School Self Evaluation

School Self Evaluation is an integral part of school life as it focuses on school effectiveness, school improvement, quality enhancement, professional development, the effective use of resources and managing change. More information can be found on http://schoolself-evaluation.ie/post-primary/sse-2016-2020/

School Self Evaluation Report for Stakeholders 2018/2019: SSE Report 2018 2019.pdf

School Self Evaluation

Introduction

This document records the focus of previous improvement plans, findings that emerged during 2018/19 and 2019/2021 Cycles and our current improvement plan, including targets and actions to be implemented to meet the targets. SSE is a collaborative, reflective, inclusive process of internal review whereby the Principal, Deputy Principal, SSE Co-ordinator and teachers, under the direction of the Board of Management and the GRETB and in consultation with the parents and students, engage in reflective enquiry on the work of the school and, in particular, on feedback to students’

SSE Information Links:

School self-evaluation empowers our school community in St Killian’s College to identify and affirm good practice, and to identify and take action on areas that merit improvement. School self-evaluation is primarily about schools taking ownership of their own development and improvement. School self-evaluation was formally introduced into the Irish school system in 2012 as a collaborative, reflective process of internal school review, focused on school improvement.

School self-evaluation is a collaborative, inclusive, reflective process of internal school review.

During school self-evaluation the principal and teachers, under the direction of the board of management and the patron and in consultation with parents and students, engage in reflective enquiry on the work of the school.

It is an evidence-based approach which involves gathering information from a range of sources and making judgements with a view to bringing about improvements in students’ learning.

Self-evaluation requires a school to address the following key questions with regards to an aspect or aspects of its work:

How well are we doing?

How do we know?

How can we find out more?

What are our strengths?

What are our areas for improvement?

How can we improve?

The Six-Stage approach:

The first three steps of the framework outline the investigation phase of the process. This stage can be used for scoping out and developing the improvement plan, and preparing for its implementation.

The school self-evaluation process begins with the identification of an area for focus and inquiry through teachers’ own understanding and knowledge of their school context. This is followed by the gathering of evidence with regard to the area chosen. The evidence is then analysed and judgments are made regarding the school’s current strengths and areas for improvement.

The next step ensures that schools retain a record of the evaluation and describe the actions for improvement. This takes place during, or at the end of, the investigation phase. The resulting school self-evaluation report and improvement plan is shared with the school community.

The improvement plan is then put into action and is monitored and evaluated over the course of its three-year implementation until practice becomes embedded. The cycle can then begin again, focusing on either a new area which has been identified, or returning to the same area to seek further, deeper improvement.

SSE Next Steps
file:///C:/Users/derek/Downloads/232734_3e6ca885-96ec-45a6-9a08-3e810b7cd1ea%20(6).pdf

A brief guide to formative feedback
https://ncca.ie/media/1925/assessment-booklet-3_en.pdf

A brief guide to differentiation
https://www.sess.ie/resources/differentiation-post-primary

A brief guide to Learning Intentions
https://ncca.ie/media/1927/assessment-workshop-1_en.pdf

learning Focus of previous Improvement Plans

The focus of previous Improvement Plans has been as follows:

2015/16 – Literacy
2016/17 – Numeracy
2017/18 – Literacy and Numeracy
2018-19 - AFL Learning intentions and questioning

(see attached link for report)

SSE report 2018 19.docx

Assessment The SSE team reviewed previous plans and identified some strategies in Literacy and Numeracy which would be continued.
2019/2021 The focus of this evaluation report is as follows: 1. Feedback to Students- Formative and Summative

This is what we are now going to work on. These are based on the Looking at Our Schools 2016 Statements of Highly Effective Practice:

Teachers, in consultation with students, have collectively developed a whole-school approach to providing developmental oral and written feedback to students. This approach is implemented consistently, and is underpinned by the collective review of students’ work.
Teachers have collectively developed assessment records that are clear, useful and easy to interpret and share. These records provide a comprehensive picture of each student’s learning attainment and needs and are built on progressively as the student moves through the school.
Teachers work together to interpret assessment information so that it can be used in the most optimal in terms of feedback and then to enhance learning.
Assessment is an integral part of learning and teaching. Teachers approach assessment as a collaborative endeavour to support students’ learning and to measure their attainment
Have high expectations for students
Staff training/ CPD (Croke park evenings & JCT whole school day
Marking and feedback to be more focused upon instant interventions within the classroom in order to maximise progress (Learning conversations with students/ improvement of work in class where possible)
Encourage attendance (praise/ reward positive) - Encourage ‘improvement’ of work taking on board feedback from teachers.
Engagement in PTSM (specific learning targets set with parents & students)
Analysis of formative & summative assessments.
Students fully engaged in feedback process and then being motivated to strive for improvement
Striving to have best I.T. infrastructure to facilitate this continuous quest for improvement.
For feedback to be effective certain elements should be in place. (NCCA).
Feedback is linked to and builds on our 2016-2020 SSE cycle which focused on increasing student ownership and responsibility of their learning through the sharing learning intentions and success criteria.

Formative Feedback – A Brief Guide As part of our School Self Evaluation for 2019-2022 in St Killian’s College, we are continuing to focus on the practice of Formative Feedback. We know from the research that feedback is the most important thing a teacher can do to improve student achievement.

“The most powerful single moderator that enhances achievement is feedback…. It means providing information about how and why the student understands and misunderstands, and what directions the student must take to improve.” - John Hattie,

Influences on Student Learning Feedback is critical to improving learning as it both influences students’ motivation to learn and their ability to do so. What is formative feedback? Formative feedback is a key pillar of Assessment for Learning. It is feedback that a teacher gives to a student on a piece of work that contains information about the extent to which the goal or target has been met, acknowledgement of what has been done well and guidance on how to improve. Why we are focusing on Formative Feedback Research shows us the positive impacts of Formative Feedback on the learner:

✔ Effect on self-esteem: student feels accepted, and that their efforts are being recognised and valued. Self-esteem and commitment tends to rise and there is increased emotional involvement in tasks.
✔ Consequent learning strategies: Deep learning is more likely aimed at understanding and improvement. Student focus is on the goals, assessment criteria and task. As esteem comes from effort, not comparative attainment, students are prepared to take risks and accept challenges.
✔ Learning theory: adaptive and blame free learning theory. ‘Effort is the key and it’s up to me’. ‘Mistakes are useful as they help me learn’. ‘Learning is an end in itself.’
✔ Effect on lower achievers: increased interest, effort, persistence, self-esteem and self-belief. In time: learned resourcefulness. ‘There must be a way around my difficulties and if I find it I will succeed’. Learning depends on time, effort, corrected practice and using the right strategies.

This is what we did to find out what we were doing well, and what we could do better:

In the last year, we have looked at teaching and learning in our school to find out what we are doing well.

We surveyed Parents, Teachers and Students at the end of the academic year 2021/22

This is what we discovered:

Students feel that the teacher clearly explains the success criteria for the class.
The teachers use a as a parent feedback cover sheet for 10/20 and 30 week exams
Teachers provides useful feedback on their written work regularly.
Students feels that the teacher provides them with the opportunity to put feedback in to practice
Students gets opportunities to work with other students in class.
Students often work as part of a group in class.
knowledge and understanding is checked regularly in class.
computers/technology are used in class.
subject notes are provided in class.
The teacher listens to questions and answers them.
Students gets regular homework.

We also set up a focus group with students.

Parents were surveyed at P/T meetings.

We also drew upon findings in recent inspection reports, mainly WSE. This report concurred with our own findings.

This is what we are now going to work on:

We will continue to work on Feedback, both formative and Summative.

2022-2023: Review year:

We now coming to the end of a year of review and reflection. The next cycle is due to start in September 2023.

This year, we evaluated the following:

the impact of COVID-19 on students' educational experiences and outcomes, their wellbeing, their motivation to learn and their engagement in learning.
the effectiveness of SSE in St Killian’s College to date.

During this year, schools were required to:

Use/Continue to use the SSE process to identify and reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on their pupils’/students’ educational experiences and outcomes, their wellbeing, their motivation to learn, and their engagement in learning. It will be important that the information arising is used to plan learning experiences, programmes of work, and, as needed, relevant supports to ensure that all children and young people, including those with special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage, are enabled to engage with and progress effectively in their learning.
Consider the requirements regarding use of the SSE process to initiate a wellbeing promotion review and development cycle by 2025 as set out in Circular 0032/2021 and Circular 0033/2021.
Take stock of the effectiveness of their SSE process to date, developing and consolidating it as necessary to ensure it is collaborative, inclusive and impactful.

Based on all above, we have decided to have Well Being promotion as our focus for the next cycle, beginning first term of the academic year 2023/2024.