An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna

Department of Education and Skills

Whole School Evaluation

Management, Leadership and Learning

REPORT

Ainm na scoile /

School name Santa Sabina Dominican College

Seoladh na scoile /

School address

Greenfield Road

Sutton

Dublin 13

Uimhir rolla /

Roll number 60380C

Date of Evaluation: 15-02-2017

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 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 15-02-2017

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

Santa Sabina, Dominican College, Sutton is a girls’ secondary school, under the trusteeship of Le Chéile,

with a current enrolment of 671 girls. The Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate

Vocational Programme (LCVP) are provided. Transition Year (TY) is compulsory.

SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

FINDINGS

Overall leadership for learning is very good and the school is well managed, but there is inconsistency in the operation of some of the systems that are in place, for example the year head and tutor systems.

The post holders carry out the duties assigned to their posts capably but the post structure does not meet all of the current needs of the school.

There is very good practice in relation to promoting student achievement.

The quality of teaching and learning was good or very good in the majority of lessons and it would benefit the school for teachers to share their expertise with each other.

There has been good implementation of recommendations made in previous evaluations.

The school has embedded the school self-evaluation (SSE) process very effectively as a means of promoting improvement.

Teachers are following the new junior-cycle specifications for English, Science and Business Studies and students have completed the required assignments; however, the relevant assessment descriptors have not been awarded and subject learning and review meetings have not taken place and the reason reported for this was industrial action.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Important systems in the school, such as the year head and tutor systems, and the ladder of referral should operate in a consistent manner.

A review of the posts of responsibility should be carried out so that the priority needs of the school are met from within the post structure.

Teachers should further share good practice in teaching and learning through collaborative lesson planning and observation of lessons.

DETAILED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. QUALITY OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

1.1. School ownership and management

The board of management provides high-quality support. The Dominican ethos is at the core of its work. The board makes a very good contribution to policy and decision-making; it has adopted and ratified all of the mandatory school policies. Much of the board’s work is focused on managing facilities and changes to the school buildings and grounds. The board itself has identified the need to include discussion on teaching and learning as a standard item on its meeting agenda. The board communicates effectively with the wider school community by providing an agreed report to parents, teachers and Le Chéile.

The parent-school association supports the school well, for example through contributing to policy making, engaging guest speakers for parents and assisting at school events. However, the current scope of the association’s involvement does not optimise the valuable contribution that the parents could make to the core work of the school. It is therefore recommended that the unique insight of the parents be accessed to inform other aspects of the school’s work, particularly various teaching and learning initiatives.

Overall, the school is well managed. The senior management team of principal and deputy principal works very hard and in a very committed manner. It is clear that the team has the students’ best interests at heart and brings complementary skills to the running of the school. The principal and deputy principal are both highly visible on the corridors and such presence supports positive student behaviour. They have a shared vision for school improvement that centres on learning. A focus group of students acknowledged the deputy principal’s role in providing emotional and practical support and were appreciative that she makes the effort to get to know students individually. It is excellent practice that the principal supports reflective practice through observing lessons.

Currently, the principal’s main focus is on strategic leadership and the deputy principal mainly looks after day-to-day management but also contributes to strategic leadership. To progress work in the school, they meet in the morning, evening and at other times in the day to discuss routine issues. Time for strategic planning is set aside once a week and during school holidays. The senior management team has ensured that relevant management systems and structures are in place but there is evidence of inconsistency in the operation of some of these. The operation of important systems, for example the ladder of referral which is a system for managing students on a phased basis, should be conducted in a consistent manner.

The middle-management team of six assistant principals, one of whom is the programme coordinator, and seven special-duties teachers provide valuable support. All year heads, except first year, hold assistant-principal posts and all have received appropriate training. They communicate very well with students and parents. Very good consultation opportunities between the middle-management and senior-management teams occur during weekly meetings and at various times throughout the year. Accountability practices for post holders are very good. For example, each post holder prepares a report for the board of management to outline progress in his or her work over the year. Furthermore, individual meetings are held with the principal at the end of the year to discuss their work.

Despite the commitment of post holders to their current duties, the schedule of posts of responsibility does not effectively meet all of the current needs of the school. While there have been some changes since the last review, the overall allocation of duties to posts has not changed since 2009. Currently,

essential duties, such as first-year year head, Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) co-ordinator, and school self-evaluation (SSE) co-ordinator are met from outside the post structure. It is recommended therefore that a review of the posts of responsibility be carried out so that priority needs of the school are met from within the post structure.

Time is given for staff meetings at the start and end of the school year. It was reported that industrial action has brought to a standstill the collaborative planning work done in 2014-2016. This means that whole-school planning meetings, which facilitated teacher consultation with management, are not now taking place. As a result, some of the board’s current priorities for school development have been delayed. Important decisions that support the effective operation of the school cannot be postponed indefinitely; the school needs to ensure that essential changes, such as the review of the posts of responsibility, take place.

The year-head system requires attention. There is very good practice in senior cycle in respect of year-head arrangements. A system is implemented where students have the same year head throughout TY, fifth and sixth year and this approach works very well in the context of the school. The year-head arrangements in the junior cycle are not implemented in an analogous manner. While almost all junior-cycle year-heads follow their students from year to year, this is not universal practice. In the interest of upholding this essential school structure in a suitably consistent manner, it is advised that year heads be assigned to year groups for the duration of the full junior or senior cycle.

Most aspects of the tutor system work effectively, especially when the tutor is also a subject teacher for their tutor group. In this school, the system works more effectively in the junior cycle because students are generally taught subjects in their base class groups. It was evident from the review of student journals, and some teacher and student discussions, that the current system does not provide equitable access to tutors for all students. School management is aware of this and has initiated a review of the current arrangements to ensure that all students have consistent access to high-quality support from tutors.

1.2. Effectiveness of leadership for learning

Leadership for learning in the school is very good. The principal and deputy principal show ongoing commitment to promoting a learning culture by engaging with their own continuing professional development (CPD) and facilitating teachers to avail of CPD. Resources for teaching and learning are very good. The timetable is well organised and teachers’ views are taken into consideration in its creation. The principal and deputy principal have very high expectations for students that are informed by thorough analysis of students’ progress. They have a very good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning within the school and are committed to supporting improvement.

There is very good practice in relation to promoting achievement; students set targets for themselves and year heads help to support students’ progress through monitoring achievement of the targets. The student journal is used to record targets which makes this valuable information available to teachers and parents. Some year heads provide progression reports to parents, which are generated from the school’s data management system. This information is very useful in facilitating informed conversations about achievement between students and parents. The system used for tracking and monitoring progress and the way in which the information is provided to parents is not consistently implemented for all year groups. It is recommended that a more consistent approach be taken to monitoring and supporting student achievement.

High-quality support is provided for students with special educational needs (SEN). The main modes of delivery are one-to-one and small-group withdrawal. The support is very well co-ordinated and effective communication between learning-support and mainstream teachers is maintained. The members of the core team have postgraduate qualifications in delivering SEN support. In one instance, excellent practice in the use of co-teaching was observed.

There is a well-structured approach to providing care for students. Weekly care-team meetings are held comprising senior management, guidance, and the year head. There are effective systems for referring students for SEN support and for guidance. Additionally, the school has forged strong links with external agencies.

Drafting and implementing a new well-being policy has been initiated by the senior management. This will provide a good opportunity for the school to look at ways it might approach general issues such as reducing examination pressure, raising the profile of minority groups and alleviating everyday stress for students. Senior management has identified a need to provide a well-being co-ordinator in the review of the posts of responsibility.

There is a strong sense of community which is supported by regular assemblies and celebration events. The spirit of Santa Sabina is exemplified by the school’s coming together to raise national awareness of cystic fibrosis, for example.

The overall quality of student leadership is very good. The recent review of the food provided in the canteen is an example of how students’ views are valued; surveys were carried out and the students’ council made representation to the canteen staff. Students participate on the students’ council, act as prefects, mentor first-year students and participate on student groups. They also complete surveys on classroom experience and are consulted appropriately in the development of policies. According to student responses in the questionnaires administered as part of this evaluation, the desire for a further strengthening of student voice is indicated. It is suggested that students’ views be sought on a wider variety of aspects of school life, for example teaching and learning.

Systems for managing students’ behaviour and care needs are effective. While school documentation is clear about disciplinary measures there is a lack of clarity with regard to who to contact about student welfare and discipline. For example, the code of behaviour states that parents should ‘contact the school/year head/tutor with any concerns’. This statement lacks clarity with respect to who to contact and has the potential to overburden school management with issues. The inconsistencies in the provision of tutor support also means that the ladder of referral does not operate in the same way for all year groups. A ladder of referral, with clearly defined role boundaries that responds to needs and manages behaviour on a phased basis, should be implemented.

There are no parent-teacher meetings planned at present for certain year groups reportedly due to industrial action. Despite this, the school communicates well with parents through providing online access to students’ records and including comprehensive advice in school reports. The majority of parents surveyed were happy with the information provided in school reports.

Teachers are following the new junior-cycle specifications for English, Science and Business Studies, and students have completed the required assignments. However, the relevant assessment descriptors have not been awarded and subject learning and review (SLAR) meetings have not taken place. The reported reason for this was industrial action.

A wide range of valuable extracurricular and co-curricular activities is provided for students. Students participate in a variety of events such as the BT Young Scientist Competition, SciFest, Enterprise Fest and Maths Week. Such activities are very beneficial in supporting students in developing independent learning skills, a positive disposition to the subjects involved, and ownership of their own learning.

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.

1.3. Management of facilities

Facilities are very good in the school. The building and grounds are maintained to a very high standard. There is very good access to resources including ICT and this provision is set to increase. Recent additions to the facilities, including the Spórtlann and the astro-turf pitch, provide the school with further opportunities for links with the community. However, the concert hall is in poor condition and limits students’ access to educational opportunities in some of the Arts.

There are good-quality displays of student work and celebration of their achievements in the entrance hall, the canteen area and in other parts of the school. However, there are areas that could be used to create a better sense of student ownership of the physical environment. It is recommended that noticeboards around the school be further used to display students’ work, to facilitate communication, and to celebrate diversity in the school.

2. QUALITY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

2.1. The quality of learning and teaching

The quality of teaching and learning was found to be good or very good in most lessons. There was extensive variety in the methodologies used and this enhanced students’ learning. In a few lessons, there was scope for a better balance between student activity and teacher input. Additionally, in a significant minority of lessons, there was a need to cater more effectively for students’ differing learning needs; in particular, more-able students were not sufficiently challenged by the learning activities observed. In very good lessons, teachers’ individual planning was of a very high standard. Video clips, the computer room, electronic presentations, and well-designed handouts were used effectively. Very good practice was seen where information and communication technology (ICT) was used as a natural and integral aspect of the learning; for example where photographs of students’ notes were used for plenary sessions after group work.

Very good student engagement and enjoyment of learning were noted when students were learning together in peer activities, discussing their work, actively thinking, and completing practical activities. In cases where the quality of learning was less successful, students were observed to be mainly listening and note taking, and were overly passive. It is recommended that strategies to engage learners more actively be shared amongst the teaching staff and used by all.

Group work was used as a methodology in the majority of lessons. It worked best when the students understood the task and when the roles within the groups were clearly defined. An example of excellent practice was seen where the students had to research a topic in one group and then teach it to their peers later in the lesson when the groups were reorganised. This learning-focused approach ensured the full active participation of the students at all times and had a very positive effect on students’ engagement in the lesson.

Most lessons had a clear focus and effective use was made of learning intentions to structure lessons. In a few cases, there was a need to make the learning intentions more specific or more closely aligned to the subject specifications. Additionally, in a few lessons, there was a need for teacher explanations of the content taught to be clearer and more accurate.

Teachers monitored progress effectively, predominantly through questioning and observation. Best

practice was seen where higher-order questions were used to facilitate thorough exploration of the

concepts taught. While there was evidence of formative written feedback, particularly on test scripts,

there was scope for some teachers to provide more useful written feedback to support students’

learning.

All lessons were conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Learning activities were well managed and a very good rapport was evident between all teachers and their students.

The quality of subject planning is very good. Best practice was evident where the subject plans included action plans for improvement. Subject department meetings are not taking place currently due to industrial action; however, informal and electronic sharing of resources and lesson ideas takes place.

There are many valuable initiatives to support teaching and learning in operation; for example, Development Education and peer assessment. Additionally, members of the mathematics department are involved with Lesson Study and Reflections on Practice; these initiatives facilitate collaborative lesson planning and reflection.

3. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS

3.1. Management

There has been good implementation of recommendations made in relation to the management sections of previous evaluation reports. Examples of the positive response to the recommendations made in the whole-school evaluation (WSE) report of 2008 include the establishment of a core learning-support team, introduction of LCVP, provision of SPHE to each junior-cycle class, and restructuring of the timetable. However, some recommendations remain to be addressed.

The 2008 WSE report recommended that steps be taken to establish and maintain more open lines of communication between the senior in-school management team and the wider teaching staff. Since the WSE, it is evident that the school engaged well with collaborative planning and school self-evaluation. However, responses in the teacher survey, while positive in many aspects, indicate that some teachers are of the opinion that their views are not as valued in the decision-making processes as they should be; some aspects of communication may need to be prioritised for attention.

3.2. Learning and teaching

The teaching and learning sections of previous inspection reports recommended that learning intentions be shared with students; the implementation of this recommendation was evident during this evaluation. Assessment-for-learning strategies were also recommended for integration into planning and classroom practice; while some good practice was noted, there is still scope to improve the quality of feedback to students on their learning.

Previous inspections recommended that teachers share the good practices observed in evaluations. It is recognised that the subject inspection reports were made available to all teachers by school management. This recommendation has been implemented within the subjects evaluated but not extended to all subjects. More systematic approaches are needed. One such approach might be peer observation. It is recommended that teachers observe each other’s lessons in order to share good practice. Existing practices such as Lesson Study and Reflection on Practice, already established in the school, should be developed.

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

Very effective work has been carried out on embedding the SSE process. This work has resulted in four school-improvement plans that have built on success and driven improvement. The initial focus was on literacy and improving standards in reading, in particular reading for meaning. The focus of SSE then progressed to numeracy and a number of effective interventions were put in place. The current focus is on improving outcomes through tracking progress and providing high-quality information to parents in order to help them support their daughters’ achievement. All of this very good work stands firmly on an existing foundation of improving learning experiences for students.

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;

Appendix

School response to the report

Submitted by the Board of Management

Published June 2017 / Foilsithe Meitheamh 2017

Part A: Observations on the content of the inspection report

The Board of Management welcomes the WSE/MLL Inspection report and is particularly pleased with

the following positive findings:

The very good leadership for learning and management of the school

The very good practice in relation to promoting student achievement

The many valuable initiatives and very good resources to support teaching and learning

The very good subject planning

The extensive variety of teaching methodologies

The very good engagement and enjoyment of learning by students

The high quality support for SEN students

The well-structured approach to providing care for students

The strong sense of community and valuing of students’ views

The wide range of valuable extra-curricular and co-curricular activities

The very good facilities and resources including ICT

The high quality support of the Board of Management and the Parent School Association

The very effective embedding of school self-evaluation

The Board wishes to congratulate and thank the whole school community for its contribution to these

outcomes as well as other positive findings mentioned in the report.

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

implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection

The Board is fully committed to the implementation of the recommendations in this report.