College reveals details of its report

A Dublin community college has become the first to publish details of the Department of Education evaluation of the school.

Collinstown Park Community College in Clondalkin, Dublin, has broken ranks with other schools by publishing details of the Whole School Evaluation (WSE) conducted by department inspectors in the school last year.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin hopes to secure agreement from the teacher unions next month on her plans to publish WSE and school inspection reports. But the teacher unions have expressed concern about the move, which they say could see individual teachers identified.

They are also concerned that the reports, if made public, could be used to compile school league tables.

However, Brian Fleming, principal of Collinstown Park, says parents are entitled to much more information about what is going on in schools.

The report runs to 20 pages. and the following is an edited extract of the main findings.

Management

The principal is a visionary and charismatic leader who has worked strategically and consistently to move the school forward.

He is ably supported by both the deputy principal and the in-school management team.

The school is to be commended for its efforts to introduce systems for evaluating its own performance, which contribute to ongoing school improvement.

School atmosphere

A positive atmosphere and environment exists in the school. The relationship between staff and students is good and lessons are conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and loyalty.

The work of teaching staff

Teachers work consistently hard and well and are committed to the pastoral and academic progress of their students. A particular strength of the school is the quality and range of extra-curricular provision both in sporting and cultural activities. Parents value this additional support provided for their children.

Recommendations

The school has many important strengths and . . . a culture of consensus in decision-making.

It is encouraged to continue to recognise and value these strengths as a framework within which it can successfully manage change within the context of the school. The school has made progress in improving links with parents as part of the wider school community. The inclusion of parents in the consultative process . . . provides a structured opportunity to further develop the role of the parent body as a support to the work of the school.

The quality of the in-class learning environment can sometimes vary.

In some classrooms and specialist rooms, there are attractive displays of students' work. However, while appealing murals are displayed in other classrooms, these do not reflect the students' recent or current work. These innovative approaches already evident in the school could be enhanced and revisited to improve the use of classrooms as learning resources.