School Improvement plan
Monageer National School
Overview of 3 year plan
Target(s)
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Improve Literacy and Numeracy throughout the school
That following the plan we should see more children scoring over the 50th percentile in both English and Mathematics : An increase in 2% should be
attainable
A lowering of children scoring in 1-10th percentiles:
That all targets set are Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Timed
To promote better attitudes towards Mathematics and Reading and Writing in our school
To introduce the idea of Free Writing into our English Writing Plan
To introduce a Whole School Approach to Genres of Writing
That following a trial of Literacy Lift off we will look at introducing it into other classes in the junior part of the school
That following work in the Junior Part of the school our Drumcondra Spelling Results will improve
To introduce the Drumcondra Literacy and Numeracy tests for Senior Infants and use these results to identify children for learning supports from start of 1st
class
For classes that have not worked with Jolly Phonics significant work will go into improving Spelling Results
To develop a whole-school approach to the use of mathematical language
To create a culture and practice of mathematical problem solving in our school
To enable the pupils to develop a positive attitude towards maths, to develop the pupils logic and higher-order thinking skills and to
enable the pupils to apply maths to everyday life.
To increase parental participation in the literacy/numeracy process within our schoolday.
Baseline data/evidence
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Drumcondra English, Maths and Spelling results 2011were analysed using PDST analysis tool. Staff discussion of results followed. It was
shown that pupils performed least well in the area of problem solving and English spellings.
Teacher observations and teacher designed tasks and tests highlighted problem solving, spellings and story writing as an area for
School Improvement plan
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development.
Evidence from English copies show that children’s results in Friday spelling tests are not carrying over to their normal work. The same
can be noted in their Drumcondra spelling results.
Most children are showing a difference in their English and Spellings results with the English higher than the spelling results( In over
95% of cases).
62% of children are scoring over the 50 th percentile in English
10% are scoring in the 3rd to 16th percentile in English
20.4% are scoring under the 20th percentile in Maths.
54% are scoring on or over the 50th percentile in English.
Year 1 actions
Year 2 actions
Year 3 actions
Literacy/ Numeracy
Literacy/ Numeracy
Literacy/ Numeracy
Questionnaire to be administered to
pupils from 2nd – 6th classes: This
questionnaire will focus on their
attitude
towards
maths,
English
reading, writing and spellings.
Resources to be sourced from within
the school and resources bought if
necessary- Extra copies of the Oxford
reading programme for literacy lift off.
More novels for use in 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th
and 5th/6th.
Literacy
That each child engage in Free writing
at least twice during the week
That children be given the chance to
write in a large number of genres
during the year.
That children in Senior Infants engage
in the Literacy Life off Programme.
Parents will be engaged in reading
with 1st& 2nd class
Shared reading between 5th& 6th and
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Analysis of Drumcondra Maths, English
and Spelling results from May 2012.
 Repeat
questionnaire
to
be
administered to pupils from 2nd – 6th
classes: This questionnaire will focus
on their attitude towards maths,
English reading, writing and spellings.
 Continue to work on the bank of resources.
Questionnaire this year to contain opinions
on books children would like to see in class
libraries.
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Literacy
That each child engage in Free writing
at least twice during the week
That children be given the chance to
write in a large number of genres
during the year
That the Literacy Lift off programme
be used in all classes from Junior
Infants up to 2nd class. This will
depend on the amount of personal
available.
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Analysis of Drumcondra Maths, English
and Spelling results from May 2013.
Repeat
questionnaire
to
be
administered to pupils from 2nd – 6th
classes: This questionnaire will focus
on their attitude towards maths,
English reading, writing and spellings.
Continue to work on the bank of resources.
Literacy
That each child engage in Free writing
at least twice during the week
That children be given the chance to
write in a large number of genres
during the year
That the Literacy Lift off programme
be used in all classes from Junior
Infants up to 2nd class. This will
depend on the amount of personal
available.
From September to December genres
School Improvement plan
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1st & 2nd will continue but a
questionnaire
after
Easter
will
ascertain the views of the children
towards it.
Children will make more use of
dictionaries in Senior classes to help
with their spellings.
A story writing competition will be held
in tandem with our annual book club.
That cursive script be introduced from
1st class up given its association with
better spellings.
That genres of writing be approached
in a whole school way. From
September to December genres such
as story writing, account writing and
lists will be attempted. From January
to April Essay writing, letter writing
and fact files will be attempted. May to
June will recap an all genres covered
during the year.
That Jolly Phonics be used from Junior
Infants up to Senior Infants with
elements of the programme also used
in 1st and 2nd class.
Drumcondra Literacy and Numeracy tests
for Senior Infants will be administered in
June. These results will identify children for
learning supports from start of 1st class.
Children to be given the opportunity to
read stories during assembly.
Spelling Bees to be held in 5th and 6th
class
Numeracy
Focus on mathematical language,
specifically the language of operations.
That whole school approach to simple
operations such as carrying over be in
operation. To adopt a whole school
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From September to December genres
such as story writing, account writing
and lists will be attempted. From
January to April Essay writing, letter
writing and fact files will be attempted.
May to June will recap an all genres
covered during the year.
If the review proves favourably we will
continue
our
shared
reading
programme.
A questionnaire of parents involved in
reading
with
children
will
be
undertaken. It should then give more
focus to parental reading sessions.
A book of stories written in the school
will be published as part of our school
book week.
A review of all aspects of our English
policy will be carried out.
An information evening will be held.
This will be to focus on the shared
reading programme at home.
A handwriting competition will be held
every term with winning entries put on
display on our English writing/ story
notice board.
Learning support teaching will be used
to provide single class literacy sessions
from Senior Infants up to 2nd class.
Extend spelling bees to all classes from
1st to 6th.
Numeracy
The
Ballard/Westwood
Timed
Arithmetic Test will be used from 1st to
6th class to measure pupil attainment
levels. This will be carried out three
times during the year. Results of these
tests to be given to parents.
Term 1 for September 2012/2013 –
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such as story writing, account writing
and lists will be attempted. From
January to April Essay writing, letter
writing and fact files will be attempted.
May to June will recap an all genres
covered during the year.
A handwriting competition will be held
every term with winning entries put on
display on our English writing/ story
notice board.
Learning support teaching will be used
to provide single class literacy sessions
from Senior Infants up to 2nd class.
Spelling Bees competition to continue.
Numeracy
The
Ballard/Westwood
Timed
Arithmetic Test will be used from 1st to
6th class to measure pupil attainment
levels. This will be carried out three
times during the year. Results of these
tests to be given to parents
Oral and Word problems to be used in
assembly at various points throughout
the year
Oral and Word problems to be used in
assembly at various points throughout
the year
Oral maths at the beginning of each
class for ten minutes
Maths problem of the week to be
introduced in each classroom
Emphasise use of IT in problem solving
activities
To focus on language of measures
specifically in relation to money and
time
To identify a wide number of
opportunities to enable the pupils to
gain experience in the application of
School Improvement plan
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approach to table work.
Review the mathematical
language currently being used
throughout the school.
That we introduce the RUDE approach
to problem solving from 3rd to 6th class
THE RUDE WAY OF SOLVING A
MATHS PROBLEM: Children from 3rd
– 6th classes, throughout the school
will be encouraged to use the following
abbreviated model for solving a Maths
problem – R ead, Underline the key
words, Draw a diagram of the
problem, Estimate your answer and
then attempt to solve the problem. All
children should be exposed to this
model regularly and be very familiar
with it by the time they reach 6th
class.
Posters on mathematical language and
problem solving strategies to be
displayed in each classroom
Teacher modelling of problem solving
strategy to whole class, small groups,
peer groups and individual pupils
Oral and Word problems to be used in
assembly at various points throughout
the year
Oral maths at the beginning of each
class for ten minutes
Learning Support and Resource
teachers to work with class teachers in
implementing strategy
The Ballard/Westwood Timed
Arithmetic Test will be used from 1st to
6th class to measure pupil attainment
levels.
An evening meeting with parents to be
held to give suggestions on how
problem solving skills can be
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maths games and puzzles
Term 2 – Continuation of all strategies
put in place and creation of maths
trails both within and outside the
classroom
Term 3 – Maths projects
Creation
of
a
shared
maths
programme where maths games are
sent home over a 6 week period as
part of homework
Oral and Word problems to be used in
assembly at various points throughout
the year
A review of the Maths policy in use will
be carried out.
Oral and Word problems to be used in
assembly at various points throughout
the year
Oral maths at the beginning of each
class for ten minutes
their knowledge and skills in relation to
money and time
School Improvement plan
developed and integrated into
everyday life at home. This will also
give an overall picture of literacy work
in the school
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Year Plan to improve LITERACY LEVELS
Target(s):
State in specific terms how LITERACY LEVELS should improve as a result of actions in the school
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Presently we have 62% of our children scoring on or over the 50th percentile. This includes a class where nearly a 100% are scoring this high. When this class leaves
the school I would see 55% of our children scoring on or over the 50th percentile.
A 2% reduction in children scoring under the 16th percentile .
By developing a whole-school approach to writing genres throughout the school, pupils will become very familiar with these genres, and be enabled to apply them to
their free writing
The gap between children’s Drumcondra English and Spelling results will be narrowed by 5%.
Actions:
State proposed actions (both existing and new) to improve LITERACY LEVELS. Actions should be sequenced and coordinated over the three years of the plan to achieve maximum
effect
Action
Who?
When?
Resources?
Teachers and Principal
Questionnaire to be administered to pupils from 2 – 6 classes:
This questionnaire will focus on their attitude towards maths, English
reading, writing and spellings.
nd
th
Teachers and Principal
After February Mid
term
Made in school
Throughout year
Oxford reading tree
Completed/
ongoing?
Ongoing
Completed
School Improvement plan
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Resources to be sourced from within the school and resources
bought if necessary- Extra copies of the Oxford reading
programme for literacy lift off.
More novels for use in 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th and 5th/6th.
Cursive Script from 1st class up
That Jolly Phonics be used from Junior Infants up to Senior
Infants with elements of the programme also used in 1 st and
2nd class.
Drumcondra Literacy and Numeracy tests for Senior Infants will be
administered in June. These results will identify children for learning
supports from start of 1st class.
Children to be given the opportunity to read stories during
assembly.
Spelling Bees to be held in 5th and 6th class
Novels
Roald Dahl book sets
Teacher Discussion
All Staff
Easter 2012 onwards
Handwriting Scheme
Infant Teachers & 1st and
2nd class teacher
Throughout year
Jolly Phonics
Programme
End Of year
Learning Support teacher &
Senior Infant teacher
Principal
Throughout year
5th and 6th Class teacher
Throughout year
Drumcondra Infant
testing material
Monitoring/Review:
State how progress will be monitored and at what intervals (monthly/ termly/annually...) over the three years
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Teacher observation is a key tool which will be used in monitoring the progress of this literacy strategy. Key observations will be noted and
discussed at whole staff level
Professional reflection section on cuntas míosúil’s will be used to gauge feedback also
Discussion at staff meetings and Croke Park Hour meetings re: feedback and the identification of new strategies and approaches
Specific time will be allocated to the discussion and progress of the literacy programme during our planning time and staff meeting
Continuing professional development will be sought and staff encouraged to attend, to further develop teacher knowledge and skills and to keep
abreast of best practice
Pupil feedback will be sought at regular intervals throughout the year. Questionnaires, trend graphs will be used to gauge pupil opinions at the
end of each year
Parental Feedback will be sought through questionnaires, information evenings and at parent/teacher meetings
Standardised Drumcondra English and Spelling results will be given at end of each year and results will be discussed to further develop our 3
year plan.
School Improvement plan
Success criteria / Evaluation:
State how impact of actions on LITERACY LEVELS will be evaluated at the end of the three years
State how progress will be measured, using baseline and targets as guide
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Teacher observations will be noted and collated
Class conferencing between teacher and pupils, pupils and pupils to gauge feedback
Standardised testing at end of each year – data will be analysed over the three years to track performance of pupils’ problem solving
Pupil questionnaires will be analysed to gauge how pupil feedback altered over the three year period
Review of children’s work samples, projects and free writing copies .
Year Plan to improve Numeracy LEVELS
Target(s):
State in specific terms how NUMERACY LEVELS should improve as a result of actions in the school
 By developing a whole-school approach to the use of mathematical language throughout the school, pupils will become very familiar with the
language of operations, and be enabled to apply their knowledge to mathematical problems
 Through teacher modelling of RUDE problem solving strategy, pupils will be enabled to discuss mathematical problems and understand the
reasons behind each step in the process
 Through focussing on oral maths problems and word problems, pupils will develop higher order thinking and logic skills
 Pupils will develop strategies aimed at solving mathematical problems
 Pupils will be provided with regular opportunities to problem solve, enabling them to acquire proficiency in this area
 To increase the number of children scoring on or over the 50th percentile by 2%.
 That 90% of children score on or over their Mean Score in their Ballard Westwood Timed Tables Test.
Actions:
State proposed actions (both existing and new) to improve NUMERACY LEVELS.
Action
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Review the mathematical language currently being
used throughout the school, focusing on mathematical
operations. Posters to be placed in all classrooms
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That we introduce the RUDE approach to problem solving
from 3rd to 6th class
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Source resources within the school suitable for use as
Who?
When?
Resources?
All Staff
December 2011-May 2012
Teachers in 3rd to 6th
April 2012 onwards
Teacher
discussion
Maths books
being used in
school
PDST website
Notes from
courses
attended on
numeracy
Posters to be
created for each
classroom
All Staff
February 2012 onwards
Completed /
ongoing?
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part of problem solving programme, particularly oral
maths problems and word problems
Oral and Word problems to be used in assembly at various
points throughout the year
Oral maths at the beginning of each class for ten minutes
All staff
Ongoing
An evening meeting with parents to be held to give
suggestions on how problem solving skills can be developed
and integrated into everyday life at home. This will also give
an overall picture of literacy work in the school
Principal
April 2012
The Ballard/Westwood Timed Arithmetic Test will be used
from 1st to 6th class to measure pupil attainment levels.
1st-6th class teachers
December 2011 onwards
Ballard/Westwoo
d Timed
Arithmetic Test(
Available online)
Monitoring/Review:
State how progress will be monitored and at what intervals (monthly/ termly/annually...) over the three years
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





Teacher observation is a key tool which will be used in monitoring the progress of this numeracy strategy. Key observations will be noted and
discussed at whole staff level
Professional reflection section on cuntas míosúil’s will be used to gauge feedback also
Discussion at staff meetings and Croke Park Hour meetings re: feedback and the identification of new strategies and approaches
Specific time will be allocated to the discussion and progress of the numeracy programme during our planning time and staff meeting
Continuing professional development will be sought and staff encouraged to attend, to further develop teacher knowledge and skills and to keep
abreast of best practice
Pupil feedback will be sought at regular intervals throughout the year. Questionnaires, trend graphs will be used to gauge pupil opinions at the
end of each year
Parental Feedback will be sought through questionnaires, information evenings and at parent/teacher meetings
Standardised Drumcondra results will be given at end of each year and results will be discussed to further develop our 3 year plan. Ballard
Westwood tables results will be sent home.
Success criteria / Evaluation:
 Teacher observations will be noted and collated
 Class conferencing between teacher and pupils, pupils and pupils to gauge feedback
 Standardised testing at end of each year – data will be analysed over the three years to track performance of pupils’ problem solving
 Pupil questionnaires will be analysed to gauge how pupil feedback altered over the three year period
 Review of children’s work samples, maths projects etc.
Monageer National School
Literacy & Numeracy
Overview of 3 year plan