IPPN

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Staff

Published: 22 November 2017

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Staff

The stated aims of ‘Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus are to:

support the many principals who are struggling to manage their workload and are unsure what aspects of their role they can delegate or deprioritise
offer a fresh perspective on how the wider educational community might be used to support principals
provide a means of defining the priorities for the leadership role of principal.

This section will focus on staff 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’.

While we don't have all of the answers - what works in one school may well not work in another - the process of discussion and examination of tasks greatly facilitates the sharing of good practice and alternative approaches to dealing with the issue of workload, which is the whole point.

Having discussed the approach outlined in the publication with hundreds of principals, the general consensus is that we should first discuss the prioritisation of tasks within our local principals’ support group, followed by discussion with our deputy principals. This will help us when we then consult with our Boards of Management and the rest of our staff to gain their buy-in to a change in how work is prioritised and allocated throughout our schools.

Staff

A school’s staff is the most critically important resource within the school. Once responsibilities have been assigned among staff, the principal’s role is to support, encourage and review progress rather than micro manage. How well the staff collaborate with each other and work effectively with the Principal is the key determining factor in a school’s success.

But what specifically must principals do, what can be delegated or shared and what should be avoided? To help with this, IPPN looked at all of the activities that take place within schools and consulted with school leaders to determine what IPPN believes to be the best possible guidance in terms of where principals spend time.

In relation to dealing with staff, the following is the guidance presented*:

Key Priorities for the Principal – Must Do	Other Priorities – Could Delegate or Share	Other Tasks – Deprioritise / Principal should not need to personally undertake
Lead the teaching and learning in the school Affirm, support, motivate, counsel and empower the staff, encouraging best practice, creativity and innovation Be conscious of the health and well-being of all staff Facilitate a culture of instructional leadership with staff and pupils in relation to organisational, curricular and pastoral matters in the school Ensure that staff carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Rules for National Schools, other statutory obligations and those mandated by ministerial circular Allocate teachers to classes and other roles based on pupil requirements, teacher talents/preference and in line with school policy Provide constructive feedback to teachers in relation to their work Ensure that BoM decisions are implemented by the staff.	Ensure Children First Guidelines are implemented Assist staff who are experiencing professional difficulties Attend relevant Continuous Professional Development (CPD) workshops, seminars, meetings and conferences to develop distributed leadership among staff Act as Safety Representative Attend meetings re. school activities which involve staff members, parents, BoM members Conduct standardised testing and communicate results to parents Monitor school and pupil performance according to School Self-Evaluation guidelines.	Ensure the care and storage of school requisites, equipment and teaching-aids Maintain school website Conduct and manage an inventory of teaching and learning resources Manage routine class discipline & behaviour (primary responsibility rests with the class teacher) Attend one on one parent/teacher meetings (unless requested by teacher or it is the class of the teaching principal) Handling any tasks or queries relating to salary, taxation, PRSI, Teaching Council status, holiday and other entitlements etc. (staff should get advice directly from the relevant authority).

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Priorities for Principal Teachers – Children

Published: 16 November 2017

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Children

Wellbeing for Teachers & Learners Seminar

Published: 16 November 2017

A Wellbeing for Teachers & Learners Seminar will take place in Croke Park on Saturday 18 November from 11.00am to 4.00pm.

The focus of the day will be on schools sharing their practice and learning in the area of wellbeing, with plenty of time for attendees to reflect on what they have heard and to discuss how they might apply it in their own contexts. Four primary and four post-primary schools will showcase how they have put wellbeing at the heart of their school communities. There will be a keynote address from Jacinta Kitt.

Some of the keynote speeches and panel discussions will be livestreamed on www.ippn.ie at 11.00 am. To access the livestream, log in via the homepage.

In May 2016, the Wellbeing for Teachers and Learners (WTL) Group was constituted. It comprises the Irish Primary Principals’ Network, the Teaching Council, the Ombudsman for Children, the National Parents Council and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals. The objective of the WTL group is to ensure that our collective endeavours in the area of wellbeing has a positive impact on the whole school community – teachers, students, parents/guardians and the wider community.

DES Circular 30/2014 Section 14 - Time-bound Allocation

Published: 16 November 2017

‘The care needs of pupils are not constant but change as children grow and develop. In many instances, access to SNA care support may have been allocated to a pupil to ameliorate a particular difficulty that a pupil may have at a certain point in time, such as care support to assist with toileting issues, or a particular behaviour. The care needs that a pupil has may change over time. Many children will naturally have diminishing care needs as they get older and as they develop both physically and socially. It is neither appropriate nor beneficial for a child to have a permanent allocation of SNA support which would follow them throughout their school career without recourse to a consideration of changing needs. This could impede that child’s development of independent living skills, interaction with peers, or stigmatise the child though association with a permanent allocation of adult support, at a point of their development where this support may no longer be required. Whereas the NCSE will maintain the minimum SERC recommended ratios of SNA support in special schools and classes, all other SNA allocations which are made, from September 2014, will be time bound, linked to the provision of a personal pupil plan, will be made initially for a maximum period of three years, subject to annual review, and subject to a full reassessment of their care needs at the end of the three year period’.

Substitute Teacher Shortage

Published: 10 November 2017

The continuing challenge of accessing substitute teachers is very much occupying the minds of you, our members and the leadership of IPPN. In many ways we are presented with a perfect storm. The peaking of pupil demographics, the impact of the transition of the BEd from 3 to 4 years, the appointment of over 2,000 extra teachers and the exodus of newly qualified teachers abroad have all contributed to this situation.

IPPN has highlighted the critical shortage of substitute cover with our Partners in Education. Recommendations that have been put forward include:

Increasing the number of days that teachers on Career Break can provide substitute cover
Greater flexibility for teachers who are job-sharing to provide substitute cover
Encouraging retirees to re-register with the Teaching Council

In referring to DES Circular 0031/2011 ‘Teacher Recruitment, Registration and Qualifications’, Sections 4 and 6 are particularly relevant. Failing the sourcing of fully qualified registered teachers, school leaders are attempting to source conditional registered teachers, retired teachers, or unregistered persons in exceptional circumstances to cover short-term absences. The recruitment of unregistered persons is permissible to prevent school closure, safeguarding the welfare of pupils, or is deemed necessary to maintain provision in the school. Section 6.2 (2) states ‘The person proposed for appointment is competent and capable of acting in a teaching capacity in the school.’

It is critical that all substitutes are vetted and that Declarations and Letters of Undertaking are in place prior to commencement of employment in accordance with DES Circular 0031/2016.