Post-WSE:
Planning the Follow-Through
Pat Gilmore
Principal - Dunmore Community School
DCU: August 22nd 2007
Making the most of WSE
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Rejoice .. Alleluia…they’re gone!!
Great team performance – celebration
Oral Report to Principal and Deputy Principal
First reaction – disappointment
Misconception – Recommendations as negatives
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Oral presentation to staff –disappointment at
manner of presentation
Oral presentation to BOM – opportunity to
challenge findings/recommendations
Final report – circulated to BOM, Staff, Trustees,
Teachers, Parent’s Council and Student’s Council
Summary of WSE report to all parents
BOM decide to publish WSE report on School
Website
Tuam Herald and Galway Bay FM
Valuable PR exercise
Planning the follow-through
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Report identified 19 positive findings in WSE
context
Report identified 17 positive findings in the
teaching and learning context
Report identified 7 recommendations for
further development
Specific recommendations attached to each
subject area
Post WSE -Teacher’s Questionnaire
A.
B.
C.
What did you find to be the most positive
aspects of the WSE report?
What aspects were you unhappy with?
What aspects should be prioritised for
implementation?
Responses:
A.
Pleased with positive findings – in particular, caring warm and friendly school
(partners)
Extra-curricular activities
Teaching and Learning
Support for students
Good results
Special Education Needs
B.
ICT recommendations in the absence of resources
Special Ed Needs - IEP’s - deployment of teacher resources (GRD)
C.
Taster programme for First Year students
Class Tutor system
ICT in the classroom
Communication between BOM/partners – all communication systems
Formal evaluation systems
Taster Programme
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Implemented 06-07
Applied to 3 option blocks (3 subs per block)
Students spend 3 weeks in each subject
A 9 week experiment
Formal Evaluation-Students
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98% - enjoyed the experience
66% - made no impact on their final choice of
subjects
92% - happy with their ultimate choice of subjects
100% - felt this system should be continued
Reasons: great fun! Positive experience
Formal Evaluation- Teachers
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Fun for students
No Commitment
3 weeks too short
Students are choosing teachers – not subjects
Time-table complications
Formal Evaluation-Parents
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1.
2.
Taster programme made little difference
Majority remained with their first choice
Upheaval in the middle of term
Overall Outcome following evaluation –
Continue taster programme next year
Draft guidelines for teachers in relation to standard
experience, marking and correcting of homework
etc.
Class Tutor System
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Put in place in Jan. 07
Commenced with 1st years and 2nd years
6 teachers volunteered
A days training provided in such areas as – role of
class tutor, skills needed, developing relationships
with student/class, topics to explore each month,
guidelines, links with staff etc
Meet with class once per week
Meet as tutor group once per month
BOM/Communications
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Reports to be issued to partners after each
meeting
Newsletters to parents
Weekly newsletter to staff
Student newsletter to students
Student bulletin boards
New website
ICT in the Classroom
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Referred to ICT committee
5 year plan – optimistic-projection for each room
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4 projection trolleys
One per corridor
6 rooms have projection facilities
Encourage each subject dept – develop website directory
Formal Evaluation Procedures
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Most valuable recommendation –at the heart
of good planning
Formal evaluation of the sanctions in the code
of behaviour - limited
Responses
Do you use the disciplinary points system?
Yes 90% No 10%
How effective is that system?
Very effective 0%
Effective
69%
Ineffective 21%
No response 10%
Responses: Contd. ….
Is detention is effective?
Yes 48% No 31% No Response 21%
Is the ‘on report’ system effective?
Yes 96% No 4% (Why? - students must take responsibility for
their own behaviour)
- A work in progress
Teaching and Learning
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Subject reports referred to subject departments
Those not inspected advised to read the reports
Subject teachers should note positive findings
Subject departments should prioritize
recommendations for implementation (template
provided)
The following recommendations were
progressed
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Monitoring homework –dating/initials etc
Print rich classrooms
Exhibiting student’s work – long term goal –exhibition centre
Promoting gender access to subjects – work in progress
ICT in classrooms – mobile projection units
New resource/study room provided with internet access on 10
computers
School Planning
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Planning committee to oversee/monitor planning
Set up task groups – specific terms of reference
Develop policies as needs arise –mobile phone policy
Evaluate/refine policies –TY task group – TY as a ‘first
option’ in senior cycle-report to BOM in January ’08
SEN – Committee – priority – policy/staff training –
ICEP and IEP’s
Final Observations
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WSE – a significant change engine
Changing the culture of schools
Teachers are positive
The inspectorate are reasonable and follow a standard
template
Should help the school develop a culture of self-evaluation
School needs to embrace the vision and goals of WSE
Successful organisations credit success with good
planning/good leadership