A DEPARTMENT of Education inspection into the teaching of English at St Tola’s in Shannon was very positive about the standard of education there.
The summary of its findings stated, “The quality of pupils’ learning in English was very good. The pupils were making very good progress in their language learning.
“The learner experiences in English were of a very high quality.
“The quality of teaching was very good. The quality of assessment was very good, with excellent practice observed in the analysis of assessment information and in pupils’ self assessment.”
It also stated that the quality of planning was excellent and the whole-school plan for teaching English was “highly supportive of teachers’ practice and pupils’ learning.”
The report stated that learning outcomes at the school are very good. “In almost all classes, the pupils were able to recite rhymes and poems. Early literacy skills were very well-developed, and most pupils demonstrated strong word attack skills. The pupils were making very good progress in their phonological and phonemic awareness. Most pupils demonstrated very good fluency in reading. All pupils had access to differentiated texts and they spoke confidently about their reading. They read and listened to a range of novels. Most pupils demonstrated very good knowledge of the comprehension strategies, including predicting, visualisation and inferring.”
It found a very positive environment at the school. “Interactions between teachers and pupils and between the pupils’ themselves were highly respectful and conducive to wellbeing. The pupils were confident and worked well independently. They were given the opportunity to work collaboratively and independently during English lessons. Classrooms were print rich environments overall. In some instances there was scope to display the pupils’ work more prominently. In some classes, displays of relevant vocabulary were evident.”
It praised the standard of teaching. “The quality of teaching was very good. The teachers demonstrated high expectations of pupils. Classroom management skills were very good. The teachers prepared very effectively for lessons. High levels of reflective practice were evident in teachers’ written preparation, which informed the next steps in pupils’ learning.”
It found that there was plenty of support for pupils with additional requirements. “The quality of support for pupils with identified learning needs was very good. An effective balance of in-class and withdrawal approaches was evident. Student support files were in place which were easy to interpret and share. Targets were specific and measurable, and underpinned by rich assessment data.
“Provision for pupils in the special classes was highly commendable. Activities were based on the pupils’ needs. This helped to ensure that they made progress in their language learning.
“The quality of assessment was very good, with some excellent practice observed.”
A response from the school’s Board of Management said it was very pleased with the findings. “The Board of Management of St Tola’s NS welcomes this very positive report on the teaching of English in our school. The Board is particularly pleased that the report highlighted that interactions between teachers and pupils and pupils themselves were highly respectful and conducive to wellbeing. The Board is pleased that the high quality and varied teaching approaches employed across all class levels ensures that pupils are making very good progress in this subject. We are also delighted that whole school planning in English was found to be excellent and that the commitment by our staff to teacher professional learning was recognised.
“We are fortunate in St Tola’s that a culture of collaboration and professional dialogue amongst our staff ensures very good outcomes for our pupils.”
At the time of the inspection in November the school had an administrative principal, ten mainstream class teachers and five special education teachers (SETs). It had a special class for pupils with autism and a special class for pupils with multiple disabilities. There were 211 pupils enrolled in the school.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.