Sustainable Leadership Project
- Published: 12 May 2022
Member engagement
The focus of the project team over the past few months has been on engagement with members, to get your feedback on the draft Sustainable Leadership report. IPPN sincerely thanks the 350 members who registered for the six focus group discussions, one for each theme explored: Effective leadership and core purpose, Preparation for leadership, Recruitment of leaders, Time and space to lead and Governance. The focus groups were facilitated by almost 40 trained facilitators, each of whom took small groups of 5-10 members. The feedback is provided through the facilitators and this will be a key input to the final report.
Legislation and circulars
The team commissioned a detailed analysis of the legislation and departmental circulars that have a bearing on primary schools over the past ten years or so and the consequent impact on principals’ workload. Further work is being done to map this to LAOS domains and standards so IPPN can gauge the proportion of system change that relates to leading learning (the ‘core purpose’) vs governance and management and other domains. This is a critical piece of work that will provide clear evidence of what principals and IPPN have been saying for many years – that the pace and breadth of change is unsustainable.
Health and wellbeing
640 school leaders completed the Deakin University survey on occupational health and wellbeing commissioned by IPPN and NAPD. The research team is currently analysing the results and it is hoped to have preliminary headline results in the next few weeks. This will be another key input to the report and to future planning of supports, services and advocacy.
Next steps
The team is currently planning the next stage of consultation with external stakeholders. A member consultation survey will be drafted in the coming weeks to be issued to members early in the new school year. The resulting data will help to ensure that IPPN has data to substantiate and possibly, to challenge thinking on a number of aspects of the report for which there is limited data available.
External Research: Teachers’ Mindset and Approaches to Classroom Assessment
- Published: 05 May 2022
Joanne Malone, who manages the Education Innovation Fund at Rethink Ireland, which invests in not-for-profit organisations aiming to tackle educational disadvantage in Ireland, is undertaking research at Kellogg College, University of Oxford to explore Irish primary school teachers’ beliefs about learning and approaches to classroom assessment. As part of this research, she is asking teachers to complete an online survey, which should take 15-20 minutes to complete.
More information about the research is included at the start of the survey. As part of the survey, you can request a personalised classroom assessment profile based on your responses to the survey. You can also enter a prize draw for a book voucher. The survey will close on Wednesday 11 May.
If you have any questions and would like more information please email joanne.malone@education.ox.ac.uk.
Click here to access the survey Mindset and Approaches to Classroom Assessment (qualtrics.com)
School Leadership – Postgraduate Diploma
- Published: 05 May 2022
The Postgraduate Diploma in School Leadership (PDSL)/ Dioplóma Gairmiúil i gCeannaireacht Scoile (DGCS) is an 18 month part-time, blended learning programme designed for aspiring school leaders. The programme delivered nationally is designed to support participants to progress their careers through a variety of learning experiences. Primary teachers with 5 years post qualification experience are eligible to apply. The programme is part funded by the DE and Centre for School Leadership.
Ulster Bank & KBC Bank withdrawal from Ireland
- Published: 05 May 2022
A phased withdrawal of Ulster Bank and KBC Bank has been announced. To avoid disruption to the payment of salary/pension, the following advice has been issued:
Salary Payments
If one changes provider or receives new account details, the change must be notified to DE Primary Payroll as soon as possible. The DE Change of Bank Details Form is to be completed. The signed copy of the Change of Bank Details form should be sent to Primary Payroll, Department of Education, Cornamaddy, Athlone, Co Westmeath, N37 X659.
Retirement
A Change of Banking Provider details should be included in Pension Application Forms, into which the pension and lump sum will be paid. This should allow sufficient time for the opening of a new account. In the case of retired teachers, the completed form should be sent to Retired Persons' Payroll at the same address.
Payroll has advised that it will take 2-4 weeks for salary or pension to be paid to the new account once the form has been received. To avoid interruption to payment, Payroll is advising that one’s existing account will not be closed until salary or pension begins to be paid to the new account.
It is advisable to contact Payroll with any queries relating to this issue.
Summer Works Programme
- Published: 05 May 2022
The Minister for Education announced a €40 Million fund for a summer education programme for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage for summer 2022. The DE has advised that there is added flexibility for schools this year to ease the administrative requirements. The overseer and preparation roles permit principals to delegate these functions to other members of staff. This year there is provision to recruit newly qualified teachers graduating this summer as well as undergraduate student teachers who have registered with the Teaching Council under Route 5.
Click her for Summer Programme 2022: school-based programme in primary and special schools
