School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
School Improvement Plan 2014
{School Self Evaluation Process}
NUMERACY
School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
Introduction
The focus of the evaluation
A school self-evaluation of teaching and learning in St Paul’s CBS was
undertaken during the period 11.12 to 04.13
During the evaluation, teaching and learning in the following curriculum areas
were evaluated:
Numeracy: Understanding and using Mathematics
School context
We are a DEIS band 1 all boys vertical Primary School under the patronage of
ERST. We currently have 174 pupils with 9 class teachers, 2 Learning support
teachers and one resource teacher.
We also have a home School Liaison teacher shared with the neighbouring girls
school Presentation Georges Hill.
The school completion programme is ongoing in the school with a project
worker visiting targeted pupils one afternoon per week. Under this programme
attendance is tracked using an online computer tracking system. We also have
a life skills coach visiting the school one day per week.
Getting Started
In the school year 2013/14, the school identified mathematics as a potential
area for improvement. We reviewed our mathematics during several Croke
Park meetings.
The teachers analysed the standardised test results, in addition to analysing
the teacher-designed tests which are administered in each class on a monthly
basis. The teachers were generally pleased with the outcomes of the
School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
standardised test results; however they then conducted a staff reflection and
identified broad areas across these themes for further investigation.
The following areas were prioritised for improvement:
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Language of Maths
Problem Solving in Maths
Assessment of and for Learning
Numeracy in the School Environment: Using the
environment/community as a learning resource: The school building is
used as a resource to support the Maths programme. Teachers use the
school environment to provide opportunities for mathematical problem
solving e.g. numbers on doors, using hula hoops to sort children in PE,
games on the playground, count trees in the playground, count
windows, observe shapes of windows, doors etc.
Mathematical Trails will be used outdoors to help teach mathematical
concepts to children and make them aware of mathematics in their
environment. Children display their mathematical work in their
classrooms.
Attainment of curricular objectives in relation to attitudes: an increase in
the number of pupils with positive attitudes to maths
Maths Station Teaching- In Class Support
Professional Development-Class Teacher Training in Maths Recovery:
Parental Involvement Maths for fun + parents association. To support
parents in their role as partners in education in the teaching and
application of Maths. Enabling the parents to support the children’s
numeracy development.
To work with the PDST team in developing our own understanding as
teachers of new methodologies which would enrich our teaching of one
strand area (fractions)
School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
Measure
Target
Group
Lead
When?
Responsibility
Numeracy
Link teacher
One
teacher to
be trained
Parents
PrincipalAllocated
teacher
HSCL-Maths
For fun
Term 1
Apply for a
2nd class
teacher to
be trained
Ms CoghlanPrincipal
Term 3
2014
Parental
Involvement
Maths
Recovery
Classroom
teacher
training
Sigma T
Analysis
Team
Teaching
Mental
Maths
(10 Minutes
Daily)
Concrete
Materials
Maths
Displays
Term
3(2014)
+Term 1
All teachers All Teachers
Term 1
and Support
team
6th Class
Support Team All year
All Classes
All Teachers
10 minutes
per day
All Classes
Post Holder
Ms Ui
Laoghóg
All Teachers
September
All Classes
Maths Trails All Classes
Post Holder Ms Murphy
All yearupdated
regularly
All year
Measure
Undertak
en
Yes/No
This term
Yes and
to begin
again in
OCT
YES
YES
Yes 5th &
6th Class
YES
YES
Yes
YES
Maths in the School
HSCL Cluster
All year
School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
Environment Community
Booklet
Agreed
All teachers Post holders
Language of
Maths
operations
Pupil Focus Pupils Input Principal- Ms
group
Coghlan
Term 1
Term 1
2014
School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
Initiatives to improve Numeracy
Pupils’ engagement in learning: more structured reinforcement
across all classes in the
 Implementation of Problem Solving approach
 Developing Language of Maths
 Making maths more enjoyable for children
 Parental involvement
 To develop a whole school approach to problem solving –
Purchased Prim Ed books and E books.
 To develop RUDE as the problem solving procedure at each
class level
 Strategies
 Make a Model Draw a Picture Find a Pattern Guess &
Check Work Backwards Thoughtful Lists Logical Reasoning
Number Sentences
 To introduce a “Problem Solving Time” 40 minutes weekly
30% of parents surveyed outlined problem solving as an area of
difficulty for their child
 Use of Non Routine Problems
 Use of Contextualised Problems
 Reflect in Classroom timetable
 Source and purchase Problem Solving Kits for Middle and
Senior Classes EDCO & Prim Ed
School Improvement Plan 2014-2015
St Paul’s CBS
 Through teacher modelling, pupils will learn problem solving
strategies –
 Picture Models
 Lists
 Check and Guess
 Working Backwards
 To help pupils will develop Higher Order Mathematical
Thinking Skills
 To maintain the pupils’ average score in standardised testing
over the next three years
 That a whole school approach to the language of number
operations be introduced.
 That concrete materials are available for and used for teaching
and learning in each area of Mathematics
 That problem solving will be an integral part of each
mathematical lesson
 That each class grouping will focus on oral mathematics as
integral part of lesson
 Mini Whiteboards will be purchased to allow promotion of
estimation and computation operations
 Brain Box / Problem of the week / Manga High websites will be
used in senior classes
 Parental Involvement a priority to promote and outline
numeracy strategies / Booklet (Numeracy Learning Activities)
distributed to respective class grouping parents.
 Maths for Fun - Following the parents questionnaires some
parents suggested making maths more fun for children so
‘Maths for Fun’ to be introduced again in 2nd class with a view
to developing the initiative into senior classes.
 Dedicated problem solving resources organised and arranged
by class teacher for their respective classes
 Mathematics Trail; each class grouping will follow appropriate
mathematics trail in school environs
 Analysis of Sigma T Testing tracking core class group as
recommended following our Deis review in November 2012.