Covid -19 - Retention of a Pupil in the Same Class
- Published: 04 June 2020
Many school leaders have been approached by parents with requests that their child be retained in the same class as last year due to the situation arising from COVID-19. The DES has advised that COVID-19 does not constitute grounds for pupils to repeat a class. If parents are unhappy with the decision, it may be advisable to consult with the school’s Inspector for guidance. All decisions to repeat a class continue to be governed by DES Circular 32/2003, which refers to the retention of pupils in the same class. The DES does not encourage retention generally, but a decision to retain a pupil may to be justified on the basis of sound educational reasons, which would benefit the needs of the child.
Examples of this may include:
- Where a child has not achieved sufficient levels of literacy or numeracy
- Missed a significant level of schooling perhaps due to illness
- Emotional/behavioural issues that impeded their learning during the course of the year.
Under the policy, children should only be allowed to repeat a year for educational reasons and in exceptional circumstances. The child’s age must also be taken into account. A school should always endeavour to place a child in an age-appropriate setting.
A letter needs to be submitted by the parents requesting retention and stating their reasons why they think such a request should be granted.
The principal, following consultation with the support teacher, class teacher and parent(s), may conclude that a pupil would benefit educationally by repeating a class level. A record outlining the educational basis for the decision to retain a child should be kept for any pupil so retained. In addition, there should be a clear programme outlined for such a pupil that records precisely what new approach will be used for the child and what its expected benefits will be. These records should be retained within the school and should be brought to the Inspector’s attention by the Principal when s/he visits the school. No pupil should repeat a grade more than once in a primary school. If the decision to retain the child is made, an IPLP should be drawn up indicating what interventions will be put in place for the child to maximise their learning experience.
In instances where a school has approved the retention of a pupil in 6th class, no capitation grant will be paid by the DES for this pupil in the following school academic year.
Issues to Consider:
- Decision to be based on the developmental/learning needs of the child
- The impact of a decision to repeat on the self-esteem of the child and on friendships etc. Children frequently see ‘repeating’ as punishment for ‘not doing well’, even
- When they themselves feel they’ve done their best
- Children with an assessed learning need (SEN), may be best supported by ‘moving on’, with appropriate supports
- Are both parents (where applicable) in agreement about the issue?
- Children have a right (as far as possible) to be placed in class groupings with peers of a similar age and stage of development.
IPPN Survey - Covid-19 Practice in Primary Schools in Ireland Report: A Two-month Follow-up
- Published: 28 May 2020
Covid-19 Practice in Primary Schools in Ireland Report: A Two-month Follow-up (Full Report)
Covid-19 Practice in Primary Schools in Ireland Report: A Two-month Follow-up (Summary)
Communication Between Home and School
- Published: 30 April 2020
Right now, no principal has a blueprint for leading learning in a “virtual school”. However, as school leader, you do know your school community, pupils, parents and staff. Every school is unique in its own way. When schools closed on 12th March, teachers assigned work and books were distributed in an effort to support learning at home. Previous to this, we could tell how things were going in our schools by visiting classrooms and the many conversations before, during and after school each day. The closure of school buildings has removed this vital communication, which is core to our work as principals. Therefore, we have had to rethink our approach to connecting with our school communities.
Text, email and Zoom meetings have been very important in linking with staff members. Platforms such as Aladdin Connect and Seesaw have enabled us to assign and receive pupil learning tasks. But, how do we find out how things are going at home? How do we review our initial approach to distance learning, and more importantly, how do we plan for the future that we know little about?
Seeking feedback from parents using a survey is an approach that can be both efficient and effective. A high response rate can provide a more comprehensive picture, rather than emails from a small number of parents or hearsay. The following are three key points to consider when using a survey as part of your communication with parents:
Focus on what you need to know now. Use scaling (1-10) to ask parents how helpful the school’s overall approach to distance learning has been to date. Include a comment box to allow for further information to be provided. You may want to find out more about a curricular area that is presenting as a challenge to support learning at home. You may wish to get a sense of how many devices are in the home and the reliability of broadband connection.
Use an efficient user-friendly tool. Create a digital survey using your school’s existing platform (Aladdin, Google Forms, etc.) or a product that most are familiar with e.g. SurveyMonkey.com. If possible, send via TextaParent.ie, and provide a specific time-frame for response e.g. one week.
Keep it short! Many parents are juggling working from or away from home with supporting their child’s (and other siblings’) learning. They will not have time to complete a lengthy survey. Ask 4 or 5 specific questions and include a comment box. Depending on the size of your school, it will take time to go through all of the responses.
Parents will appreciate that your school has sought feedback to inform planning for the future. However, your school’s plan for distance learning will also be guided by the professional judgement and experience of teachers. This is, and should be, unique to your school community. If using a survey to parents for feedback, remember to KISS (Keep It Short and Simple)!
