IPPN

Published: 04 February 2021

 1. Mentoring

(a) 1:1 Mentoring of Newly Appointed Principals

• An online module was developed to inform newly appointed principals about Misneach as Misneach sessions went online. CSL facilitated at Misneach One primary and post-primary online events
• Matched:
  
  • 198 Newly Appointed Primary Principals
  • 74 Newly Appointed Post-Primary Principals
• CSL mentors and mentees have continued their mentoring relationships online and found this challenging because:
  
  • It takes longer to build trust between two people who have not had any opportunity to meet face to face
  • Emotions, body language etc. are much harder to read online
  • Both mentors and mentees miss the opportunity to meet in each other’s schools which adds significantly to both the learning and the relationship
  • Both mentees and mentors report on how much they miss face to face interaction with colleagues at leadership events
  • Such is the stress and challenge of running schools during a pandemic in both on-site and remote learning situations, that mentors have to dig deep to support newly appointed principals; and mentees need similar strength to ensure commitment to the mentoring relationship
• CSL facilitated an online Mentoring Week from November 23rd to 26th 2020
  
  • 256 mentors participated
  • Asynchronous modules were made available with content from keynote speakers (Jacinta Kitt, Dermot Whelan and John Kiely), and school leaders from different contexts. Special thanks to the primary contributors, Maria White, Denise ward, Catríona O’ Donoghue, Deirbhile Nic Conghamhna and Brendan Kelleher
  • The focus of the week was ‘Professional Self, Mind & Body’
  • The activities of the week included a ‘live’ virtual event facilitated by primary mentor Joyce Perdue, and post-primary mentor, Robert Dunne and a reflection wall
  • Positive feedback –
    
    • 96% of respondents rated the ‘Course Structure & Platform, as 8 or more out of 10
    • 76% of respondents rated the ‘Course Content’ as 8 or more out of 10

 

(b) Bespoke Mentoring

• CSL, in association with IPPN, NAPD and the DE, is developing a more sustained support for principals experiencing professional challenge
• This is a strictly confidential self-referring support, following contact with IPPN/NAPD
• 14 trained CSL mentors recently retired, with excellent system knowledge and from a variety of school contexts, are receiving intensive training which includes supervision

2. Coaching

• 142 principals (96 primary principals and 46 post-primary principals) began CSL coaching in 2020
• There was significant online engagement by principals from March through to December
• 218 leadership teams have engaged in team coaching to date
• The new coaching tender was launched in July 2020 and was completed in December 2020. 58 coaches are now available in six geographical regions as well as the option of accessing coaching in Irish
• The Coaching area of the website has been updated to reflect the new coaches at https://cslireland.ie/coaching-for-principals.html

3. PDSL

• 240 participants graduated as Cohort One in August 2019
• 260 participants completed the programme as Cohort Two in November 2020
• 281 participants are due to complete the programme as Cohort Three in November 2021
• 286 participants began the programme as Cohort Four in September 2020
  CSL facilitated the induction evening for Cohort Four on Sept. 11th2020.
  The UL/NUIG/UCD Consortium has been successful in the recent tendering process and will be opening applications for Cohort 5 in early February.

4. Endorsement

• A total of 14 leadership programmes have been endorsed to date
• These include programmes from:
  
  • Management Bodies,
  • Teacher Unions
  • Third Level Institutions
  • Professional Associations
• Full details on CSL website at https://www.cslireland.ie/endorsement-csl-ireland.html
• Call 3 will open in February 2021.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration

CSL has been working in the system to collaborate with other stakeholders and provide support for school leaders during these most challenging of times

• Two Wakelet Collections were developed:
  
  • Leading in Limbo #1 – Looking after yourself (538 viewers)
  • Leading in Limbo #2 – Looking after others (277 viewers)
• Online Blogs
  
  • A variety of leaders from all stages of leadership contributed to these CSL Blogs available to view at: https://www.cslireland.ie/blog.html
• Stakeholder Online Forum took place on June 23rd 2020 (58 stakeholders attended including management and trust bodies, unions, support services, professional associations, parental organisations and statutory bodies) The aim was to:
  
  • Introduce the new shared calendars available for uploading of provision
  • Encourage stakeholder online collaboration
• The CSL Tri Nations Blether took place on November 11th
  
  • This event was a collaboration with Education Scotland and the Leadership Academy in Wales
  • It was entitled ‘Keeping Oil in Your Lamp’ and had a well-being theme
  • 245 registered for the event of which 50% were Irish school leaders
  • Three head teachers/principals facilitated this event and Gillian Sheehan (primary principal from Killarney) was the Irish representative. Gillian did us proud!
• CSL Comhrá (Took place on Dec. 7th (primary) and Dec. 9th (post-primary)
  • Both were entitled ‘Coping in 2020’
  • 110 post primary school leaders registered and 130 primary
  • There were wonderful inputs from four primary school leaders (Kathryn Keenan, Rhodri Mears, Eddie Fox and Maria Tully) and from four post-primary school leaders, on positives, challenges, successes and coping in 2020, followed by a facilitated Q&A session with the panel
• Profiling Irish Research in the area of School Leadership
  
  • CSL has engaged with Irish academics to gather research on the various stages of leadership in the Irish context
  • One piece of research is highlighted on the CSL website each month and presented to the system by Twitter.
  • This is followed by a ‘Fireside Chat’ between the academic involved and a CSL Team member. The November to February Fireside Chats are on the CSL website
  • See the schedule below:
    
    • November 2020: Dr. Fiona King and Mary Nihill
    • December 2020: Dr. Gavin Murphy and Anna Mai Rooney
    • January 2021: Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh and Finbarr Hurley
    • February 2021: Dr. Joe O’ Connell and Donal O’ Reilly
• Development of an online reflective tool based on LAOS
  
  • The CSL Team is currently involved in developing an interactive reflective web portal aimed at school leadership teams
  • This will enable a ‘snapshot’ of where leadership and management are in a school, and signpost areas of focus for improvement
  • CSL is collaborating with the DE inspectorate on the development of this tool
• The CSL Shared Calendar
  
  • This calendar is hosted on the CSL website
  • Each provider was furnished with a password that allows them to update the calendar detailing their professional learning for school leaders
  • The calendar was open to established school leaders in September 2019 and to middle, aspiring and newly appointed leaders in January 2020
  • It supports collaboration among stakeholders
  • The work of the calendar is ongoing, and providers have continued to upload their online provision over the course of the pandemic
  • Members of the CSL Team have contacted the stakeholders to ensure this work continues
  • It is expected that the Calendar will be a significant support for both stakeholders and school leaders from September 2021
• • Leadership and Management Cluster Project
  
  • This project ended in April 2020 and a celebration event was planned for April 29th which had to be cancelled
  • An online celebration was hosted on YouTube and premiered live On November 10th 2020
  • There were 708 views of the event in addition to 675 views of the Flip grid/Mixtapes created by the cluster coordinators
• Engagement with other Stakeholders included:
  • Presenting for the Teaching Council TREX research community with a focus on Teacher Leadership
  • Facilitation of a professional learning seminar with TCD
  • Panel discussion on the primary draft curriculum with the NCCA
  • Group mentoring with IPPN
  • IPPN AGM facilitation
  • Mentoring research with Professor Christine Forde
  • Leadership Meet at Féilte 2020
  • Facilitation at Misneach Primary and Post-Primary
  • Collaborative work with primary and post-primary stakeholders in the system

6. Middle Leadership action research project

• This is a new CSL project developed in collaboration with IPPN, NAPD, and Clare and Kildare Education Centres, and supported by TES & the DE Inspectorate
• 24 schools will take part in clusters of three in Clare and Kildare Education Centre areas
• There will be involvement of both senior and middle leaders in participating schools
• Professor Christine Forde from the University of Glasgow will act as consultant to the project
• The learning from the project will inform providers in the system offering professional learning for middle leaders

7. Publication of “Learning to be a School Leader in Ireland”

• CSL is delighted to prepare for the publication of Learning to be a School Leader in Ireland – an extensive 80-page research document underpinning the CSL Model and Continuum of Professional Learning for school leaders
• CSL plans to publish a soft copy of the document in March/April, make it available on the CSL website, and to launch the document officially in September/October 2021

8. CSL has made the following Policy Submissions to the DE

• Feedback to 2020 DE Strategic Plan
• Gathering data regarding leadership positions in Irish schools
• The development of middle leadership capacity in Irish
  schools
• Mandatory qualifications for principalship in the Irish context
• Preparation for Principalship in the Irish Context – a possible way forward
• A National Induction Framework for newly appointed principals
• Bespoke mentoring provision for principals experiencing professional challenge

9. CSL has had on-going involvement in the following international projects:

• Supporting Inclusive School Leadership with the Irish Inspectorate and the European Agency
• Supporting Lithuanian School Leaders with DCU and the European Commission
• Working collaboratively with Education Scotland and the National Academy of Educational Leadership in Wales

10. Development of the CSL Website

• The articulation of Learning to Be a School Leader in Ireland graphic is in progress
• Behind each stage of leadership on the graphic are five leadership supports: The Shared Calendar, the CSL Self-Reflection Tool, research based on that stage of leadership, CSL endorsed programmes and Leadership in Practice videos. These supports are being built up gradually.
• The Calendar, Research and Endorsed Programmes are live in each area with ongoing development in the areas of the Reflection Tool and Leadership in Practice.
• An example of a section can be found at: https://cslireland.ie/new-senior-leaders-hex

Published: 20 August 2020

Published: 04 June 2020

Coaching
CSL has continued to promote one-to-one coaching for all school principals, and team coaching for all school leadership teams through the CSL website and the CSL Twitter feed with both types of coaching available online.

Mentoring
CSL is in consistent contact with mentors and has requested them to keep in touch and offer support to their mentees. Mentees have also been contacted directly with messages of support. CSL has been working closely with PDST to provide an online Misneach Three, and to prepare for Misneach One, which will be facilitated online. An online version of a module on mentoring is currently in development. It is hoped that new mentoring relationships will begin with a face-to-face, socially distanced meeting in early September. All CSL mentors will be issued with guidelines in relation to this.

Collaboration with stakeholders
CSL has been working closely with IPPN, NAPD, and Clare Education Centre to address the needs of school leaders during the current crisis, particularly in relation to wellbeing. This work has included collaboration on webinars, advice to school leaders and the promotion of leadership wellbeing.

Twitter
Since March 18th, CSL made a decision to put out a positive Tweet in relation to wellbeing/positive leadership on a daily basis. This is aimed at teachers and leaders within the system, and encourages people to look after themselves. Followers have increased by over 600 in response to this daily tweet.

CSL Website
CSL has initiated a weekly blog on the website offering a variety of school leaders and Irish system leaders the opportunity to write a short piece and to share their personal and professional leadership experiences during the pandemic. A specially developed pandemic video entitled ‘Leadership in Limbo’ is currently in development.

Articles
The CSL Team has written wellbeing articles which have been included in the IPPN Leadership+ magazine and the NAPD Leader, and published on the IPPN and ICP websites.

Endorsement of Professional Learning
CSL has engaged with 11 applications for endorsement. The first stage of the process has been conducted by the panels online with plans for the second stage to be conducted in face-to-face meetings in September.

Research
CSL is working on a research publication to highlight the theory behind the Model and Continuum of Professional Learning. It is hoped this document will be ready for publication in September.

PDSL
CSL continues to work closely with UL, NUIG and UCD to monitor the progress of the PDSL Programme. Applications are currently open for Cohort Four to begin in September. The programme will be facilitated online until face-to-face engagement is allowed again according to HSE guidelines.

Stakeholder Engagement
CSL is currently working with an IT company to progress the Stakeholders’ Shared Calendar and to advise on online professional learning provision going forward.

Leadership Clusters
CSL has been in contact with the clusters to ask their opinion on showcasing their work and to plan a celebration of their achievements when this is possible.

Other Jurisdictions
CSL remains in close online contact with colleagues in Scotland and Wales to learn from each other’s experience during the pandemic and to find common solutions to challenges which emerge. The team is working on two European projects online, one which supports the development of school leaders in Lithuania and one which is developing a framework for inclusive leadership to further support the Looking at our School Framework for Leadership and Management.

Data Collection
CSL is working collaboratively with IPPN, NAPD and the Teaching Council to address the need for data collection in the Irish school system in relation to leadership.

Stuck Between Two Hills
We have come a long way. The new normal has been well and truly embraced. The silver linings of lock down have come to the fore, time for loved ones, exercise, hobbies, dare we admit it, time for ourselves?? Many will read this list from a different perspective, those who have been ill, have lost family members, are on the frontline, have to cater to the needs of the young and the vulnerable, have developed serious financial hardship, and suffered from the effects of addictions, unhappy family situations and mental health issues. The difference in people’s personal circumstances has been bridged by one rather shaky platform, that of being over the dreaded surge for now, and the fact that some semblance of normality is beginning to develop in the foreseeable future. Alongside the ongoing reduction in the daily death rates, the decrease in reported cases and the preservation of the by now famous R number, there is a new sense of hope, a tangible sense of nearing normality and a deep gratitude that things have not been as horrific as was originally feared. In the last couple of weeks, we have felt the wind behind us, we have descended, albeit slowly, from a treacherous summit and we are beginning to feel solid ground under our feet again.
As school leaders, this sense of calm is essential. There is a certainty in our safety just now. The statistics look good, the virus is officially suppressed and the requested continuity of teaching and learning has been achieved to the best of our collective and contextual abilities. Collaboration has increased, trust has been built, and there has been acceptance too, of what is beyond us and our school communities in our different contexts. While still very busy, and concerned about our students, teachers and the whole school community, there is something of a collective sigh of relief, a sense of maybe being able to catch our breath once again, perhaps for the first time since March 12th.

Just as this longer breath is being enjoyed, the September opening looms and the very real possibility of another surge casts an unwanted shadow while we are beginning to enjoy the benefits of the easing of lockdown. This new adjustment brings little tastes of freedom. Instantly we want more! We want the world we left on March 12th to be there just as it was way back then. How can we summon the energy to deal with the challenges of a new existence? Lockdown was never normal and its strangeness to our psychological wellbeing always had the potential for eventual acceptance. It had a finiteness to it, the decreasing statistics brought the quantitative data we needed to reassure us. How we love hard facts in this world of fake news! The shadow in the distance is the next climb we face while still exhausted from the previous one. Surely seeing our families and friends, and returning to school and work should be ‘normal’? The indications are that it will be far from any normal we have ever known. So much is up in the air? Will the HSE reduce social distancing to one metre? How will schools cope if they don’t? How can children and teenagers be managed safely while taking account of their struggles, their excitement about the return, and their wounded sense of wellbeing? How can large staffs be managed or smaller staffs trying to stretch themselves more? The questions are endless.

In truth, there are no answers yet. We eagerly follow the progress of other jurisdictions but their contexts do not match ours. We wearily watch the activity of the virus and know that it would take very little to see a rise in cases again. We listen impatiently for guidance, knowing deep down that it is simply too early for it to be provided. But is there anything that would help? Could a ‘possible scenarios’ piece be developed? What about preparation in terms of essential supplies? Is funding going to be provided to help schools do the extras they need to do? Could we please have a road map of the road map?

The system is working hard to provide school leaders with what they need. The quality of and accessibility to webinars, online and telephone advice, blogs, social media feeds and website content is something that the Irish education system should be very proud of. For now, we have to be patient, thankful for getting this far and cognisant of the support provided. But we could also do with a leg up to begin the climb of the next hill. As leaders, we know we have our people with us but we need an extra push from the system, we need recognition that we have done well thus far, we need a hand extended to begin the next section of the climb, to energise and enthuse our weary bones and thoughts. Otherwise, some of us may remain stuck between those two steep hills, and the energy levels of those climbing out of the valley may not be enough to help us on our way. The next summit is still covered in cloud but it is there, as is the descent on the other side. There is hope, there will be good times in the future. Putting exhaustion, fear and apathy behind us will work. Let’s take our breath this July, enjoy the brief reprieve and brace ourselves to scale the summit one more time.

Published: 14 January 2020

CSL Mentoring

The CSL Formal Mentoring initiative is now embedded in the system and perceived as a continuous and essential support for newly appointed principals.

Current statistics show that:

• 243 newly appointed principals are currently supported by CSL mentors (177 primary and 66 post-primary)
• 90 primary and 20 post-primary mentors are undergoing mentor training in Tralee, Ballina and Navan
• A further 30 mentors will begin training in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Feb. 4^th and 5^th, and March 4^th and 5^th (If you are interested in this training, please email Geraldine Mc Namara, CSL Administrator at office@cslireland.ie
• The next CSL Professional Learning Days for mentors will take place in the Sheraton Hotel on Wednesday and Thursday, March 25^th and 26^th

CSL Coaching

The CSL Coaching Service is attracting a growing number of principals and feedback from the service remains very positive.

Current statistics show that:

• 700 principals have engaged in one-to-one coaching (76% primary and 24% post-primary, 68% female and 32% male)
• In the primary sector, the participants were 58% administrative and 42% teaching
• 110 schools have engaged in team coaching

 

CSL Post Graduate Diploma in School Leadership (PDSL)

• In August 2019, 239 participants graduated as Cohort One
• 260 participants will complete the course in November 2020
• 283 students began the course in September 2019
• Applications for Cohort Four will open on Monday, January 27^th

The following is an overview of the destination study completed by Cohort One. There were 113 participants, a 47% response rate.

• 60% of participants completed the course for career advancement and 48% for professional development
• 75% of participants consider themselves likely to apply for leadership positions
• Since commencing the course, 32 have applied for a leadership position, 45 have been successful in securing one, 33 are not applying for a leadership position at this time and 3 have decided that leadership is not for them

CSL Endorsement Process

In collaboration with educational partners in the system, CSL is currently undertaking the endorsement of professional learning for school leaders.

CSL has developed a framework for professional learning entitled ‘Learning to be a School Leader in Ireland’. According to the research conducted by CSL, and in consultation with the former Scottish Centre for Educational Leadership (SCEL) in Scotland, and the National Academy for Educational Leadership (NAEL) in Wales, the essential elements of professional learning are set out in the framework. Future development of this resource will see it interactive with supports and resources behind each leadership stage. These resources will include self-assessment tools, relevant research, details of leadership provision in the system and bespoke tools for the various leadership stages like mentoring and coaching.