IPPN

Published: 14 December 2017

IPPN will publish a Resource Bundle on the topic of Child Protection early in the New Year.  It will reflect the implications of the full commencement of the Children First Act 2015, the Children First Guidelines 2017, changes to the DES Child Protection Procedures and the new DES Circular.

Published: 06 December 2017

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Boards of Management

Published: 29 November 2017

Project Title: Occupational Health Risks of Administrative and Teaching Principals in Irish Primary Schools 

Researcher: Grace Sheehan 

Supervisor: Dr. Debora Jeske, School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland. 

Purpose of the research: Recent research has indicated various types of occupational health risks in undertaking the role of principal in Ireland. This research aims to look at the alternative types of occupational health risks on the health and well-being of principals and explore any differences between teaching and administrative principals. Occupational health risks which impact on well-being include, adult to adult bullying, which has been identified by Dr. Riley (2015) as a risk. This research aims to outline the types of adult to adult bullying experienced by principals in schools, in the hope of outlining some recommendations to support principals with dignity in the workplace. In addition to the health risks, the survey will also explore whether principals view their position as a ‘high demand-low control role’ and the impact of external influences on school functioning. It is hoped that the information gleaned from this research will offer some recommendations that will assist principals in Ireland with their health and well-being. 

What will this research involve: I am inviting all primary principals nationally to complete this on-line survey so that the information can be utilised to ascertain the types of occupational health risks that principals encounter in schools. 

Why is the research being conducted on principals: As I am principal for over eight years, I would like to contribute to a body of knowledge that may support my fellow colleagues with their health and well-being in the future. 

Do you have to take part?

Participation is voluntary and not remunerated. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to indicate your consent on-line. You can download a copy of this information sheet online. You can also withdraw from the study by contacting the researcher at the following e-mail: 116223130@umail.ucc.ie (this will require your confidential code word which you will be asked to generate at the beginning of the survey). You will have one week from the time of completing the survey to withdraw your data if you so wish. 

Will your participation in the study be confidential? Yes. Data will be stored confidentially and in line with ethical guidelines of the Psychological Society of Ireland. No names, e-mails, IP addresses or other identifying information will be collected. 

What will happen to the information that you give? The data will be kept confidential for the duration of the study. The records will be stored on a password-protected computer for a period of 10 years as required by the University College Cork. The data collected may also be published in scientific journals or presented at conferences. Any information and data gathered during this research study will only be available to the research team identified in the information sheet. Should the research be presented or published in any form, all data will be anonymous (i.e. your personal information or data will not be identifiable as belonging to you).

Click here to access the survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8HKBKHV

Published: 29 November 2017

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Parents & Parent Associations

The IPPN publication Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus  aims to empower principals to effectively manage their workload. We started this series focusing on the tasks and responsibilities that tend to fall to school leaders in relation to the children in the school; last week we focused on school staff. This week, we will focus on Parents & Parent Associations and give examples of tasks that can be categorised in the following ways:

• Key priorities for the principal

• Priorities principals could delegate or share

• Other tasks principals should not personally undertake and those the school might agree to ‘de-prioritise for a time’.

We certainly don't have all of the answers and what works in one school may well not work in another. However, in any school, parents want the best for their children, as do teachers for their pupils. Where an effective partnership exists between home and the school, the benefits are clear. Children learn more, behave better and are happier in school. Teachers are more effective when they are supported by parents. Where there is an effective Parent Association in the school, parents can enjoy the support of other parents and they are enabled to meaningfully support the aims of the school.

In relation to prioritising the work relating to the parent body, the following may be a useful starting point for your school:

If we are to tackle our own heavy workload to make it more manageable, we need to consider and discuss the priorities for our school and how activities and responsibilities can be delegated amongst the school community. We need to promote the concept of distributed / shared leadership and empower those around us to help develop and take ownership of a shared vision for the school.