning video series for parents of multilingual families focuses on how families can support young children with their literacy, numeracy and creativity in 5 languages LINK
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We have also produced short videos
IPPN MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 2020/21: Renewal forms are in schools now. To continue accessing IPPN supports and services, please complete and return before September 30th.
THE PRESIDENT’S PEN September 2020
Pathways DAMIAN WHITE IPPN PRESIDENT They say you should never meet your heroes. I unwillingly acquiesced in this wise old maxim, by never once meeting John Hume. It was only after I suggested some years ago that he would be a very popular speaker at our annual conference, that I discovered his health was in decline to the point that he would be unable to do so. I suspect that if I had met him at any time during his glorious life of peaceful persuasion, my view of him as Ireland’s greatest living person would only be further enhanced by his obvious humility and decency. John Hume was a world class humanitarian, pacifist, and connector of people. He was often teased for giving the same speech hundreds of times over his long and distinguished career. To me and to a great many people, he remained steadfast in his ideals and consistent in his message that only by peaceful means and dialogue, can true progress be made towards a lasting peace in Ireland. I say this in the knowledge that the Derry born teacher was respected by people of all traditions and loved by most. John Hume’s life contained so many exemplars applicable to widely diverse situations and stories. In seeking to figure out what is best in any given situation, one could do worse than consider ‘What would John Hume do?’ John Hume was a brave risk-taker who put his reputation on the line and at times, his life, by steadfastly holding to his principles in the face of vociferous and physically intimidating opposition. But he also read the situation, identified the path to peace and took that path, eventually bringing others with him. Driving through the North today, his legacy, and that of his fellow risk-takers on all sides, is the freedom and peace enjoyed by people in every village and town.
It is no secret that 20 years ago, when IPPN entered the Irish Education pantheon, we were not entirely welcomed by many agencies. In truth, we had to fight our corner to get school leaders and their issues recognised and addressed. While the divisions were hardly comparable by any stretch, when compared with the chasm faced by John Hume and others, we nonetheless realised quite quickly that the path we needed to follow would be better taken in the company of other organisations and groups seeking to achieve many of the same ends. Therefore, solid working relationships have been built with the INTO, management bodies, the NPC, the Teaching Council and others. While we have been working closely on areas of shared interest for many years, the recent pandemic and the multiple issues it has created for schools has seen a very public coupling of all organisations to firstly, identify the major problems and secondly, to share expertise on how to address them. We have all worked closely with the Department to help create the roadmap to the reopening of school buildings. Our priority of an administrative day per week for all teaching principals has been granted amongst the suite of measures recently announced, which is welcome, albeit in extraordinary circumstances. Other priorities continue to be worked on, collectively where possible, by all agencies. ‘When people are divided, the only solution is agreement’ was a maxim often repeated by John Hume. Agreement creates a platform for progress and, while there is much still to be achieved, we have made far greater strides by working together. I thought of John Hume too at the end of June, while attending an excellent online conference hosted by the Cork Migrant Centre Youth Initiative against Racism, in collaboration with Cork
CYPSC. Along with Covid-19, racism has been the story of the year since the violent death of George Floyd. When at the European Parliament in Strasbourg some years ago, the Nobel Peace Laureate spoke of the difference in terms of traditions on this island. ‘Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict’, he explained. ‘The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.’
While we have been working closely on areas of shared interest for many years, the recent pandemic and the multiple issues it has created for schools has seen a very public coupling of all organisations to firstly, identify the major problems and secondly, to share expertise on how to address them. I cannot improve on the words of John Hume in terms of framing the place we need to reach in Irish society, where colour, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity are met with inclusiveness, kindness and respect. Judging by the contributions of young people relaying their experiences, we still have a path to travel. That path may include a role for schools that have not done so, to develop inclusive policies which detail the kinds of behaviours which will not be tolerated in any way by any educational institution. That path is one, I suspect, a Derry history teacher would have taken. 9
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Wellbeing and leadership DR JOLANTA BURKE AND DR MAJELLA DEMPSEY
MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Wellbeing is like a velcro sticking to all school-related activities (Burke, Dec 2020). Therefore, all decisions that school leaders, teachers, and parents make will somewhat affect their school community’s wellbeing. The realisation of this can be daunting, especially in the context of the Covid-19 school closure, as many of the leaders have expressed worry about their staff, parents and especially, their pupils.
well-defined priorities, effective communication, strong team support, and flexibility in relation to the blending face-to-face interaction with the virtual learning space. (Figure 2). Wellbeing challenges ■ ■
“I worry about their wellbeing. I worry about our pupils with SEN or pupils with elevated anxiety and how they are managing this quagmire. I worry about the pupils for whom home might not be a safe place. I worry about the pupils that don’t have a supportive adult available to them.” Principal, May 2020
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In the three surveys that we carried out with primary school leaders after the lockdown-related school closure, principals showed an enormous commitment to their school community’s wellbeing.
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LEADERS’ CHALLENGES The stress of managing schools remotely has taken a toll on many primary school leaders. While they have shown great mental agility and maintained moderate levels of wellbeing, not one of almost 1,000 respondents saw themselves as thriving psychologically during the COVID-19 crisis. A group that was of particular concern were the teaching principals, who reported the lowest levels of wellbeing, across all dimensions, when compared to administrative principals. Further research needs to be carried out to unpack the particular stressors for the teaching principals. We would invite teaching principals to contact us if they would be willing to take part in a short on-line interview to explore the particular challenges they face in their work. Leaders’ stressors constantly evolve. Two weeks after the school closure, leaders asked DES for guidance in relation to distance learning, as many didn’t know what was expected of them at the time and it caused them stress. Two months later, however, leaders’ focus has shifted towards medium- and long-term goals. They were becoming increasingly stressed about the uncertainty of the schools reopening in September. Today, their stressors have changed yet again and are possibly related to the practical challenges associated with making the school safe for all. All these stressors have an enormous impact on leaders’ wellbeing. All leadership is complex, especially in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 school closures. The survey we carried out with IPPN members in May showed that the challenges leaders face are multifaceted and complex (Figure 1). What is most evident is the pastoral and social role leaders have in relation to the children they teach and how this can spill into leaders’ personal lives, both physically and emotionally. Leaders found themselves organising food parcels in tandem with curriculum materials for some homes. At the same time, they mentioned supports that served them well. They included 10 10
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Time constraints Multiple roles Lack of distributive support DES ‘Friday’ communications
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Complexity of community supports Engagements with multiple agencies
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Exercise and routine Professional networks Frequent contact and communication
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Well defined priorities Future focused and living in the present Flexibility
Figure 1: Challenges to and support for wellbeing Well defined priorities ■
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Identify your priorities for the year ahead with the school community Build consensus and try to have wide agreement and ownership keeping your mission and purpose in mind for all planning Communication
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Build a communication plan for staff, parents and students Have frequent connections with two way communication A strong team
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Leading curriculum - what will be your priorities as a school? Leading wellbeign - leader, teacher, support staff, parents, children and community The virtual learning space
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Can your school be flexible and agile if there is another school closure? How can the virtual space support you in leading? Plan for inducting pupils into the virtual space and professional development for leaders
Figure 2: Supports to put in place ahead of reopening in September. GOING FORWARD Wellbeing is a complex matter and thus requires a considered approach. Given that we live in such unprecedented times,
October 2020
school leaders need some practical tools to help them manage their own and others’ wellbeing. Here are four examples of what leaders can do, adapted from Dr Jolanta Burke’s forthcoming book The ultimate guide to implementing wellbeing programmes for school, due to be published in December 2020 by Routledge (London): 1. Stress mindset For years, we believed that the amount of stress we experience has a detrimental effect on our health. However, in the last few years, research is showing us that what also matters is our attitude towards it, because when the stress does not control us, we start to behave differently. For example, instead of pretending that everything is okay, we acknowledge that we are stressed. Instead of reducing our symptoms of stress, we focus on identifying the sources of stress and take steps to resolve them. Finally, instead of withdrawing from people, we should reach out to them and ask for help. Research conducted with 849 participants in a state organisation in Ireland showed that it doesn’t take much to change our stress mindset (Burke, 2020). Here is what you can do: ■ When stressed, before leaving the school, write down, in bullet points, what caused you stress today. Then leave the list on your desk, so that you can deal with it tomorrow. ■ The next day, take three main issues from your list that you can do something about and brainstorm ways to deal with them. Consider who can help you resolve them. If they can’t be resolved completely, making some progress makes us feel better. ■ If an issue stays on your mind while at home with your family, take a piece of paper and write down your deepest thoughts and feelings associated with whatever is on your mind, for 10-20 min. After you have finished writing, do not read it and destroy the paper you wrote it on. 2. Gratitude Gratitude is the most effective activity known to psychologists, to enhance our wellbeing. In a study with a group of school leaders in Australia, they were asked to count their blessings on the way home after a busy day’s work (Waters and Stokes, 2015). The researchers found that this simple activity allowed the school leaders to find balance, especially after experiencing a lot of stress at work. When we have a stressful day, all we can think about is the stress we’ve
experienced or the situations and the people who contributed to it. What this activity does is that it pulls us out of the negative space, into a more balanced and neutral space. Here is what you can do: On your way home, reflect on what went well (w.w.w.) for you today. ■ When your day is getting out of control, stop and think: it could be worse, if… and speculate what could make the day worse, which may help you put things into perspective. ■
3. Forgiveness Research is showing us that while teaching professionals teach and expect forgiveness from children, they often find it difficult to extend it to organisations (Northern and LinsDyer, 2003). There are two types of forgiveness, one is decisional and relates to us deciding not to retaliate when someone does us wrong. The second type of forgiveness is emotional. When we are upset over an institution’s decisions, policies, or other wrongdoings, a lack of emotional forgiveness can be particularly bad for us, as it raises our heartrate and blood pressure and makes us more anxious. Here is what you can do: Take a piece of paper and write about the benefits of the challenging situation/s you have found yourself in due to some decisions made by an organisation, or a person. Consider how you are going to grow from this experience, what you will learn as a result of it, and how it will change you for the better. ■ Write a letter of forgiveness to a person, or an institution, in which you detail your feelings towards them and allow yourself to let go of these feelings. Please do not send the letter to anyone, instead discard it after writing. ■
4. Minding your emotions When stressed, we often experience more negative than positive emotions. Negative emotions are very useful for us, as they carry important messages about what is happening in our minds, and they serve us well by improving our memory, or finding good arguments for a discussion. However, when we experience too many of them, we may become overwhelmed and simply unhappy. This is why, it is important to mind our emotions throughout the day and find ways to balance them. Here is what you can do: ■ Plan to play - In the morning before going to school, plan something enjoyable you are going to do
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that day, be it sitting down for lunch with your team, or spending 10-30 min after work reading your favourite book, or perhaps engaging in your favourite hobby. Make time for the sources of enjoyment you want to experience during the day and make sure you allocate the time to do them. Mind your body – When you are about to embark on a stressful period at work, it is important that you keep your body healthy by eating well and engaging in physical activity. To change your emotions from negative to positive, all you need is 20 minutes of physical activity. Also, eat breakfast, as your body needs the fuel to keep you going. Your food is associated with decision-making. When our sugar levels drop, so do our cognitive abilities and we tend to make more irrational decisions.
Over the last six months, we have carried out and published research to assist you in enhancing your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your school community. Thank you so much for your participation in it. We are humbled and grateful for your help. We will continue in our endeavours, as we plan a number of wellbeingrelated studies at Maynooth University in the forthcoming year. Firstly, we will be organising three teachers’ and principals’ online exchange forums to share pedagogies for wellbeing. In September, we are engaging in another qualitative study about principals’ wellbeing, and ask you to contact us if you wish to be involved in a short online interview. Finally, we are also preparing a short wellbeing survey, which will be sent to you over the next few months, and we would appreciate it if you would take the time to respond to it. We hope that our enhanced knowledge of school principals’ wellbeing will help us build an evidence-based database of wellbeing interventions that you can use daily at work. Please contact Jolanta Burke {Jolanta.burke@ mu.ie}, for further details about any of the wellbeing initiatives planned at Maynooth University. References available by request to editor@ippn.ie. A copy of the report is available on request from Maynooth University here: LINK
See also Dr Burke’s book The ultimate guide to implementing wellbeing programmes for school, London, Routledge, Burke J, to be published December 2020. 11
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Child Protection Research with DLPs DR MIA TREACY AND DR MARGARET NOHILLY MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE, LIMERICK
INTRODUCTION Protecting children from child abuse and keeping children safe are key societal priorities both internationally and in Ireland over the past two decades. Recent policy and legislative changes in Ireland place additional responsibilities on schools, including mandated reporting and assisting. This research aimed to determine the experience of Designated Liaison Persons (DLPs) as they implement the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017. It was conducted with 387 DLPs through an online survey during March 2019. RESULTS The findings indicate low satisfaction rates amongst DLPs in relation to their own child protection training, for instance, only one in three DLPs indicated that the training they received was sufficient to support them in their role. Other findings suggest inadequate child protection training for Irish primary school teachers as mandated reporters, with an over-reliance on generic online child protection training for teachers. For example, the child protection training with which most teachers engaged was the generic Tusla eLearning Course with 346 DLPs indicating that all teachers in their school engaged with this course, representing 90% of schools, whilst only 6% of DLPs indicated that all of their teachers attended child protection training in an external venue such as an education centre. The findings indicate poor participation rates of school Boards of Management in child protection training. Only 20% of school Boards of Management (79) received training with a professional body, only 15% (60) participated in the online Tusla eLearning Course and under 3% (11) engaged with the PDST information webcast. Furthermore, a consensus exists amongst DLPs in that many are striving for compliance with the mandated procedures, 1212
regulations, administrative reporting requirements, and specific aspects of newly-introduced inspections. Finally, the findings strongly endorse a call for expanded child protection training that would include all school staff and be provided on a regular and ongoing basis. RECOMMENDATIONS A number of recommendations are apposite arising from this research: 1. Child protection training and supports need to be provided to Irish primary school teachers on a face-to-face basis so that they can engage competently with their mandated obligations under the Children First legislation. 2. Child protection training for DLPs needs to be improved so that it more adequately meets their specific needs. 3. Comprehensive child protection training, not merely online courses, should be made available to all school staff. 4. All Board of Management members, albeit acting in a voluntary capacity, should engage with child protection training in order to fulfil their oversight function in relation to reporting processes and child safeguarding obligations. 5. Any child protection training should be incremental, take place over a number of days, and also include avenues for progression over a number of years, so that participants can build on their prior expertise. 6. Child protection training should be more holistic rather than merely focusing on the implementation of procedures, for example, by including national and international legislation, historical legacy issues, child development, as well as teacher beliefs and conceptions. Including
other professionals, such as social workers and the gardaĂ, in the design and delivery of this training would provide a more nuanced understanding of this complex and challenging work of keeping children safe.
Child protection training should be more holistic rather than merely focusing on the implementation of procedures, for example, by including national and international legislation, historical legacy issues, child development, as well as teacher beliefs and conceptions. FUTURE RESEARCH We are very grateful to the DLPs who participated in this research. In the future, we intend conducting similar survey research with teachers and also conducting interviews with DLPs. If you, or your school staff, are interested in participating in such research, please contact us at mia. treacy@mic.ul.ie or margaret.nohilly@ mic.ul.ie. The full research report is published in Children and Youth Services and is available here: LINK
Dr Mia Treacy is a Lecturer in Education Policy at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick. Dr Margaret Nohilly is a Lecturer in SPHE, also at MIC.
Lessons
October 2020
LEARNED
ANGELA LYNCH RECENTLY-RETIRED IPPN LEADERSHIP SUPPORT MANAGER As I look out over an early morning field of ripened barley in August, ‘season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’ springs to mind, as do some of the lessons I have learned from 45 years working in the education sector. I have worked with some of the finest people one could ever know, both in my school and in IPPN. These lessons have been many and varied. Spending time with fellow school leaders at IPPN events and particularly the many conversations over the phone with school leaders, who were working through difficult times and circumstances, has been a privilege and my enduring classroom. My days as a staff member with IPPN may be coming to an end, but as a former CEO said about IPPN, quoting the song Hotel California, ‘You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave’. Not that I would ever want to leave the friends I have made among the staff and school leaders who share the same passion for leadership as I. This passionate obsession for school leadership has seen the past years fly by in an instant. Sometimes we make things more complicated than they really are – I know that I have often done so. I’m going to keep it simple here and share with you my lessons for life and leadership in the hope that they may be of some help to you on your journey. I still feel that I have a long way to go on my journey, but in looking back, I see just how far I’ve come. Life changes who I am and who you are too. I am a different person to the person I was 20 years ago (and even from who I was last year). I have to constantly remind myself that I am not perfect. I am human and I make mistakes. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is oneself. I have often bought into the illusion that as a school leader, I was there to solve every problem and if I didn’t, I had somehow failed. Never underestimate
the power of one person – you. You may not be able to save the world or solve every problem in your school community. You are not being asked to do that. However, you are being asked to help the person nearest to you right now. That, to me, is saving the world. Be as kind and compassionate as you can be to that person in front of you, a child, a parent, a staff member. I have learned that being kind and compassionate to myself is one of the greatest kindnesses. It took me a long time to learn that. Often I found it harder to forgive myself for the mistakes I made than it was to forgive others. If there was one thing I would advise a NQT or a NAP, it is to pay as much attention to your personal development as to your professional development. In order to be aware of the vulnerability in others, we need to first of all become aware of our own vulnerability. In Charlie Mackesy’s book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, the boy asked the horse
Be as kind and compassionate as you can be to that person in front of you, a child, a parent, a staff member. I have learned that being kind and compassionate to myself is one of the greatest kindnesses. ’When have you been at your strongest?’ ’When I have dared to show my weakness’. ’What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said?’ ’Help’.
me to show my own vulnerability and has given me the courage to look for help when I need it. When I show my vulnerability, help is given. Everything you need to succeed is already within you. It takes a journey inwards to find strength, courage and bravery to meet the challenges, or maybe I should say the opportunities lying in your path. Times may be difficult right now and there may be many storms. They will pass. Being from Cork (the best place in the world!), I often think of the inscription on the Cork Coat of Arms – ’A Safe Harbour for Ships’. A ship is safe in the harbour, but that is not what ships are made for. Find that safe harbour within to which you can return each time you sail through troubled waters. Do not wait for anyone to make things happen for you or to look after your wellbeing. Take the lead while at the same time remembering that you cannot do everything, you certainly cannot do it all at the same time, and you cannot do it on your own. There is one lesson that I have still to learn, perhaps the hardest one of all in managing self – to know when I need a break, when I don’t have to think of the problems or try to find solutions for them. I think that I may be getting there. My earnest wish for you is that you will be better at managing yourself than I (I forgive myself!) and make time to ’just be’ while still in your leadership role. May you be a healing presence in the lives of those you touch. It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t include a quote. ‘You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realising who you are at the deepest level.’ Eckhart Tolle
Working through my own personal development over many years allowed 13
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
The ABC Programme
Support for schools reopening in the shadow of Covid-19 trauma TUSLA - THE CHILD & FAMILY AGENCY The Area Based Childhood Programme (ABC) is funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and delivered as part of the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Programme by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. There are 12 ABC programmes in Ireland, utilising a partnership approach to prevention & early intervention, targeting investment in effective services to improve outcomes for children and families living in areas deemed to be extremely disadvantaged (Pratschke and Haase, 2007). The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in significant challenges to the lives of everyone in our communities. For many, this has been both a time of individual and collective trauma. Principals, school staff, students and their families have concerns about safety and the need for protection. For some, it has brought grief, loss, economic hardship, and trauma. School teams have faced additional stress adapting to new ways of teaching remotely. Principals have faced the responsibility of supporting the whole school community during closure, while also having to plan for schools’ reopening. School closures and home confinement have had a negative effect on many children. Based on the experiences of ABC teams supporting trauma informed practice
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in their communities, a working group was established to develop a guide for schools implementing a traumainformed approach to practice, post Covid-19. This publication has been entitled ‘It’s all about relationships’: A Trauma-Informed Return to School during Covid-19’. Louise Lunney of University College Cork has also developed a resource for teachers as a part of her MA dissertation which has been incorporated into the publication (Lunney, 2020).
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in significant challenges to the lives of everyone in our communities. For many, this has been both a time of individual and collective trauma. The premise of the document is that schools can and do play a key role in improving both educational and future outcomes for students experiencing trauma. The implementation of traumainformed educational practices can assist in providing students with much needed support. A trauma-informed school is aware and sensitive to trauma and provides a safe and understanding environment for all members of the
school community. Good relationships within the whole school community are paramount. For more information’, contact Joanne Dempsey, National ABC Support Officer by email to joanned. dempsey@tusla.ie or by phone to 087 1718718. RESOURCES Pratschke, J. and Haase, T., 2007. Measurement of Social Disadvantage and its Spatial Articulation in the Republic of Ireland. Regional Studies, 41(6), pp.719-734. ‘Covid-19 information for Teachers’ Prepared by Louise Lunney, student on the MA Applied Psychology, UCC. LINK
LEADERSHIP SUPPORT
September 2020
Quality Leadership
Quality Schools JACK DURKAN IPPN LEADERSHIP SUPPORT MANAGER I know of a school where, at the first staff meeting of each school year, they place a chair from an infant classroom in the middle of the room for the duration of the meeting. They do this by agreement, to remind themselves of why they are there. That everything they debate, discuss, decide upon, must be of benefit to that imaginary child sitting on that chair.
talking to one another about what they do.
At the end of the day, we are all in the business of school effectiveness and school improvement. Our job is to bring about better, highquality learning and developmental outcomes for children. A school is a workplace for children even before it’s a workplace for the staff. So, whether it’s IPPN, the DES, INTO, PDST, etc. – all of us are in the business of making a difference in the lives of the 568,000 children who enter the doors of almost 3,300 primary schools every day. This who we are. This is what we do.
If the past number of months has shown us anything, it has shown up the quality, resilience, excellence and quality of leadership in schools up and down the country.
We know that you cannot have an effective school without effective leadership. We also know however, that in just about every piece of school effectiveness research ever done, the quality of the leadership comes second to the quality of the teaching and learning in the classroom, in terms of the impact on student outcomes. But, leadership is right up there in every single one. The quality of the leadership really does matter. And never more so than now! One of the best definitions of CPD I know is, ‘teachers talking to one another about what they do’. The same, I submit, is true for school leaders, ‘school leaders talking to one another about what they do’.
IPPN tries hard to meet this need, by promoting local support groups where they already exist and by supporting their formation where they don’t. The same is now happening at deputy principal and also at middle leadership and even aspiring leadership level.
IPPN exists to give support and to provide services to you, the members. In the same way that everyone in the school, who is not face-to-face with a child, is in a support role to the teacher in the classroom, from the caretaker to the secretary to the school leader, from the smallest to the largest school, so too is this the role of IPPN and the reason for its existence. IPPN exists to serve the needs of you, the ‘troops in the trenches’, not the other way around. But, we also crucially provide support to one another as colleagues. This is the Network piece in IPPN. We do not come to a support meeting,
be it virtual or face-to-face, to only ‘get’. We come to give, to share and sometimes, even only to listen to one another in a spirit of collegial solidarity. If I only sit on the fence and rail at the hurlers on the field, ‘what’s IPPN, INTO, DES etc. etc. going to do about this, that, and the other, I may well be missing the point of how a network works. There is no room for Them and Us in a network, only We! If the past number of months has shown us anything, it has shown up the quality, resilience, excellence and quality of leadership in schools up and down the country. While those who prefer to comment on how others are doing it rather than focussing on their own performance, the work and commitment of school leaders that we witness every day in the IPPN support office has been extraordinary. By the time you read this, you are hopefully, with your school community, back at work doing what you do best. Be reassured of the continued readiness of IPPN to be available to support you as a school leader, in any and every way we can, in your role. Finally, if you can find 20 minutes to listen to the words of Sir Ken Robinson, RIP, the wonderful author, speaker and advisor on the arts to governments, in the YouTube video entitled ‘How schools kill creativity’, I would highly recommend you do so!
I do not want the pilot of my plane to have the view, ‘I went to aviation school 20 years ago and learned how to fly. What more do I need to know?’ Not much use if you were trained in a 747 and now flying an A380! We want our airline pilots talking to one another about what they do, all the time. We want our brain surgeons 15
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Communication DONAL KERINS
LEADERSHIP SUPPORT TEAM MEMBER AT IRISH PRIMARY PRINCIPALS’NETWORK (IPPN)
SCHOOL LEADERS ARE COMMUNICATORS, FIRST AND FOREMOST A fundamental requirement of leadership is to articulate a shared vision for the school community and to communicate this clearly to all constituents. The degree to which this is successfully done is dependent on the school leader’s communication skills. Within the school context, many problems can be directly traced to ineffective or insufficient communication – its content, manner and means. Taking time to review your communication strategies and to think about what you want to say will help ensure you maintain your integrity and professionalism, that of your school, and of the wider educational community, particularly at times of challenge or crisis.
Taking time to review your communication strategies and to think about what you want to say will help ensure you maintain your integrity and professionalism… ACTIVE LISTENING ‘Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.’ Stephen R. Covey Listening is not the same as hearing. It is not a passive process – it requires us to pay attention, not only to the story, but to how it is told, the use of language and voice, the body language and appearance of the storyteller. It requires us to be aware of the verbal and non-verbal aspects of the message. The term Active Listening is used to describe the process of being fully involved. One set of studies has quantified the percentage of effectiveness of messaging as 7% Words, 38% Tone of Voice and 55% Non-Verbal clues! PERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR MEETINGS These skills include: ■ preparing the content and environment for the meeting ■ considering how to use your tone of voice to create a friendly atmosphere ■ displaying attitudes such as confidence, empathy, respect and open-mindedness ■ managing the meeting through active listening, being clear and concise when clarifying and summarising the points made at the meeting, and being assertive when required. DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ‘Delivering a difficult message is like throwing a hand 1616
grenade. Coated with sugar, thrown hard or soft, a hand grenade is still going to do damage …. there’s no way to throw a hand grenade with tact or to outrun the consequences …. keeping it to yourself is no better. Choosing not to deliver a difficult message is like hanging on to a hand grenade once you’ve pulled the pin’. Difficult Conversations. How to discuss what matters most. Douglas Stone, Bruce Hatton, Sheila Heen, 1999, Penguin. Having difficult conversations is part of being a school leader and often a source of anguish and anxiety. How can we prepare for difficult conversations and dare to hope that we can achieve a ‘win-win’ outcome? The Resource Bundle offers an 8 step approach accompanied by a template which can be used to prepare. The 8 steps are: 1. Purpose – being clear on the objectives – on what you and what the other party want to achieve from the conversation 2. Open Frame – setting a positive tone which clearly outlines that there is an issue to be resolved, that both viewpoints are important and which will not trigger a defensive response 3. Inquire – get an insight into the other person’s perspective 4. Share – now share your insights into the issues calmly 5. Emotions – be aware of the emotions involved for you and the other party 6. Needs – try to understand the core issues and what is at stake for each side 7. Options – put forward options for mutual gain to be considered 8. Way Forward – SMART goals based on mutually agreed options, where possible. COMMUNICATION SCENARIOS The Communication Resource Bundle contains a number of realistic scenarios of difficult conversations which are fully worked out using the 8 step template. It is one of many which can be accessed at www.ippn.ie. LINK
October 2020
Things turn out the best for those who make the best of the way things turn out! JOHN BOYLE
GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE IRISH NATIONAL TEACHERS’ ORGANISATION
School communities depend on your leadership now more than ever before. This year, as you return to school, you have roles and considerations that would never have crossed your mind a year ago. Until the coronavirus is fully suppressed in Ireland, everyone, including school leaders, will have to remain adaptable, flexible and vigilant to safeguard our communities. Those you serve are extremely grateful that our primary and special schools are led by so many outstanding people. From mid-March until late June, school leaders were resilient and resourceful, ensuring the continuance of pupils’ education while prioritising the health and well-being of each member of their school communities. It was a challenging time. Our heartfelt thanks and respect go out to all of you for your dedication and commitment. Our school routines will look very different this September. Against the backdrop of this change, it is essential that you proactively look after your own wellbeing. The metaphor of ‘fixing your own oxygen mask before attending to others’ has become clichéd for a reason; you can better support your school community when you have the supports that you need in place. Spectrum.Life provides a valuable, free service to support you and your staff in maintaining positive mental health. While caring for the mental health and well-being of pupils will take centre stage this month, it will be equally as important to prioritise the well-being of work colleagues. And remember, at a time like this, selfcare must be non-negotiable. The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation will continue to work to ensure you have the professional supports you need. We respond to nearly twenty thousand queries every year, many of which come from principals and deputy principals. The INTO has been working closely with IPPN and the various
management bodies throughout the summer months, advocating strongly for the safe and orderly reopening of schools. We put your concerns to the Department of Education and to the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response. We demanded a clear roadmap from government to show how our schools could reopen safely with maximum support. Since that roadmap was published, you have moved mountains to ensure that your schools reopen safely.
From mid-March until late June, school leaders were resilient and resourceful, ensuring the continuance of pupils’ education while prioritising the health and well-being of each member of their school communities. We called for unambiguous guidance for school leaders and a substantial resource package, including one release day per week for teaching principals. In many areas, these leadership and management days have been clustered, to create fixed-term posts, thereby providing consistency and certainty for everybody in the groups of five schools. We negotiated the central procurement of any equipment necessary for sanitisation and safety. Principals needed assurance that their schools would get proper funding to pay for enhanced cleaning and that they would have all the materials they needed in place to ensure that their schools were hygienic and healthy spaces. The doubling of the Minor Works Grant and the transfer of vital financial supports to school bank accounts in early August, was very welcome. We were adamant that it would not be left up to individual schools to develop their own policies and guidance from
scratch. Certainly, every school is different and schools can, and should, tweak policies to fit their unique circumstances. However, the heavy lifting of policy development, when it comes to COVID-19, has been done centrally by those with access to the latest public health advice and guidance. We have ensured that any necessary policies have been provided, ready-made, to schools, to be customised where needed. The INTO has also insisted on proper substitute cover for all absences. If a teacher in your school has to take a day’s sick leave or needs to care for an ill family member, you won’t have to weigh up the risks of splitting classes or sending children home. Substitute cover will now be more readily available for any absences that arise this year, including one EPV day per teacher. The INTO has demanded that the effectiveness of the various measures be reviewed so that any additional funding required can be provided for in Budget 2021. Your engagement with our pre-budget lobbying will be much appreciated. The start of this new school year brings a lot of changes and challenges. A person who revels in changing circumstances is an exception, rather than the rule. If we’ve learned anything during this pandemic, it has to be the importance of focusing on the next step, rather than the whole path. Beart gan leigheas, foighne is fearr dó. Remember that things always turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. You can be certain that the INTO will be with you every step of the way, helping you when you’re unsure of what to do next, supporting and representing you on the 2020-2021 journey. Go n-éirí go geal leat. www.into.ie LINK
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
The Centre for School Leadership:
Misneach, Mentoring and Online Supports ANNA MAI ROONEY
DEPUTY DIRECTOR PRIMARY AT THE CENTRE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
We are currently busy with the matching process. Misneach Primary took place very successfully online on August 19th and 20th, excellently facilitated by the PDST Leadership Team. Newly appointed principals who have applied for Misneach and completed the online CSL Mentoring Module have now been matched with an experienced mentor. In light of pandemic demands, they report this support as being more necessary than ever. If you are newly appointed, apply for Misneach online in the leadership section of the PDST website and we will be in contact with you regarding a mentor.
CSL one-to-one and team coaching is available on the CSL website. A coaching session could be a lifeline in these challenging times, when school leaders need space and time to reflect on their practice away from the demands of the school. The CSL Shared Calendar is now open to aspiring and middle-leaders, and contains all online professional learning. Access it in the Calendars section of the CSL website to find out what learning is available to you at your stage of leadership. Congratulations to all those aspiring leaders who recently received their PDSL certificates in the post and best wishes to the 300 participants
beginning as Cohort Four in September. Work is well under way to develop leadership resources for the CSL Model and Continuum of Professional Learning, to ensure leaders at every stage have access to relevant resources. We look forward to the publication of CSL’s research on the stages of leadership and the elements of professional learning. CSL will continue to support school leaders as we navigate together through unprecedented waters. If you would like to contact CSL in relation to this article, you can email the team at office@cslireland.ie
EducationPosts.ie MAEVE O’MAHONY EDUCATIONPOSTS.IE SUPPORT EDUCATIONPOSTS.IE REDEVELOPMENT We are in the process of developing a comprehensive recruitment portal to facilitate the acceptance of applications and streamline communication in relation to the recruitment process. This re-development will allow the Advertisers to receive applications, create and manage calendar events, and track communications with candidates through the platform. For Job Seekers, applications will be sent directly to Advertisers through the portal, and communication with schools/organisations will be online also. Testing on this platform will begin in September 2020, with full launch of the platform shortly after this. NEW NOTICEBOARDS EducationPosts.ie created and launched three new noticeboards to assist teachers, SNAs and parents during the summer, and into the next school year. The noticeboards are available under the ‘Noticeboards’ 18
button on EducationPosts.ie. These boards will remain a feature of the website for the time being.
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SUB SEEKER Sub Seeker continues to prove very popular with both job seekers and job advertisers. Over 1,400 teachers are currently available on Sub Seeker for substitute work at primary level. This GDPR-compliant secure service assists schools in finding Teaching Councilregistered teachers to fill short-term vacancies. HOW TO ACCESS SUBSEEKER There is automatic registration for schools that have advertised on EducationPosts.ie, simply visit the Sub Seeker tab on your “Advertiser Dashboard”. You can find out more by watching the Sub Seeker “How to” video on Youtube. Key Features: ■ Find sub cover for immediate substitute vacancies for up to six days
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Automatic registration for schools that have advertised on EducationPosts.ie Free service to all DES schools Mobile compatible Validation of Teaching Council registration number View profile of available subs – availability, experience & qualifications Send offers and receive responses via the portal – emails created automatically.
Check out the Sub Seeker Advertiser FAQ at www.educationposts.ie. Recently, a new Sub Seeker button was added to the homepage of EducationPosts.ie, which links to the FAQs. Once logged in, this tab also includes a quick access button to the Sub Seeker platform for schools and teachers.
SUB SEEKER short-term substitute service l Validation of Teaching Council Registration Number l Accessed via your EducationPosts.ie dashboard l Free service to teachers l GDPR compliant l Teacher profiles include availability, qualifications
and experience l Calendar view to update availability for the next 5 days l Substitute teachers select up to 6 counties they are
willing to sub in l Mobile compatible l Teachers receive sub offers directly on the site and via email
Contact us on subs@educationposts.ie Follow us on social media for regular updates 19 19
OnYourBehalf
Listed below are some of the projects and advocacy-related engagement that were progressed in the past few months, almost all of it virtually.
JUNE, JULY, AUGUST Virtual meetings attended/hosted: ■ IPPN Board of Directors and National Council meetings took place virtually on 5th June. ■ DES COVID-19 Briefings and Working Group meetings - IPPN has been involved in all of the DES briefings and Working Group meetings to progress all of the issues that required answers and funding, culminating in the Roadmap published in late July. We will continue to engage with the stakeholders to ensure that the issues and challenges that present in schools are dealt with as efficiently and as effectively as possible. ■ DES Special Education Consultation - on the development and delivery of summer programmes for students with SEN and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. ■ IPPN presented at the Special Oireachtas Committee on the Reopening of Schools, highlighting the significant challenges for school leaders and the key resources required to safely reopen school buildings in August/ September. ■ Inspectorate re. IPPN’s submission on the review of the Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection (CPSI) model. ■ School Placement 2020-2021 Stakeholder Consultation The Teaching Council and the Department of Education and Skills prepared the draft Guidance Note for School Placement, with a view to providing guidance and clarity to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and schools concerning school placement arrangements for the academic year 2020/2021. ■ CSL Research and Evaluation Group - Fitzpatrick’s are continuing their evaluation of CSL. A full report will issue later in the year. ■ Teaching Council re. the development of EducationPosts.ie ■ National Parents’ Council re. communication and consultation with parents regarding the reopening of schools. ■ DCYA - Meeting of the Hub na nÓg Network of Practice re.
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development of the draft DCYA National Child Participation Implementation Framework. Literacy and Numeracy Summer Camp meeting. Cork Migrant Centre Youth Initiative Against Racism in collaboration with Cork CYPSC Young people and their mentors engaged with frontline service providers, policy makers and organisations in a conversation on positive change for multi- cultural Ireland. A Q&A panel included the Ombudsman for Children, Children’s Rights Alliance, Tusla, An Garda Síochana and IPPN. National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) Pilot Oversight Group Meeting. All Island Physical Activity Forum on the progress of the physical literacy project to date and to present provisional data. SEAI Energy in Education meeting.
IPPN President Damian White and members of IPPN’s Leadership Support team have attended Zoom meetings and webinars with school leaders hosted and supported by education centres all across the country, and continued to do so through the summer months. PUBLIC RELATIONS IPPN CEO Páiric Clerkin, President Damian White and Deputy President Brian O’Doherty participated in a significant number of media interviews for both radio and newspapers in recent months, including Drive Time, Morning Ireland, The Last Word, the Irish Times, and The Mail on Sunday, representing the issues and challenges around leading remote learning during the period when school buildings were closed, as well as the transition back to on-site learning.
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT Since Covid-19, almost all engagement with members has happened remotely. IPPN President Damian White and members of IPPN’s Leadership Support team have attended Zoom meetings and webinars with school leaders hosted and supported by education centres all across the country, and continued to do so through the summer months. A number of support groups specific to deputy principals have been established and continue to meet remotely. IPPN hosted three major webinars in July and August, each of which was attended by over 600 members and featuring contributions from experts in relation to remote learning and school management during the pandemic, as well as issues around schools’ reopening. Since the start of September, we have been virtually meeting members all across the country in Autumn County Network meetings, providing updates and relevant CPD at the start of the school year. These will continue into early October. As they are virtual, you can join any day that suits – to register and get the link to join a meeting, go to www.ippn.ie. LINK
‘Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler did not solve an old problem, they asked a new question, and in doing so they changed the whole basis on which the old questions had been framed.’ Sir Ken Robinson 1950 – 2020
THOUGHTS FROM ACROSS THE POND October 2020
Unexpected
CHANGE RICH BURCHILL RETIRED MASSACHUSETTS PRINCIPAL In September of 2019, I wrote a piece about being a principal in two different centuries. For ten years in the 20th century, and for fourteen years in this century, I was an elementary school principal and lower school head. The theme of the piece was that the one constant in all that time was change, and how principals must adapt to it and lead efforts to manage it. I described a major change to which principals here in the United States have had to adapt; the obscenity of school shootings. Fortunately, that wasn’t a change that Irish principals had, but there were many other challenges in your schools that required you to adapt and lead. And then, schools all over the world were shattered by a common change… the Covid pandemic. During my lengthy career as principal, I assumed I had ‘seen it all.’ Not! Probably the closest I came (and not close at all) was when asbestos was discovered in our school and I had to relocate 500 students into four different settings within two days. That was short-lived and nowhere near as life altering as what you have dealt with.
Balancing personal well-being while dealing daily with the challenges of leading schools, is at all times, hard to do. This challenge however, has been daunting and unique. Every school situation is different and responses to this kind of crisis rarely require the exact same reactions. And while you recognize the needs and supports in your own school community, it is also important to embrace the fact that so many colleagues are undergoing similar, if not exact, stressful circumstances. Balancing personal well-being while dealing daily with the challenges of leading schools, is at all times, hard to do. I hope you are able to openly accept how much more stressful this experience certainly is. Mind your own health.
But one thing that I did learn about unexpected change as a principal, after events here like 9/11 and the Sandy Hook shootings, was just how much teachers, parents, and students relied on their school principal for reassurance and encouragement. Just seeing their principal outside the school door in the morning provided a sense of normalcy and control. Fair enough that the principal (at least this one) might not have been feeling it inside. Whether the school door is the usual one or an online version, appreciate how much your school community relies on and appreciates your leadership. Emma Thompson was recently quoted as saying,’ … so what do I really want to do? Actually, what I want is to be uplifting.’ A tall order indeed in these times, but a noble one for school leaders. If you would like to contact Rich in relation to this article, you can email him at richburchill6@gmail.com.
As I write this at the end of May, 2020, there are still many questions over here and in Ireland around when and how schools will reopen in the fall.
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
The Moral Purpose of SCHOOL LEADERS
PADRAIG McCABE RETIRED PRINCIPAL OF ST MARY’S JUNIOR NS, CLONDALKIN On August 31st, I retired as principal after 22 years. A lot changed during this time. Other things however remain unchanged, namely the lessons and values shaped by my early years, growing up in a small village in Monaghan. My parents ran a shop, post office and telephone exchange. They worked 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our family grew up with a strong work ethic, an appreciation of confidentiality, and interpersonal skills honed by dealing with the public from a young age. When I was about 15 however, I learned my most indelible lesson. I watched as my elderly father ran to call back a local man I had turned away from our door. It was a Friday evening; the post office had closed; he called looking for his dole. As a teenager, I didn’t understand what the impact of having no money for the weekend would mean for him and his family. Seeing the disappointment and annoyance on my father’s face, taught me that no one who needs help should ever be turned away. The time this man had called wasn’t important, what he needed, was. 22 years later I started my journey as principal in Dublin. Like many newly appointed principals, I had to get to grips with a new role, new colleagues, new community, new demands and associated paperwork. In the absence of formal induction at that time, support came from principals locally. Now I was the one needing help and support, and this was generously provided and much appreciated. In addition to their advice, these principals oozed character and commitment. In the absence of clear guidelines, decisions were made based on principles, what they felt was right and in the best interest of the pupils, the school, the teachers and the community. Subsequent leadership training would describe this as ‘moral purpose’, an appropriate description; however it is principled leaders who show this in action. This selfless support for others was also evident among those school leaders who, realising how the role was changing, took it upon themselves 22
I marvel at the capacity of newly qualified teachers and the calibre of newlyappointed principals.
opportunity to work closely with truly magnificent school leaders; men and women who were dedicated to their profession, their schools and to furthering the cause of leadership in education.
to establish support networks, to organise their own CPD and principals’ conferences and ultimately led to the founding of IPPN in 2000. They realised that principals had the capacity to support each other. Rather than looking for help from outside, IPPN sought to build on the skills and knowledge that were widely available among school leaders. They saw the potential of harnessing the capacity and capability of school leaders, of sharing expertise, empowering principals, dismantling barriers and building strong supportive networks. For those of us new to the role, IPPN couldn’t have come at better time. Initially, I benefited from attending meetings, conferences, presentations and from networking. Subsequently, I benefited more by getting involved with IPPN. This gave me the
Exactly 22 years later, I find myself reflecting on my journey. I loved every day. I have enjoyed seeing how much children now enjoy school and the significant improvements in learning outcomes and experiences. I have also observed parents develop in confidence and self-esteem. I enjoyed engaging in professional development with colleagues and watching with pride as many took on leadership positions in our school, or became principals in other schools. I marvel at the capacity of newly qualified teachers and the calibre of newly appointed principals. Whether it’s in a small village in Monaghan, a large school in Dublin or in organisations like IPPN, INTO and CSL, working with people who are genuinely concerned with helping others has been a real education, a privilege and a pleasure.
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October 2020
Do we really want teachers dressed in visors and face masks? TERENCE REYNOLDS PRINCIPAL OF SCOIL NAOMH BRÍD IN BALLYCONNELL, CO CAVAN Pandemic. A word I was aware of but never thought would so become part of our daily discourse. Social distancing. A cold term, which as it has turned out, is exactly what it means. Its effects are many and varied. As a primary school principal of 13 years, the last nine weeks have been the most bizarre experience. The three hours’ notice to close. The announcement to staff was quick and, luckily, we had a plan in place from earlier that week in the event of closure. Nevertheless, it felt surreal when word came through on the Thursday at 12pm that we were to close that evening. Work packs were put together and books were packed up. Texts and emails were sent to parents and the website was updated. And that was that. Parents at the gate thanking us for all and hoping we would be back soon. Children leaving in droves, giddy with excitement that school was out but also a nervous anxiety, I’m sure, at the rug being pulled from under them. I am certain this was the scene all over the country. School is about much more than academia. Children are missing out on the various social skills they learn by just attending school. Playing, fighting, making up, debating, joking, laughing, getting in trouble and facing the consequences, collaborating, questioning, arguing ... learning. More worryingly, for those children with vulnerabilities whether that be an unstable home life or living with special needs, this has been a monumental disaster. The familiar face of the dedicated teacher, the caring and thoughtful SNA and the focus of a daily routine has been struck out.
Zoom or Google Classroom lessons are no substitute for real people and real surroundings. Let’s not forget about our sixth class pupils deprived of their rite of passage and the chance to receive Confirmation, that final school tour, the football competitions and the signing of the t-shirts.
Children’s wellbeing will be shattered by a strict social distancing regime in primary school. Some certainty was put to us when the Government announced closure until September, but what then? Appointments of new staff members are on hold. How do we hold interviews? Planning for major capital projects has been delayed. Depressing videos from China of children being sprayed, scanned and fitted with masks as they enter school and images from Europe of children sitting in marked out boxes on their own in yard are being touted as examples of where a return to school is workable. The ethos of any national school is built on empathy, trust, familiarity and togetherness. A teacher at the top of the class dressed in a gown, visor and face mask will display none of these traits. A child being sprayed, scanned, checked and cordoned off for the day, two metres from everyone else, is so far removed from the ethos of primary education that it’s unrecognisable. This type of regime would be especially traumatising for children with special needs. We simply cannot allow this to be the new norm. Social distancing is unworkable in primary schools. The long-term social development and wellbeing of
children and staff in primary schools would be shattered by a social distancing regime. Do we really want our children being formed in such an environment? Are we comfortable as adults with that? Do we want our children to be cold, distant, suspicious and untrusting of people? School should be a place of fun and innocence, a place of safety and diversity, a place of togetherness and community. Social distancing would instantly rob a school of all those traits common to every school the world over. The hope must be that further information emerges that children aren’t prolific vectors or super spreaders and mortality and infection rates continue to fall. If that is the case, one could reasonably argue for a relaxing of social distancing in schools. By all means hand sanitising should be the norm, coughing etiquette added to the code of behaviour and special arrangements made for parents or staff members with underlying health issues. To get our education system back up and running, we need to be able to let children be children and teachers be teachers. Otherwise, another Covid-19 phrase comes to mind: “Is the cure worse than the disease?” Extracted from an article published in the Irish Times on 26 May 2020
If you would like to contact Terry about his article, you can email him to treynolds.bcns@gmail.com.
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
The impact of
Creativity on Well-being
PAUL COLLARD CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CREATIVITY, CULTURE AND EDUCATION (CCE) As school leaders prepare for the return of pupils to school this autumn, the well-being of pupils will be in the forefront of their minds. While the arrangements to safeguard their physical well-being might dominate immediately, the mental and emotional well-being will be of equal concern as there has been much discussion about the possible impact of the pandemic on the mental health of pupils. Creativity, Culture and Education’s (CCE) influential literature review The Impact of Creative Initiatives on Well-being, written by the Institute of Education at Cambridge University, argues that the international literature identifies three perceived routes to well-being, These are: living the pleasant life which enables an individual to experience high levels of positive emotion and gratification, living the good life, which enables one to experience absorption in activities, engagement and flow, and finally living the meaningful life, where one deploys one’s strengths in the pursuit of something greater than oneself. The first, known as hedonic well-being, is notoriously elusive, as an individual’s perception of what will provide them with a sense of well-being is often questionable. There is no evidence, for instance, that more money makes one happier. For this reason, it is usually fleeting and ephemeral. However, the latter two, known as eudemonic well-being, are central to the purpose of school. Ensuring that education is absorbing and engaging, while developing the capacity and full
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potential of pupils so that they can deploy their strengths as adults to the benefit of society at large drives the design of education. But what educational practices enhance these forms of well-being? Central to an understanding of the processes which enhance eudemonic well-being is Social Determination Theory (SDT). The developmental process at the core of SDT is premised on the notion that humans have three universal psychological needs: competence - feeling effective in one’s ongoing interactions with the social environment and experiencing opportunities to exercise and express one’s capacities, autonomy - being the perceived origin or source of one’s own behaviour’, and relatedness - feeling connected to others, caring for and being cared for by those others, having a sense of belonging to individuals and with one’s community. These three form the basis of a deep rooted and long-lasting sense of well-being. It is within the power of school and other educational settings to instil a sense of competence, autonomy and relatedness in pupils, but it requires schools to engage pupils directly in affecting and shaping their own learning. It is for these reasons that the Irish Government launched in early 2019 the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision Making 2015-2020 followed in late 2019 with the more education centric Our Voices, Our Schools on-line tool kit.
The Creative Schools programmes has built this approach to pupil voice into the heart of its programme design. All schools and Creative Associates coming into the programme are given training on the Lundy model from Hub na nÓg, which is Ireland’s national centre of excellence and coordination on giving children and young people a voice in decision-making. It is an aspect of the programme which participating schools have taken to heart. Final reports submitted by schools showed that 99% had placed the involvement of pupils in decision-making at the centre of the programme and the majority had established new permanent structures for involving pupils which went far beyond school councils and the traditional forms of pupil consultation. The result has been a transformation in those schools in pupil’s engagement with learning, stronger relationships between staff, pupils and parents, and a broader understanding in pupils of their connectedness with their community. So as school leaders consider how to enhance the well-being of pupils post the pandemic, remember that the most powerful and sustainable forms of well-being are generated by instilling feelings of competence, autonomy and relatedness in pupils, that doing this is central to Irish Government policy, and that there are on-line resources and programmes such as Creative Schools to help them. If you would like to contact Paul in relation to this article, you can email him at paul.collard@cceengland.org.
October 2020
The new reality of
CPD provision in Education Centres
DR CELIA WALSH DIRECTOR OF WATERFORD TEACHERS CENTRE, CHAIRPERSON OF EDUCATION SUPPORT CENTRES IRELAND (ESCI) The unprecedented challenges of recent months have impacted on all aspects of society, not least in the provision of education, at all levels. Due to the directives issued to contain the spread of Covid-19, the directors and staff within the network of Education Centres had to come to terms with their inability to provide any face-toface CPD courses; their normal mode of delivery, to the teachers in their regions.
Due to the directives issued to contain the spread of Covid-19, the directors and staff within the network of Education Centres had to come to terms with their inability to provide any face-toface CPD courses‌ This challenge was met within a short time by the centre directors by acknowledging the potential for online training and embracing remote learning as an alternate approach to CPD provision. This was achieved by forging links with IT companies who provided the training and technological support to facilitate centres to host webinars and online meetings. Local CPD needs were assessed through communicating with school leaders and teachers, collating their responses and establishing priorities. Areas highlighted included online learning, support for pupils with SEN, teacher well-being and supporting parents with homeschooling. Locally based, experienced tutors were approached and invited to create content for online webinars to address these needs. The website of the umbrella group of the Education Centre network, Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) had recently undergone development and upgrading. The
new website now provides a central platform for all centres to advertise their courses and facilitates teachers from all corners of Ireland to access information regarding available CPD opportunities, while providing links to each centre’s website, enabling online booking. This facility proved invaluable in the new remote learning reality of the recent months since teachers and school leaders could engage in online professional development within their own homes, provided by centres perhaps located at the opposite end of the country, with minimal limitation on capacity. With the support of centre administrative staff, all working remotely, over 500 courses were provided by local tutors. Numbers of attendees at webinars have varied from 10 to over 1,000. The platform of choice was Zoom, which facilitates engagement with participants through online chat and breakout-room options. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, and calls for additional onlinelearning is a regular feature of teacher evaluations. Education Centres have forged and embedded links with several educational agencies such as NEPS, PDST, CSL, NIPT, IPPN and NPC through collaboration in the organisation and provision of online CPD events. Teacher collaborative networks can act as powerful sites of transformation, where the sum total of individual knowledge and experience is enhanced significantly through collective endeavour. Local support network groups created and supported by the Education Centres for various specific interest groups, including principals, deputy principals, SEN teachers and infant teachers, were facilitated to meet and collaborate through online meetings, during the period of restricted movement. This support afforded to individual educators has proven to be invaluable in allowing teachers to access information from colleagues,
discuss issues, share successes and seek support with challenges, thereby limiting isolation while sustaining and increasing teacher morale and confidence.
Teacher collaborative networks can act as powerful sites of transformation, where the sum total of individual knowledge and experience is enhanced significantly through collective endeavour. Going forward, all those involved in the Education Centre network believe that this new, innovative approach to CPD will be a constant feature of our course provision, providing a flexible, easily accessed and more relaxed alternative to the face-toface option more commonly provided by ESCI until recently. To this end, a broad and varied programme of online professional learning is already planned for the upcoming term, to support all those within the educational community who are returning to school and striving to provide a positive, safe learning environment for every pupil. Check www.esci.ie for information. @ ESCItweets LINK
Celia is seconded from the principalship of Murrintown NS, Co Wexford.
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
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:
REOPENING SCHOOLS
This new section was added to the website as a temporary holding place for all of the information and materials relating to the transition back to school. Individual items will not be listed here due to their temporary nature. The following sub-sections were set up to deal with relevant information and materials. ■
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Live Resource Bundle (updated with all the latest information available) Latest Updates Back to School Resources l Checklists u Checklist for cleaning u Checklist for dealing with a suspected case u Checklist for staff l July Provision l Physical Distancing l DES u Guidance on PPE, consumables and equipment l Letter templates u Letter to parents u Litir do thuismitheoirí
l Procurement u
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DES Supplier List
Other examples of resources available in the Back to School Resources section: ■ Ag Athoscailt Ár Scoileanna An Treochlár chun Filleadh go hIomlán ar an Scoil ■ Eolas ón FSS do Thuismitheoirí ■ A trauma-informed return to school ■ Cleaning plan sample ■ COVID-19 policy statement ■ Curriculum guidance for school leaders and teachers ■ Full risk assessment ■ IPPN risk assessment ■ HSE information for parents ■ HSPC recommendations ■ Lead worker representative ■ FAQs
RESOURCES
RESOURCE BUNDLES ■ Pupils with Behaviours of Concern ■ Sharing the Leadership: Recruiting and Appointing Deputy Principal (Open Competition) ■ Communication. FORMS & TEMPLATES Absences & Leave ■ Appendix 1 - OHS Manual for Teachers ■ Appendix 2 - CIP - Managerial Discretion Guidelines ■ Appendix 3 - Pregnancy Related Illness -Sample Calculations ■ Appendix 4 - Appendix 4 – Dual Look Back Examples
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Appendix 5 - Application Form for Maternity Leave Appendix 6 - Procedures relating to the Recording of Maternity Leave on the OLCS Appendix 7 - Maternity Leave Calculation Worksheet (Examples) Appendix 8 - Application Form for Adoptive Leave Appendix 9 - Procedures for Recording of Adoptive Leave on OLCS Appendix 10 - Example of Adoptive Leave Calculation Appendix 11 - Application Form for Paternity Leave Appendix 12 - Application Form for Parental Leave Appendix 13 - Confirmation Document for Parental Leave Appendix 14 - Application Form for Carer’s Leave Appendix 15 - Confirmation Document for Carer’s Leave Appendix 16 - Application Form for Career Break.
PLANNING PROMPTS A new prompt is uploaded each week to this section, and each one is relevant to the time of year.
SUPPORTS
LEADERSHIP+ 2019/2020 ■ Issue 114 – May/June 2020 E-SCÉALS A new E-scéal is uploaded each week to this section.
Download the IPPN Events App Now! Support our sustainability - help us go paperless and download our app today! Search for ‘IPPN Events’ in your App store.
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October 2020
Key appointments in
Irish universities replaced outgoing president Dr Des Fitzgerald on September 1 on an interim basis. She will serve as Chief Officer of the University until the appointment of a new president through an open international recruitment process, which is expected to take up to 18 months once commenced. Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Professor Mey studied for an MA equivalent in Art, German language and literature at Humboldt University in Berlin, as well as a PhD in Art Theory and Aesthetics. She held academic positions in universities in Germany and the UK and also worked at the University of Westminster, UK. IPPN congratulates Professor Keogh and Professor Mey on their appointments and wishes them both the very best in their crucial leadership roles in our university sector. Professor Daire Keogh, Dublin City University Professor Daire Keogh succeeded Professor Brian MacCraith as DCU President in July, having previously served as Professor of History and Deputy President. Professor Keogh served as President of St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra from 2012 until 2016. He has published extensively on the history of popular politics, religion and education in Ireland. A former Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellow; he is currently principal investigator of an Irish Research Council-funded project to publish the extensive correspondence of Cardinal Paul Cullen. He is a graduate of the National University of Ireland (BA), the Gregorian University Rome (BPh), the University of Glasgow (MTh) and the University of Dublin (PhD). Professor Kerstin Mey, University of Limerick Professor Kerstin Mey was appointed as the Interim President of the University of Limerick in July; the first ever woman president of an Irish university. Formerly the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Engagement at UL, Professor Mey
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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
IPPN Annual Report 2019/2020 Highlights During the 2019/20 school year, which ended 30th August last, IPPN provided a range of supports and services to members, and advocated for school leaders’ needs, in addition to commercial activities which help fund core services. The following are some highlights from the IPPN Annual Report 2019/20, which is available to view and download from our member website. SUPPORTS & SERVICES From the National Support Office in Cork, IPPN provides the following supports and services to the 6,000+ principals and deputy principals of over 3,000 IPPN-member primary schools. Leadership Support Service This one-to-one confidential advisory service, provided by a team of skilled serving and retired principals, offers collegial support and guidance of a non-directive and non-legal nature. The team also provides a Professional Guidance service, answering queries of a factual nature. From September 2019 to August 2020, the Leadership Support team responded to over 2,600 individual queries of principals and deputy principals. Of the topics dealt with, the following were the most common: ■ School Policies (Linked to COVID-19) ■ HR Admin ■ Parents & Pupils – Parental Complaints, Custody & Access ■ Recruitment ■ Interpersonal/Conflict Management. The team closely monitors the issues and queries raised by members and this information is factored into the plans for the development of resources and CPD. E-Scéal This weekly electronic bulletin is the crucial ‘one-stop-shop’ providing all the key information school leaders need to know - current issues within the education sector, professional 28
guidance, FAQs, circular releases, as well as topical issues relating to leadership and management. Our links with education stakeholders ensure that IPPN is kept informed at the earliest opportunity of key developments, enabling us to pass that information to our members. Members who read their E-scéal every week can be assured that they won’t miss any key information. 41 E-scéalta were issued during the 2019/2020 school year.
Our links with education stakeholders ensure that IPPN is kept informed at the earliest opportunity of key developments, Continuous Professional Development Over the past year, IPPN hosted 38 local, regional and national CPD events for school leaders with over 2,800 school leaders participating. We share our CPD calendar using the CSL CPD Calendar tool. See also your IPPN Wall Calendar for key IPPN CPD events. LINK
Mailing Lists IPPN’s mailing lists are among the most valued supports available to members. They are ‘closed’ mailing lists i.e. the emails are for principals and deputy principals who are members of IPPN. The most popular mailing list is ‘networking’, which facilitates a peersupport community. It has almost 4,000 subscribers. 16.5 million emails were sent during the 2019/20 calendar year. The service was particularly busy during the last term, as leaders reached out to each other for support during the unprecedented closure of school buildings due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Leadership+ In the calendar year 2019/20, five issues of Leadership+ were published. A complete archive of all 114 issues published to date is available online. A
key benefit of the epublication is the ability to provide direct online links to more information on relevant source websites, as well as resources such as templates and sample policies. LINK
ONLINE SERVICES Webinars Due to COVID-19, IPPN brought forward our plans to develop a series of webinars on relevant topics for school leaders. With our first ‘Sustainable Leadership’ series, over 2,500 school leaders registered and participated in our first three webinars on Governance, Recruitment andthe Reopening of Schools Response Plan, and also included key updates from Education Partners. In addition, Mason Hayes Curran facilitated webinars in association with IPPN in relation to Admissions Policy 2021/22 and the reopening of schools. Webinars will supplement, but will not replace our face-to-face events, which also allow school leaders to network with their peers. We plan to further develop our capacity to deliver CPD remotely, through online technology, and to build on the learning from our initial series, developed to support members during COVID-19 closures. Resource Bundles IPPN Resources Bundles are a onestop-shop where school leaders will find the answers, supporting documentation and reading materials relating to the most common queries school leaders encounter in the dayto-day management of their schools. These comprehensive resources are produced in an easy-to-use, interactive e-publication format. In 2019/20, the following resource bundles were developed or updated: ■ Admissions Policy ■ Communication ■ Pupils with Behaviours of Concern ■ Absence & Leave for Teachers ■ PIEW - Empowering School Leaders through Prioritising
October 2020
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In response to the significant and ongoing notifications and announcements by NPHET, the HSE and the DES, the team created a ‘Live’ Resource Bundle for the reopening of schools. It is updated every two days to incorporate evolving information and advice from the relevant agencies. You can find them on www.ippn.ie under Resources/Resource Bundles. LINK
We are in the process of developing a comprehensive recruitment portal to facilitate the acceptance of applications and streamline communication in relation to the recruitment process. TextaParent.ie In the 2019/2020 school year, over 6 million text messages, along with over 1 million ‘push notifications’, were delivered to parents and staff from TextaParent. There was significant growth in the number of schools and users availing of the TextaParent App for delivery of messages from schools. EducationPosts.ie EducationPosts is Ireland’s longestestablished and most widely used website dedicated to education recruitment. In the 2019/20 school year, there were over 135,000 users (including more than 128,000 teachers) registered on the site and almost 13,000 vacancies were advertised across education sectors. The service has dedicated support from IPPN staff. We are in the process of developing a comprehensive recruitment portal to facilitate the acceptance of applications and streamline communication in relation to the recruitment process. Testing of this platform began in September 2020, and we hope to launch the new features in the first term of this school year. Sub Seeker Sub Seeker is an online service within EducationPosts.ie that enables
primary and post-primary schools to find qualified teachers for substitute teaching in selected counties. It helped substitute teachers find over 800 temporary positions since it was launched this time last year. The number of registered substitute teachers has tripled since then. At the time of writing, over 4,200 substitute teachers are registered on the service. The benefits of the new Sub Seeker system include: ■ Schools can review a teacher’s profile (availability, experience, qualifications and other relevant information) before offering a substitute position ■ Schools can see the history of their searches and the subs they have employed ■ Data security – the system is GDPR compliant ■ All teachers are validated against the Teaching Council database so schools can be assured they are registered ■ Teachers can sub in both primary and post-primary schools ■ The system works equally well on PC, laptop and tablet computers as well as on smart phones. A number of enhancements have been made since the service was launched. Sub Seeker now sends a text message to substitute teachers once a substitute position is received, ensuring teachers are aware of all offers received, even if they do not have a Wi-Fi or data connection on their phones. Development will continue in autumn 2020 to enhance the system further, including time limits on offer acceptance, more comprehensive search tools and member profiles, as well as updates to communication tools for job seekers and employers. We will continue to engage with users and develop the service on an ongoing basis to meet the needs of schools and job-seekers. Supports for Newly-Appointed Principals One-to-one mentoring is provided to new principals by the Centre for School Leadership (CSL) in the first year following appointment. It is part of the continuum of support we hope new leaders will avail of throughout their leadership journey. In the 2019/20 school year, the IPPN Leadership Support Team designed and delivered training in relation to Group Mentoring to 48 mentors across
the country, to enable them to act as mentors to cohorts of new school leaders.
IPPN has worked closely with INTO, CPSMA (on behalf of Management bodies), NABMSE and NPC in seeking support in areas of shared priority, particularly since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. ADVOCACY IPPN also supports school leaders by advocating for improved policy and funding for primary education, as well as leadership development and supports for school leaders. Our advocacy work covers IPPN’s overall vision for school leadership ‘Empowered Leaders; Inspired Learners’, as well as our key objectives, and specific issues and concerns that relate to particular cohorts of our members special schools, one-teacher schools, schools led by teaching principals, and DEIS schools, among others. As a professional body, IPPN is precluded from involvement in industrial relations matters but works closely with the other education partners and the INTO to highlight all issues of concern to school leaders and advocate for those prioritised to be progressed. IPPN has worked closely with INTO, CPSMA (on behalf of Management bodies), NABMSE and NPC in seeking support in areas of shared priority, particularly since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. IPPN advocated for school leaders with education partners and the DES in almost daily briefings and working group meetings during this period, and provided continuous bulletins and updates to members, all of this done while working remotely and in addition to all of the other services and supports provided. To reflect and capture the voice and experience of the school leader in our advocacy work, IPPN seeks to consult widely with principals and deputy principals through member engagement with county networks, the National Council and the Board, as well as through the education centre 29
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
network, directly at IPPN events, and through research projects. ■
Membership Engagement Prior to the closure of school buildings in March 2020, IPPN President Damian White visited several counties, and visited schools of all types engaging with school leaders and addressing their concerns. He met local principals’ support groups and listened to concerns and shared support in a number of areas. Damian and IPPN CEO Páiric Clerkin met with several education centre directors to look at ways in which we could work more closely in support of school leaders.
Since COVID-19, almost all engagement has happened remotely. The President and members of IPPN’s Leadership Support team have attended Zoom meetings and webinars with school leaders hosted and supported by education centres all across the country, and continue to do so. Since COVID-19, almost all engagement has happened remotely. The President and members of IPPN’s Leadership Support team have attended Zoom meetings and webinars with school leaders hosted and supported by education centres all across the country, and continue to do so. A number of support groups specific to deputy principals have been established and continue to meet remotely. Areas of Focus Elsewhere during the 2019/20 school year, our advocacy work focused on the following aspects of school leadership and management, in line with our strategic priorities: ■
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Small schools – presentation at DES symposium, establishment of working group on small schools chaired by Prof. Anne Looney, Executive Dean of DCU Teaching Principalship presentation to Joint Oireachtas Committee, top priority in our
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Budget 2020 submission and engagement with stakeholders COVID-19 remote learning and transition back to school – supports needed by schools and school leaders to lead and manage during the crisis, resources needed by schools to reopen safely for the new school year – presentation to the Special Oireachtas Committee, participation in briefings and working group meetings, various submissions Sustainable leadership – IPPN started a discussion with key stakeholders to look at the sustainability of primary school leadership, which will lead to a number of strands of work in the coming years Special Education – IPPN has worked with officials in the DES and NCSE as well as with NABMSE, to progress and address issues relating to SEN, including the designation of schools for new special classes, the new SNA allocation model, and the serious issues specific to the special schools’ sector Other issues discussed with key stakeholders included: ● Homelessness ● The proposed Student & Parent Charter and its implications for schools ● School Completion Planning ● Racism.
Position Papers and Submissions IPPN uses ‘position papers’ to set out our vision for particular aspects of primary education that require change. They are evidence-based and reflect the real issues on the ground in our schools. During the 2019/20 school year, IPPN has prepared position papers and submissions on the following topics, among others: ■ Budget 2020 ■ Draft national standards for children’s social services ■ Oireachtas Procedures ■ DES Statement of Strategy 20192021 ■ Revised procedures relating to Section 29 appeals ■ Tusla Corporate Plan 2021-2023. In addition, small cohorts of school leaders were asked to provide input on a number of topics relating to feedback sought by external organisations such as the DES, Inspectorate, Tusla, HIQA
and others, including submissions in relation to Section 29 appeals procedures, HIQA Draft National Standards for Children’s Social Services, Guidelines on the Continuity of Schooling. and the Full Reopening of Schools after COVID-19 Closures. All position papers and submissions are available in the Advocacy section of www.ippn.ie.
IPPN conducts and commissions research to look in detail at the key issues in primary education, particularly in relation to school leadership and management. Research IPPN conducts and commissions research to look in detail at the key issues in primary education, particularly in relation to school leadership and management. Research findings help to develop understanding of the issues, challenges and potential solutions among stakeholders, as well as to support school leaders directly in their work. In the 2019/20 school year, IPPN surveyed members in relation to COVID-19 school closures and practice in schools and a strategic review of IPPN. In early 2020, a consultation survey looked into a number of aspects of leadership and management, including SEN in mainstream schools, issues and challenges in Irish-medium schools, Homework policy, Irish exemptions, formation of new Boards of Management, environmental sustainability, and internet access. Charitable Status IPPN is a registered charity with CHY number 17221. The full Annual Report is available to view/download from www.ippn.ie – About Us – About IPPN – Learn More
October 2020
The Draft Primary Curriculum Framework
An Update on the Consultation Process NCCA EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PRIMARY TEAM
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) published the Draft Primary Curriculum Framework last February for consultation. The framework sets out proposals for the redevelopment of the primary curriculum. A key consideration informing the proposals has been how we would envision the purpose of primary education in the next 15 years. The framework explores what children learn in primary school, how they learn and how schools can be given more flexibility and be afforded greater agency to make important decisions about teaching and learning in their local context.
A key consideration informing the proposals has been how we would envision the purpose of primary education in the next 15 years. The consultation is framed around six key messages of the proposals. The framework: 1. builds on the successes and strengths of the 1999 curriculum such as children’s enjoyment of learning, and teachers’ increased use of active methodologies. At the same time, the framework responds to key challenges identified by schools, including curriculum overload and using assessment information in a meaningful way to inform teaching and learning 2. emphasises agency and flexibility for schools, recognising the variety of school contexts and learning environments that support the learning of every child. It also aims to increase flexibility for schools in terms of planning and timetabling 3. supports transitions between home, preschool, primary and
post-primary by providing a vision for children’s learning across the eight years of primary school which links with learning experiences shaped by Aistear and connects with learning in the Framework for Junior Cycle 4. considers emerging priorities for children’s learning and proposes giving more time and prominence to well-being; introducing modern languages from third class, broadening the arts education area, and increasing the focus on digital technology 5. proposes updating how the curriculum is structured, by moving from subjects in the first four years of primary school to broad curriculum areas which support an integrated approach to teaching and learning. These areas would become more differentiated into subjects from third class onwards 6. supports a variety of pedagogical approaches and strategies with assessment being central to teaching and learning. It emphasises the importance of curriculum integration, inclusive practice, inquiry-based learning and playful pedagogy. Assessment is presented as a central part of teachers’ daily practice.
Topics such as supporting teacher agency, leadership, professional development, resourcing and the timing and pacing of change, are some of the areas under discussion. Given the circumstances that schools face in returning this September after an extended closure, and the significant efforts which school leaders and their colleagues continue to make each day to ensure teaching and learning continues, the NCCA has extended the consultation period to at least the end of the year. The Council remains committed to ensuring that the voice of school leaders is central to the consultation. As a part of this, we will continue to keep the consultation date under review. We are planning further online focus groups for November. In the meantime, there are other ways to share your thoughts if you are in a position to do so. You’ll find consultation details at www. ncca.ie/primary along with the draft framework, FAQs and information videos. You will also find a link to register for monthly e-bulletins with a view to contributing at a later point. We look forward to hearing from you.
Like any change, questions naturally arise as to the road ahead beyond consultation, and how schools will be supported in enacting curriculum change. Mindful of this, the NCCA continues to work closely with sixty schools nationwide in the ‘Schools Forum’, to guide and shape review and redevelopment work. Through the Leading Out seminars, the education stakeholders, including IPPN, are also playing an important role in identifying potential challenges and opportunities and are working with the NCCA to help respond to these. 31
LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals
Staff Retirements
Angela Lynch & Pat Goff
It truly is the end of an era. The IPPN team has not been looking forward to September 2020. Not because of the pandemic, schools reopening, and the inevitable busyness that comes with it, but because two key members of staff are departing to embark on the next part of their lives. Having retired from Glasheen Girls NS, Cork in 2011 and Scoil Mhuire, Coolcotts, Wexford in 2015 respectively, Angela Lynch and Pat Goff are now retiring from IPPN. There isn’t enough space in Leadership+ to do justice to what they have both contributed to IPPN, to school leadership, and to primary education, in their time with IPPN. Having been a founding member of IPPN in 2000, and a member of the IPPN Board of Directors from 2003 to 2010, Angela has taken what was known in 2011 as the Principal Advice service to another level. In recent years, she has created what we now know as the Leadership Support service, encompassing CPD, resource
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bundles, factual queries, one-toone leadership support, as well as mentoring, and a very wide range of practical supports such as mailing lists, E-scéal and updated sample policies and plans, and much more. Elsewhere in this issue is an overview of what the team has done for members over the past year alone, and much of it was designed and led by Angela.
Pat served on the Board of Directors (known then as the Executive Committee) from 2005 to 2015, and was also IPPN Deputy President from 2007-2009 and IPPN President from 2009-2011. He joined IPPN as Deputy CEO in 2015, working closely with then CEO Seán Cottrell and current CEO Páiric Clerkin to lead IPPN and deliver its strategic plans. Since his appointment as Deputy CEO in 2015, he has been at the forefront of our advocacy work with the Department, the NCSE (of which he is currently a Council member), NEPS and other key stakeholders, always ensuring
that pupils and school leaders’ needs are at the centre of the discussion. His knowledge and understanding of special education are second-to-none and he has been the most incredible advocate for vulnerable children and for over-burdened school leaders, for decades. We owe both Pat and Angela a huge debt of gratitude for their incredible contribution to primary education, and also Pat’s wife Norrie and Angela’s husband Liam for their forbearance and for lending IPPN so much of their time and energy over the years! We will miss their knowledge and skills, but also their warmth, humour, compassion and calmness under pressure – they are both simply wonderful people. While they will both be involved with various IPPN projects in the coming years, we take this opportunity to wish them both every happiness in what comes next for them.
And Finally…
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Conference Call Bingo!!!
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QUOTATIO
, a fellow r e d a le a If you’re k to, o lo s w o ll fe that other p going e e k o t t o you’ve g ton ackle
Ernest Sh
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QUOTATIONS
The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side Margaret Carty
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Bethuel Mangena, African News Agency
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