An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna

Department of Education and Skills

Whole School Evaluation

Management, Leadership and Learning

REPORT

Ainm na scoile /

School name Dunshaughlin Community College

Seoladh na scoile /

School address

Dunshaughlin

County Meath

Uimhir rolla /

Roll number 71960I

Date of Evaluation: 16-11-2016

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 16-11-2016

Inspection activities undertaken

Meeting with board of management

Meetings with principal and deputy principal

Meeting(s) 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

Dunshaughlin Community College was established in 1933 under the trusteeship of the Louth Meath

Education and Training Board (LMETB). The school offers the Junior Certificate, Transition Year,

Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. The

school also caters for a Centre for European Schooling (CES). In line with increases in the local

population, the school’s enrolment has increased to a current figure of 1,014. A major extension to

the school building was completed in 2013.

SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

FINDINGS

The school is managed very effectively with a strong vision for providing the highest possible educational experience shared by all stakeholders.

Partnership with students and parents is highly valued.

Distributed leadership is evident in several initiatives led by teams of teachers: some staff

expressed concerns regarding the level of communication and consultation within the school.

Leadership for learning is excellent and is underpinned by very high-quality care and support systems for students.

The quality of teaching and learning in most lessons observed was good or very good: in a few lessons, there was scope for more effective learning strategies to be used.

Very good progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of previous inspections and the school has a very good capacity to manage and lead improvement into the future.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Staff and management should explore further opportunities to enhance engagement in

school, and staff development, initiatives.

Formal systems for sharing and implementing high-quality teaching and learning strategies should be further developed by school management and staff.

DETAILED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. QUALITY OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

1.1. School ownership and management:

The school is managed very effectively. The board of management provides very good oversight of the

work of the school and has adopted a strategic management role. Board members have a high level

of involvement and are very committed and interested in the success of the school. Very effective

links between the board and the senior management team support the appropriate consideration of

on-going issues and decision making.

The board is aware of its statutory obligations and ensures compliance with legislative and policy

requirements. It has overseen the development of a comprehensive school plan. A range of policies,

including mandatory ones, is in place. Policy development and review have been supported by the

completion of a review checklist as part of the planning process. In light of increasing enrolment, it is

timely now to review some aspects of the admissions policy.

The LMETB has provided training for board members and is in the process of introducing new

structures around the operation of boards. In conjunction with these developments, and in order to

address a desire for more information from parents and staff, the board should review how parents,

staff and students are kept appropriately informed of the work of the board and the progress of the

school.

The senior management team, composed of the principal and two deputy principals, is relatively new.

They have complementary skills and work well as a team. Their work is guided by a clear shared vision

of aiming to provide the highest quality educational experience for students, and is based on core

values of respect and inclusion. The senior management team works in a highly organised manner. It

has been very effective in implementing an improvement agenda that has impacted positively on

student outcomes. Excellent structures and systems for managing and monitoring the operation of

the school have been implemented. Parents and students expressed great satisfaction with the

management of the school.

Senior management encourage and support staff to take leadership roles within the school.

Distributed leadership is evident in initiatives led by teams of teachers such as the development of a

new attendance strategy and the operation of the student-support team. Though there are very good

in-school communication systems in place, some staff expressed concerns regarding the level of

communication and consultation within the school. Thus, it is recommended that staff and

management explore further opportunities to enhance engagement in school and staff development

initiatives.

Middle-management responsibilities have been reorganised in recent years. Good-quality middle-

management structures are in place with a range of responsibilities assigned to the various posts of

responsibilities. Assistant principals play a very significant role in the management and leadership of

the school. They meet regularly with senior management and provide a very significant contribution

to the student experience in the school. In particular as year heads, they are leading the academic

monitoring, target setting, and mentoring of the relevant year group. Special-duties posts cover a

range of areas; the duties are scheduled for review in the coming year.

In addition to formal posts, many members of staff have a commendable involvement in supporting

the school’s mission to maximise student potential. This commitment is evident in the work of tutors,

participation in staff committees, and the wide range of extra-curricular activities provided. The

smooth operation of the school is well supported by administration and maintenance staff.

There is a very strong vision of student leadership in the many opportunities provided for students to

be part of school life. The active student council has a very inclusive structure and its role is highly

valued by the school. Peer mentoring, prefect and class captain systems allow students to develop

their own confidence and leadership skills. The ‘student voice’ is also very evident in the range of

themed weeks such as friendship week and the LGBT week run throughout the school year. Student

surveys showed high levels of satisfaction with the school. Students interviewed in the course of the

evaluation were confident and articulate at expressing their own views.

Effective partnership with parents is valued and supported by the school. The parents’ association is

very active and is consulted regularly by management regarding on-going issues and policy

development. Surveys of parents showed high overall levels of satisfaction with the school, but also

indicated a desire for a greater level of information and consultation. The school has also developed

good mutually beneficial relationships with the wider community.

1.2. Effectiveness of leadership for learning

Leadership of and support for student learning is excellent. Senior management and staff use

comprehensive data to inform and direct improvement initiatives, and recognise the importance of

systematic monitoring to assist students to reach their full potential. Student outcomes have shown a

steady improvement. Support for learning is also provided by the effectiveness of the systems to

support student management and care, the very good facilities and resources, and the facilitation of

teachers’ continuing professional development.

The support and care for students are of a very high quality. The school has developed and

implemented clear policies to ensure the safety and well-being of students. The student-support team

plays a very successful role in coordinating various elements of the care structures. Curricular

provision of Guidance, Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Religious Education (RE) and

Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is very well coordinated.

Students are very well supported at times of transition during their school life. Comprehensive

systems for supporting incoming students and those entering senior cycle are implemented. Great

efforts are made to ensure that students make good subject and programme choices. The Leaving

Certificate Applied (LCA) programme is offered and promoted to relevant students but, at present,

uptake has been insufficient to run the programme. Appropriately, the school intends to continue

offering the programme.

Students’ holistic development is fostered by a broad curriculum and by extra-curricular learning

opportunities. The TY and LCVP programmes are very well organised and adapted to meet students’

interests. The school is piloting the new Politics and Society subject in senior cycle currently, and

Chinese is provided in TY. The provision of Physical Education in senior cycle should be kept under

review as it is only provided as an optional subject at present; the school has limited access to a

gymnasium shared with the local Community Centre.

The introduction of the new Junior Cycle Framework is well underway. Whole-school and subject-

specific training has been provided and relevant subject departments have developed their plans

collaboratively for the implementation of the new specifications. The timetable is being reviewed in

line with Circular 0024/2016; it is good practice that students’ views on the proposed amendments

have been sought.

The code of behaviour focuses on encouraging good behaviour and care for students. The very clear

code set out in student journals explains the rationale and meaning of the school rules. Class tutors

and year heads play a very effective role in implementing the code. Students and parents benefit from

the introduction in recent years of an early-warning system known as ‘notes of concern’. This

innovation arose from a research project undertaken by some teachers. A range of awards reinforces

expectations of good behaviour. Students’ views on the code have been sought as part of a review

currently underway and led by a staff group. During the evaluation, students presented as confident,

cooperative, and well behaved. Survey results indicated that they are generally very happy and proud

to be in this school.

Support for students with additional learning needs is coordinated very effectively. Systematic

planning for students includes the development of individual learning plans by a small core team.

These plans guide the work of a larger team of teachers so as to ensure that students’ needs are met.

A range of other valuable supports includes team teaching. Different models of team teaching were

observed during the evaluation; some approaches worked more effectively than others. There is now

an opportunity to review the effectiveness of the various models. Students also benefit from the

support of special-needs assistants. Measures are taken to support exceptionally able students such

as links with Dublin City University and the various Science and Maths Olympiads.

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

The facilities are of a very high quality. A large extension has been completed recently and the school

now has a wide range of specialist rooms. All parts of the building are well maintained. Various notice

boards and displays of student work create a very nice atmosphere on the corridors. The school has

been awarded a Green Flag and students are researching recycling initiatives currently. Students are

also involved in a healthy eating initiative and they expressed great satisfaction with the school

canteen.

Teaching and learning are supported by the provision of very good information and communication

technology (ICT) in all classrooms. Teachers are classroom based for the most part and many rooms

have been organised in ways that support cooperative learning strategies. Care is taken in constructing

the timetable to try to reduce the amount of movement required by students throughout the school

day.

A health and safety audit has been completed and regular fire drills are conducted. Issues around

traffic management are being addressed currently by management in consultation with students.

2. QUALITY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

Subject planning is of a high standard. Subject departments are well established and a collaborative

and cooperative approach was evident in the work of the various teams. Teachers are open to sharing

resources and have developed common schemes of work to guide students’ progress through the

curriculum. In many subjects, students also benefit from common examinations.

The development of action plans, guidance for subject-specific learning support, a focus on literacy

and numeracy, and detailed analysis of student outcomes were very good features of subject planning

seen in most areas. Other good features included an increasing focus on teaching and learning in

department meetings. A school-developed guide to subject planning will further support collaborative

professional practice. Relevant subject plans showed good engagement with the new Junior Cycle

Framework.

The quality of teaching and learning in most lessons observed was good or very good. In a few lessons,

students’ learning was limited by shortcomings in the approaches used.

High-quality teaching and learning was characterised by very effective planning and the setting of high

expectations for students’ outcomes. Useful learning resources had been prepared in advance and

student-centred active methodologies were deployed. Students were meaningfully engaged during

lessons in a variety of learning activities such as writing, presenting, and practical work. They were

challenged to think for themselves and assessment strategies were well used to monitor progress.

Very effective assessment techniques focused on more than just knowledge or recall; understanding

and skills were also assessed. Strategies that developed students’ ability to assess their own learning

were very well used in some lessons. It was also very good practice that, in some cases, the pace of a

lesson was adapted to match students’ progress. Several teachers have been able to avail of training

in instructional leadership and, some very good use was evident of techniques such as the sharing of

learning intentions with students, giving formative feedback and ‘Know, Want, Learn: KWL’. It would

be useful to review how these techniques are used in classrooms generally and how they affect

student outcomes.

Students of varying ability were very well supported by differentiation of content or assessment in

some lessons. In other lessons, such support for mixed-ability settings was not as evident. Teachers

should share and review how students benefit from various differentiation strategies.

Independent and collaborative learning was very well supported by the use of group work in some

lessons. As noted previously, many classrooms were arranged to support the use of group work. Group

work was very effective when there were clear roles, clarity regarding the expected outcome, and

appropriate groupings of students. Such best practice in conducting group work should be discussed

and shared among the teaching staff.

Several models of team teaching, provided as a learning support, were observed. In all cases, this

provision provided an enhanced experience for the class of students in the mainstream setting. In

some cases, it was very apparent how the requirements of students with particular learning needs

were being met through the team-teaching approach. In other cases, the extra benefit for these

students was not so evident. Thus, it would be worthwhile reviewing how team teaching supports

particular students over and above the benefit that all students experience.

ICT was well used to display and present information. It was used most effectively when students were

required to engage with the resource in some way. Students’ own ICT skills were also developed in

some lessons. However, there is scope for development in how ICT is used as a learning tool as it could

have been used more dynamically.

In the few lessons, where there was significant scope for development, the teaching methodologies

chosen were overly teacher centred. Students were passive recipients of information; they were not

sufficiently challenged or given an opportunity to engage with content. Assessment opportunities

were limited and students’ learning was not consolidated. In these lessons, the opportunity to further

students’ learning was not exploited.

In order to build on the very good practice observed in many lessons, it is recommended that staff and

management further develop formal systems for sharing and implementing high-quality teaching and

learning strategies. A working group of staff could initiate, and coordinate, projects on aspects of

teaching and learning such as collaborative lesson planning, peer-observation, or review of specific

aspects of teaching and learning which are identified in this report. Such projects would be very well

supported by the wealth of data available in the school on students’ aptitudes, abilities and outcomes.

3. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS

3.1. Management

Very good progress is evident in the implementation of recommendations from previous inspections

relating to areas of school management. Mixed-ability groupings have been extended. The

coordination of subject planning is now shared amongst the members of the relevant departments.

3.2. Learning and teaching

Very good progress is evident in the implementation of recommendations from previous inspections

relating to teaching and learning. The setting and administration of common examinations are now

widespread. Subject departments have developed action plans to support continuing improvement.

Lessons are planned around the achievement of specific learning intentions and these intentions are

being shared with students. During the evaluation, prior learning was also activated at the start of

lessons.

Previous inspections were given good consideration by senior management, staff and the board of

management. Senior management worked with the relevant subject departments to plan for

implementation of recommendations. All staff were informed of previous findings and

recommendations, and encouraged to reflect on the implications for their own area.

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

The school has engaged actively with school self-evaluation (SSE) processes. Very good practices have

been established such as gathering evidence from a variety of sources including parents and students.

School improvement plans are being implemented in relation to literacy and numeracy. Assessment

has been identified as the next area for SSE.

The school has managed many changes very successfully over recent years including increased

enrolment and staffing, a building programme, curricular changes, and the development of new

whole-school systems such as the attendance strategy and academic tracking. Very effective systems

are being implemented that are designed to ensure the smooth and effective running of the school.

The board, and LMETB, are providing good oversight of the school. A professional and reflective

approach is evident in school development planning and policy review. Proposed developments are

informed by extensive use of data and consultation with parents and students. All partners share a

common vision of achieving the best possible outcomes for students. In light of these strengths, the

school has a very good capacity to manage and lead improvement into the future.

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 very positive WSE-MLL report as undertaken by the

Inspectorate in November 2016. In particular, the Board welcomes the very affirming comments made

by the Inspectorate in relation to the excellent leadership and support for student learning. The Board

was proud to read that the students presented as “confident, cooperative and well behaved”. We are

particularly pleased that the report mentions the very strong vision of student leadership and the

many opportunities provided for students to be part of school life. Moreover, the Board welcomes the

comments made in relation to the support and care for students including students with additional

learning needs. The report also recognises the valuable contribution made by the parents as partners

and this acknowledgement is a positive reinforcement of the importance of the partnership that exists

between parents and the school. The board welcomes the positive acknowledgement of improvement

initiatives that have been introduced in the past few years such as: the literacy and numeracy

strategies, the student support team, systematic monitoring and tracking to assist students reach their

full potential. The Board would like to thank all members of the school community for their hard work

and commitment to our school.

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 report recognises the commitment of the school and Board of Management in implementing the

recommendations of previous inspections. The Board acknowledges the two recommendations made

in this report and they will continue the commitment to implement these recommendations. Staff and

management have already begun to explore further opportunities to enhance engagement in school,

and staff development initiatives. A number of teachers are currently involved in a curriculum review

with school management. Formal systems for sharing and implementing high-quality teaching and

learning strategies are being further explored by school management and staff.

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. Overall, learners have access to a basic level of provision. 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;

Published Feb 2017