Literacy Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Identified that many children coming into school in Junior Infants have poor oral language skills. Oral Language: That each child will improve by two points on the Drumcondra English Oral Language Profiles each term. Literacy: 30% of our children score above 50 percentiles and the target is in year one that 33% of our pupils score above 50 percentiles and in year two 36% of our pupils score above 50 percentiles. We aim to reduce the number of children scoring below 10 percentile in year one to 20% and in year two to 15%. We aim to increase enjoyment of reading. Oral Language: Teachers will review individual pupil profiles in oral language at the end of each term. Using First Steps programme there will be an increased emphasis on oral Language. Literacy: In year two the Reading Recovery and First Steps programmes will be started in the school. Phonics programmes in school will be reviewed with a view to using Jolly Phonics. In the straight Senior Infants and First Classes!0 to 12 of the children identified through diagnostic testing as needing extra support, will be catered for in Literacy and Numeracy in groups of five to six and taught by the members of the Learning Support team for a specific period each morning. Stock of books at appropriate levels will be increased. In year two parental involvement in in-class paired reading will be initiated. While all children will be engaged in Paired Reading in class particular attention will be given to the children who are not doing the Paired Reading at home. Oral Language: Teacher observation and recording on Drumcondra English Profiles for oral language Literacy: Standardised Testing in First Class. Diagnostic teacher-designed testing in Junior Infants, Senior Infants and First Class. Teacher observation. Increase in number of children engaging in paired reading at home Each teacher will update Drumcondra English Profiles in oral language at the end of each term. The School Plan will be reviewed at the beginning of each school year. of Micro T testing to take place at the end of each school year. of diagnostic testing will take place at Hallowe en and Easter and will inform the groupings for Learning Support.
Numeracy Standardised maths test for the past three years were reviewed. The average proportion of children scoring below 20% was 53%. By the end of Junior Infants children will have an oral understanding up to the story of 3. By the end of senior infants that the children will have an understanding of and be able to record number facts up to the story of 7. By the end of first class children will have an understanding of and be able to record number facts up to the story of 12. In teaching and learning the emphasis will be on use of concrete materials. In term two we will study the use of numicon and use it in the classrooms. In senior infants and first class there will be an increased emphasis on remembering and recording number stories. We will improve computation as this has been identified as the main area of difficulty. This area will be targeted and reviewed at the end of year one. Every week class teachers will focus on oral number problems. We aim to reduce the number of children achieving below 20 percentiles from 53% to 48% in year one. We will aim for a 2% increase in each percentile range over 20% by the end of year one. By the end of Senior Infants the boys will have a good understanding of and be able to record number facts up to the story of 7 and First Class boys will have an understanding of number facts and be able to record up to the story of 12. In teaching and learning the emphasis will be on the use of concrete materials. In Term 2 year 2, we will study numicon and use it more widely in the classrooms. In senior Infants and First class there will be an increased emphasis on remembering and recording number stories. Computation has been identified as an area of concern. Teachers will focus on oral number problems once a week. The number of children achieving below 20 percentiles will be reduced from 53% to 48% in year one and a further 5% in year two. There will be an improvement of 2% in each percentile range each year. We will provide Sigma T results to the C.B.S school for the children transferring from First Class and a checklist of attainment in maths. The Senior Infant children will be tested in Number at Halloween and Easter to identify the children who
have difficulties. By the end of the year the Sigma T maths test will be delivered on two days rather than on one day as previously. Senior Infant children will be tested on the stories up to 7 at the beginning of June. The one minute test will be used in first class at the beginning of December, March and June Each class Teacher will monitor progress in her own class. The SEN team will carry out testing in Senior Infants. Class teachers will carry out testing in Junior Infants and First Class The results of the Sigma T Testing and testing of Senior Infants will be reviewed by the whole staff in June and again in September
Attendance The traveller children have been identified as a group with poor attendance. Attendance among traveller children has improved significantly over the last year. The traveller children will continue to be targeted as well as the settled children who have been identified as poor attenders. The attendance patterns among international children has been identified as being a difficulty. We have identified a link between poor attendance and children who are underachieving The school will aim to reduce absenteeism by 5% over three years in the target children including traveller children and to increase awareness in International parents of the importance of regular attendance. Better attendance will be encouraged by stickers each week and cert/trophies at the end of the year. The Principal will carry out attendance monitoring each day and ring where there is cause for concern Continued attendance monitoring will take place on a daily basis by the Principal. Class teachers will post the names of absent children on classroom doors at 9.30am. The principal will ring the parents of the children where there is cause for concern Raising parental awareness of importance of good attendance and involving parents in strategies to improve attendance and participation rates will be a priority when speaking to parents. When talking to parents we will all emphasise the link between regular attendance and success in school. The principal will have a grid of attendance to record the patterns of attendance Parents will be notified when their child is coming close to 20 days (role of the class teacher) Children will be given a sticker at the end of the week for full attendance. Full attendance in a particular class on a particular day will be rewarded with a sweet for everybody in the class. At the end of the year trophies/certs will be given for children who have missed less than ten days, full attendance and most improved attendance. Parents will be informed about attendance through end of year reports and parent teacher meetings NEWB letters informing the parents of the law with regard to attendance will be translated into Polish and Lithuanian and given to the parents at the beginning of the school year Each teacher will monitor their own class attendance The principal will monitor attendance on a daily basis and ring home where there is cause for concern A review of attendance will take place at the first staff meeting of each term. Regular communication with NEWB officer will be sought.
Involvement of Parents Both informal and formal Parent/Teacher meetings are facilitated and held on an ongoing basis. Parents are informed of school events by Parent-friendly newsletters which are also posted on the notice board. The school has an open door policy towards parents. The importance of good home-school communication is emphasised for the parents of incoming Junior Infants. Improved communication with all families with particular emphasis on target families, starting with an Information pack for the incoming Junior Infants. Improvement in communication with International parents. Get Guidelines for Parents, the Code of Conduct and NEWB information translated into Polish and Lithuanian. To empower parents by encouraging involvement in their own education through participation in courses set up by the HSCL co-ordinator. Set up Paired Reading by parents, in school, for children who don t do it at home in year two. Setting up Maths for Fun sessions in school, involving parents in year three. Continue parent/teacher meetings as normal. Weekly meetings with parents through Parent/Toddler group. Regular visits to target families. Regular meetings with parents both at home and in school. Organising and running courses for parents. parent information in Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian. Organise language classes and facilitate registration. Attendance at and planning of P/T group sessions. Attendance at courses Course evaluation sheets. Informal feedback from parents. Improved interest of children in reading.
Partnership with others SCP was set up in year 1. We participate fully on the committee. A Breakfast club has been set up in the school. School lunches, holiday activities for the target children, art therapy are organised by SCP in conjunction with the school. Ongoing interaction with NEPS. We have been sending off information to the NEWB for the past number of years. We will work with the NEWB officer when one is appointed to the area. There is significant co-operation with the other primary schools in the town. While we have facilitated the HSE in areas like MMR injections etc there is not much support otherwise from the HSE. Support from CW Partnership in the form of grant aid for books and the Parent & Toddler group that used to operate in the school. Setanta Homework club To further develop SCP and the services it organises, including possible Homework Club for target children in year 3. Continued co-operation with NEPS, HSE, other schools, CWP. Development of an active working relationship with the NEWB officer with monthly meetings to discuss children in need of referral and to review actions taken. Through HSCL co-ordinator further links will be forged with VEC, VTOS in organising courses and awards for parents, CWP and RAPID, Youth New Ross and Springboard to access support for particular families Breakfast Club set up in year 1 and School Lunches in year 2. these are available to all the children. Home work Club for target children only will be set up in year 3. School facilities will be used for Summer work camps and places on other community camps will be booked for target children. Contact will be made with NEWB officer and information will be gathered for her review. Attendance monitoring will continue as part of the school day. A monthly meeting will be set up. In year 2 a Parent & Toddler group will be set up by the HSCL co-ordinator. Courses will also be organised in computers, beauty, cooking, parenting skills for all parents. Language development classes for international parents will be organised. Special effort will be made to encourage parents of target children to participate, through home visitation, in-school coffee mornings, and individual meetings with the parents of incoming Junior Infants.
Support for particular families will be sought from CWP, RAPID, Springboard, Youth New Ross, FDYS on a needs basis. Regular SCP meetings will facilitate review of programmes. Weekly meeting between Principal and HSCL co-ordinator will allow for monitoring of programmes. Monthly meetings between Principal and NEWB officer will facilitate attendance monitoring and reporting will take place at the above meetings.