school-deis-action-plan-2017-2018
SCHOOL DEIS ACTION PLAN
2017-2018
POBALSCOIL IOSOLDE
DEIS: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools
Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, was launched in 2005 and remains the Department of Education and Skills policy instrument to address educational disadvantage. The Action Plan focuses on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of children and disadvantaged communities, from pre-school through second level education (3 – 18 years). Pobalscoil Iosolde was accepted into the DEIS scheme.
DEIS provides a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP).
The action plan is, therefore, one element of continuum of interventions to address disadvantage, which include second chance education and training and access measures for adults to support increased participation by under represented groups in further and higher education.
The action plan is grounded in the belief that:
• every child and young person deserves an equal chance to access, participate in and benefit from education
• each person should have the opportunity to reach his/her full potential for personal, social and economic reasons
• education is a critical factor in promoting social inclusion and economic development
The plan will both complement and support efforts at national and European level to bring about social cohesion and economic progress. The Lisbon Strategy, The Agreed Programme for Government, The Social Partnership Agreement, Sustaining Progress, The National Anti-Poverty Strategy and the National Action Plans against poverty and social exclusion are all catalysts for a new approach.
Priorities which are directly linked to the School DEIS Plan
Retention
• To improve student retention in the school
Attendance
• To improve student attendance
Literacy
• To promote a whole school approach to literacy
Numeracy
• To promote a whole school approach to numeracy
Educational Attainment and Progression
• To encourage all students to achieve their academic potential
• To continually strive to raise student expectations
• To ensure that all students receive and complete homework appropriate to their level of ability
• To acquire an adaptable attitude to learning
• To continue to develop Assessment for Learning
Partnership with parents/guardians and the community
• To promote the involvement of parents /guardians in the education of their children
• To promote the involvement of the community in the education of the students
Other priorities linked to the DEIS areas
• To uphold the principle of respect throughout the whole school by continuing to embed a very structured Code of Behaviour and by continuing to review same
• To promote a happy and secure learning environment
• To continually strive to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of all our students
• To promote the use of technology in all areas throughout the school
Aims, Objectives and Action Plan
Retention
Aim: To ensure all students complete second level education
Objectives
1. Every student will complete junior cycle
Smart Target
At least 95% of students will complete senior cycle
Action Plan
• Provision of a comprehensive transfer programme to all incoming students
• The Attendance Officer will inform all relevant staff, the DEIS attendance committee and parents/guardians regarding any student deemed to be at risk or other issues related to attendance. The DEIS attendance committee will meet weekly to discuss these students
• Provision of the most comprehensive curriculum possible
• Provision of all second level educational programmes ratified by the Department of Education and Skills
• Provision of initiatives under school programmes (e.g. J.C.S.P.)
• Provision by the HSCL Co-ordinator of initiatives that promote parental involvement in their children’s learning
• Involvement by the HSCL Co-ordinator in the provision of initiatives for the purpose of improving school retention
• Provision of targeted home visits by the HSCL Co-ordinator and School Completion Officer to students deemed at risk
• Provision of counselling to students deemed at risk
• Provision of necessary educational assessments that NEPS are unable to provide
• Provision of extra resources for autistic students in a designated unit when available
Attendance
Aim: To increase the attendance and punctuality of students
Objectives
1. To reward students with excellent attendance
2. To reward students with excellent points
3. To target students with very poor attendance
4. To target students with very poor punctuality
Smart Targets
• To decrease the percentage of students absent for more that 20 days (currently 7.5%) by 2% (certified absences not included)
• To decrease that percentage of students absent for more that 8 days (currently 28.4%) by 2% (certified absences not included)
• To increase the number of visits by HSCL to parents of students with very poor attendance by 3%
Action Plan
• The award system will continue to recognise, commend and encourage excellent attendance
• The award system will enable students with excellent attendance to win awards during and at the end of the school year
• Tutors and Year Heads will contact parents/guardians of a targeted number of students regarding a persistent lack of punctuality and attendance
• HSCL will increase the number of visits to parents of chronic absentees
Literacy
Aim: To improve the level of literacy among students
Objectives
1. To ensure that student both know and understand all key words
2. To encourage students to write more expansively, logically and clearly
3. To ensure that all students from 1st year onwards apply a more structured approach to paragraph formation
4. To encourage students to think and argue more logically
5. To encourage students in 1st year to read and review at least two novels (outside the school curriculum) in class during the school year
6. To improve students’ oral literacy skills
7. To improve written literacy
8. To encourage students to draft and redraft their work
Smart Targets
• To improve the literacy level of each student by 2% in the first two years
• 100% of students in Second Year will deliver a three minute presentation in accordance with the new Junior Cycle English course
• 100% of Second Year students will complete four reworked assignments, of a standard commensurate with their abilities, in accordance with the new Junior Cycle English course
• The reading ages of targeted students improve by at least one year
Action Plan
• Key words will be pre-taught and recorded by students
• The questions, who, what, when, where, how and why will be used by all teachers in all subject areas to encourage students to write more expansively, logically and clearly
• The literacy policy will be regularly reviewed
• DEIS initiatives such as reading week, literacy policy, storytelling initiative, lunchtime reading club for targeted (JCSP) students, reading challenges, paired reading programme, visiting librarian session, visiting writer, book club initiatives, parent practical session will be used to improve reading, general literacy skills and oral literacy skills and written literacy skills. These initiatives will be reviewed on an ongoing basis
• The literacy level of every incoming First year will be assessed using the GRT and then at the end of Second year. These will be tested again in fourth Year using GRT again. Parents will be given results of each test at information evenings.
• Students will deliver a three minute oral presentation in accordance with the new Junior Cycle English course.
• Students will submit four reworked assignments in accordance with the new Junior Cycle English course
• A new state of the Art school library will be made available to students as soon as possible
Numeracy
Aim: To improve the level of numeracy among students
Objectives
1. Every teacher will integrate numeracy strategies into their teaching
2. To demonstrate to students that numeracy skills have an application in everyday life
Smart Target
• To improve numeracy by at least 2% between 1st year and 4th year using the CAT4 Quantitative results
• To increase the percentage of students who feel confident working on problem solving questions
• To increase the percentage of students taking higher level Maths at Junior Certificate level by 2%
• To improve competency in numeracy by 5% in First and Second year
Action Plan
• The numeracy level of every incoming 1st year student will be assessed using the Cognitive Ability Test CAT 4 Level E. The numeracy levels of these students will be tested again in 4th year using CAT4 Level G. Parents will be informed of the result of each test at information evenings
• Competency tests in Numeracy will be given to First years and Second years by the SEN Department. These students will be retested in April and May again by the SEN Department in accordance with the School Development Plan
• A TY student numeracy committee will be set up
• DEIS initiatives such as Paired Maths with First years and Fourth years , Ipad games to improve Maths, the numeracy programme, Flashmaster maths challenge, maths week, and practical sessions for parents/guardians will be used to improve skills in numeracy. These initiatives will be reviewed on an annual basis
• Students will be required to convert examination results into percentages in all subjects on an ongoing basis
• Teachers will avail of every opportunity to include numeracy in their teaching
• Teachers of all subjects will be directed to refer to examination results and to CAT 4 assessments (together with application to work etc.) when allocating students to appropriate classes
• Using the CAT 4 results from 1st and 4th year, it will be ascertained if numeracy levels have increased by 2% in that time span. There will be an annual review of same
Educational attainment and progression
Aim: To maximise student academic potential
Objectives
1. To identify students’ learning styles and inform students and parents/guardians of the results
2. To promote the attainment of higher grades in state examinations
3. To block as many subjects as possible to ensure that an increasing number of students receive the opportunity to sit the highest level in these subjects
4. To expand students’ higher order thinking skills by encouraging use of the questions who, what, when, where, how and why in all classes at every opportunity
5. To provide the widest possible subject choice in order to maximise the students’ talents and abilities
6. To provide the widest possible range of school programmes so as to ensure placement of all students in suitable recognised DES programmes (Junior Certificate, Junior Certificate School Programme, Transition Year, Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Leaving Certificate Applied)
7. To ensure cross-curricular targets are met
8. To ensure that students with special educational needs are supported in their learning by providing each student with an individual educational plan, including a review at the end of every academic year.
9. To ensure that students are placed in class groups commensurate with their abilities
10. To ensure that students underachieving receive appropriate support to rectify the situation
11. To track, analyse and monitor all students from First Year
Smart targets
• To ensure that there is a 2% increase in the number of students achieving A, B, and C grades at higher level in the Junior Certificate and H1 to H5 in the Leaving Certificate in both higher and ordinary level
• To ensure that an increasing percentage( at least 2%) of the student cohort will sit the state examinations at higher level and gain at least a grade D in the Junior Certificate and a H7 in the Leaving Certificate
Action Plan
• Students will be informed and understand their preferred learning styles through the CAT 4 test and parents/guardians will be informed and given the results
• The state examination results will be analysed and presented to staff each year by the Deputy Principal. Each subject department will formulate an action plan on how to maximise the percentage taking higher levels in a subject and the number achieving higher grades
• Every subject department will produce a comprehensive subject plan with common schemes of work and action plans to enable a co-ordinated consistent approach to teaching and assessment in the subject
• Differentiation will be used in the classroom to enable every student engage in classwork to the best of his/her ability. It will also be used to maximise student potential
• Revision plans will be prepared with students for each subject prior to all examinations
• All subjects will continue to be blocked at Leaving Certificate and as many subjects as possible will be blocked in Transition year and at Junior Cycle
• All subjects. in as far as possible, studied at junior cycle will be available at senior cycle
• Any student in 6th year with the appropriate subjects will be given the opportunity of taking the LCVP programme which enables them sit an eight subject in the Leaving Certificate
• A number of senior students will be given the opportunity to study an additional subject for Leaving Certificate.
• Leaving Certificate students will assess their results, calculate their points and set targets
• Tracking of students will be ongoing
• Students will be banded in accordance with the CAT4 entrance test results. These results will be reviewed by the by the Guidance Counsellor, the Deputy Principal and the Principal.
• Teachers will input details of students’ progress digitally on an annual basis. These results will then be analysed by the Guidance Counsellor, Deputy Principal and Year Heads.
• In Senior Cycle, all results will be tracked and students’ results will be converted into CAO points. This information will be sent home to parents in September in Sixth Year and after the Mock Exams.
• Students’ results will be constantly monitored and evaluated
• Students with special needs, irrespective of need or difficulty, will continue to be catered for within the inclusive classroom through a variety of supports such as differentiation of material, access to a Special Needs Assistant, team teaching and withdrawal for resource support
• The school will strive to ensure that any student needing reasonable accommodation will be facilitated in house examinations and in state examinations
• Teachers will engage in cross-curricular planning and their implementation into the relevant programmes
• During mock examinations exact examination conditions will be replicated, including the provision of mock practicals and orals
• All eligible students will be encouraged to participate in the Trinity Access Programme, where possible, in order to increase their motivation for achieving excellent Leaving Certificate results, which would enable them to proceed to third level education
• The Board of Management will continue to provide Gaeltacht Scholarships each year and students will be encouraged to avail of these
• The HSCL Co-ordinator will organise a number of events, programmes and courses for parents and students to enable the students engage better with the academic challenges of school
• After school supervised study will be provided three days a week for students. Supervised study will be provided at Easter break. Priority will be given to 3rd and 6th year students. A homework club will also be provided for junior students
• Study skills will be introduced for 1st year students, thus focusing on student aspirations at a much earlier stage
• Letters will be sent to parents/guardians regarding study skills, giving information and advice regarding their child’s education and study. Key dates in 2017 – 2018 will be given to all students and parents/guardians
Aim: To continually strive to raise student expectations
Objectives
1. To provide students with career guidance at key junctures in students’ lives
2. To develop partnership with 3rd level institutions
3. To increase student involvement in the Trinity Access Programme
4. To develop partnership with local businesses
5. To provide students with role models who took various successful career paths
6. To provide opportunities for mentoring through the past pupil alumni
Smart Targets
• To maintain the number of students involved in the Trinity access Programme
• To involve the whole school in College Awareness Week in November
• To participate in as many awareness campaigns as possible e.g. Engineers Week, STEM Week, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Maths Week etc.
• To increase the number of students continuing on to Third Level Education by 2%
Action Plan
• Career guidance will be provided at key junctures in students’ lives to enable them make informed decisions
• SEN students will attend a Disabilities Open Day to access and be fully informed of the range of services available. This will be done as part of College Awareness Week for the standard Leaving Certificate students and during the Clondalkin Fair for LCA students
• A speaker will be brought in to assist and support in the transition of students with SEN and other concerns
• Fully updated psychological assessments will be done to support SEN students make the transition
• Students will continue to attend 3rd level and PLC Open days
• Students will continue to engage in the Trinity Access Programme
• Students will continue to participate in work experience in the local and wider community as an integral part of the Transition year, LCA and LCVP programmes
• The school will continue to arrange visits to businesses in the local and wider community, such as Liberty IT in Blanchardstown
• Presentations will be given to students by representatives of successful entrepreneurs, business people, educationalists and from other careers
• A ‘Rapid Careers’ event will take place where people from different career paths will come in and Second year students get a few minutes to talk to each of them
• To develop the links with past students in order to create opportunities for student mentoring
• To provide transition year students with taster subjects relevant to third level courses in order to inform students and broaden their expectations
Aim: To acquire an adaptable attitude to learning
Objectives
1. To identify students’ learning styles and inform students and parents/guardians of the results
2. Teachers will continue to adapt their teaching styles to deal with students experiencing learning difficulties
3. Teachers will use a variety of teaching styles to cater for the multiple intelligences. Assessment for Learning techniques will be used and incorporated into classroom teaching
Smart target
• Reoccurring evaluation through formal and informal assessment
Action Plan
• Students will be informed and understand their preferred learning styles through the CAT 4 test and parents/guardians will be informed of the results
• A Study Booklet will be given to students by the Guidance Counsellor to focus upon learning and grades
• Project work will continue to encourage skills of analysis and reflection at junior cycle. Students will acquire generic learning skills, problem solving skills, research skills, skills of analysis, synthesis and other higher order thinking skills and they will acquire the ability to transfer these skills to the work place and to their personal lives Resources will include templates
• Transition year, Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme will be utilised to develop entrepreneurship at senior cycle
• The Special Needs Department will give all staff a presentation on the various learning difficulties experienced by specific students at the beginning of the school year. Useful strategies and teaching methodologies will be identified. Staff will receive regular reminders at staff briefings and at staff meetings about differentiated learning.
• In-service training will continue to be provided to staff regarding the use of IT and other resources to facilitate Assessment for Learning
• Information boards will be displayed throughout the school
• Learning turned Interactive- teachers will use Twitter, Edmodu etc to encourage a proactive learning mind frame
Aim: To ensure that all students receive and complete homework that is
appropriate to their level of ability
Objectives
1. To continue to embed and implement the homework policy
2. To devise a homework plan for all classes within each subject
3. To provide students with regular homework appropriate to the subject
4. To ensure that students are fully informed and understand all homework given
5. To review our current homework policy
Smart target
• To pilot one subject i.e. maths and to seek to improve completion rates from 50% to 60% by use of weekly homework assignments
Action Plan
• Teachers will follow the school homework policy
• Subject departments will include a homework plan in each subject plan
• Teachers will include a homework plan for all classes in their schemes of work
• Teachers will ensure that students write all homework in the journal
• Teachers will ensure that all students are given regular homework and fully understand how to complete it
• Differentiated homework will be assigned to students to ensure that all ability levels are catered for and student potential is maximised
• A staff homework committee has been set up to review the current homework policy
• A homework club will be offered to a number of targeted students to assist with understanding and completion of assigned homework
• Night study will be offered to all students. Third and Fifth year students will be targeted
• Maths teachers will give weekly homework assignments to students and monitor whether this has an effect on homework completion rates
Aim: To improve student learning by the further development of Assessment for Learning in every classroom
Objectives
1. To provide students with objectives for every lesson and assess their achievement
2. To ensure that student both know and understand all key words
3. To use a variety of AfL resources, such as traffic lights, show me boards, place mats, tarsias and rubrics, to improve student learning
4. To enable teachers assess and improve their teaching and thus improve student learning through feedback gained through Assessment for Learning
Smart Target
Action Plan
• At the beginning of every lesson objective(s) will be placed on the board
• At the conclusion of every lesson the achieving of the objective(s) for the lesson will be reviewed with students
• Key words will be pre-taught to students
• Feedback will be sought from students at the end of every topic
• Teachers will use “show me boards” to assess student learning
• Teachers will use “traffic lights” to assess student learning
• Pair work and group work will be used with students, where appropriate in order to enable students learn more effectively
• A variety of tools, such as tarsias, rubrics and placemats will be utilised to involve students in the learning process and improve student learning
• Teachers will adjust and improve their teaching based on the information received from assessment for learning techniques implemented
Partnership with parents/guardians and the community
Aim: To promote partnership with parents/guardians
Objectives
1. To involve parents/guardians in literacy and numeracy programmes devised for junior cycle
2. To improve communication and transfer of information between the school and the home
3. To familiarise and engage parents/guardians in their child/children’s education process
Smart Targets
• To increase the number of parents involved in school activities / courses by 2%
• To increase the amount of contact with parents by 2%
Action Plan
• As part of our improvement plan regarding transfer of all students we will provide a Summer meeting and small group meetings/individual meetings with parents/guardians
• Parents/guardians will be enabled to provide practical support to their children in the areas of literacy and numeracy
• Parents/guardians will be invited to attend a practical session on how to help their children in English and mathematics
• All parents/guardians of incoming 1st year students will receive a transfer pack
• 1st year parents/guardians will be invited to coffee mornings/evening in the school in September
• All parents/guardians will be invited to attend parent teacher meetings for each of their children annually
• All parents/guardians will be given the opportunity to participate in a range of courses/classes in the school
• Parents/guardians will receive information letters and newsletters at regular intervals throughout the school year
• The school website will be updated regularly
• The HSCL Co-ordinator will make targeted home visits throughout the school year
• Parents/guardians will be invited attend the PTA meetings and become a member of the committee
• Parents/guardians will be invited to become members of the local committee
• Parents/guardians will be consulted regarding school review and development
• Parents/guardians will engage in consultation with the career guidance teacher regarding their sons/daughters preferred learning style and educational progression. They are also welcome to consult with the guidance counsellor at any stage throughout the year
Aim: To promote partnership with others
Objectives
1. To develop partnership with 3rd level institutions
2. To develop partnership with local primary schools
3. To develop partnership with local businesses
4. To develop partnership with members of the local and wider community
5. To develop partnership with local agencies
Smart Targets
• To increase the number of visits to local Primary school by 2%
• To increase the participation of parents and members of the local community in courses in the school by 5%
Action Plan
• Students will continue to attend 3rd level and PLC Open days
• The school will continue to improve the transfer programme for 4th, 5th and 6th class students in the local and wider community
• The school will hold an Open Evening/Information Evening for members of the local and wider community
• The school will continue to arrange visits to local businesses
• Local businesses will be invited to visit and make presentations to students
• Students will continue to participate in work experience in the local and wider community as an integral part of the Transition year, LCA and LCVP programmes
• Members of the community will continue to be invited to attend Local Committee meetings
• Members of the community will continue to facilitate various initiatives such as talks, classes, courses, workshops and parent book clubs, as a means of promoting the education and development of parents and students
• The school will continue to disseminate relevant information literature to parents and students provided by organisations in the community
• The school will continue to invite Ballyfermot Community Guards to provide talks on the subject of substance misuse to 2nd year students
• Students will participate in Social Inclusion Projects with South Dublin County Council
• Information will be given to students about youth organisations and support groups within the community
• The Adult Education Department will continue to offer a range of courses to the local community
• The school will continue to work with and maintain links with outside organisations such as Family Scope/Base
• To assist past pupils with professional development and further education
• To continue to utilise the expertise and skills of past pupils, parents and BOM members to raise student expectations and standards in the school community
• Students will engage with Clondalkin Youth Partnership and attend Careers Day and enrol for a Text information service regarding Senior cycle
• Students will receive talks from all the local universities and I.T. s in order to encourage academic progression
• Trinity College will inform students of the TAP programme – HEAR and DARE
• The Samaritans will be invited to talk to all transition Year students
Aim: To uphold the sense of respect that already exists in the school and to
promote its development
Objectives
1. Teachers will implement the newly amended Code of Behaviour in order to instil a sense of respect throughout the school
2. Community ethos will be promoted through the creation of an environment which includes all students, their parents/guardians and the wider community
3. To respect diversity
4. To promote respect for their surroundings and the environment
5. To develop the student voice through the student council and the local committee
Smart Target
• To move from a paper based recording system to a digital one when implementing the newly amended Code of Behaviour
Action Plan
• Efforts will be made throughout the year to embed the newly amended Code of Behaviour. The results of these efforts will be regularly reviewed at every staff meeting
• All staff will receive training in the implementation of the new system
• An award system is in place to recognise and encourage good behaviour
• A sense of respect will be fostered within the student population through the relevant sections of the RE, CSPE, and SPHE programmes
• The pastoral care system will promote positive citizenship ideas with a clear understanding of rights and responsibilities
• Students will participate in our Annual Intercultural Week
• Parents/guardians will be given opportunities to partake in various courses throughout the year to improve the community ethos
• Green issues will be addressed in subjects such as CSPE, SPHE, Geography, Business Studies, etc
• Students will be given the opportunity to be democratically elected the student council. Student council meetings will be held regularly and the student voice will be taken into consideration when developing policy
• There will always be student representation on the local committee. Student representatives will attend local committee meetings and will act as a link between the student council and the local committee
Aim: To provide a happy and secure learning environment
Objectives
1. To deliver an appropriate SPHE programme
2. To organise a pastoral care system within Pobalscoil Iosolde
3. To implement the Code of Behaviour
4. To implement the Anti-Bullying Policy
5. To implement the Substance Use Policy
6. To enable staff resolve conflicts with students more effectively
7. To ensure the safety of staff and students on school grounds at all times
Smart target
• All visitors to the school will be readily identified as such by wearing a prominently displayed visitor badge
Action Plan
• The SPHE Co-ordinator will arrange the topics to be covered for each term
• Regular year head tutor meetings to discuss student progress and plan SPHE programme
• Regular Assistant Principal and senior management meetings will be held
• Regular care team meetings will be held
• Year Group Assemblies will take place
• The Code of Behaviour will be discussed at staff meetings, year head tutor meetings, assistant principal meetings and assemblies
• Year heads and tutors will discuss the implement the Code of Behaviour with their tutor groups at regular intervals
• Students will receive regular reminders with regard to the Code of Behaviour over the public address system
• Regular staff briefings will be held
• A prefect system will take place which involves senior students mentoring 1st year students in order to help them adapt to second level education
• All bullying incidents will be investigated speedily using the school Anti-Bullying Procedure
• All visitors to the school will be obliged to wear a visitor badge
• Students will be instructed never to allow strangers access to the school building
• Teachers will monitor student behaviour in VS Ware
Aim: To promote good mental and physical health of all students
Objectives
1. To promote a positive attitude to self and life
2. To promote participation of students in a variety of physical activities
3. To develop coping skills
4. To develop resilience in the face of life’s vicissitudes
Smart Targets
• All students will be informed of the support structures within the school
• All students will know where to access the appropriate phone numbers to support them in their mental health
Action Plan
• The pastoral care system will be utilised in promoting and instilling a sense of wellbeing in students
• The Care Team will continue to meet on a weekly basis and deal with individual cases
• SPHE modules will promote good mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing
• Speakers will deliver talks to students and provide opportunities for open forum discussions on health issues
• Students will engage in fundraising activities, thus increasing their awareness of people encountering difficulties in life
• Counselling by members of the Care Team and an accredited Psychotherapist will be made available to students who need it
Aim: To increase the use of technology in all areas throughout the school
Objectives
1. To actively promote the use of IT in the classroom with a particular emphasis on Assessment for Learning
2. To continue to provide professional development to teachers to ensure the optimal use of all the IT facilities within the school
3. Staff will continue to share expertise and resources in relation to the use of our new IT facilities
4. All teachers will become proficient in the use of VS Ware
5. Teachers will register students for each and every class in VS ware
6. Teachers will monitor student behaviour in VS Ware
7. To give parents/guardians access to VSware
Smart target
• 100% of staff will become competent in the use of the VSware system
• To provide a system for parents/guardians to access their child’s records on VSware
• To use ‘Office 365’ as a common methodology in the use of IT as a teaching and learning platform
Action Plan
• Staff will be provided with training in good practice in the use of IT e.g. meeting time will be allocated to IT up-skilling, at subject meetings, resource meetings and at general staff meetings with a particular emphasis on Assessment for Learning
• Subject folders will available for staff to share IT resources
• Teacher will monitor student attendance and progress in VS Ware
• Email will become the primary mode of communication within the school. Staff will be directed to check their emails daily
• To provide parents with access to VSware and ensure as many parents/guardians as possible are provided the opportunity to fully utilise the system through professional assistance
• To train staff on various services available in ‘Office 365’ for Education
Review and Evaluation
All priorities, aims, objectives and action plans will be reviewed on an annual basis. Feedback from students, teachers and parents will be sought to evaluate progress. The process of establishing policies is ongoing and further work is being done in this area. Likewise, established policies will be reviewed and updated as indicated. Review and evaluation is currently undertaken in the first instance by the school Academic Advisory Council and recommendations are brought to the staff, students, parents and the Board of Management. The Board of management has ultimate responsibility for ratification.