IPPN

Published: 13 December 2018

In the second of our two-part series on the CPSI model, we look at how the Inspectorate will arrive at a judgement and what next steps need to be considered.

How will the Inspector Arrive at a judgement in a Child Protection & Safeguarding Inspection?
The inspectors will make a judgement as to the extent that a school is compliant using the following scale:

• Fully compliant
• Substantially compliant
• Partially compliant
• Not compliant

For the check on the provision for Social Personal and Health Education Curriculum (SPHE) and Stay Safe in Primary Schools and SPHE and Relationships and Sexuality Education Programme (RSE) in post-primary schools, the inspector will use the following scale to arrive at a judgement:

• Very good
• Good
• Satisfactory
• Fair
• Weak

This is the scale that is used on all other inspection models

What are the next stages in the development of the Child Protection & Safeguarding Inspection Model?
The trial of the evaluation will conclude shortly and the Inspectorate will seek feedback from those schools that participated in the trial. This feedback will further inform the development of the model.

A final consultation session with the education partners is scheduled for Tuesday 18 December 2018.

It is intended to mainstream the model in a sample of schools in 2019. This means that the Inspectorate will conduct a number of Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspections in primary and post-primary schools nationally as part of its annual inspection programme.

A series of information sessions on the Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection model is being organised for school principals at the following Education Centres:

Seminars for Primary Principals will take place from 13.30 – 15.30 (tea/coffee on arrival)

The experience of the research visits and the trial of the Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection model has shown that schools are very much engaged in implementing the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017. These seminars are designed as a further support to principals in their implementation of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017.

They will provide an overview of key aspects of Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection including its aims and its features, the checks conducted during the inspection and Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection reports. Participants at the seminar will have an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspection model.

Published: 15 November 2018

Patrick Hickey, a teacher in Parteen NS, Co. Clare and a Postgraduate student in Mary Immaculate College, is currently completing a Doctorate of Education under the supervision of Dr. Cathal de Paor and Dr. Emmanuel O’ Grady. The objective of the doctoral research is to gather the perspectives of teachers with physical disabilities regarding their own experiences and how these experiences have impacted upon how they teach.

There is very little information nationally or internationally on teachers with physical disabilities, although many research projects have identified the benefits of a more inclusive teaching profession. Therefore, this study aims to better understand the challenges and benefits of being a teacher with a physical disability. Patrick has a physical disability.

The study is a qualitative study and therefore will consist of interviews, focus groups and reflective journaling. The interview will occur in a quiet, calm location of participants’ choice.

If you, or a teacher in your school, would be interested in participating in Patrick’s study, please contact Patrick by email to patrick.hickey6@gmail.com or patrick.hickey@mic.ul.ie or by phone to 087 2631152.

What are the benefits of this research?
It is hoped that the data gathered from participants will a) identify the benefits of a more inclusive teaching profession b) may identify common experiences amongst the participants such as how they included children with special educational needs c) will highlight the reasons that the participants chose teaching. Through participating in the study, there will be an opportunity to network with other teachers with physical disabilities which I, as a teacher with a physical disability feel would be very interesting and worthwhile.

Right to withdraw
Your anonymity is assured and you are free to withdraw from the interview at any time without giving a reason and without consequence.

How will the information be used / disseminated?
The data from your interview will be combined with that of the other participants in this study and excerpts will be used to form the results section of my thesis. Individual names will not be shown.

How will confidentiality be kept?
All information gathered will remain confidential and will not be released to any third party. A random ID number will be generated for each participant and it is this number rather than the participant’s name which will be held with their data to maintain their anonymity.

What will happen to the data after research has been completed?
In accordance with the MIC Record Retention Schedule all research data will be stored for the duration of the project plus three years. Data will also be stored on an encrypted memory key for transferable purposes.

Published: 08 November 2018

A revision of the Circular 0012/1996 regarding when to grant an exemption from the study of Irish to a pupil was issued in June 2009. However, the guidelines in Circular 0012/1996 have remained the same - it is how we interpret them that is the key issue. What does this mean for you as Principal?

• No child can be exempt from the study of Irish simply because they have difficulty - in the same way that we do not exempt children from Maths or English if they are struggling. Class teachers must differentiate as they do under normal circumstances
• If the child has a specific learning disability, then of course exemption may be considered
• If a child has a recommendation from a qualified psychologist (dated not more than 2 years from the date of your application), stating that they qualify for an exemption, then the school can progress this exemption once parental request is received in writing outlining the grounds for exemption
• If a child has a significant hearing impairment - they may well be exempt
• If language interpretation is a difficulty - newcomer pupils should not automatically qualify for exemption. Many newcomer pupils have become proficient in our native language. This is a matter for a school/class teacher to monitor a child's progress and make a judgement based on how well a child settles and adapts to language. If there are difficulties - the school can make an informed decision based on observation and assessment. We all know that newcomer pupils have a silent phase when we cannot possibly make an informed judgement, so give the child reasonable time to adjust. Then you have reasonable justification. Document the reasons the reasons by which an exemption is granted or refused.

Sometimes the request is made on the basis that the child is experiencing anxiety because of having to learn Irish. This anxiety can often be related to written work or homework. It has been established that learning any language is helpful in acquiring competence in one’s first as well as additional languages. Determination of the reason for the anxiety with regard to Irish and differentiation may often alleviate this problem. Should the parent be adamant in pursuing the granting of an exemption, it may be referred to the DES Inspectorate to determine if the exemption is warranted.

Once you are agreed that a child needs an exemption based on SLD, psychological assessment or a newcomer who is not adjusting to language - you get parental consent. Certain career opportunities may not be available to a child who has been given an exemption and these need to be discussed with the parents/guardians. You must report the granting of the exemption to the BoM for ratification. Remember the number of exemptions granted must be accounted for in your Annual Statistical Returns. Give parents a copy of Exemption Cert - Your child may be granted an exemption if s/he meets the criteria of paragraph 1(c ) of the primary circular if your child attends a recognised primary school or the post primary circular where your child attends a recognised post primary school.

Click here for further information from the DES

Published: 23 October 2018

By now, everyone is likely aware that IPPN’s number one priority is a minimum of one leadership and management day per week for teaching principals. Despite relentless and repeated efforts to convince TDs, Senators, senior officials and the minister of the importance of this critical investment in school leadership, despite the overwhelming evidence in our submissions and presentations to them, and despite grassroots lobbying by individual school leaders, Budget 2019 has proved to be a huge disappointment to school leaders.

An additional day for teaching principals - four for those with special classes, administrative deputies in 23 of over 130 special schools and expanding CSL coaching to deputy principals in DEIS schools – that’s the sum of the Budget’s provision for school leaders. This is in stark contrast to the minister’s recent comments that ‘investing in leadership is possibly the best bang for our buck we can get. We have started to put in place measures that show our commitment in this area.’ It is difficult to know how to react, other than with frustration. Rest assured, we will continue our drumbeat on behalf of all school leaders, so that a genuine ‘investment in leadership’ is prioritised next year.

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