THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
WHITAKER SQUARE,
SIR JOHN ROGERSON’S QUAY,
DUBLIN 2, IRELAND
TEL (353-1) 863 2000
FAX (353-1) 863 2100
SURVEY OF DIVERSITY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Many Irish schools have become more diverse in recent years. The Department of Education and Science
has asked the ESRI to carry out a review of provision for newcomer pupils in Irish schools. We would be
very grateful if you would complete the enclosed questionnaire. Your response will be combined with those
of other schools to form an overall picture, and used to guide government policy in relation to future
provision for newcomer pupils. It is important for us to know which schools have newcomer pupils and
which schools do not, so please respond WHETHER OR NOT there are newcomer pupils in your school.
PART I: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[Q1,
Q2, Q3: If none, please write ‘NONE’]
1. How many pupils in total are there in your school?
2. How many teachers are there in your school?
Boys ______
Full-time
_____
Girls ______
Part-time ________
3. Approximately how many staff does your school currently have in the following capacities?
Full-time
Part-time
School-based counsellor/psychologist
Home-School-Community Liaison Co-ordinator
Learning support/ resource teachers
Language support teachers
Special needs assistants (SNAs)
4. Over the past five years, has the total number of pupils coming to the school:
Increased ......
1
Decreased ........
Remained relatively stable ................
2
3
5. Are there any other local primary schools to which your pupils might go?
Yes ..............
No ...............
1
2
6. Are all of the pupils who apply to your school usually accepted?
Yes ..............
1
 Q7
No ...............
2
If No, what criteria are used to admit pupils? [Please tick all that apply.]
Lives in
local area
1
Siblings in
school
2
Pre-school
attended
3
Date of
application
4
Religion
5
Other (specify) ___________
6
7. In your assessment, approximately what proportion of pupils in the school would have such literacy,
numeracy, emotional-behavioural or absenteeism difficulties as to adversely impact on their educational
development? Please tick one box on each line.
Approximate percentage of pupils with each problem
None
<5%
6-10%
11-25%
26-40%
>40%
a) Literacy Problems ......................... 1 .......... 2 ................ 3 .......................... 4 ..................... 5 ..................... 6
b) Numeracy Problems ..................... 1 .......... 2 ................ 3 .......................... 4 ..................... 5 ..................... 6
c) Emotional/Behavioural problems .. 1 .......... 2 ................ 3 .......................... 4 ..................... 5 ..................... 6
d) Absenteeism ................................. 1 .......... 2 ................ 3 .......................... 4 ..................... 5 ..................... 6
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8. (a) What is the religious ethos of your school?
Catholic ..
1
Multidenominational ...
3
Church of Ireland .......
2
Interdenominational ...
4
Other (specify) _______
5
(b) Are there pupils from families with minority (or no) religious beliefs in your school?
Several
1
A few
2
None
3
Q9
(c) What arrangements are in place for these pupils during religious education (RE) classes?
Pupils are withdrawn from RE classes ....................................
Pupils stay in the RE class but do not participate....................
Pupils stay in the RE class and participate ..............................
RE is not taught in this school .................................................
Other (please specify) .............................................................
1
2
3
4
5
____________________
9. Please indicate the extent to which you believe each of the following to be true of pupils, their parents
and teachers in your school.
True of
True for
True for
True of
nearly all
more
less than
only a
than half
half
few
Pupils are well-behaved in class
1
2
3
4
Pupils are motivated about their schoolwork
1
2
3
4
Pupils show respect for their teachers
1
2
3
4
Parents attend parent-teacher meetings in the school
1
2
3
4
Parents give their children help and support with schoolwork
1
2
3
4
Parents have contact with the school only if there is a problem
1
2
3
4
Teachers are positive about the school
1
2
3
4
Teachers in the school are open to contact with parents
1
2
3
4
Teachers are open to new developments and challenges
1
2
3
4
10. On what basis are pupils in the school allocated to their base classes?
Randomly/alphabetically ................................
Other [please specify________________] ....
Performance on tests ..........................
Only 1 class per year-group ................
1
2
3
4
11. To what extent do you think your school is (or would be) in a position to cater adequately for the needs
of newcomer pupils (that is, pupils from families where both parents come from outside Ireland)? Please
answer this question WHETHER OR NOT you have newcomer pupils currently enrolled.
To a great extent
1
To some extent
2
Not to any great extent
3
Not to any extent
4
12. Does your school have a written policy on interculturalism or anti-racism?
Yes, included in School Development Plan
1
Yes, other document
13. To what extent does the school liaise with the following services?
To a great
To some
extent
extent
National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)
1
2
National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB)
1
2
School Development Planning Initiative (SDPI)
1
2
Integrate Ireland Language and Training
1
2
Regional Curriculum Support Service
1
2
Social Workers
1
2
Local youth/community workers
1
2
Special Needs Organisers (SENOs)
1
2
Voluntary groups (such as Barnardos, V de Paul)
1
2
2
Not to any
great extent
No
3
Not to any
extent
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
2
14. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Strongly
Agree
agree
Pre-service education prepares teachers for teaching in a multicultural
1
2
setting.
Textbooks and teaching resources take adequate account of diversity
1
2
issues.
In-service education prepares teachers for teaching in a multicultural
1
2
setting.
The primary curriculum takes adequate account of diversity issues.
1
2
More in-service education is needed for teachers in order to promote
1
2
inclusion within schools.
The Irish educational system prepares young people to live in a
1
2
multicultural society.
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
15. Do you have any written information for parents available in languages other than English/Irish?
No
1
Yes, general information
on Irish educational system
2
Yes, information on
your school

3
If Yes, which languages?
___________
16. Schools use different ways of providing social and personal support for their pupils. In column (a)
please indicate whether or not your school adopts each of the approaches listed. In column (b), please
tick one box to indicate the approach you think is most important in your school.
(a)
(b)
Used in your school?
Single most
Yes
No
important approach
a) Pupil mentors ................................................... 1
2
1
b) School-based counsellor .................................. 1
2
2
c) SPHE classes .................................................. 1
2
3
d) Other (please specify) ___________________ 1
2
4
17. In general, how satisfied are you with the following provision in your school?
Very
Satisfied
Neither
Dissatisfied
satisfied
satisfied
nor
dissatisfied
Social/personal support for pupils
1
2
3
4
Learning support (excluding language support)
1
2
3
4
Support for pupils with special educational
1
2
3
4
needs
Very
dissatisfied
5
5
5
18. Approximately how many of each of the following groups of pupils do you have in your school? If none,
please write ‘NONE’. The same pupil can be recorded more than once.
Pupils with physical/sensory disabilities
(Number)
_________
Pupils with learning/intellectual disabilities
(Number)
_________
Pupils of families from the Travelling Community
(Number)
_________
Newcomer pupils, that is, pupils from families where both parents are from outside Ireland, of whom:
Mother tongue is English/Irish
(Number)
_________
Mother tongue is not English/Irish
(Number)
_________
IF YOU HAVE NO NEWCOMER PUPILS IN YOUR SCHOOL, PLEASE RETURN THE QUESTIONNAIRE IN THE
PREPAID ENVELOPE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY NEWCOMER PUPILS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN YOUR SCHOOL, PLEASE COMPLETE
THE REST OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
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PART II: PROFILE OF NEWCOMER PUPILS
We would like to ask you some questions about newcomer pupils in your school. By newcomer pupils, we mean
pupils from families where both parents are from outside Ireland, whether or not the pupil’s first language is
English/Irish.
19. To your knowledge, do you have any newcomer pupils in your school whose families have the following
status? (Please tick yes or no on each line.)
Yes
No
Nationals from EU (27) member States ............................ 1 ............................... 2
Nationals from non-EU countries ...................................... 1 ............................... 2
Unaccompanied minors ............ ...................................... 1 ............................... 2
Granted refugee status or leave to remain ....................... 1 ............................... 2
Asylum-seekers (awaiting or refused decision) ............... 1 ............................... 2
20. Please provide the approximate number of newcomer pupils in your school by country of origin.
EUROPE
Britain (excl. NI)
Other Western Europe
Poland
Romania
Other EU Eastern Europe
Non-EU Eastern Europe
No.
AMERICA/AUSTRALIA
USA/Canada
Australia/New Zealand
Brazil
Other South/Central
America
No.
ASIA
China
India
Pakistan
Philippines
Other Asia
No.
AFRICA
Nigeria
DR Congo
South Africa
Other Africa
No.
PART III: HOW NEWCOMER PUPILS SETTLE INTO SCHOOL
21. On arrival to your school, what criteria are used for deciding which year and class group a newcomer
pupil is allocated to? [Please tick all that apply.]
Report from
previous school
1
Pupil’s age
2
Interview with
pupil/parents
3
Individual
assessment
Other
(specify)
5 _______________
4
(b) IF INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT, who is involved in assessing pupils?
Language support teacher(s)......................................
Resource teacher(s) ...................................................
Learning support teacher(s)........................................
Principal ......................................................................
Other, please specify __________________ .............
1
2
3
4
5
22. Compared with other pupils in your school, how would you rate newcomer pupils on the following
dimensions on average?
Above average
Average
Below average
1
2
3
Academic achievement
1
2
3
Motivation in relation to schoolwork
1
2
3
Educational aspirations
1
2
3
Behaviour in class
1
2
3
Attendance
23. In your assessment, what proportion of newcomer pupils experience sustained difficulties in the
following areas?
Nearly all
More than
Less than
Only a few
half
half
1
2
3
4
Academic progress
1
2
3
4
Social interaction with peers
1
2
3
4
Behaviour in class
1
2
3
4
Absenteeism
1
2
3
4
Involvement in extracurricular activities
4
24. If any newcomer pupils experience sustained difficulties in any of these areas, how much would you say
each of the following factors contribute to these difficulties? [Please tick one box on each line]
A great deal
Quite a lot
A little
Not a factor
Language difficulties among pupils................................ 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Language difficulties among parents ............................. 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Literacy difficulties among pupils ................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Cultural differences ........................................................ 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
New peer group ............................................................. 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Bullying .......................................................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Lack of parental involvement ......................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Starting in the middle of the school year ....................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Homework ...................................................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Financial issues ............................................................. 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Racism ........................................................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Mobility between schools ............................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
In foster care/living alone ............................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Schoolwork too challenging ........................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Lack of knowledge of Irish educational system ............. 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Assessed special educational needs ............................. 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Little or no previous schooling experience .................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
Psychological difficulties/trauma .................................... 1 ............................... 2 .................................... 3 .......................... 4
25. Do newcomer pupils from any particular countries experience greater difficulties in settling in?
No ...............
Yes .............
1
2
IF YES, which countries? _____________
26. Do newcomer boys or girls tend to experience greater difficulties?
Newcomer boys ..............
1
Newcomer girls ....
2
No gender difference .........
3
27. (a) Does your school have a particular approach to helping newcomer pupils settle into the school?
Yes .........
1
No ....................
2
(b) If Yes, please describe as fully as possible the approach taken.
(c) Are any of the following used to support newcomer pupils: (please tick all that apply)
Breakfast club.................................................................................
Provision of books/learning materials ............................................
Homework club...............................................................................
Financial assistance for trips/outings .............................................
Extra tuition outside school hours ..................................................
Extracurricular activities (incl. Sports) ............................................
Summer camp/project ....................................................................
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
(d) Who is mainly involved in providing general support to newcomer pupils? [Please tick all that apply].
Language support teacher(s) ......................................................... 1
Resource teacher(s) ....................................................................... 2
Learning support teacher(s) ........................................................... 3
Principal .......................................................................................... 4
Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinator ............................. 5
Pupil mentors ................................................................................. 6
Chaplain ......................................................................................... 7
Class teachers ................................................................................ 8
Other, please specify __________________ ................................ 9
5
28. What (other) supports, if any, would you like to see in place for newcomer pupils?
29. (a) Compared to other pupils in your school, do you think newcomer pupils are:
More likely to experience bullying
1
As likely to experience bullying
(b) Does your school have a written policy on bullying?
Does this policy explicitly deal with racial harassment
(including use of racist language)?
2
Less likely to experience bullying
Yes .....
1
No .......
2
Yes .....
1
No .......
2
3
PART IV: LANGUAGE SUPPORT FOR NEWCOMER PUPILS
For many newcomer pupils, English or Irish is not their first language. We are going to ask you some questions
about language support provision for these pupils.
30. Do you have access to translation services for communicating with parents and/or pupils?
Yes .............
1
No ...............
2
31. Does your school provide language (or other) courses for parents of newcomer pupils?
Yes .............
1
No ...............
2
32. In your assessment, what proportion of newcomer pupils in your school have English language
difficulties to the extent that they significantly impact on their participation in school? What proportion
of their parents have English language difficulties? Please tick one box on each line.
Nearly all
More than
Less than
Only a few
Difficulties with:
half
half
Spoken English among pupils
1
2
3
4
Written English among pupils
1
2
3
4
Spoken English among parents of newcomers
1
2
3
4
33. (a) Please indicate whether or not the following approaches are used in providing language support for
newcomer pupils? [Tick Yes or No in respect of each]
Yes
No
1. Intensive immersion course ............ .................................................... 1 .................. 2
2. Withdrawal for certain class periods .................................................... 1 .................. 2
If yes, which ones? ____________________________________________________
3. Newcomer pupils are assigned to a separate base class ..................... 1 .................. 2
4. Pupils’ needs are addressed by regular subject teachers .................... 1 .................. 2
5. Pupils are helped by other pupils in their class .......... .......................... 1 .................. 2
6. Other (please specify) ______________________________ .............. 1 .................. 2
(b) At the moment, how many newcomer pupils in your school receive formal language support? _______
(c) How satisfied are you with the English language support which the school is able to provide to
newcomer pupils? [Please tick one box on each line]
Very
satisfied
No. of pupils receiving help
No. of hours given to each pupil
Availability of trained teachers
Satisfied
Neither
satisfied nor
dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very
dissatisfied
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
34. Is there any other issue related to newcomer pupils on which you would like to comment? Please feel
free to continue on a separate sheet.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.
PLEASE RETURN TO THE ESRI IN THE ENCLOSED PRE-PAID ENVELOPE.
6