Area 05 - Looking at our School


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Themes for School Self-Evaluation at Primary Level

Area 5

QUALITY OF SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

Aspect A Provision for pupils with special educational needs


Principles underlying provision for pupils with special educational needs	The extent to which the school has documented appropriate policies, which are consistent with present statutory requirements, on the admission, enrolment and participation of pupils with special educational needs
	In line with the characteristic spirit of the school, the level of encouragement and facilitation afforded pupils with special educational needs to participate fully in the life of the school
	How well the school adheres to appropriate practice in relation to the social and educational integration of pupils with special educational needs
	The degree to which the school seeks the required resources (including accommodation, staff and material) to meet the physical and educational requirements of pupils with special educational needs
	The extent and manner of the school's identification of and provision for the educational requirements of pupils with special educational needs
	The provision made by the school for professional development needs of all staff members in the area of special educational needs, including staff members not teaching pupils with special educational needs
	The effectiveness of the school's procedures for liasing with other agencies (for example, the National Educational Psychological Service, health boards and the National Educational Welfare Board) in meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs


Provision for pupils who present with general and specific learning disabilities	The extent to which pupils who present with mild, moderate, severe or specific learning disability are encouraged and facilitated in participating in the life of the school
	How effectively and sensitively the results of formative assessment of academic progress and personal development are used in planning suitable learning programmes to meet the needs of pupils who present with general and specific learning disabilities
	The level and quality of liaison with parents and appropriate external agencies in meeting the needs of pupils who present with general and specific learning disabilities
	The targeting and use of additional resources provided for pupils who present with general and specific learning disabilities


Provision for exceptionally able and talented pupils	The extent to which pupils who are exceptionally able and talented are encouraged and facilitated in participating in the life of the school
	The level and quality of liaison with parents and appropriate external agencies in meeting the needs of pupils who are exceptionally able and talented
	The level of emotional and social supports available to pupils who are exceptionally able and talented


Provision for pupils who present with physical and sensory disabilities	The extent to which pupils who present with physical and sensory disabilities are encouraged and facilitated in participating in the life of the school
	The school's arrangements to ensure that pupils who present with physical and sensory disabilities are facilitated in taking the full curriculum of the school
	The nature and quality of liaison with parents and appropriate external agencies in meeting the needs of pupils who present with physical and sensory disabilities


Provision for pupils who present with behaviour problems or emotional disturbance	The extent to which pupils who present with behaviour problems or emotional disturbance are encouraged and facilitated in participating in the life of the school
	The school's efforts in meeting the needs of pupils who present with behaviour problems or emotional disturbance and the level and quality of support available to them
	The nature and quality of liaison with parents and appropriate external agencies in meeting the needs of pupils who present with behaviour problems or emotional disturbance


Provision for pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder	The extent to which pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder are encouraged and facilitated in participating in the life of the school
	The school's contact with the appropriate external agencies, including speech and language services, in responding to the needs of pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder
	The school's provision of appropriate resources for pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder and how effectively these resources are used
	The extent to which outcomes of formative assessment are used in planning suitable learning programmes to meet the needs of pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder
	The school's policy and practice in relation to the social and educational integration of pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder
	The nature and effectiveness of liaison between the resource teacher (or language class teacher) in the school and the speech and language services in relation to the needs of pupils who present with specific speech and language disorder


Provision for pupils who present with autistic spectrum disorder	The extent to which pupils who present with autistic spectrum disorder are encouraged and facilitated in participating in the life of the school
	The school's arrangements to ensure that pupils who present with autistic spectrum disorder are provided with appropriate curricula
	The school's provision of appropriate resources for pupils who present with autistic spectrum disorder and how effectively these resources are used
	The school's policy and practice in relation to the social and educational integration of pupils who present with autistic spectrum disorder
	The school's contact with the health board in order to ensure that appropriate therapies (for example speech and language therapy) are available to pupils who present with autistic spectrum disorder

Aspect B1 Provision for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds


Principles underlying provision and support for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds	The quality and appropriateness of school policies on access, admission, and participation of pupils from such backgrounds, and their consistency with current statutory requirements
	In line with the characteristic spirit of the school, the extent to which all pupils from such backgrounds are encouraged, facilitated and supported to participate in the life of the school
	How actively the school seeks, from all available sources, the required resources (including staff, funding and materials) to meet the educational needs of such pupils
	The extent to which the school collaborates and coordinates with other community providers in planning provision and delivering educational services
	The effectiveness of school procedures for liaison with other agencies, both statutory and voluntary, in meeting the needs of pupils from such backgrounds


School's provision and support for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds	The manner in which the school identifies and provides for the educational needs of pupils from such backgrounds
	The extent to which staff avail of professional development, particularly in the areas of teaching strategies and methodologies, to meet the needs of pupils from such backgrounds
	The support given to parents of pupils from such backgrounds, and other stakeholders, to participate in the operation of the school, and the way that participation is facilitated
	How effectively the implementation of Department of Education and Science schemes for pupils from such backgrounds is co-ordinated in the school
	The connections and structures in place to ensure that out-of-school support activities are optimised

Aspect B2 Provision for pupils from minority groups


Principles underlying provision and support for pupils from minority groups	The quality and appropriateness of school policies on access, admission and participation of pupils from minority groups, and their consistency with current statutory requirements
	In line with the characteristic spirit of the school, the extent to which all pupils from minority groups are encouraged, facilitated and supported to participate in the life of the school
	How actively the school seeks the required resources to meet the educational needs of such pupils
	The effectiveness of school procedures for liaison with other agencies, both statutory and voluntary, in meeting the needs of pupils from minority groups


School's provision and support for pupils from minority groups	The manner in which the school identifies and provides for the educational needs of pupils from minority groups
	The extent to which staff avail of professional development, particularly in the areas of teaching strategies and methodologies, to meet the needs of pupils from such backgrounds
	The support given to parents of pupils from such backgrounds to participate in the operation of the school, and the way that participation is facilitated
	How effectively Department of Education and Science supports for pupils from minority groups are utilised

Aspect C Social Personal and Health Education


Policy and provision	The extent to which school management, staff, parents and, where appropriate, pupils are consulted and participate in the development, review and evaluation of the school's overall policy on social, personal and health education and of key elements of that policy (e.g. RSE and Substance Use)
	The quality of overall provision for social, personal and health education
	The extent to which the social, personal and health education programme reflects the characteristic spirit of the school and takes a whole-school approach


Implementation	The manner of implementation of the social, personal and health education curriculum
	The effectiveness of the social, personal and health education programme in addressing the needs of pupils through the formal SPHE curriculum
	The extent to which parents are informed of, and consulted about, the implementation of the social, personal and health education programme

Aspect D Supporting the pupil - home, school and community


Pupil care within school	The level of integration between the code of practice in relation to pupil behaviour and the school's policy on pupil care
Pupil care within school	Reflecting the characteristic spirit of the school, the manner in which the spiritual development of pupils is addressed


Provision for co-operation between school, home, and community	School policy and documentation on co-operation between home, school and community; the extent to which policy is supported by the management and staff
	The structures that exist to facilitate co-operation between home, school and community
	The extent to which support and help from parents and from outside agencies are sought, and the level of provision for joint training for parents and teachers to assist them in working together
	The extent to which the school collaborates with other agencies, both statutory and voluntary, in the wider community, to supplement its own support for children who are at risk
	School policy and practice in relation to parents' involvement in their children's learning and study, and how they are supported in this involvement
	The appropriateness of measures in place to enable parents to participate fully in the education of their children, especially to alleviate the effects of disadvantage
	The use made of referral and counselling services (where appropriate)

Involvement of pupils in the organisation of school activities

The extent to which pupils are enabled and encouraged to be involved, at an appropriate level, in the organisation of school activities

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