Report criticises Lisdoonvarna school’s board of management

The Department of Education and Science has advised the board of management of a North Clare school to familiarise itself “as a matter of priority,” with guidelines on the constitution of such boards and their rules of procedure.

The department made the recommendation after a Whole School Evaluation (WSE) of Scoil Éinde Naofa in Lisdoonvarna. The inspection took place on February 8 last year but was only published by the Department of Education and Skills recently.
The WSE report makes a number of key recommendations, with three directed towards the school’s board of management. It advised “as a matter of priority, the board should familiarise itself with the contents of Board of Management of National Schools: Constitution of Board and Rules of Procedure (Department of Education and Science, 2007). The board should access further training opportunities to enable it to discharge its duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Education Act (1998).”
It also states that “communication and collaboration among members of the board of management should be improved” and that the board should arrange for the development of a strategic plan to address certain areas in organisational and curriculum planning. The report notes that the board meets regularly and some board members give generously of their time in helping with the maintenance of the school buildings and in keeping board minutes and maintaining financial records. It says that the board “discharges some of its duties effectively” but adds that the work of the board of management could be further developed.
“The board members, at the pre-evaluation meeting, stated that they were not fully aware of their votes, duties and statutory obligations. Some members of the board accessed training but were of the view that such training was insufficient and did not provide them with clarity in respect of their roles and responsibilities. Concerns were raised about adherence to proper meeting procedures and the confidentiality of board meetings and decisions. Some members of the board stated that they were unsure of the procedures relating to the investigation of complaints and the implementation of behaviour and bullying policies in the school,” the report states.
“At the pre-evaluation meeting, a poor working relationship was observed among a small number of board members. It is apparent that collaboration among some board members is generally poor. To date, the board has not adequately fulfilled its role in terms of the development, consideration and ratification of whole-school policies. Some discussion has taken place on policies concerning complaints procedures and the issues of behaviour and bullying but, for the most part, policies required by statute or Department of Education and Skills guidelines have been drafted by the staff but have not been presented to the board of management for consideration and ratification,” the WSE report reads.
The board, the inspection report notes, should become fully aware of its statutory role. “In particular, the board’s role in overseeing the whole-school planning process should be prioritised. It is recommended that the board seeks the necessary assistance from the patron of the school and the support services to enable it to fully understand its function and obligations.”
The Department said the “ratification of the draft Child Protection Policy should be addressed immediately.”
The overall timbre of the WSE report on the quality of support for children and the quality of learning and teaching was positive with numerous strengths outlined. It did recommend that general communication, fluency and confidence of pupils, in Irish, be further developed. The teachers at the 105-pupil school were describes as “conscientious and diligent in their work” and support for pupils in special education settings was seen to be “well structured” and “provided in an affirming and positive atmosphere”. The report also found that pupils are taught in an “attractive and well-maintained learning environment”.
The role of parents was praised in the report, which credited them with supporting “the work of the school through a range of commendable activities and initiatives”.