SCOIL PHÁDRAIG, RASHENNY, CLONMANY, CO. DONEGAL
School Improvement Plan
Evaluation Period: September 2014 – June 2017
Plan Issue Date: September 2014
Summary School Improvement Plan
1. Introduction
1.1 The focus of the evaluation
As part of our ongoing work in the school, we conducted a school self-evaluation
of teaching and learning. We evaluated Literacy. For more information on how
the evaluation took place, please see our School Self-Evaluation Report which is
available on our website in the activities section. A copy of the SIP Report has
been given to the Board of Management, the school patron, Bishop Mc Keown
and parents have been informed that it is available for viewing on the website.
The school improvement plan sets out the actions that we will undertake in the
school over the next three years in literacy. The main purpose of these actions
is to improve our pupil’s learning.
2. Summary of school self-evaluation findings:
2.1
Strengths
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There is a whole school approach to the teaching of comprehension
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Whole school staff has agreed to look at spelling, the resources
available and develop a programme which will be best for our pupils.
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Early intervention is in place
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There is a print rich environment
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Conversation stations take place in the junior classrooms
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Aistear programme in Junior Infants
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Jolly Phonics is in operation up to Senior Infants
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Good use of resources
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Good use of structured programmes
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Standardised tests (Micra T, MIST, NNRIT administered annually)
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Paired and shared reading
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Library schemes in the class through Carndonagh library
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Reading for enjoyment is promoted
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Staff participate in CPD for Literacy
 Learning support and resource teaching for individual pupils
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Children are encouraged to use self assessment
We know this because we have consulted with pupils, teachers and parents and
examined test results in the school.
2.2
Areas for Development
The following areas in literacy have been prioritised for development
over the next three years
 Reading and Comprehension
 Spelling
 Writing Genres
 Oral Language
 Penmanship
2.3
Our school has set the following targets which are related to pupil’s
achievement and has identified the following actions which will help in
achieving those targets over the next three years.
Targets for Improvement
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To increase the percentage of pupils achieving a standard score of 90 or
higher in Micra T Reading Tests over a three year period by 5%
To increase the percentage of pupils achieving a standard score of 90 or
higher in Drumcondra Spelling Tests over a three year period by 5%
To encourage children to use their knowledge of spellings in everyday
writing.
To implement fully the whole school approach to comprehension to
improve higher order comprehension
To implement fully a whole school approach to writing to improve literacy
standards
To motivate children to read more widely in various text types and
establish a reading culture in the school.
Actions
Year 1
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A review of spelling / vocabulary / writing genres / Oral Language will be
carried out
Discussion on station teaching as a strategy to be used this year
Reading Tip sheets to be prepared and given to parents of Junior Infant
and third class children each year (Oct. 3rd class and May Preschool
sessions)
Jolly Phonics Programme will be continued to the next level
D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) to be used in all classes during the
three years
Develop the reading areas in all classrooms
Books to be sourced and bought for implementing the strategies
inference and synthesis as recommended by the Building Bridges of
Understanding programme
Writing Genres – whole school approach to be discussed and developed
Final strategies of comprehension to be taught in 3rd to 6th classes
Whole school approach to comprehension to be implemented and
developed during the three years using Building Bridges of Understanding
Oral Language – teachers to share resources and discuss strategies to
use in the classrooms
Penmanship – cursive using style agreed from Junior infants as
recommended by inspectorate
Spelling – Jolly Phonics spelling programme from Senior Infants to 2nd
classes to be evaluated as a possible programme for the junior classes
and findings to be reviewed at staff meeting
Spelling strategies
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Supplement the Friday spelling test where possible with dictation as another
means of testing spellings
Create a meaningful print-rich environment along with the children to encourage
and support spelling. These should over the year include the following and should
be displayed in the classroom - Childrens’ christian and surnames, relations,
county names, local places, favourite places, towns, cities and provinces, days,
months, seasons and feasts, planets, trees, numbers, colours, story words,
beginnings and endings, rhymes
Cloze as a comprehension skill to be taught
Reader’s Theatre resources to be sourced
Introduce Reader’s Theatre to 6th class as a strategy to help with
reading fluency and share with other classes
Continue Carndonagh Library ‘drop scheme’ (3 years)
Library system in classes, book a week
Oral reports of books read, sharing of information
Continue with Paired/Shared Reading and Peered Reading throughout the
three years
Continue with Conversation stations in junior classes and introduce into 1st
and 2nd
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Carndonagh Library Battle of the Books Competition (3 years)
Word a Week now to be developed into Word a Day to build vocabulary
CPD in the area of Literacy to be encouraged each year
M.I.S.T. and Standardised testing each year
Review of comprehension and spelling and initiatives undertaken in Year 1
Purchase additional literacy resources / books if necessary
Spellings folder to be left in the staff room for sharing of resources for
the development of spellings
Year 2
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Conversation Stations to be developed further up to 3rd and to 4th and
continue in junior – 2nd classes
Jolly Phonics spelling programme Junior Infants to Second class to be
continued if deemed a suitable programme
3rd – 6th Spelling – new programme to be sourced or developed
The content for the spelling programme will be taken from the
following sources:
The children’s own writing, samples of free and independent writing will be reviewed
Word banks developed by the children such as theme words, common words in
everyday use
Throughout the year, the teachers will build up displays of words in the classroom
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New programme to be put together for review at staff meeting
Writing Genres – implement whole school approach
Implement whole school approach to oral language
Jolly Phonics Programme will be introduced now into 2nd.
Reader’s Theatre to be further developed from 3rd – 5th
Oral reports, discussions to continue
Continue with Conversation stations in junior – 2nd classes and
introduce into 3rd and 4th
Word a Day to build vocabulary continuing, build on the children’s
vocabulary and to encourage them to use it in their writing (Yr 3 also)
New spelling programme Junior Infants to Second class to be
reviewed
Review of initiatives undertaken in Year 2 involving teachers, parents
and children
Year 3
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Conversation Stations to be developed further up to 5th and 6th and
continued in the other classes
3rd – 6th Spelling – new programme to be implemented and/or continued.
Spelling activities may be incorporated into the spelling programme to
add to the fun aspect of spelling.
Writing Genres – review
Jolly Phonics Programme will be introduced now into 3rd
Reader’s Theatre to be further developed in 1st and 2nd
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Review Class libraries
Oral Language review
Review of spelling programme
Review of initiatives undertaken in Year 3
The School Self-Evaluation process encourages parents to
 Take part in the SSE process and in SSE activities where relevant.
 Take part in surveys when requested.
 Take part in parents’ interviews or focus groups when invited by the
school.
 Become aware of the areas the school has prioritised for improvement.
 Offer help, if possible, when the school requests assistance in taking
action for improvement.
 Assist the parent’s committee to fulfil its role in the SSE process
appropriately.
As a parent you can help us by filling in questionnaires, reading with your child
and talking about the pictures, what they have read, etc., using the tip sheets
which all classes were given last year and will be given to the present junior
infants and 3rd class pupils, listening to spellings, getting the children to put
them into sentences, encouraging the children to use the new vocabulary which
they are learning at school and them to put them into sentences etc.
2.4 We will know we have achieved our targets when there is positive feedback
from the school community and when the literacy levels are evaluated using
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Standardized Tests
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Teacher Observation
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Special Education Assessment Tools NCCA