An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna

Department of Education and Skills

Whole School Evaluation

Management, Leadership and Learning

REPORT

School name Assumption Secondary School

School address

Walkinstown

Dublin 12

Roll number 60851P

Date of Evaluation: 08-02-2017

WHAT IS A WHOLE-SCHOOL EVALUATION – MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING?

Whole-School Evaluations – Management, Leadership and Learning report on the quality of teaching

and learning and on the quality of management and leadership in a school. They affirm good practice

and make recommendations, where appropriate, to aid the further development of educational

provision in the school.

HOW TO READ THIS REPORT

During this inspection, the inspectors evaluated and reported under the following headings or areas

of enquiry:

1. Quality of school leadership and management

2. Quality of teaching and learning

3. Implementation of recommendations from previous evaluations

4. The school’s self-evaluation process and capacity for school improvement

Inspectors describe the quality of each of these areas using the Inspectorate’s quality continuum

which is shown on the final page of this report. The quality continuum provides examples of the

language used by inspectors when evaluating and describing the quality of the school’s provision in

each area. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment in writing

on the findings and recommendations of the report, and the response of the board will be found in

the appendix of this report.

Whole-School Evaluation – Management, Leadership and Learning

INSPECTION ACTIVITIES DURING THIS INSPECTION

Dates of inspection 08-02-2017

Inspection activities undertaken

Meeting with board of management

Meetings with principal and deputy principal

Meetings with key staff

Review of relevant documents

Student focus-group interview

Meeting with parents

Analysis of parent, student and teacher questionnaires

Observation of teaching and learning

Examination of students’ work

Interaction with students

Feedback to senior management team, board of management and teachers

SCHOOL CONTEXT

Assumption Secondary School is a voluntary secondary school with a current cohort of 290 female

students. It is under the trusteeship of the Religious Sisters of Charity. It offers the Junior Certificate

(JC), an optional Transition Year (TY), and the established Leaving Certificate (LC).

SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

FINDINGS

The board of management is effective in fulfilling its statutory obligations and responsibilities.

The principal and deputy principal manage the school effectively, but further development of leadership roles at both senior management and middle management levels is required.

Robust disciplinary systems and good pastoral supports are in place to support the effective management of students; however the code of behaviour is overly focused on the school rules and the sanctioning of misdemeanours.

Curriculum provision is academic in focus and requires review to ensure that it is meeting the evolving needs of the student cohort.

The quality of teaching and learning ranged from satisfactory to highly effective in most of the lessons observed; there was scope for development across most lessons in the practice of differentiation, the quality and frequency of homework and the provision of written formative feedback to support student progress and attainment.

The school has actively progressed the school self-evaluation (SSE) process; some of the themes undertaken now merit review.

Teachers engaged with the initial in-service training provided in relation to the new Junior Cycle specifications, but have not engaged subsequently. The reason for this was reported to be industrial action.

RECOMMENDATIONS

School management should instigate a review of posts of responsibility and empower assistant principals (APs) to take on greater middle leadership roles.

The code of behaviour should be revised to better reflect the rationale underpinning

disciplinary structures and the implementation of rewards and sanctions.

A robust review of current curriculum provision should be undertaken.

Teachers should differentiate their lessons and develop the practice of formative feedback for the purpose of improving student attainment.

As part of the ongoing SSE process, teachers should now review progress in relation to the

different themes adopted.

DETAILED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. QUALITY OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

1.1. School ownership and management:

The board of management, the principal and the deputy principal manage the school effectively, but

further development of leadership roles at both senior management and middle management levels

is required.

The board of management is properly constituted, committed to the future of the school and is

effective in fulfilling its statutory obligations and responsibilities. Minutes of recent board meetings

indicate commendable attention to all aspects of school management. The principal provides

comprehensive reports informing board members of all that is happening in the school.

Priorities identified include maintaining an inclusive learning environment and fostering learning and

social responsibility in line with the characteristic spirit of the trustees. Improved school facilities,

curriculum development for junior cycle, student attainment, the promotion of extra-curricular

activities, continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers and working within financial

budgets were also prioritised.

Minutes of recent board meetings demonstrate there has been systematic attention to policy

development and review in recent years. To further this good practice, parents and, where

appropriate students, should be engaged at an earlier stage in the process in order to accord them a

more meaningful role in contributing to school policies and practices. It is also recommended that

some of the personal and educational information sought regarding students’ admission into the

school be dissociated from the enrolment form as, in the event of over-subscription, such information

could be perceived as a barrier to equity of access.

One of the major challenges facing the school is how to reverse the steady decline in student

enrolment in an area where there is a significant choice of schools. Initiatives such as an open day and

a science event have been undertaken and projected numbers in the primary school are encouraging.

However, as part of its governance remit, the board should concern itself more with the issue of

student enrolment as improved enrolment brings with it increased benefits for students. It should

identify the current benefits that Assumption Secondary School offers to prospective students, while

at the same time seeking out what further opportunities they should or could offer to increase student

numbers.

Confirmation was provided that the board of management has formally adopted the Child Protection

Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools without modification and that the school is

compliant with the requirements of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary

Schools.

The parents’ association is strongly supportive and committed to the future of the school. However,

they would welcome greater involvement in the development and review of school policies.

1.2. Effectiveness of leadership for learning

The principal and deputy principal are a united team strongly committed to the wellbeing of everyone

in Assumption Secondary School. They each work to their complementary strengths and this supports

the effective day-to-day management of the school.

APs and special duties post-holders carry out year-head duties proportionate to their status. However,

following the retirement of a number of post-holders, senior management currently undertakes a

significant number of additional, but essential tasks and roles including year-head duties. This means

that the posts of responsibility, as currently designed, can no longer be deemed to meet the needs of

school. A review of posts of responsibility should be undertaken where senior management and staff

identify and prioritise the student management duties and other essential tasks to be carried out.

They should then explore ways in which these duties can be fulfilled into the future within available

resources.

Undertaking these additional duties distracts from senior management’s need to focus on its

leadership role and has also diminished opportunities for distributed leadership among the general

body of staff. APs do not currently work as a middle management team, consulting with and being

consulted by senior management and the general body of staff, for the purpose of progressing the

overall school development agenda.

During the course of the evaluation senior management acknowledged the need for and its openness

to more devolved leadership, while APs expressed a desire to develop their middle leadership roles.

To this end, post-holders should be empowered to lead working committees that can progress

identified whole-school priorities and respond to overall educational development. Senior

management should also afford more leadership opportunities to the general body of staff, thereby

building future capacity within the school.

The prioritising of teacher continuing professional development (CPD) is welcomed. Some CPD has

been availed of to support students with special education needs (SEN). However, there is need to

embed the understanding and use of differentiation to support higher-ability students as well as those

experiencing difficulty. The provision of interventions on assessment of and for learning (AfL) is also

recommended to complement the in-service received to date and to support best practice in general

teaching and learning.

While teachers engaged with the initial in-service training provided in relation to the new Junior Cycle

specifications, they have not engaged with subsequent CPD provision. The reason for this was

reported to be industrial action.

Senior management maintains effective communication with staff, updating teachers about ongoing

events and maintaining an open-door policy for teachers wishing to discuss any issues. The principal

and deputy principal also work with new teachers, supporting them in their work and pre-empting

any possible difficulties.

Current practices to support the effective management of students require improvement. While the

mission statement underpinning the code of behaviour is positive, the detail in its content is overly

negative as its main focus is on sanctions and misbehaviours. There is some reference to reward and

motivation, but overall there is a lack of balance between the affirmation of good behaviour and the

sanctioning of misdemeanours.

The current year-head situation also results in an inequity in the discipline system where some

students benefit from an additional layer in the ladder of referral before issues are brought to senior

management. Furthermore, while students acknowledged the annual awards day and prizes for good

behaviour, they also expressed a desire for more day-to-day affirmation and encouragement of their

efforts to improve both behaviour and work. The code of behaviour should be reviewed and set within

the context of promoting individual responsibility and respect for the rights of all to an orderly learning

environment and where sanctions are set as a consequence of students’ failure to respect these rights.

The curriculum offered is broad but strongly academic in focus. Students choose their optional

subjects prior to entry into the school. The school should explore ways in which first-year students can

be supported to make more informed subject choices.

Some students and parents expressed regret that Physics and Technology are not currently offered.

Given the need for Physics for some third-level courses, senior management should explore ways to

facilitate access to the subject. Technology was offered as a subject in the past. In light of students’

revived interest in technology and the increasing emphasis on the science, technology, engineering

and mathematics (STEM) subjects to support the country’s growing economy, school management

should consider reintroducing a technology subject into the curriculum.

The school offers an optional TY programme. The current situation where modern foreign languages

are not part of the TY curriculum is unsatisfactory and should be addressed.

Neither the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) nor the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA)

are currently offered in the school. This is regrettable as the LCVP programme offers vocational

benefits as well as the opportunity to improve point scores through success in the examination.

Participation in an LCA programme should also be considered as it would facilitate a supportive

pathway into further education for those who disengage from the more established Leaving

Certificate programme and the LCVP. A robust review of curriculum provision is thus recommended

for the purpose of maximising students’ educational pathways.

Commendable co-curricular activities are offered at lunch-time with some students achieving

significant local or national success for their endeavours. However, consideration should also be given

to affording interested or talented students more opportunities for competitive sports. Such

opportunities should support student wellbeing, enhance school spirit and attract students whose

interests and talent lie in activities other than academic pursuits.

The pastoral initiatives to support students’ holistic development are generally good. The care team

tracks and supports students experiencing difficulties. The guidance service provides careers and

personal counselling through timetabled lessons in senior cycle and individual appointments.

However more formalised collaboration between the guidance service and the Social, Personal and

Health Education (SPHE) department is recommended. Students wishing to progress to third-level

studies through the Trinity Access Programme (TAP) are well supported by the teacher co-ordinating

the initiative in the school.

A small cohort of teachers is currently deployed to teach students with additional needs. The main

approaches adopted are withdrawal or working with the teacher in the mainstream classroom. While

those involved in the delivery of SEN carry out their work assiduously, they would benefit from the

presence of a qualified teacher to co-ordinate overall provision and maximise the resource.

There is ongoing vigilance in relation to student attendance. An examination of statistics relating to

student absence exceeding twenty days indicated that many are absent without explanation. This

should be investigated and addressed. A texting system is in place, but is not currently used to track

attendance. Consideration should also be given to introducing systems whereby student attendance

could be recorded and monitored in parallel with the tracking of academic progress.

A review of student attainment indicates good uptake of higher level in Junior Certificate in most

subjects. However, outcomes in the certificate examinations are generally clustered in the middle

range. Initiatives such as student tracking and mentoring are also recommended to ensure that all

students, in particular the higher-ability students are reaching their full potential. To this end, the

inclusion in the student journal of a template whereby students could record their desired outcomes,

their actual results and note their progress is recommended.

Good opportunities for student leadership are afforded through the work of the student council. The council discusses issues of concern to students and liaises accordingly with senior management. Students also involve themselves in fundraising projects for both the school and the local community. Their work is commendably acknowledged through its annual meeting with the board of management.

A buddy system empowers all sixth-year students to contribute to the effective management of students as well as enhancing the inclusivity central to the school’s guiding ethos. Equally commendable is the recent establishment of the mathematics club where students seeking additional help are supported by their peers.

1.3. Management of facilities

The school is very well maintained. The presence of students’ framed artwork and mosaics on all of the corridors pays tribute to their talent and work as well as enhancing the school’s physical environment.

Classrooms, all of which are equipped with data projectors, are teacher based. Attractive subject-specific learning environments were observed in many instances. However, the teacher questionnaires disagreed with the statement regarding satisfactory computer facilities in the school. This should be investigated and, where necessary, addressed.

A consequence of teacher-based classrooms is that students are obliged to take their lunch in the Physical Education (PE) hall where there are no seats. Senior management should establish designated areas in the school where students can sit to have their lunch.

Plans to refurbish the school library in order to create an attractive space for students to come and read for work and pleasure is welcomed.

2. QUALITY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

2.1. The quality of learning and teaching

Nineteen lessons were observed during the evaluation, comprising all year groups and covering core,

optional, practical and non-examination subjects. The quality of the teaching and learning observed

was satisfactory or good in the majority of lessons and highly effective in some. However, action is

required in a small minority of lessons to improve the students’ learning experiences and outcomes.

The recent introduction of a common template for subject department planning supports good

collaborative practice. However greater attention to the choice of topics and methodologies to suit

the different student cohorts is recommended.

Learning intentions were shared with the students in the majority of lessons, but not always revisited.

All teachers should ensure that a review phase is incorporated into the lesson either at punctuated

intervals or at the end in order to assess student progress and to facilitate teacher reflection.

Lessons were generally well structured and paced with clear delivery of instruction in most instances.

Varied methodologies were used, many of which were successful in promoting active student

participation and positive learning experiences.

Question-and-answer sessions were observed in all lessons. In some instances, a very good balance

between information retrieval and questions requiring higher-order thinking was observed. In others,

too many global questions were asked or teachers did not give students sufficient time to think out

their answers. All teachers should reflect on their questioning styles to ensure that they are sufficiently

differentiated to respond to students’ diverse abilities and that they promote full student

participation. The use of brainstorming as an alternative to the more guided question-and-answer

format observed should also be considered.

Information and communications technology (ICT) effectively supported learning in a number of

lessons. Greater use of ICT was recommended in some instances to support clarity of instruction.

Teacher instruction was effectively interspersed with student tasks in many of the lessons observed.

However, in some instances, the assigned pair or group activities were not sufficiently purposeful and

resulted in more superficial responses rather than the deeper reflection and learning desired.

There was good attention to literacy in most of the lessons observed. New vocabulary was explained

and set in context. Oral literacy was promoted though reading aloud and encouraging student

responses and ideas. Increased opportunities for teacher and student use of the target language is

recommended in some language lessons. Attention to numeracy is still a work-in-progress.

Many teachers supported the lower-achieving students, providing them with individual help during

the activity phase of the lesson. Some very good examples of differentiated tasks were also observed

in a minority of lessons. Overall however, there was limited evidence of explicit differentiation,

particularly with regard to challenging the higher-ability students. Teachers should ensure that their

lessons are designed to support all students equally.

Good evidence of learning was noted in the majority of lessons, particularly where active

methodologies were used and where students asked questions and were encouraged to give their

personal responses to questions. Elements of learner reflection were also noted in a small minority of

instances.

While teacher questioning facilitated some evaluation of student progress, the quality of assessment

requires further development. Some of the copybooks examined showed evidence of regular

homework which was corrected and included appropriate written formative feedback. Other

copybooks showed evidence of homework monitored for completion rather than corrected or to the

inclusion of a general evaluative comment rather than detail of where improvement could be made.

This is reflected in the student questionnaires where a significant minority of students disagreed with

the statement that teachers talk to them about how to improve their learning.

3. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS

Recommendations common to many of the previous inspections carried out related to whole-school

provision, subject planning, the use of ICT, assessment for learning and differentiation.

4.1 Management

Considerable work has been undertaken to improve the timetabling of Physical Education. The

increased uptake of higher-level in the JC subjects in addition to some of the co-curricular activities

offered reflect the school’s endeavour to improve students’ aspirations and expectations.

4.2 Learning and Teaching

Good efforts have been made to implement recommendations. Improvements were noted in subject

planning documentation. ICT has become more embedded in classroom practice albeit to varying

degrees of effectiveness and creativity. Greater attention is paid to the analysis of results in certificate

examinations. Greater use of differentiation however, was still a work-in-progress, as was the use of

formative written feedback. There was still need to increase communication opportunities for

students of Irish. Teachers could consider using the SSE process to evaluate their progress in relation

to inspection recommendations.

4. THE SCHOOL’S SELF-EVALUATION PROCESS AND CAPACITY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

The school has actively embraced the SSE process, has adopted the three themes as required and has

drawn up a school improvement plan for each year. Good work has been carried out to promote

literacy, through meaningful attention to the explanation of key words, the Drop-Everything-And-

Read (DEAR) initiative and the practice where students read instead of doing homework during

unexpected free class periods. While less explicit, attention to improving students’ numeracy skills is

progressing.

The final theme undertaken focuses on improvement in homework and assessment practices. A range

of strategies have been developed for this purpose. It is now timely to review progress, particularly

regarding consistency of implementation and to make amendments where appropriate.

The evidence accrued during the evaluation indicates good capacity by management and staff to

progress the school as a dynamic educational establishment. Current management practices were

effective. Furthermore, a strong sense of ownership and desire for students to develop a love of

learning and an ambition to succeed was palpable among many teachers. Using the SSE process, their

leadership and management skills and the findings from this evaluation, staff and management should

now work together to bring to fruition a unified vision that can support successful outcomes for the

long-term future of the school.

Appendix

SCHOOL RESPONSE TO THE REPORT

Submitted by the Board of Management

Part A Observations on the content of the inspection report

The Board of Management welcomes the positive comments of the Inspectorate which includes the

following:

Acknowledgement of the Boards attention to all aspects of school management and its commitment to the schools future.

Systematic policy development and review.

A strongly supportive Parent’s Association.

The effective running of the school by the Principal and Deputy Principal.

Acknowledgement of the range of co-curricular activities provided.

Pastoral and support initiatives to support the holistic development of students.

Students supported through the Trinity Access Programme.

Vigilance in relation to student attendance.

Opportunities for student leadership are afforded through the student council and the buddy system.

A mathematics club which offers peer support to students seeking additional help.

The school buildings are well maintained.

Quality teaching and learning.

The prioritising of Teacher CPD is welcomed.

The active embracing of SSE.

The capacity of management and staff to progress the school as a dynamic educational establishment

Part B Follow-up actions planned or undertaken since the completion of the inspection activity to

implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection.

We are happy to progress all recommendations as speedily as possible.

While the Board acknowledges the voluntary leadership roles currently undertaken by members of staff a comprehensive review of the middle management structure will commence in the 2017-2018 school year with the assistance of outside facilitation in order to adapt the structure to meet the current needs of the school.

A revision of The Code of Behaviour has already commenced.

A Curriculum Review Committee will formally convene in the 2017-2018 school year. A comprehensive review of Transition Year is already underway.

To build future leadership capacity within the school there will be continued support of staff who wish to take on leadership roles.

While affirming the current level of differentiation evident, CPD on differentiation and assessment for learning will be facilitated.

The ongoing SSE review process will continue annually.

A journal template whereby students can record results to help note their progress will be included in the 2017-2018 school journal.

We welcome DES financial assistance to further develop ICT in the school.

Students will be allocated designated areas in the school where students can have lunch. A 6th year common room has been prepared and will open in September 2017.

Published June 2017 / Foilsithe Meitheamh 2017

Planning for refurbishment of the school library has continued as part of our literacy promotion programme. Three hundred books have recently been added to our book stock and further work on the library will be carried out over the summer.

THE INSPECTORATE’S QUALITY CONTINUUM

Inspectors describe the quality of provision in the school using the Inspectorate’s quality continuum

which is shown below. The quality continuum provides examples of the language used by inspectors

when evaluating and describing the quality the school’s provision of each area.

Level Description Example of descriptive terms

Very Good

Very good applies where the quality of the areas evaluated is of a very high standard. The very few areas for improvement that exist do not significantly impact on the overall quality of provision. For some schools in this category the quality of what is evaluated is outstanding and provides an example for other schools of exceptionally high standards of provision.

Very good; of a very high quality; very effective practice; highly commendable; very successful; few areas for improvement; notable; of a very high standard. Excellent; outstanding; exceptionally high standard, with very significant strengths; exemplary

Good

Good applies where the strengths in the areas evaluated clearly outweigh the areas in need of improvement. The areas requiring improvement impact on the quality of pupils’ learning. The school needs to build on its strengths and take action to address the areas identified as requiring improvement in order to achieve a very good standard.

Good; good quality; valuable; effective practice; competent; useful; commendable; good standard; some areas for improvement

Satisfactory

Satisfactory applies where the quality of provision is adequate. The strengths in what is being evaluated just outweigh the shortcomings. While the shortcomings do not have a significant negative impact they constrain the quality of the learning experiences and should be addressed in order to achieve a better standard.

Satisfactory; adequate; appropriate provision although some possibilities for improvement exist; acceptable level of quality; improvement needed in some areas

Fair

Fair applies where, although there are some strengths in the areas evaluated, deficiencies or shortcomings that outweigh those strengths also exist. The school will have to address certain deficiencies without delay in order to ensure that provision is satisfactory or better.

Fair; evident weaknesses that are impacting on pupils’ learning; less than satisfactory; experiencing difficulty; must improve in specified areas; action required to improve

Weak

Weak applies where there are serious deficiencies in the areas evaluated. Immediate and coordinated whole-school action is required to address the areas of concern. In some cases, the intervention of other agencies may be required to support improvements.

Weak; unsatisfactory; insufficient; ineffective; poor; requiring significant change, development or improvement; experiencing significant difficulties;