An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna Department of Education and Skills Subject Inspection of Science and Chemistry REPORT Saint Michael s Holy Faith Secondary School Wellmount Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 Roll number: 60741I Date of inspection: 26 March 2015
REPORT ON THE QUALITY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING IN SCIENCE AND CHEMISTRY INFORMATION ON THE INSPECTION Dates of inspection 25 and 26 March 2015 Inspection activities undertaken Review of relevant documents Discussion with principal and teachers Interaction with students Observation of teaching and learning during ten class periods Examination of students work Feedback to principal and teachers MAIN FINDINGS The quality of teaching and learning was very good and a high level of planning and preparation was evident in the structure and sequencing of learning activities and in the resources used during lessons. Very good use was made of the sharing of intended learning outcomes with students to set the tone and focus of lessons. Students progress was well monitored through the use of a variety of assessment strategies, but there was some scope for more in-depth assessment activities. The development of students' literacy skills was very well supported. Whole-school support for the provision of science subjects is very good and the school has very good resources for the teaching of science subjects. The quality of subject planning is very good and the science department works in a very collaborative manner. MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS In order to give students sufficient opportunities to show their overall knowledge and understanding of specific topics, more in-depth assessment activities should be included in lessons. In order to ensure a consistent approach to developing students report-writing skills, the science department should review how students laboratory reports are assessed. 2
INTRODUCTION St Michael s Holy Faith Secondary School is a voluntary secondary school for girls with a current enrolment of 604 students. The school offers the Junior Certificate, Junior Certificate School Programme, Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Applied programme as well as an optional Transition Year (TY) programme. The school participates in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Department of Education and Skills action plan for educational inclusion. TEACHING AND LEARNING The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons observed was very good. A high level of planning and preparation was evident in the structure and sequencing of learning activities and in the resources used during lessons. Very good use was made of the sharing of intended learning outcomes with students to set the tone and focus of lessons. This approach allowed students, as well as teachers, to assess their progress during and at the end of lessons. Lessons were very well managed. Teachers had created a calm, structured learning environment through the establishment of classroom routines regarding homework, seating, and monitoring of attendance. In all lessons, a good rapport between teachers and students was evident. Practical activities, including teacher demonstrations, were organised very effectively. Students were skilled at completing their experimental work and enjoyed the hands-on activities. A good variety of assessment strategies, such as the use of mini-whiteboards or trafficlights, was deployed. Differentiation between students of different abilities was evident in the questions teachers posed during the lessons and in the one-to-one interactions with students. Good questioning strategies observed included the use of directed questions and the giving of sufficient time to students to formulate their answers. However, questions tended to focus on recall and there was scope for a deeper assessment of students understanding through more use of higher-order or extended questions. It is recommended that teachers include more in-depth assessment activities in order to give students sufficient opportunities to show their overall knowledge and understanding of specific topics. Students' laboratory reports are well monitored. However, differing approaches are taken to the assessment of such work: for example, an assessment-for-learning approach was used in some cases but not in others. In order to ensure a consistent approach to developing students report writing skills, it is recommended that the science department review how this aspect of students learning is assessed. The development of students' literacy skills was very well supported. This was particularly evident in the attention given to scientific terminology. To build on the good work being done in this regard, it is suggested that teachers also focus on non-technical terminology such as words which are used in Science but which would be unfamiliar to students. 3
Good use was made of resources such as worksheets and information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning. Electronic presentations of information allowed teachers time to discuss the content with students. Visual stimuli such as charts or diagrams, and video clips were well used to illustrate difficult concepts. Students engagement and learning were enhanced through the use of many examples of Science in everyday life. This approach allowed all students to contribute their views during lessons and stimulated their interest in the subject. SUBJECT PROVISION AND WHOLE SCHOOL SUPPORT Whole-school support for the provision of science subjects is very good. Science is an optional subject, but there is a good, and increasing, uptake of the subject for Junior Certificate. Good systems are in place to support students with respect to choosing options for senior cycle, and the uptake of Leaving Certificate Chemistry is good. The school has very good resources for the teaching of science subjects. Three fully equipped laboratories are very well organised and maintained. Each laboratory is well equipped with ICT resources and relevant health and safety equipment. Overall timetabling arrangements for science subjects are appropriate. In second and third year, Science is allocated two double periods and thus teachers only have class contact on two days of the week. It would be worthwhile for the science department to explore how to get the most efficient use out of this arrangement in terms of course coverage. The school is very supportive of teachers professional development. Teachers participation in external in-service events is facilitated and the school has also organised in-school training on issues such as differentiation and assessment for learning. PLANNING AND PREPARATION The quality of planning and preparation is very good. The science department works in a very collaborative manner. While one teacher acts as coordinator, the teachers work very much as a team. This was evident in the actionplanning approach they have taken to issues such as timetabling, class grouping and curriculum development. The subject plans for Science and Chemistry are comprehensive and provide a good overview of provision for these subjects. Good practice is evident in the common schemes of work and the attention given to issues such as teaching Science to exceptionally able students or those with special educational needs. Formal planning meetings are complemented by a significant amount of informal, ongoing planning by the science teachers. Records of science department meetings show a very good level of discussion around teaching methodologies and the development and sharing of teaching resources. It is very good practice that planning for Science is informed by an annual review of students attainment in certificate examinations. Good systems for the maintenance and upkeep of resources are in place. The organisation of resources into kits for particular topics is very good practice. 4
Good provision is made for co-curricular science activities such as Science Week events organised in conjunction with Dublin City University. A weekly science club is provided as an extra support for students by the science department. The draft findings and recommendations arising out of this evaluation were discussed with the principal and subject teachers at the conclusion of the evaluation. The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report; a response was not received from the board. Published October 2015 5