Incidental Inspections 2021/22
- Published: 11 November 2021
Incidental inspections continue to primarily focus on the quality of the educational provision experienced by learners in every-day school situations. Incidental inspections take place against the background of the school’s normal work and are typically unannounced one-day inspections.
During the incidental inspection, the inspector will:
- Carry out activities that are typically associated with the incidental inspection i.e. observations of teaching and learning and provision of feedback, support, advice and
- Level 1 Child Protection Monitoring
NOTE: Amended Child Protection template referred to elsewhere in this e-scéal.
From this school year the Inspectorate will, during incidental inspections:
- Collect some information about the implementation of aspects of anti-bullying measures
Following the incidental inspection, the school will receive a short written Note in relation to the anti-bullying areas discussed. This Note will be issued via the Factual Verification (FV) process to the principal and chairperson of the board. Its contents can be used by the school to inform its anti-bullying measures and to take any necessary actions to strengthen these. The minutes of board of management meetings will be reviewed as part of the monitoring of anti-bullying measures during the incidental inspection.
From this year, the inspector will also seek information on:
- The placing of pupils/students on reduced timetables in schools.
- Currently, schools receive advance notice, by telephone, of an incidental inspection in order to ensure that inspectors can comply with schools’ COVID-19 Response Plan for visitors.
During the course of the incidental inspection, school leaders are asked, where possible, to set aside a period of time for discussion between the inspector and principal in respect of the following areas of focus. These include the priorities of the school in relation to creating a positive school culture and climate, safety, creation of an inclusive learning environment for all and the impact of Covid on pupils especially with AEN.
A short webinar has been developed by the Inspectorate to provide information on the monitoring of anti-bullying measures in schools. It can be accessed at the Primary and Post-Primary Anti-Bullying Webinar.
The link to this Webinar was circulated to all schools via Esinet, Circular 0032/2021. Centres for Education also provide information on the areas of focus.
Additional 100 Supply Panel Jobs to receive Summer Pay
- Published: 11 November 2021
In a recent DE Information Note, it was announced that there would be a 100 additional teachers added to existing/new areas where significant challenges have been demonstrated in sourcing substitution. The status of these vacancies being advertised on EducationPosts.ie is a fixed-term contract. The DE has confirmed that teachers recruited and appointed to these vacancies will receive salary throughout July and August 2022. Staff allocation may change during the year depending on the needs of the school. If a teacher recruited originally for this contract is assigned a class role, they may be eligible to complete the Droichead process.
Staff Members – Close Contacts & Restricting Movements
- Published: 11 November 2021
Recently the Leadership Support Team has received queries from members seeking clarification on when a household member is a confirmed Covid 19 case and the attendance of staff at school.
There have been important changes to the HSE guidance on who must restrict their movements due to being a close contact of someone with Covid-19. If you are identified as a close contact of someone with Covid-19, depending on your circumstances, you may or may not be required to restrict your movements if you do not have any symptoms of Covid-19. Further detail can be found on the HSE website. Please be aware that this guidance may be updated over time. Therefore, it is important that the advice of the HSE/HSE contact tracer is sought in this regard.
When contacted by the HSE as a close contact, your vaccination status will be determined. If you are fully vaccinated and do not have any symptoms of Covid-19, you may be informed that it is not necessary to restrict your movements and will not be referred for testing. In this case, close contacts are able to attend school. If you are instructed by the HSE to restrict your movements as for example, because of not being vaccinated or the close contact involving a variant of concern, this will be recorded on the OLCS as Covid-19: Restricted Movement. A substitute can be appointed to work in the school and you will be available to work remotely. You will be offered testing as soon as possible after being identified and then at day 10. Once you are asymptomatic and have received a ‘not detected’ test result from day 10 test, you can stop restricting movements and return to school.
Teachers who are required to restrict their movements should submit the declaration at Appendix D of Circular 0042/2021 to their employer with their supporting evidence.
Covid-19: Restricted Movement should not be recorded on the OLCS without supporting medical or HSE documentation. Please also refer to Table 5 in DE Circular 0042/2021.
Updated DE Child Protection Templates
- Published: 11 November 2021
The DE has updated the Mandatory Child Protection Templates. It is necessary to complete the revised templates listed below to comply with the requirements for Child Protection inspections.
Essentially the DE have combined the previous:
- Mandatory Template 1: Child Protection Risk Assessment and
- Mandatory Template 2: Child Safeguarding Statement into one document, now renamed
Mandatory Template 1: Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment.
An extra line has been added to the Child Safeguarding Statement:
This Child Safeguarding Statement was reviewed by the Board of Management on_______ [most recent review date].
Mandatory Templates 3 and 4 have now been renamed as:
- Mandatory Template 2: Checklist for Review of the Child Safeguarding Statement
- Mandatory Template 3: Notification regarding the BoM Review of the Child Safeguarding Statement
The Revised Mandatory Templates are available by clicking here
Small Schools Symposium
- Published: 11 November 2021
IPPN in collaboration with Church of Ireland Centre and DCU is hosting a symposium on small primary schools on Wednesday, 17 November at 7.00pm. Keynote speakers include Professor Carl Bagley and Dr. Montse Fargas-Malet from Queen’s University Belfast. Small rural schools and the links to their communities, as well as reporting on their new research with principals of small primary schools in Northern Ireland will be the focus of the symposium. Four IPPN member schools will respond to the research.
