IPPN

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:

Key Priorities the Principal  Must Do him/herself	Other Priorities – Could Delegate or Share	Other Tasks – Deprioritise / Principal should not need to personally undertake
Develop a positive relationship with parents and encourage involvement in their children’s education (along with all staff) Be aware that the parent is the primary educator of the child and that the school supports that role Establish procedures for consulting and communicating with parents, ensuring that they are made fully aware of key school policies Ensure parents are aware of the optimal time to communicate with the principal and with teachers Meet with parents and be available to discuss their concerns - by appointment (except in emergency) Support the setting up of a Parent Association, if none is already set up in the school, should parents desire it.	Provide professional advice on children’s learning and welfare (Led by teachers with support from the principal) Consult and communicate with parents Seek notification of the reasons for a child’s absence Ensure adherence to Parental Complaints Procedure Attend meetings with parents and professionals/ agencies involved with pupils in the school e.g. NEPS/EWO/Tusla/HSE etc. Ensure consultation with parents on IEPs (teachers consult; principal signs off) Organise formal parent/teacher meetings annually Support school events organised with parents	Make school policies available on request (secretary/school website) Arrange for the distribution and collection of forms requiring parental consent Write letters on behalf of parents e.g. custody and access issues (not recommended) ‘Help’ parents to find places in second level schools. (It is not the function of the principal to appraise and compare secondary schools, nor to put pressure on them to accept pupils).

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. 

Published: 22 November 2017

Retrospective Vetting

1. No Vetting: Where a teacher is un-vetted by the Council, the school should ask them to commence the process immediately. This process takes a minimum of 2 weeks where all the correct documentation is provided at the outset. Therefore, schools should encourage the teachers to double check their documentation against the requirements e.g. within the 6 months/year, name on ID matches name on Register etc.

2. Stage 1 e-Vetting Commenced: Where a teacher indicates that he/she has commenced the process (Stage 1), but has not yet submitted all addresses to the National Vetting Bureau (Stage 2), the school should encourage the teacher to check emails for the link to the NVB and complete the input of addresses immediately. If the teacher has not received a link and five working days have lapsed since the Council received the identification documentation, the teacher should contact the Council.

3. Stage 1 & 2 e-Vetting Completed: Where a teacher indicates that he/she is in the process of being vetted and has submitted all their addresses to the National Vetting Bureau (Stage 2), a confirmation email issues to the teacher, a sample email can be found in under Q3 of the FAQs.  The legislation requires that the teacher has applied for vetting rather than has completed the vetting process. This means that teachers at this stage have complied with the retrospective vetting requirement.

4. Previous GCVU Vetting: Where a teacher holds an older GCVU Disclosure, the school should request the teacher to provide the evidence that they have been vetted. These teachers have previously complied with the vetting requirement and should not at this stage be requested to undergo the e-Vetting process, unless there is a particular concern.
   1. Evidence can be provided by the teacher logging onto the My Registration section of the Teaching Council website and printing off a screenshot of the Vetting Tab showing the Approved Status of the Vetting. The printout should be held on file by the school. A sample of the screen shot can be seen here under Q2 of the FAQs for Retrospective Vetting Schools/Principals.  
   2. Alternatively, the teacher may still be in possession of the original vetting result letter issued by the Council. This should be copied and held on file. Please note that the Council is not is a position to re-issue these letters, but will direct teachers to providing the information held under My Registration.

Recent NVB Vetting: Where a teacher holds the newer NVB Disclosure, the school should request the teacher to share the Disclosure via Digitary and a printout should be retained on file by the school. 

 

Stakeholders Meeting Retrospective Vetting Update

FAQs

Sample Letter from BoM to School Staff re Vetting Documentation 2017