Leadership+ Issue 100 September 2017

ISSUE 100 / SEPTEMBER 2017

+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CELEBRATING

100 ISSUES

Specially commissioned poem to celebrate our 100th issue!

Advice to a Centurion Listen. You can never listen enough.

Lead them from the front, make them your army.

Gather these soldiers, bring them to the battlefield:

the undipped sub in a permanent state of fervour, the recently-permanent reveller, in a state, who rushes in as the morning bell rings, but dips out with the parents,

the ardent Christmas concert ivory-tickler seeking out extra time in the hall, the hardened curmudgeon in his ivory fortress seeking out extra ways to undermine,

the hidden artist lighting fires behind closed doors, the con artist that fires his lies in the open, the alpha-male, the bravo from the panel, the real Charlie.

the fáinne-wearing Gaeilgeoir pushing for more teanga neamhfhoirmiúil, the county All-Star hurler after scoring the winning point, the hurler in the ditch

Gather these soldiers, bring them to the battlefield.

Lead them from the front, make them your army.

But listen. You can never listen enough.

pointing out your every fault, the coffee-fuelled mother just back from maternity leave, the fledgling soldier the mother hens fawn over, fuelling their empty nests,

By Simon Lewis, Principal of Carlow ETNS and a member of IPPN’s National Council

Your Feedback on Leadership+ In May, we consulted with members in relation to Leadership+, to see what content you read and don’t read, what you would like to see and what suggestions you have to enhance the publication.

The following are the key findings: I A very high percentage of readers ‘always read’ the Legal Diary, BoMrelated items, Education sector updates and Fógraí; Significant numbers also read the Reflections (Damian White) and Leadership Support (Angela Lynch) columns I 88% rate Leadership+ as either Excellent (32%) or Very Good (56%) I 18% say they would prefer an ePublication to a hard copy (up from 6% in 2013) I 79% share Leadership+ with their colleagues (75% in 2013); 18% always share it with the secretary and with the chairperson of the Board of Management I Almost half (46%) would like it twice per term; 31% would like it monthly!

Topics you would like to see include: Conflict resolution and interpersonal issues – real scenarios and how they were resolved I More tips for different aspects of the job, such as planning, recruitment, administration, policy formation I Practical advice for teaching principals I Self-care / wellbeing for school leaders I

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Interpretation of circulars The role of deputy principal, both teaching and administrative Case studies on managing change The burning issues of the day Projects schools have undertaken – school garden, library, playground upgrades.

Suggestions to enhance Leadership+ included: I Something light-hearted for the frazzled reader

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Focus on the challenges of multigrade classes and small schools An ePublication would facilitate sharing with staff and board members.

As always, your feedback is taken on board in reviewing our supports and services. We will work on delivering on the suggestions received. Please send any other suggestions or comments to the editorial team by email to editor@ippn.ie.

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David Ruddy looks back over his contributions to Leadership+.

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100+ Achievements

In line with the clearly-defined aims of the founding members of IPPN, as outlined in its first newsletter, IPPN has achieved much for school leaders over the past 17 years.

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34

The Highs & Lows

Follow 17 years of ups and downs (and everything in between) of IPPN and education in Ireland.

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Reaching the milestone of issue 100 is an opportune moment to look back and reflect upon the reporting of these many achievements and the individuals involved.

Our Presidents

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4

Legal Diary

Issue 100

9

We look back at our IPPN Presidents and the contributions they have made to the organisation.

Seán Cottrell

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THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS

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+ Leadership

32

Read some enlightening excerpts from Seán’s keynote speeches at IPPN Annual Conferences over the years.

Irish Primary Principals’ Network, Glounthaune, Co. Cork • 1890 21 22 23 • www.ippn.ie I I

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Editor: Geraldine D’Arcy Editorial Team: Geraldine D’Arcy, Páiric Clerkin and David Ruddy Comments to: editor@ippn.ie Advertising: sinead.omahony@ippn.ie ISSN: 1649-5888 Design: Brosna Press

The opinions expressed in Leadership+ do not necessarily reflect the official policy or views of IPPN

Signposts ISSUE 100 / SEPTEMBER 2017

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CELEBRATING

100 ISSUES

Key Statistics 2000-2017 How primary education has changed since IPPN was founded and Leadership+ was first published DES CIRCULARS

STATISTICAL COMPARISON

683 circulars relevant to the primary sector alone have been issued since 1973, 651 of these were issued since 2000. It is worth noting that 95 circulars were issued to primary schools in the first 30 years, then 588 were issued in the next 13 – proof of what every school leader has been saying – that the pace of change has been increasing exponentially – and this is without accounting for the numerous programmes and initiatives introduced without any circulars attached! How schools, and particularly school leaders, can be expected to understand and absorb, let alone manage and embed this volume of change in their operations is quite simply beyond comprehension. Minister Mary Hanafin presided over the period with the highest number of circulars issued by the DES – 278 in 4 years, from 2004 to 2008.

A comparison of the 1999/2000 school year vs 2015/2016 (latest available statistics) provides the following evidence of significant change in the resourcing of primary education

Year

No. Circulars

Year

No. Circulars

1973

1

2004

36

1982

1

2005

32

1988

1

2006

83*

1990

1

2007

69

1991

2

2008

58

1992

1

2009

29

1995

2

2010

46

1996

2

2011

39

1997

9

2012

21

1998

2

2013

43

1999

10

2014

31

2000

12

2015

42

2001

10

2016

36

2002

18

2017

23**

2003

23

Total

683

* highest number in any one year. ** By 10 Aug 2017 The following ‘Wordle’ captures the common language used in the 60+ programmes and initiatives introduced into the primary education sector in recent years. The source list is by no means exhaustive and is based on IPPN’s work-in-progress Calendar of Reform. The image indicates the prevalence of words such as strategy, implementation, leadership, inspection and development across the change agenda.

Statistic

1999/2000 2015/2016

No. schools

Variance

3,293

3,262

-9.4%

121

138

14%

444,310

553,380

25%

No. pupils in special schools

7,228

4,355

-40%

No. SEN pupils in mainstream

8,743

8,070

-8%

No. pupils in multi-grade classes

55,279

38,802

-30%

No. pupils in classes with 40+

691

420

-39%

No. pupils in classes with 35-39

20,006

8,290

-59%

No. pupils aged 3 or under!

492

0

-100%

No. multi-grade classes

2,780

1,988

-28%

No. new schools built

6

20

233%

No. refurbs/ extensions

29

13

-55%

708

1,345*

90%

20,075

34,576

72%

20.3:1

16:1

-21%

Average class size

24.8

24.9

.4%

Total expenditure

IR£863.5m

€3,488m

218%

€287m

264%

No. special schools No. pupils (in schools aided by DES)

No. ‘non-teaching’ principals No. teachers Pupil : Teacher Ratio

(€1,096.42m) Capital expenditure

IR£62.1m (€78.85m)

* 2014 is the lastest data available.

PERCENTAGE OF 4 YEAR-OLDS The proportion of 4 and 5 years-olds attending primary schools has changed significantly since 2000. In the school year 2000/01, 47% of 4-year-olds and 52% of 5-year-olds were enrolled in primary school. In 2016/2017, owing to the free ECCE provision, the percentage of 4 year-olds attending primary school dropped from almost half to just over a quarter - 27%. Almost three quarters of 5 year-olds now attend primary school – 71%.

Sources www.education.ie - Publications & Media Library/Statistics: 1999-2000 and 2015-2016 http://www.wordclouds.com/ 2

Info source: IPPN Calendar of Reform

September 2017

CELEBRATING

EDITORAL

ISSUES

ISSUE

100

The achievements of an organisation are the results of the combined efforts of many individuals. Reaching the milestone of issue 100 is an opportune moment to look back and reflect upon the reporting of these many achievements and the individuals involved. Leadership+ has been the primary means of sharing many momentous occasions with our members such as the opening of the Support Office in Penrose Wharf in 2000, the secondment of Seán Cottrell as National Director in July 2000 and the issuing of circular 14/02 which permitted boards of management to pay for IPPN membership.

Leadership+ has supported school leaders since the first issue was published in 2001 through the provision of relevant information in an easily-digestible format.

School leaders have been given ‘food for thought’ in relation to areas of policy and research within the education sector such as religious education in schools, proposed reform of the curriculum, differing views regarding school policy and legislative developments in the educational landscape. The editorial team has fed back to members regarding research conducted on their behalf. This research as well as the many submissions and position papers published by IPPN has influenced policy-makers and key stakeholders with regard to national policy.

School leaders from the different school contexts have been profiled in

School leaders have been encouraged to think pragmatically about their role and how it can be made more manageable. It is critically important that school leaders can focus on leading and managing the quality of learning in their school. The challenge of prioritising has been addressed in a number of issues.

PÁIRIC CLERKIN AND DAVID RUDDY

Leadership+ has supported school leaders since the first issue was published in 2001 through the provision of relevant information in an easily-digestible format.

Leadership+. This has raised awareness of the diverse challenges within the different sectors such as the intolerable workload of the teaching principal and the daily challenges of the special school principal dealing with significant and extremely challenging behaviours. Many articles have highlighted the inspirational practice of our school leaders who enthuse and develop the team through excellent communication and promoting the values of mutual respect and trust.

A number of national associations such as NAHT in the UK developed their own leadership magazine having followed the development of Leadership+. The sharing of such publications has brought an international perspective to our readers through the sharing of international practice. In many cases this has offered a different outlook on school leadership and the role of Principal / Deputy Principal.

The 99 issues to date are a testament to the legacy of Seán Cottrell who has lead IPPN through seventeen years of growth and development. His vision was inspirational. He understood the challenge of school leadership and was passionate about providing support to help reduce the workload. It will be our privilege to build upon the solid foundations laid down by Seán. We will focus our attention on the priority issues affecting school leaders in all types of schools, and the critical importance of leading the learning of our young people.

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CELEBRATING

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

100 ISSUES

Legal Diary

100 My introduction to the idea of a legal diary came after I was asked to act as legal advisor to IPPN. Founding member Pat Meagher approached me in Thurles Education Centre after doing a legal presentation. My initial thoughts were that one might be hardpressed to come up with relevant materials for Leadership + on a regular basis. Little did I know that the future would produce such a bountiful store

DAVID RUDDY BL IPPN PRESIDENT

of materials available in the form of case law and legislation affecting schools. Duty of care and negligence claims are and will continue to be part of the school landscape. It must be acknowledged that health and safety legislation has contributed to a decline in such claims against schools. This benign atmosphere has been further enhanced by the widespread employment of ‘pupil personal accident’ insurance policies.

The game-changing piece of legislation was the Education Act. This was the first significant piece of education legislation affecting primary schools since the foundation of the State. The fallout from this Act was immediate and positive. Many articles were dedicated to the requirement of schools to have admission policies and codes of behaviour. Parents could appeal the decisions of Boards of Management (BoMs) to refuse admission, suspend or expel pupils under section 29 appeals. Special Education Needs (SEN) pupils took centre stage. Previously there were a number of high-profile cases regarding the interpretation of constitutional rights under article 42 of the Constitution. This persuaded the government to acknowledge the rights of SEN pupils. Schools opened their doors to pupils with a wide range of

The game-changing piece of legislation was the Education Act. This was the first significant piece of education legislation affecting primary schools since the foundation of the State.

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LEGAL DIARY September 2017

diverse needs. Pupils with SEN by and large did not need to be bussed to schools outside their local catchment area. The government, through the Department of Education and Skills (DES), walked the walk by providing schools with resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs).

Currently there are over 7,000 resource teachers and 13,000 SNAs in schools. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 further provided the detail for the provision and management of SEN services. Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) became an important part of our lives.

Ironically, many parts of this Act still need to be commenced. Personally, the most satisfying part of this Act was the definition of Learning Disability as ‘A restriction in the ability of a person to learn’. Eight years previously, disability was described as ‘A condition, illness or disease’. Thanks to both these pieces of legislation, schools have for many years had large ‘Fáilte’ signs on their gates for all pupils, regardless of their needs.

The Education Welfare Act 2000 modernised our approach to school attendance. It created the National Educational Welfare Board which has since been subsumed into Tusla. Strict reporting mechanisms for school absences were put into place and there were a small number of prosecutions for school nonattendance. It is, however, mostly a ‘carrot rather than a stick’ approach.

There were a number of high-profile cases regarding expulsion and refusal to admit pupils. In summary, schools that have robust policies in relation to admission and behaviour have nothing to fear from the courts.

written contracts tripped up many schools. Access to Medmark and good professional advice has helped schools negotiate away from the Courts and Tribunals. The procedures for dealing with professional competence and other disciplinary matters as contained in DES Circular 60/09, along with the commencement of certain sections of the Teaching Council Act, have been of much assistance to schools.

The Education Welfare Act 2000 modernised our approach to school attendance. It created the National Educational Welfare Board which has since been subsumed into Tusla.

The Child and Family Act of 2015 and the same-sex marriage referendum have highlighted how much our society has progressed. Schools, which are a microcosm of society, are required to accommodate and facilitate non-traditional family units.

Gender transition accommodation, like cultural diversity in the past, is requiring schools to be resourceful and sensitive.

In the 75th edition of Leadership+, I hailed the introduction of the Education (Admissions to School) Bill 2013. This Bill has been amended by a number of different Ministers but has not been enacted yet. Austerity has had its effect on the salaries of school staff through the recession. However, successive governments should be credited with the new school building and refurbishment programmes. The most needy pupils with SEN or in DEIS areas have also by and large been protected.

THE FUTURE Looking ahead, I see greater regulation of schools and the teaching profession.

More legislation will evolve over the years. Informal and casual practices will be less evident. The bonus will be that there will be greater clarity as to how we run schools. Principals will need to continually upskill to cope with a more demanding environment. This is what being principal is all about.

Child protection has been a huge focus of attention for schools. Children First was published in 1999, revised in 2011 and the Children First Act 2015 was accompanied by a number of DES circulars and guidance. This welcome development did place new and necessary compliance requirements on principals and BOMs. Garda vetting for all employees and relevant persons in schools is in place and should be fully achieved, retrospectively, for the remaining teaching staff by the end of this calendar year.

There were many employment law cases covered over the 100 issues.

Informal practices and the lack of

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CELEBRATING

100 ISSUES

Legal Diary

through the years 3

Nov-00

Education Welfare Act 2000

34

Oct-06

Employment Law

4

Jan-01

The Education Welfare Act (2000) Summary

35

Dec-06

Redefining Section 29 of the Education Act 1998

6

Jun-01

Equal Status Act 2000

35

Dec-06

Garda Vetting

7

Oct-01

Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures

35

Dec-06

Procedure for appointing ancillary staff

36

Feb-07

8

Dec-01

The Discipline Chronology

12

Jun-02

Education Welfare Act

Implementing the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004

13

Oct-02

When can a parent appeal a decision to refuse to enrol a pupil in a particular school?

37

Apr-07

Implementing The EPSEN Act 2004 (continued)

38

May-07

Is your child Catholic enough to get a place at school

14

Dec-02

Enrolment Issues

14

Dec-02

Education Welfare Act

39

Jun-07

Occupier's Liability

40

Sep-07

Rights of all parents irrespective of their marital status

41

Nov-07

Can we have faith in our schools?; IT Lecturer convicted of assault; The G Case

16

Jun-03

Specific Purpose Contracts

17

Oct-03

Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2003

17

Oct-03

Administration of Medicine

18

Dec-03

Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2003

42

Dec-07

New Board of Management/ New Priorities

20

Apr-04

Bullying - The Nano Nagle Case

42

Dec-07

21

Jun-04

The publication of school inspection reports

Health & Safety Executive advice on preventing slips, trips and falls in the education sector

22

Oct-04

McGinn v Board of Management and Dept. of Education

43

Feb-08

Towards a School Principal’s Contract / Teachers settle school bullying claim case

23

Dec-04

Running on School Playgrounds

44

Apr-08

Mobile/Camera Phones and Bebo

24

Jan-05

Negligence and Liability

45

Jun-08

25

Feb-05

Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004

Discrimination: Always a Fertile Ground for Litigation

46

Sep-08

Failure to Maintain Supervision Rota Results in Negligence for School

Litigation in relation to stress claims by staff in schools

47

Nov-08

Codes of Behaviour - New Guidelines 2008

48

Jan-09

Codes of Behaviour - New Guidelines contd.

49

Mar-09

Health Service Executive must disclose confidential information given by teachers to social workers

26

May-05

27

Jun-05

Primary Principal Wins Supreme Court Appeal in Landmark Ruling on the Publication of School Inspection Reports

28

Oct-05

Contracts of Employment

29

Dec-05

School Absenteeism

30

Jan-06

Fairness of Procedures and Due Process are Essential Ingredients in any Code of Discipline

50

Apr-09

High Court quashes Section 29 Appeal Committee Decision in landmark decision

51

Jun-09

Principals Right To Allocate Classes Undermined By Decision of Employment Appeals Tribunal

Book Review - “Religion, Education, and the Law in Ireland” by Dr Dympna Glendenning BL

52

Sep-09

The application of a school's code of behaviour applies to special needs pupils

53

Oct-09

School's policy on appropriate dress code for First Holy Communion Boys not discriminatory

31

Apr-06

32

May-06

The Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005

33

Jun-06

Poor School Attendance, A Battle Worth Fighting

6

CELEBRATING

September 2017

100 ISSUES

54

Jan-10

Principal dismissed for alleged bullying is awarded €55,000

55

Mar-10

Dodgy reference allegations, offloading of pupils, transfers, and the rights of parents to send pupils to a school of their choice

76

Sep-13

Separated father fails in discrimination case against primary school; Child protection watchdog calls for extension of guardianship rights

77

Nov-13

School principal successfully thwarts Board of Management attempt to demote her in landmark Section 24 case; New health and safety templates for primary schools

56

Apr-10

School sports/the teaching of physical education

56

Apr-10

Fixed-term and Specific Purpose Contracts in plain English

78

Jan-14

Anti-bullying Policy – Regulatory and legislative considerations

57

Jun-10

DES Circular 60/2009 – Professional Competence Issues

79

Mar-14

58

Sep-10

DES Circular 60/2009 – Other Disciplinary Issues

The Louise O’Keeffe Case - Implications for Schools and the Department of Education & Skills

80

May-14

59

Nov-10

Essential Legal Policies for Schools

60

Jan-11

Vetting

61

Mar-11

School entitled not to take Autistic Boy with Significant Development Delay and Significant Learning Disability'

Less favourable treatment of pupil by school principal results in €700 fine; Court decides on post primary placement for 6th class pupil; personal insolvency and principals

81

Jun-14

Teaching Council reluctant to hold disciplinary hearings in public; The age of consent

82

Sep-14

SNA awarded €255k against BoM in bullying case

83

Nov-14

Data Protection and the Primary Online Database

84

Jan-15

Does a shortened school day for a pupil amount to discrimination?; The recruitment of ancillary staff

85

Mar-15

No blame policy and poor record-keeping when dealing with bullying behaviour is unacceptable

62

Apr-11

Primary school discriminates against Traveller pupil in enrolment application

63

Jun-11

Teacher awarded €88,000 in damages as a result of being bullied by school Principal

64

Sep-11

‘Indirect Discrimination by school in admission policy held to be justifiable’; Fixed-term and Specific Purpose Contracts – in plain English;

65

Nov-11

Children First - National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011

66

Jan-12

Court rules in favour of school in expulsion case

86

May-15

Compulsory Registration and Continual Professional Development are the main ingredients in Education (Amendment) Bill 2012

Compulsory retirement age; Mother of Traveller student fails in discrimination case

87

Jun-15

Admissions to Schools Bill

67

Mar-12

88

Sep-15

Managing sick leave

68

Apr-12

Traveller Pupil fails in discrimination case against school

89

Nov-15

Unsuccessful candidate fails in challenge to appointment of school principal

69

Jun-12

Pupil with specific language and learning difficulties fails in action for discrimination and harassment against school

90

Jan-16

School's dismissal of teacher upheld

91

Mar-16

The school's duty of care to pupils

92

May-16

The Children First Act 2015

70

Sep-12

Court rules in favour of school principal in dismissal case

93

Jun-16

The commencement of statutory requirements for Garda Vetting

71

Nov-12

Risk Assessment and the Safety Statement

94

Sep-16

The Children and Family Relationships Act 2015

72

Jan-13

Health & Safety of the principal; Children Referendum; Cyber bullying and the law

95

Nov-16

Garda Vetting

96

Jan-17

73

Mar-13

Is Section 24 dealing with underperformance in schools?

Complaints against schools to the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO)

97

Mar-17

74

Apr-13

Cyber-bullying; New Health & Safety guidelines to be issued for academic year 2013/2014

School liable for payment to teacher whose Teaching Council registration has expired

98

May-17

Negligence

75

Jun-13

75 Issues - A Reflection

99

Jun-17

Caretaker Unfair Dismissal

To access these Legal Diary articles, go to www.ippn.ie and select Supports/Leadership+, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the relevant school year.

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

CELEBRATING

100 ISSUES

Contributors to Leadership+

Over the years, readers will have noticed that some people have written numerous articles for Leadership+. In some cases, communication through our member magazine is part of their role, as is the case with the CEO, President and Editor of the day, as well as members of the IPPN leadership team, who write about their work for and with school leaders. These individuals are mentioned elsewhere in this issue and we thank them all sincerely for their contributions.

David Ruddy and Damian White deserve special mention. Both Damian and David are full-time principals running busy schools, and both have served significant amounts of time on the IPPN Board of Directors. On top of that, they have gone well above the call of duty in writing for Leadership+ since the very beginning, providing

Rich Burchill, Dan Daly, Ciaran McMahon, James Joyce, John Curran and Seaghan Moriarty. We also need to mention Máire Áine Uí Aodha, Martin Stynes, Peter Coakley and Peter Creedon, who have also contributed a number of excellent items over the years – sometimes a good while after their own retirement!

principals, deputy principals and key stakeholders with information, stories and practical guidance in their own inimitable ways. Thank you both for everything.

It would be remiss of us not to mention a few other people who have written a significant number of articles over the years. We have asked them to contribute again and again (or published their unsolicited articles) as they always hit the mark, have something interesting to say and an ability to put it across succinctly, often with a bit of humour to lighten the mood! The editor also appreciates when they send their articles in on time, fully proofed and ready to publish! Among these contributors are Robbie O’Leary, Peter Long, Simon Lewis, Paul O’Donnell, Cóilín Ó Coigligh, Pat Gately, Caoimhe Máirtín,

We thank them all, indeed we are grateful to every single contributor over the years, as each person has brought their own experience, knowledge and understanding of the education system to bear on the content of Leadership+, helping to make it what it is today.

If you would like to submit a short article (400 to 600 words) for consideration by the editorial team, please email editor@ippn.ie.

Thanks to IPPN Sponsors We very much appreciate the support of our sponsors and partners over the years - they help to fund vital supports and services for school leaders, including Leadership+. We thank our strategic partner Allianz in particular. Allianz have sponsored activities of IPPN since 2001; facilitating the provision of our Leadership Support Service to members. Their professional

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M M L X V N O E E C W Y I O V E K W C B

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X C M L G A S I N G U D C I C A R E J A

guidance support to IPPN and schools in relation to avoiding the common pitfalls for organisations and employers is invaluable.

I N H J A E I L H C S N E D C F X I O D

R Z B A R B M N A Y I U C L M U T W O E

O E E T R O O E I T U P P I I O L E Y R

B C S I J T D R N N I H A P L N D U W S

I N W P O R E G A T G O O L O C E C M H

K G I Q O Z S R T T O W N K L R S S A I

I O L B O N J Y L K E U P D X H T G R P

F V E I N F S N P L A N N I N G S U F X

T E A D M I N I S T R A T I O N F C W T

S R R H H K Z C B D E P A R T M E N T V

H N N L F Y T D T I W P A R E N T S B V

M A I D Q C I R C U L A R S K Q N E E U

N N N F P O L I C Y A I F P U P I L S P

G C G Q M T B Q E S X S T I I P T F S O

T E A C H E R V S T A F F Y W R J K N Y

CELEBRATING

September 2017

100

IPPN Presidents 2000 – 2017

ISSUES

JimHayes 2000-2003 – Founding President Jim, who was principal of Scoil Oilibhéir in Ballyvolane, Cork, presided over the initial stages of development of IPPN and, together with the newly-appointed National Director Seán Cottrell, proceeded to set the structures and foundations for the organisation, including the Constitution of IPPN still in use today. He also helped to convince the DES of the need to allow Boards of Management to pay the annual membership fee of IPPN, which helped the growth and credibility of what was a fledgling professional association at the time.

Other notable milestones during Jim’s presidency included: I Publication of the first IPPN Newsletter in April 1999 I The first official IPPN meeting was held in June 1999 between interim officers of IPPN and officers of the INTO I DES Ministerial letter dated 18th January 2000, signed by the Minister for Education & Science, Micheál Martin TD, stating that the Department “recognises the pivotal

I I

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I I I

I

I I I

I

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role of the Principal in the school community and is positively disposed towards providing support towards the establishment on a nation-wide basis of this new organisation”. The Department further stated that it would provide for “the secondment of a Principal Teacher (…) to act as a Director to the Network .....”

Responsibility for overseeing an independent process for the appointment of the first IPPN Director in 2000 Official launch of IPPN by then Minister for Education and Science Michael Woods in February 2000 at Dublin Castle IPPN Annual Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Conferences organised, providing school leaders with relevant and inspiring professional development specifically for their leadership role Mentoring programme for newly-appointed principals created in 2001 Ground-breaking research on the role of Deputy Principal in 2001 Seminars on SEN; leading in a culture of change (Michael Fullan); Teaching & Leading in the Knowledge Society (Andy Hargreaves) Publication of the HayGroup report, commissioned by IPPN on “Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland”, in 2002 EducationPosts.ie recognised by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, in 2002 First AGM of the fully-elected National Committee and Executive was held in May 2002 Leadership Development for Schools (LDS) team was established - IPPN worked closely with the LDS team regarding our Mentoring Programme – 2002 In School Management - A Critical Review published - a break-through document, describing the role of the ISM team and the potential difficulties it posed for Principals, in 2003 Publication of the Primary Education Management Manual (PEMM) – the first of its kind in primary education, produced by IPPN in collaboration with Thomson Roundhall Press.

Jim, who was principal of Scoil Oilibhéir in Ballyvolane, Cork, presided over the initial stages of development of IPPN

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

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IPPN Presidents 2000–2017

VirginiaO’Mahony 2003–2005 Virginia, principal of Scoil Chaitríona Senior, Renmore, Galway took over the presidency from Jim in October 2003.

The focus of Virginia’s presidency was to continue to develop IPPN services to a growing membership. As the role of the primary principal became more complex and demanding, the challenge at this time for IPPN was to develop practical relevant supports for members. There was significant growth in the demand for confidential Principal Advice on an individual basis. IPPN’s relationship with the other education partners and agencies was further enhanced, ensuring that the voice of principals was heard on issues which impacted on their crucial leadership role.

The challenge of the new system for the provision of resources to children with SEN was uppermost in the minds of principals. IPPN continued to play an active role on the DES working group dealing with Principals’ Workload and the role of the ISM team. Principals asked to be allowed to lead the teaching and learning in their schools.

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IPPN co-hosted with the National Association of Head Teachers, Northern Ireland (NAHT-NI) the first-ever crossborder conference of school leaders in Ireland, sharing experiences in delivering education throughout the whole island of Ireland.

In March 2005, IPPN and NAPD hosted an historic event in Cork - ICP’s Council Meeting was attended by 60 delegates from 30 countries across 6 continents. Cork was European Capital of Culture at the time. A symposium was held during the conference on ‘The challenge of recruiting and retaining school leaders’. Professor John Coolahan, NUI Maynooth and Dr. Séamus McGuinness, TCD addressed the symposium.

IPPN worked in co-operation with Dr. Mark Morgan of St. Patrick’s College of Education and published a breakthrough research document ‘In School Management - A Critical Review’, describing the role of the ISM team and its shortcomings.

Other key achievements/ challenges included: I

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IPPN hosted workshops facilitated by Professor Michael Fullan on the topic of ‘Leading in a Culture of Change’ Boards of Management – A Framework of Good Practice was published jointly with CPSMA, ‘The Principal and the Law’ online course was facilitated by David Ruddy By introducing the ‘Ten Commandments for Self Care’, IPPN highlighted the need for principals to be vigilant about their own health and welfare The National Council for Special Education took over the key functions in relation to SEN provision from the DES Whole School Evaluation was gradually rolled out by the Inspectorate

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Principals begin to experience the demands of Section 29 appeals IPPN Bursary 2004 was awarded to Marie Dunphy, Principal of St Fergal’s JNS, Bray, Co. Wicklow and Helen O’Sullivan, Principal of Holy Rosary School, Wicklow. Helen and Marie undertook a study visit to New Zealand on the topic of ‘Leadership Development for the Learning Community’ IPPN Bursary award 2005 went to Siobhán Cartúir, Gaelscoil na Rithe, Meath and Mary McGarry, Our Lady of Good Counsel National School, Drimnagh, Dublin who undertook a study visit to Ontario, Canada The Garda Vetting Unit began to ‘vet’ new teachers and school employees in 2005 One teacher schools founded a support group to highlight the difficulties of their situation New Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principals was published Research was undertaken on Principals’ Workload, Attitudes and Aspirations towards the Role of Principal, Healthy Eating Policy/Sponsorship in Schools and SEN Provision.

Dr Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin addressed our annual conference.

Virginia was appointed Assistant Director of IPPN in September 2007 and retired in 2015.

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IPPN Presidents 2000–2017

TomásÓ Slatara 2005–2007 It is worth noting that Tomás was the first president to be seconded to IPPN for the full duration of his presidency. Up to then, presidents undertook their work either fully or partially while running their schools, in Tomás’ case, Scoil Náisiúnta na Gráinsí, Clonmel, Tipperary.

Tomás was a strong advocate for Teaching Principals. Focus on smaller schools and the role of the Teaching Principal was a priority during this period and Tomás initiated the granting of two IPPN bursary awards for clustering to smaller schools in Cork and Longford. The strengthening of the North/South links between IPPN and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) was another priority and resulted in an historic first ever North/South Leadership Conference and Principal Exchange visits in 2006. The challenges and opportunities presented by the cultural diversity in our schools was a priority for discussion at IPPN and North/South conferences as well as county network meetings.

The publication of ‘Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar: Distributing Leadership - Deputy Principals’ was a milestone for IPPN as also was the publication of Ciall Ceannaithe – Sound Advice

and Borrowed Wisdom for aspiring and newly-appointed principals. Research on school governance was initiated with the co-operation of the management bodies. The underfunding and lack of planning by government for IT provision in our schools was highlighted, as also was the need for a national database for all the children in our schools.

Benchmarking was a key topic of discussion at county network meetings and Principals were impressed that IPPN showed leadership on this with the publication of ‘Investing in School Leadership’. Professor Michael Fullan’s publication ‘Quality Leadership <=> Quality Learning - Proof beyond reasonable doubt’ contained critical recommendations for school leaders, government and IPPN that will merit discussion for many years to come.

The provision of joint professional development seminars for primary and second-level Principals and Deputy Principals was another significant development and these were delivered in co-operation with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD). Tomás was the first IPPN President to speak at an NAPD Conference in October 2006. A number of key seminars were delivered during Tomás’ presidency, including seminars on leadership and management by Dean Fink, Professor Michael Fullan and Professor Andy Hargreaves, and Your School and the Law facilitated by David Ruddy.

A key resource for school leaders - Principals’ Information Management System (PIMS) ‘desk diary for Principals’ was first issued in July 2006. It was designed to help manage information as well as time, to be shared by the Principal, secretary and Deputy Principal. The IPPN constitution, with which Tomás was closely involved from the founding of IPPN, was formally ratified in October 2005 and IPPN was awarded 'charitable status' in March 2007.

In October 2006, Founding IPPN President, Jim Hayes, was awarded the Mazars Education Award in recognition of his contribution to the professional development and support of school leaders since IPPN’s formation.

Tomás was a strong advocate for Teaching Principals. Focus on smaller schools and the role of the Teaching Principal was a priority during this period

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

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LarryFleming 2007–2009 Larry was principal of Ballinamere NS, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, one of the first primary schools in Ireland to open an Autism Unit. Larry’s presidency of IPPN saw a number of challenging but exciting developments. One of his main priorities was Special Educational Needs and ensuring that school leaders were well-informed and provided with highquality CPD in relation to best practice in SEN provision.

During his term as president, IPPN engaged in a number of major projects including the initial planning for a brand new Support Office in Cork, the commissioning of a Schools Resourcing Project and the completion of a study on school governance. A number of on-line courses for Principals and teachers were developed and delivered during the two years of his presidency.

The work of ‘An Bord Snip Nua’ led to a severe budget in December 2008, galvanising IPPN into presenting a 10-Point Plan for system reform to the Minister of the day, Batt O’Keeffe at IPPN Conference 2009 in Killarney. The issue of child protection was brought into the public consciousness in 2008-09 as a result of the Ryan and Murphy Reports and IPPN was prominent in the media during this period in calling for a radical review of church/state relationships.

IPPN also played a central role in highlighting the issue of water charges for schools, presenting to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education.

The Benchmarking 2 Report was released in January 2008.

IPPN’s submission ‘Investing in School Leadership’ played a significant role in the final recommendations as Principals were identified as the only group in the entire education sector deemed deserving of a pay increase. Incidentally, this increase has not materialised as of yet.

EducationPosts.ie became Ireland’s foremost education vacancy advertising website following the long-awaited decision of the DES to allow for web-based advertising of school vacancies from Jan 1st, 2008.

During his term as president, IPPN engaged in a number of major projects including the initial planning for a brand new Support Office in Cork, the commissioning of a Schools Resourcing Project and the completion of a study on school governance.

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Some challenges facing school leaders at the time included: I Water charges and overall school funding – IPPN conducted an analysis of the basic running costs of schools in relation to the level of capitation grants being provided I Lack of supports for children with Autism I Raising awareness of the importance of physical education in combatting obesity I The role of religion in Irish schools.

Other milestones during Larry’s presidency include the publication of three key documents: I Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar - Distributing Leadership – outlining the benefits of co-leadership and distributed leadership in schools, and the importance of the role of the deputy principal I Ciall Ceannaithe – Sound Advice and Borrowed Wisdom for Newly Appointed Principals – a compendium of ‘sound advice’ and practical support for new principals undertaking their leadership role I Boards of Management - A Framework for Good Practice – practical guidance to school leaders and board members on all matters relating to school governance.

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IPPN Presidents 2000–2017

ISSUES

PatGoff 2009–2011 Pat was principal of Scoil Mhuire, Coolcotts, Co. Wexford, a large school with a number of special classes. Pat took over the presidency at a time when many challenges were arising from the serious economic situation in the country. Principals faced diminishing resources, salary reduction and a lowering of morale in schools. Despite these challenges, Principals offered strong and positive leadership in their school communities.

Pat has represented IPPN on numerous working groups relating to Special Educational Needs over the years, a role that continues to this day. His work on behalf of children with SEN and their families has ensured that their voice, and the voice of the school leaders working to support them, are heard by decision-

and policy-makers across the education sector.

During Pat’s time as IPPN president, IPPN presented at Misneach and Spreagadh programmes, had three very successful seminars presenting Your School and the Law and had the largestever attendances at Principal’s and Deputy Principals’ Conferences. IPPN also dealt with more professional queries from members than ever before, over 4,000 between 1st July 2009 and 1st July 2010, reflecting both the increased complexity of the leadership role and the faith members have in IPPN’s ability to provide support.

Professor John Coohalan spoke at the Deputy Principals’ Conference in 2009 on the topic of ‘stepping up to leadership’ – at the time, this was the largest-ever gathering of Deputy Principals with well over 400 attending.

Seminars on Your School and the Law, Mentor Training and Professional Briefings by agencies punctuated Pat’s presidency.

Some issues that occurred during Pat’s term included an outbreak of swine flu, an INTO directive, severe flooding, and further cuts to school funding.

Some key milestones during his term included: I Virginia O’Mahony taking up the Presidency of the International Confederation of Principals from January 2011 I The new, purpose-built National Support Offices of IPPN opening at Glounthaune, Co. Cork I The joint publication with the National Parents’ Council – Primary of Supporting Each Other: a guide to best practice for the effective partnership between Principals and Parent Associations I IPPN’s 10-year report Deich mBliana ag Fás was published, the first retrospective of IPPN. Pat was appointed Deputy CEO of IPPN in September 2015.

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Gerry Murphy 2011–2013 Gerry was principal of St Joseph’s NS, Dundalk, Co. Louth. A true champion of the marginalised, Gerry always highlighting the issues in relation to equity of access to education, food poverty, parental support and all kinds of disadvantage.

During his presidency, schools continued to attempt to ‘do more with less’, while striving to safeguard our most vulnerable children. The erosion of ISM teams continued to have a significant impact on leadership capacity, while workload issues continued to grow. A particular frustration was, and continues to be, the workload increase for the Teaching Principal.

Budget 2011 resulted in the total withdrawal of resource teachers for traveller children. DEIS schools serving the larger traveller communities were further targeted as ‘low hanging fruit’. The other ‘low hanging fruit’ in education identified by Budget 2012 were small schools with less than 4 teachers.

Principals serving communities of disadvantage were not willing to sit back and let this continue. All the supports that had been put in place to create a culture of social inclusion along with the integration of children with Special Needs into local schools were eroding before their eyes. A strong localised lobbying campaign resulted in the withdrawal of proposed DEIS measures. Although the measures against small schools were not reversed, another genie had been released from the bottle in that small schools that up to now had been operating in isolation had formed a network based on a collective need – Save Our Schools. The main issues which solidified both these grassroots movements had to do with the reversal of proposals which further threaten educational outcomes for children.

Key milestones, challenges, projects during Gerry’s term as president included: I Lord David Puttnam, Former President Mary Robinson and Professor Michael Fullan address IPPN Conference 2012 I IPPN Report ‘Primary School Governance – Challenges & Opportunities’ was published I Ministry for Children set-up by new government – welcomed and advocated for by IPPN I Teaching Council’s initial proposals re. Career Entry Professional Programme (CEPP) were ‘a bridge too far’ I School Self Evaluation initiated by the Inspectorate I Development of Teaching Principals’ Clinics I IPPN join Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSCs), nationally and regionally I Collaboration with Department of Children and Youth Affairs on ‘hearing the voice of the child” I 24 industry and third-level leaders attended IPPN’s Leadership Symposium to discuss such topics as STEM and The Arts in education, entrepreneurship and curriculum reform I IPPN work with DES to improve the operation of Redeployment Panels I An external review of IPPN’s work was undertaken by Accenture to ensure that our work is done in line with best practice. Our programme of work was developed to enable IPPN to achieve the organisational goals set out in our strategic plan.

I ISM moratorium results in an increase in workload for principals and deputy principals I Withdrawal of substitute cover for Principals and Deputy Principals for CPD events, including IPPN Annual Conferences – has a disproportionate knock-on teaching principals I Development of Recruitment, Communication and Deputy Principal Resource Bundles I Increase in the number of children coming to school hungry – conference attendees hear the results of IPPN questionnaire to membership in Jan 2013 I IPPN’s call for national children’s database and electronic system to replace outmoded Roll Books and Registers meets with the approval of the Secretary General at Conference 2013 I Development of video clips for online and other CPD I Survey of Teaching Principals highlights children in crisis I President of Ireland Michael D Higgins; Fr Peter McVerry; James Whelton, co-founder of CoderDojo; Mark Patrick Hederman, Abbot of Glenstal Abbey addressed IPPN Conference 2013 I CPD needs I Minister for Education & Skills Ruairi Quinn attends meeting of the IPPN Executive Committee in June 2013 I Leadership Support programme initiated to help 6 school leaders with significant challenges in their leadership role - led by a trained group of retired principals I Priorities for Principal Teachers - research undertaken I Teaching Principals Summer Course a highlight I IPPN’s Leadership Development Plan 2013-2017: A Case for Support was published.

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IPPN Presidents 2000–2017

BrendanMcCabe 2013–2015 Brendan was Ireland’s youngest-ever principal when he was appointed principal of Heronstown NS in Meath at the tender age of 20. He was principal of St. Colmcille’s School, Kells from 1988 until his retirement. He has a particular expertise in bullying prevention and relationships with parent bodies, including parent associations and has delivered extensive CPD on these topics.

Priorities for principal teachers and principals’ health and wellbeing were some of the key highlights during Brendan’s presidency.

We had been concerned about the effects of stress created by work overload on principals’ health. To address and attempt to quantify this, IPPN and NAPD engaged Dr. Philip Riley, an Australian educationalist with a specialism in this area, to conduct a Health and Wellbeing Survey. The resulting report - Irish Principals & Deputy Principals Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing Survey Report 2015 - was launched at IPPN Conference 2015 and Dr Riley briefed senior DES officials, employer (management body) and union representatives on the findings. No longer could it be denied – school leaders’ health and wellbeing is badly affected by the stresses of their leadership role, and something needs to be done to alleviate it.

To assist our members to prioritise the vast array of tasks that arise within their own school context, we published Priorities

for Principals Teachers – In Clear Focus. The document guides principals in a very practical way in relation to those responsibilities they must personally undertake, those they can share or delegate as well as those that can be deprioritised or halted.

During his term as president, IPPN initiated the Children’s Alliance, calling for government spending to prioritise the needs of children, both educationally and socially. Having discussed the ongoing problem of principals’ administrative work overload with Minister Ruairi Quinn, he invited IPPN to draw up a document outlining where duplication was taking place regarding information being sought from schools by different agencies, including different sections of the DES. The resulting submission was presented to the minister and his officials and was a key input in the design of the Pupil Online Database, which now captures much of the information.

Our submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education & Social Protection on Priority Issues for Leadership in Schools has been very useful to highlight key issues with stakeholders.

Resource Bundles on School Self-Evaluation, Child Custody and Access, Communication, School Improvement Planning, Teacher Absences and Supervision were developed to assist principals with these complex matters.

IPPN’s participation in a DES working group on school leaders’ professional development culminated in the initiation of the Centre for School Leadership and programmes of coaching and mentoring for principals.

Key milestones, challenges, projects Visits to school leaders in a variety of school types - in Mayo, Donegal, Meath and Dublin to hear first-hand about the challenges and opportunities involved in running their schools I We ran an Education Think Tank, chaired by Claire Byrne of RTÉ and attended by 35 business leaders and education academics, connecting the worlds of education and business I Development of IPPN promotional video clip I The Leadership Support Programme was expanded to support those principals who may be experiencing extreme difficulty and stress in their role. The service is provided by a group of trained retired principals I Teaching Principals Summer Course expanded I Various governance-related projects undertaken, particularly in relation to compliance with the Charities Act, the development of a Code of Governance and amendments to our Constitution and Articles of Association.

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Brendan was the Minister’s nominee to the Teaching Council, a role he undertook from 2012 to 2016. He was a member of IPPN’s Board of Directors in an ex-oficio capacity for two years after his presidency until August 2017.

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MariaDoyle 2015–2017 Maria was principal of Our Lady of Mercy SNS in Waterford City until August 2015 and has brought huge energy to the work of IPPN at a time of transition. Maria represented IPPN on the original consultative group revising the DES Child Protection Procedures for Primary & Post Primary Schools (2010/2011) and is currently working with the group to revise the procedures in line with the Children First Act 2015. She is part of the consultative group updating the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2015/2019 with the DES. Maria has been a member of the team representing IPPN at the working group for the Centre for School Leadership established in 2014 by the DES. She represents IPPN on the DES Advisory Group for SSE and also represents the organisation as a member of the Children’s Rights Alliance agus ar An Coiste Comhairleach um Polasaí Oideachas Gaeltachta. At international level, Maria represents IPPN on the Council of the International Confederation of Principals (ICP). IPPN along with NAPD will host the next meeting of ICP Council in Killarney in August 2018.

A key IPPN milestone during Maria’s presidency was the launch of the Centre for School Leadership pilot programme in December 2015, a partnership between the DES, IPPN and NAPD. Its initial focus was on the development of coaching and mentoring programmes for principals and on the post-graduate diploma in school leadership, all of which are well underway at this stage.

A ‘Leadership Café’ was held in 2016, bringing together IPPN’s Board, Council, staff and ‘critical friends’ - to review IPPN’s work and provide input to our new strategy. IPPN 2020 was published, providing an overview of IPPN’s Strategic Plan for the period 2016-2020. A new vision statement ‘Empowered

Leaders; Inspired Learners’ was adopted, encapsulating the work IPPN is doing with and for school leaders. Four new strategic objectives were adopted, future-proofing IPPN to meet the needs of tomorrow’s school leaders.

Towards a Better Future – A Review of the Irish School System was the culmination of significant research commissioned jointly by IPPN and NAPD and undertaken pro bono by five distinguished educationalists – Drs John Coolahan, Sheelagh Drudy, Pádraig Hogan, Áine Hyland and Séamus McGuinness.

The book is an objective, evidence-based appraisal of the recent past and current issues in Irish schooling and a view to a better future. It will be of value to all stakeholders in education – practitioners, policy-makers, students and those interested in Irish education.

As chairperson of the Board of Directors, Maria oversaw the completion of work relating to IPPN’s compliance with legislation, ensuring openness and transparency in all our work. The first non-principal was appointed to the Board of Directors to bring an external view to the governance functions of the Board. An external Company Secretary was appointed to oversee the functions of the Board and give further assurance of compliance - both with legislation and with best practice.

Possibly the most significant milestone during Maria’s presidency was her oversight of the transition from our first CEO, Seán Cottrell, to his successor, Páiric Clerkin.

Other milestones during Maria’s term include: National symposium on Emotional Wellbeing in Schools attended by 500 teachers, principals and education agency staff raised awareness of this significant issue among key stakeholders I Working Group on Emotional Wellbeing initiated with IPPN, NAPD, Ombudsman for Children, the Teaching Council, NEPS and the DES Inspectorate to develop the thinking put forward at the symposium and to bring best practice to the fore at a follow-up event in Sep 2017 I Surveys of principals and deputy principals highlighted key issues in relation to the Droichead process; Digital Strategy; New inspection models; the principal’s role – tenure, step back, admin support, facilities, ISM; special schools; gaelscoileanna; curriculum, and emotional wellbeing.

I The IPPN one-teacher schools project has involved school visits, a symposium and in-depth research on the health, safety and wellbeing of one-teacher schools. A set of key recommendations in relation to the specific challenges in these schools is being brought to the DES and management bodies for their action. The alleviation in Budget 2017 for Island Schools (a second teacher in some cases) was a welcome development.

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IPPN Presidents 2000–2017

DavidRuddy 2017–2019 David was principal of Talbot Senior National School in Clondalkin, Dublin until he retired in August 2017. He has been the author of the Legal Diary since Leadership+ was first launched in 2000.

David qualified as a barrister and has lectured extensively over the last 20 years. He was legal advisor to IPPN and has facilitated a number of one-day seminars on the subject of Your School & the Law as well as short seminars on avoiding litigation, family law, education law and SEN at numerous IPPN conferences. He has also presented numerous courses for Education Centres. He lectures in law in Marino Institute of Education and Trinity College Dublin. David is a legal editor of the Primary Education Management Manual published by Thomson Round Hall and is a member of FLAC. He is also a lecturer and an examiner for the Law Society of Ireland.

As IPPN President, David hopes to enhance the advocacy role of IPPN, harnessing members’ influence and position to progress the issue of increased release days for teaching principals and to lift the moratorium on In-school management, initiatives which would make the job of the school principal more sustainable.

with

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REFLECTIONS CELEBRATING

100 ISSUES

HAS

Leadership CHANGED? My first day at school came in June 1970 as the last vestiges of the old teachercentred curriculum cranked towards their ignominious conclusion. I had just turned 4 and, as was the custom then, next year’s infant crop was shuffled in on top of an already tired teacher in the junior half of a two-teacher Gortnamona NS. On top of 4 classes, poor Mrs. Kinsella now had to cope with 6 extra sweet girls and one little snottynosed wildcat who was distantly related to her.

The first day’s sos beag brought the first encounter with the principal as she gave me at least 3 slaps on the back of my limp little paw for having run up the road, following my father who happened to drive past the school on his Massey Ferguson 35 at the wrong time. I was probably on a yellow card with the teachers who were both on yard duty at that stage, having delved into a cream bun my mother had given me for lunch, approximately 10 minutes into the morning’s first lesson. Forgive my mother - I was the first child and the bun was probably a bribe. Mind you, even today, a cream bun still tastes better in school than anywhere else, a bit like sweet tea while saving turf on the bog.

Our principal, contrary to the above impression, was a wonderful, considerate and forward-thinking woman who promoted the arts at every opportunity and for whom the new child-centred curriculum must have had as liberating an effect as the recent referendum had for those whose relationships were previously legally restricted. She would have been freed from the yoke that was the Primary Cert, an academic rite of passage which allowed those leaving education after primary school to do so with some adjudication on what they’d learnt.

Donogh O’Malley had introduced free secondary education some years before, which had signalled the demise of a test by which teachers were judged 18

perhaps due to the threat hanging over them should they smile.

DAMIAN WHITE PRINCIPAL OF SCOIL SHINCHILL, KILLEIGH, CO. OFFALY AND IPPN PRESIDENT-ELECT

and at one stage, an arbiter for the rate at which they were paid. A long-retired principal from that era, with a fearsome reputation back then, explained to me that with small wages and a big family, he had no choice but to deliver education by force. We might question if it was an ‘education’, but his honesty possibly explains why the bata was his main teaching aid. It also highlights the dangers of any form of payment by results.

After mailing out this years’ reports, including standardised results, and dealing with the usual calls from those parents seeking advice, comfort or solace in those last two weeks of last term, I found myself reflecting on whether we had stumbled into a Primary Cert scenario again, where the STen is used as currency by which teachers and schools are judged, and whether in order to achieve high scores, the arts and other subjects are reduced in importance to facilitate this.

I get a curious kick from old school photographs, especially those preceding my time at school. Teachers are almost invariably clad modestly and conservatively. The principal usually stands out for their stern expression, whether above a stiff collar and tie, the white Christian Brother hoop or within a starched wimple of a nun’s traditional headdress. Often the children are sadfaced and withdrawn in these photos,

Our principal was, by contrast, a beautiful, exotic looking lady who dared to teach us pop songs of the day and arranged music recitals for us. She alluded to, and frightened us with mystic stories associated with the local lake and the remains of ancient buildings around its shores. She gave me a manuscript and told me to write a book. When I finish it, I will dedicate it to her. When Maura Carr died aged just 46, it broke my heart. Like many school principals, I have those I channel when facing a difficult situation or decision what would they do or say? I once heard her talk of where she would like to take the school. It was her mission statement. I’m not sure if she ever wrote it down or stitched it into a written school plan. I know that her vision was one I share and try to live up to.

SO, HAS LEADERSHIP CHANGED? In 1998, at a pre-IPPN Principals’ Conference in Malahide, the longestserving Principal present described the duties when he arrived in his small rural school in 1958, which involved the roll call, leabhar tinrimh, the annual school insurance, sorting the winter’s turf and, least appealingly, raking the dry toilets’ sandpit. Tell that to the next teacher who complains that their interactive board is blinking.

The roll still needs calling, though new data systems offer great help. Insurance is still paid. Oil has replaced turf. Toilets are cleaned by others, though they still block, and the principal is expected to get things moving, so to speak!

Leadership is now, for worse, associated with monumental piles of paperwork.

But schools are today, generally kinder and more welcoming places. The only slap on the hand now administered is a high five. Lunch is healthy, school bags light, schools are fun places. Just as Maura Carr envisioned.

CELEBRATING

September 2017

100 ISSUES

A stand-out article from the Leadership+ archive…

LateNightFarewell

By Tony Healy, originally published in Issue 67, March 2012, taken from his posting to the networking mailing list on 16th January 2012, the night he retired from St Oliver Plunkett School, Malahide, Co. Dublin It’s 10.20 on a dark cold Sunday night. I stand there, keys in hand having just locked the school gate for the last time.

All around is eerily silent in the blackness of a winter’s night. I should be elsewhere but I’ve just spent two days clearing out “my” office - the hoardings of 40 years.

Tomorrow our new Principal, Claire, is taking over - a female so the office must be clean and tidy because females can never understand how men can work amidst clutter .

As I look up the long drive to the School on the Hill, my forty years flash before me, gone in the twinkle of an eye. The thoughts of that very first day when I arrived to a wee country 3 teacher school in a Boyd Barrett Building. It was like going home to my roots in the midlands, those same roots that sustained me through my 40 years. God bless the strong traditions and values learned from my late mother in that little thatched country pub. I gaze misty-eyed at the building which is similar in age to myself but showing less wear and tear and will still be around long after I’m gone. My eyes trace the outline of the silhouette of the school, the biggest in Ireland with over 920 pupils. A village within a village, with a daily population of staff, pupils and parents outnumbering many of the towns around. The long drive seems darker tonight as it nestles in the shadow of mature native trees grown from saplings reaped from my father’s farm by this Johnny Appleseed.

I’m surrounded by the ghosts of the four thousand pupils I have seen through the school and the spirit of the 70 colleagues presently in the school and the many who have left for other shores or gone to reap their eternal reward in the great white schoolhouse in the sky, the most recent and saddest our lovely Niamh Chinn Óir.

My mind wanders back over the many changes that have occurred. I chuckle at the notion that we were paid for the summer holidays back then having worked a mere 6 days; the leisurely pace of life in those early days - the half days at the drop of a hat, or the drop of a ball if you were in the winning county after the All-Ireland; the full days off for the local pageant or

fair, full day closures for the parent teacher meetings. Closures for weddings and funerals, for snow and for storms - “Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end”.

The 54 boys in my very first class will soon be celebrating their 50th birthdays no worse for the class size, or the corporal punishment, the poor facilities or the days off. They are scattered around the world but still keep in touch.

As I scan the schoolyard surrounded by portacabins that are a health hazard, I think of the progress and the milestones that dotted the 40 years: I the day in 1973 when the first phone was installed in school and the mad rush from all 3 rooms the first time it rang - now all children carry a phone in their pockets; I the day the spirit duplicator arrived and the speed at which it was pressed into service and later the clankety-clank of the Gestetner now every class has its own multipurpose photocopier scanner printer; I the day I proudly unveiled my reel to reel tape recorder which I had worked part time in order to purchase - now every child wanders around plugged into their iPods and the 5000 songs they’ve downloaded from iTunes I the day the first fax machine arrived, long since made redundant by email which each pupil can send from their own 3G in their pocket or on their wrist I in 1980 the first BBC Computer arrived with its programs on taperecorder and its Mode7 8k memory now every child carries a 32GB computer around in their pockets and they’re all Bluetooth and Wifi and the devil knows what I the books borrowed from the local library now on each child’s Kindle I the arrival of the internet modem in the mid ‘90s and the hours spent wiring it up - now it’s wireless or bluetooth and in every child’s pocket I in recent days the arrival of our school’s first IWB – now superseded

by the iPads each child uses which are synchronised with the Apple on the teacher’s desk.

My ears are assailed with the sounds of concerts and carols, of musicals and choral recitals. All around me the sights of policies and procedures, winning and losing, Gaelic and Soccer, Basketball and Chess. I think of the hundreds of families, from the rich and famous to the pure salt of the earth; eight generations of pupils, some of the 8th class boys of the early ‘70s now back as grandparents.

What an enormous honour to have influenced so many young lives. I wonder what the future will hold. I know they will survive without me, but I wonder will I survive without them.

I think on those early days as Principal and the loneliness of the job. Networks - they were what the ESB were doing with the Rural Electrification Scheme. I recall the first Principal’s Association in the early ‘80s and the efforts of Drumcondra Teachers’ Center to form a Principals’ Study Group - but it was too heavy on academics. I think of the joy that greeted the news that Cork Teachers had formed Network Groups and the historical breakthrough in 1994 when the first National Principals’ Conference was organized - the barriers broken down, the loneliness and isolation gone forever.

Thank God for people like Jim and Seán and Máire Áine - people with vision.

I chuckle again at the thoughts of the 900 pupils eating ice-cream last Friday, but then the silence of the night is broken by the sound of a siren. I am brought back to reality and the thoughts of legacies left and dreams unfulfilled. I look at my watch.

It’s 10.45. How long have I been standing here lost in my thoughts? The voices are saying “go home old man – it’s time for bed - your day is done”. Ah, bed... Tonight, for the first time in 40 years there will be no schemes to write, no lists to prepare, no worries of what tomorrow will bring. The ‘Quiet Man’, the village schoolmaster can rest at last ....Good luck to the new principal. I hope she’ll enjoy her 40 years as much as I have mine.

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Aviate, Navigate

COMMUNICATE In reflecting on the last 99 issues of Leadership+, to which I have contributed 45 articles, and on the many changes reflected in our schools over that period, I have tried to identify some common themes and situations that remain relevant ‘no matter what’. I had that ‘Eureka’ moment in conversation with one of the members of the Leadership Support Team, who spoke about the Aviator’s Motto: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. I thought how much this can be applied to school leaders, how it brings us to the core of the leader’s role and encompasses many of the issues covered in this column over the past years.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate is a fundamental approach to flight situations, especially in emergencies. In aviation circles it has been found that many pilots get so focussed on solving a problem that they forget to fly the aeroplane. Take the example of Eastern Airlines Flight 401: the crew were so engaged with a burnt-out indicator light that they flew the plane into the ground.

Sometimes we can be so absorbed with the difficult interpersonal situations at hand, that the teaching and learning in the school suffers.

The simple motto of Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, is basic yet critical. It can make the difference between life and death in emergency situations. In schools, it could determine how you manage a particular crisis, have a profound impact on relationships and affect better outcomes.

AVIATE Always maintain positive control of the aircraft. If no-one is actively flying the aircraft, the results will be catastrophic.

Someone needs to be running the

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ANGELA LYNCH LEADERSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAMME MANAGER

school and making sure that the major responsibilities of the school are being met, despite having to deal with a difficult issue or conflict situation. In these situations, delegate one or other area to ensure effective aviation.

NAVIGATE Know where you are, the ground below you, the conditions around you and the journey ahead. The wise school leader will plan the next step and prepare for arrival (completion of project) before the plane departs. Don’t start a project unless you are sure that you can follow through and always finish what you started. IPPN’s publication Priorities for Principal Teachers - In Clear Focus could be particularly helpful here. It sets out guidance for prioritising between those key priorities principals must do themselves; other priorities they could delegate to or share with others; and other tasks they could deprioritise or stop doing.

COMMUNICATE The pilot communicates with crew members, air traffic control, passengers, and the airline company.

Communication methods will vary with each group, but it is important that the communication is clear, concise and

contains all the necessary details.

Letting stakeholders know that you are aware that a problem exists and that you are actively working on a solution establishes trust and credibility and enhances relationships. Let someone know your plans and needs. We all need to be heading in the same direction. I have always been inclined to think that people can read my mind! Just because I have an idea and know how I would like to progress it, does not mean that those around me know about it or about my plans. Now in everything I do, I build in a communication plan. What do I need to communicate and to whom?

Aeroplanes don’t fly without fuel. You, as a school leader, can’t fly without energy. It is essential that you feed your system. To sum up, maintain control of the aircraft, know where you are and where you intend to go and let people know of your plans and needs.

Those of you who are familiar with my column know how much I like to finish with a good quote!

‘The engine is the heart of an aeroplane, but the pilot is its soul’ Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh (Not the Sir Walter who was beheaded nearly 300 years earlier. This Sir Walter Raleigh is the official historian of the RAF.)

‘The most effective way to do it is to do it.’

Amelia Earhart To you and your school community this year, let me say, your wings are already in place – all you have to do is fly.

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+

Leadership How it gets from us to you...

Over the past 17 years and 100 issues, IPPN has worked with four wonderful graphic design, print and distribution companies to bring you the magazine you tell us that you enjoy. It would be remiss not to thank them all - Lion Print in Tipperary, Brosna Press in Offaly, Sooner than Later in Dublin and Cityprint in Cork - for their expertise, professionalism and the pride they take in their work.

Lion Print was founded in 1995 by Liam and Jon Stapleton in Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Liam was a former principal of Rosegreen National School, Cashel, Co. Tipperary and he worked with our first editor and past president Tomás Ó Slatara (also a Cashel man) and former editor Damian White to produce the first 21 issues, up to June 2004. Liam’s experience as a principal teacher allied to the creative talents of his son Jon were significant assets in ensuring that the design of those early issues was eye-catching and very much in line with IPPN’s branding.

BrosnaPress

genius of Senior Designer Andrew Moore, working closely with Creative Director Diarmuid, is a key element of the success of the publication – they spearheaded the redesign of Leadership+ in 2014 to reflect IPPN’s new branding. Andrew’s painstaking attention to detail with the design of each issue, sourcing the right image to accompany key articles and his overall willingness to go the extra mile, make all the difference to IPPN. The editors who worked with Brosna Press on issues 22 to 100 were Larry Fleming, principal of Ballinamere NS, Tullamore, Offaly and IPPN President 2007-2009, Damian White, principal of Scoil Shinchill, Killeigh, Offaly and Geraldine D’Arcy, IPPN Research and Publications Manager.

Sep 2013 onwards and are a joy to deal with. No problem or deadline is a big deal for the unflappable Michael Courtney and his team and the quality and workmanship they produce are second-to-none - we trust them to get it right every time.

We are very lucky to have a very loyal, professional team supporting us to get Leadership+ to you every few months and are indebted to them all. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.

Offering a Legal Seminar in

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Sooner than Later, based in Dublin, handle the packing and distribution of 7,000 copies of Leadership+ six times per year. They address, collate and pack the magazine and inserts into envelopes and get each bundle to An Post for onward delivery to schools and other organisations on time, with no fuss, issue after issue. They are a vital link in the chain and we thank Mark and his team sincerely.

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Since then, Brosna Press – a family business based in Ferbane and run by brothers Ciaran and Diarmuid Guinan printed each issue up to June 2013 and designed every issue to the present day. It is fair to say that the creative

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IPPNStaff through the years The following are the current Support Office staff who deliver all of IPPN’s supports and services, guided by the Board of Directors and the National Council, and supported by the Principal Guidance team, all of whom are full-time serving principals.

Páiric Clerkin

Caroline O’Dea

Jackie O’Reilly

Geraldine D’Arcy

CEO

Operations Manager

New Principals & Mentoring

May 2017 - Present

November 2002 - Present

April 2004 - Present

Research & Publications Manager

January 2005 - Present

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Jennifer McCarthy

Rachel Hallahan

Sarah McNamara

Angela Lynch

Membership & Events

Principal Information Officer

TextaParent Manager

Leadership Support Manager

September 2007 - Present

September 2008 - Present

September 2009 - Present

September 2011 - Present

Sinead Coakley

Claire O’Donovan

Jacqui Ahearne

Pat Goff

Sales & Marketing

EducationPosts.ie & CPD

Front of House

Deputy CEO

December 2011 - Present

April 2013 - Present

March 2014 - Present

September 2015 - Present

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Sinead O’Mahony

Ann Ryan

Donal Kerins

Jack Durkan

Expo & Advertising Sales

Leadership Support Officer

Leadership Support Officer

Leadership Support Officer

September 2016 – Present

September 2016 – Present

September 2016 – Present

November 2016 – Present

The following people helped steer IPPN to where it is today and have now moved on to other things:

Seán Cottrell

Louise O’Brien

Virginia O’Mahony

Nicole Walsh

CEO

Sales & Marketing

Assistant Director

Sales & Marketing

July 2000 - August 2017

August 2008 – March 2016

Sept 2007 – August 2015

August 2005 – June 2012

The following people helped deliver key projects for IPPN, as well as Jane Clayton who worked in the Support Office from September 2004 – June 2006, for whom no photo is available:

Lee Flood

Sarah O’Neill

Gillian Peters

Anna Lehane

Sept 2016 – June 2017

Nov 2016 – April 2017

October 2013 – March 2014

August 2006 - August 2008

Anna Brigitt Kleven

Sue Cowburn

October 2006 – July 2007

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Ministers for Education from 2000 to 2017

RICHARD BRUTON MAY 2016 TO DATE The new SEN resource allocation model “will deliver better outcomes for children with special educational needs”, and will eliminate “unfairnesses and other problems which exist in the current model” “I have set the ambition that within a decade, Ireland’s education service will be the best in Europe.” January 2017

JAN O’SULLIVAN JULY 2014 TO MAY 2016 Re. abolishing Rule 68 (that says religion must underpin the daily life of primary schools), the minister commented that it was “a symbol of our past, and not our future”, adding: “I’m glad it’s gone.”

RUAIRI QUINN MARCH 2011 TO JULY 2014 Patronage and pluralism: “I have always strongly believed, that knowledge of world religions is essential to understanding how our world works. And I have been equally clear that I have no desire to see an end to denominational education in Ireland. I have no wish to engage in culture wars, or to bring division to Irish society. We cannot pretend that our society has not changed. It has, and it will continue to do so. That is why we must continually reform our education system – so that it reflects and supports all of our people.”

MARY COUGHLAN MARCH 2010 TO MARCH 2011 Shortly before the recession… “Students should look to the future with confidence” Re. strategy on literacy and numeracy “These targets – for schools and the system generally – are challenging but realistic. To achieve them, we need to place a relentless focus on the progress of every child and on improving the core skills of language and numeracy at all stages of the educational system.”

BATT O’KEEFFE MAY 2008 TO MARCH 2010 “The Community National School will be an additional model of patronage and is not designed to replace existing models” (2008) “In these difficult economic times, there are no soft choices available in the prioritisation of public funding.” - Minister O’Keeffe justifies his proposal for the introduction of third-level education fees.

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MARY HANAFIN SEPTEMBER 2004 TO MAY 2008 “There will always be jobs for teachers” (2011) Re. Department audit of school enrolment policies and the number of travellers, newcomers and children with special needs in individual schools: “The evidence would point to certain schools assuming a greater or lesser share of the responsibility for meeting the full range of community needs.” “Certain subtle practices by individual schools can have the effect of discouraging particular groups - such as children with special needs - from applying for school places. We have to ensure that all schools are open to students of all backgrounds.”

NOEL DEMPSEY JUNE 2002 TO SEPTEMBER 2004 After stepping down from political life, former Minister Dempsey commented that all the positives elements of his three decades in politics were “almost blacked out” by the “cut, cut, cut” experience of his final three years. The experience of the financial collapse is “seared into his soul”. “Every day I regret the horrendous decisions that we made in government”.

DR. MICHAEL WOODS JANUARY 2000 TO JUNE 2002 Minister Woods negotiated the controversial compensation deal for abuse victims in 2002, capping the liability of the Catholic Church for child abuse compensation at €127 million.

“The deal was the best that could be done for the state without prolonged court proceedings involving the victims and the Government was not prepared to bring the victims into court” His strong Catholic faith made him “the most suitable person to negotiate the controversial compensation deal for abuse victims with religious institutions”

MICHEÁL MARTIN JUNE 1997 TO JANUARY 2000 “School principals are forced “to play God every year” and choose children for the two psychological assessments they are likely to be allocated, when the demand is much greater.”

At the launch of the Primary School Curriculum in Dublin Castle in September 1999, Minister for Education and Science Micheál Martin said: “I believe in an organic rather than a revolutionary approach to curriculum development. We should be continually monitoring the effectiveness of every curriculum in driving the achievement of core objectives and we should work on the basis of more gradual improvements.”

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100+ Achievements

by and for School Leaders ‘The Irish Primary Principals’ Network is a new national organisation which will seek to foster, coordinate and develop, in a structured manner, a culture of professional support and professional development for Principals. We would hope, through consultation and partnership, to actively inform and influence those who make policy decisions concerning Primary Education and especially in relation to our role as Principal Teachers.

Overall Aim of IPPN (2000)

To promote initial and continuing professional and personal development of Primary Principals, so that we will, with the support of Boards of Management, staff and parents, provide the best possible education for our primary school children.’

Leadership+ Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1 In line with the clearly-defined aims of the founding members of IPPN, as outlined in its first newsletter, IPPN has achieved the following for school leaders over the past 17 years: N Building on the enthusiasm at the first-ever Irish Primary Principals’ Conference held in Cork in 1994 attended by 250 principals, the seeds of IPPN were sown and nurtured N A national network of primary school leaders was created in 1999, providing professional supports and services for principals N The first invitation for a Principal (Ministerial) nominee to participate in a DES policy group was received in 1999 – Jim Hayes, Principal of Scoil Oilibhéir, Ballyvolane, Cork was nominated by Mr Micheál Martin, Minister for Education & Science, to the Working Group on the Role of the Primary School Principal N An official letter of recognition of IPPN was given to Jim Hayes, Raymond King and Tomás Ó Slatara by Minister Micheál Martin on January 19th, 2000 N The Irish Primary Principals’ Network was officially launched at Dublin Castle in February 2000 by Minister for Education and Science, Michael Woods N Leadership+ newsletter was launched in March 2000 to communicate key issues and professional guidance to school leaders. It was initially edited by Tomás Ó Slatara, principal of Scoil Náisiúnta na Gráinsí, Clonmel in Tipperary, and printed by retired principal Liam Stapleton of Lion Print in Cashel N Seán Cottrell, seconded from Glounthaune NS, Co. Cork, was 26

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appointed as first National Director of IPPN in July 2000 Professional Guidance has from day one in 2000 been a focal point for member support. This service is now provided through the Leadership Support team and provides a vital service for school leaders dealing with issues that cause stress or worry Networking peer-to-peer mailing list was initiated in October 2000 with 250 principals participating.

The sharing of knowledge and expertise grew very popular with school leaders – 9,935,489 individual emails were distributed across the network in 2016 IPPN has been a member organisation of the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) since 2000. Engaging with international professional associations for school leaders has resulted in a richness of shared learning, resources, expertise, and research A breaking down of barriers between schools - in support groups and networks of school leaders - has meant a sharing of expertise, resources and collegiality www.ippn.ie was launched in January 2001 as a one-stop-shop and a first-port-of-call for school leaders looking for practical resources, event information and CPD materials Public Relations, including press releases, opinion pieces, and letters to the editor - helps increase awareness and understanding among stakeholders, including the general public, of issues affecting school leaders. The first IPPN press release was issued on 15th Feb 2001

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the looming crisis in recruitment of school leaders.

The first media interview was conducted on 16th February 2001, during the first IPPN Conference, when Seán Cottrell was interviewed

by David Hanley on Morning Ireland on the topic of the challenges of school leadership IPPN Annual Principals’ Conferences provide a place for school leaders to network, share best practice, hear from inspiring keynote speakers, attend the Education Expo, and attend practical seminars – to improve their own practice and bring back a wealth of ideas to share with staff.

The first IPPN Annual Conference was held in February 2001 at the Corrib Great Southern Hotel in Galway.

First international links were forged in May 2000 when Tomás Ó Slatara and Paul Murphy attended the NAHT /UK Conference in Jersey and again in July 2001 when Colm Cregan and Tomás Ó Slatara attended the bi-annual World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals in Korea IPPN’s first research publication The Value of Leadership was launched in 2001. It remains a resource for students of Irish school leadership and management to this day IPPN made a significant contribution to the development of Leadership Development for Schools (LDS, a predecessor to PDST), which was established in January 2002 Annual Deputy Principals’ Conferences, which began in 2002 at the Heritage Hotel Portlaoise,

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enable Deputy Principals to network with their peers, facilitate and attend seminars on key topics, and hear from inspiring speakers, including other deputy principals to improve their own leadership practice and bring back a wealth of ideas to share with colleagues Official recognition of IPPN as a professional association was achieved - with the publication of DES Circular 14/02 Promotion of the role of Deputy Principal as a vital role in and of itself within Irish primary schools was a key concern at IPPN’s first conference for Deputy Principals in May 2002 at the Corrib Hotel, Galway EducationPosts.ie was launched in July 2002 by An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at St Patrick’s College Drumcondra - to provide an online method of recruiting staff in schools, and to replace very expensive and inefficient newspaper advertising Membership surpasses 1,500 schools - by September 2002, there were in excess of 1,500 IPPN members The provision of sample policies and templates was a key resource to school leaders - to facilitate the sharing of learning and expertise Principals gave voluntarily of their time, vision and expertise - as members of County and National Committees / Council and/or as members of the National Executive / Board of Directors TextaSub was developed in 2002 to provide a free, efficient way of finding substitute teachers at short notice – another early example of IPPN providing very practical support to school leaders to deal with day-to-day leadership and management challenges IPPN commissioned HayGroup to compile a research-led report – Defining the role of principal teachers in Ireland, published in 2002, which led to discussions with key stakeholders around the need to clarify the role and responsibilities of school leaders, which are still ongoing One-to-one mentoring of newlyappointed principals in their first year began in September 2002, as confirmed in E-scéal # 4 The development of a strong collaborative relationship with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) – our counterpart at second level dates back to 2002

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Airgead Bunscoile school finance package was developed in October 2002 by a group of principals coordinated by Donal Kerins - to manage school expenditure and income in a simple, free, easy-touse Microsoft Excel tool Membership surpasses 2,000 schools - by January 2003, IPPN has over 2,000 member schools In-School Management: A Critical Review was published in 2003 examining those issues that needed to be addressed to maximise the potential of the existing In-School Management structures for the benefit of all involved in primary education IPPN encouraged the development of Local Principal Support Groups - the only ‘meeting without an agenda or work’ that would provide mutual peer-to-peer support to school leaders – there were 342 active support groups in 2016 The Primary Education Management Manual was copublished with Thomson Round Hall in 2003, edited by David Ruddy, barrister and principal of Talbot SNS, Clondalkin. This was a unique resource bringing together all the essential legislation, DES circulars, policies and initiatives in a single publication President of the European Parliament Pat Cox addressed IPPN Conference 2004 The Education Expo at IPPN conferences – hosted each year from Conference 2004 - enables school leaders to view hundreds of Expo stands and talk directly with suppliers to see what services and products are available to their schools, without having to make a single phone call or view a single website!

IPPN’s collaboration with the relevant government departments resulted in children’s direct involvement in the appointment of the first Ombudsman for Children in 2004 - and schools’ participation in other joint collaborations TextaParent.ie was established in October 2004 - to facilitate low cost home/school communication by text message, avoiding the need to copy and distribute notes that get left in pupils’ school bags… It attracted much media attention and featured on Sky News!

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ISSUES learning including the Department of Education & Skills, management bodies, teacher union, teacher training colleges, Teaching Council, National Parents’ Council, National Council for Curriculum & Assessment, PDST and its precursor organisations, among other education agencies as well as the Ombudsman for Children, Barnardos and others working in the education sector The first North/South links were forged at a meeting with NAHT-NI (National Association of Head Teachers – Northern Ireland) in Belfast in 2001 - the first North/South Conference of primary principals, a collaboration between IPPN and NAHT-NI - was held in November 2004 in the Slieve Russell Hotel, Cavan. Another cross-border initiative took place in Armagh City Hotel in April 2008 The NcompasS (North/South) Project was supported by the British Council and Léargas New Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland was ground-breaking at the time of its publication in 2005 - it clarified for the first time the challenges of the role of Teaching Principal and set out possible solutions, including clustering. It was based on the interim report entitled The Future of Small Schools and Teaching Principalship, published in February 2004 and extensive additional research, including visits to schools in Catalonia, France and Sweden conducted by a dedicated 12-person committee jointly chaired by Dr. Mark Morgan, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and Tomás Ó Slatara , IPPN. IPPN’s International School Leadership bursaries - to New Zealand (Helen O’Sullivan and Marie Dunphy in 2004), Canada (Mary McGarry and Siobhan Cartuir in 2005) and Australia (Síle Uí Chiaráin and Cóilín Ó Coighligh in 2006) - provided important information about education systems and school leadership overseas, particularly in jurisdictions with significant numbers of small schools, as is the case in these countries The Constitution of IPPN Ltd. comprising a Memorandum and Articles of Association - was formally ratified in October 2005

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A Message Board for Teachers (hosted within EducationPosts.ie) provides a facility for teachers to share best practice and find answers to common questions E-scéal weekly email bulletins help school leaders stay informed of news and key deadlines relevant to school leaders, including Planning Prompts to remind very busy school leaders of the key activities they might need to consider in a given week. In June 2017, IPPN issued E-scéal # 493!

The Principal’s Information Management System (PIMS) was initially published in June 2006 – a vital tool to capture and have at hand all the key information in one place, including priorities lists, weekly and yearly diaries, and contacts lists IPPN has promoted the role of principal as the key influencer in schools – for example, through research commissioned by IPPN and conducted by Professor Michael Fullan in 2006. This research culminated in the publication of the seminal report Quality Leadership <=> Quality Learning - Proof beyond reasonable doubt. A key quote encapsulates the research conclusions: ‘There are no examples of schoolwide success without school leadership; all examples of school failure include weak or ineffective leadership. These findings are so consistent that one would have to ask, ‘What’s new?’ What’s new is a more detailed examination of how leadership influences achievement.’

Jim Hayes, founding IPPN president, was awarded the inaugural Honorary Life Membership of IPPN at Conference 2006 – presented by IPPN’s youngest member at the time, Carol White Investing in School Leadership was submitted to the Public Service Benchmarking Body in July 2006 – it was a landmark publication at the time, setting out the rationale for putting school leaders on a separate salary scale from teachers, and why principals should gain from the benchmarking process.

IPPN’s advocacy meant that principals were the only management group within the Public Sector to be awarded a Benchmarking increase - although,

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due to continued austerity measures, as yet this has not been paid!

Virginia O’Mahony, Scoil Chaitríona Senior, Renmore, Galway was the first Irish principal elected to the Executive Committee of the International Confederation of Principals – in April 2006 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Virginia was also first Irish Principal elected as President of ICP, serving from 2011 to 2012 IPPN was the first organisation to define the role of principal as a ‘leader of learning’ Submissions to the Department of Education & Skills in relation to key issues help influence decisionmakers, focus attention on school leadership challenges and on the need to engage with school leaders on matters that affect schools. 88 submissions have been made to date DES conferred ‘Designated Status’ to IPPN – recognising IPPN as an official Education Partner with corresponding consultation rights –

by Minister Mary Hanafin at IPPN Conference 2007. Since then, the DES are obliged to consult IPPN on matters concerning school leaders In 2007 and 2008, IPPN delivered On-Line Claims System (OLCS) training to primary school principals and secretaries from Malin to Mizen. Chuir IPPN an leagan Gaeilge den Leabhar Traenála ar fáil do scoileanna agus cuireadh traenáil ar fáil i nGaeilge do Ghaelscoileanna agus do scoileanna sa Ghaeltacht.

Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar was published in 2007 and launched at IPPN Conference – it helped to define the key role of Deputy Principal and set out several recommendations to make the most of this key middle leadership role and develop leadership capacity in schools IPPN Board member Pat Goff was invited to participate in the DES’ National Consultative Forum of the NCSE in 2007 The first Assistant Director of IPPN, Virginia O’Mahony - was appointed in September 2007 Ciall Ceannaithe – Sound Advice and Borrowed Wisdom for Newly Appointed Principals was first published in 2007 and distributed to new school leaders to help them get to grips with their leadership

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role. Since 2008, IPPN’s online course Ciall Ceannaithe has provided a wealth of practical information and guidance for aspiring or new school leaders – its content was initially based on the publication that bears its name.

A Legal Diary has been published in each issue of Leadership+ since 2000 - written by principal and barrister David Ruddy, it examines the legal implications of various school policies and practices The first time a sitting Uachtarán na hÉireann spoke directly to primary principals was at an IPPN event - at Conference 2008 in Killarney when President Mary McAleese addressed the attendees Professional Briefing Days have been held each Autumn since 2008 - bringing together key staff from across the education sector to brief school leaders together in one place on the latest information relevant to them, and provide opportunities to ask questions and raise issues directly with decisionmakers IPPN funds County Network CPD three times a year in each county – this started in 2009, according to our County Network Guidelines published in September that year The first sod was turned for IPPN’s permanent Support Office on Friday, 26th June 2009 by founding President Jim Hayes. The new Support Offices were opened in February 2010 at a launch event attended by founding members of IPPN and key stakeholders.

Deich mBliana ag Fás – which set out the key milestones of the first decade of IPPN in a ‘Reeling in the Years’-style format, was published in 2010 to coincide with the opening of the new National Support Office IPPN’s position papers capture school leaders’ views on key topics such as Administrative Days for Teaching Principals; In-School Management; Step-down facility for principals; and Special Schools – they help to clarify the issues and potential solutions. To date, 16 position papers have been adopted by the IPPN Board and Council.

To help school leaders engage more effectively with their parent body, and their parent associations, IPPN developed Supporting Each Other - a guide to best practice for the effective partnership between

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Principals and Parent Associations in partnership with the National Parents Council – Primary. It was launched by Minister Mary Coughlan in July 2010.

The Board of Management Resource Pack was issued in 2011 to all Boards of Management, along with the Board of Management Guidelines for Best Practice - to provide a practical guide to best practice and clear role descriptors for board members The appointment of a Minister for Children in June 2011 was a key milestone for Irish children and the education system – IPPN had advocated for this Ministry to be created for a number of years prior to its creation Resource Bundles provide all the key information about a particular topic in one place – examples include Absences and Leave; Parental Separation; Communication; and Recruitment and Appointments Primary School Governance – Challenges and Opportunities was published in 2011 - based on indepth research with 500 primary schools to highlight key issues and recommendations in the area of school governance and the relationship between principals and chairpersons IPPN Summer Schools for principals (since 2012) and deputy principals (since 2017) provide upto-date best practice guidance on a wide range of leadership and management challenges in a blended online and face-to-face approach IPPN lobbied hard over many years to lift the prohibition on principals taking up the role of learning support/resource teacher – this important change in policy was achieved in September 2012 Brendan McCabe represented IPPN and school leaders on the Teaching Council from 2012-2016 enabling primary school leaders’ views and issues to be raised and clarified at a key decision-making forum IPPN provides an online archive of CPD materials on a wide range of topics - Managing SNAs; Data Protection in schools; Managing Challenging Behaviour; and Child Protection, to name just a small sample Once wasn’t enough! In 2013, Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins addressed principals at the annual principals’ conference in Citywest

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The unique Headstart event initiated in August 2013 - helps principals new to the role of school leader to start off on the right footing and provides practical support to get through the first day, week and month in the role Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus: a resource to focus the attention of school leaders, Boards of Management and school staff on what are the real priorities in schools, was launched at IPPN Conference in January 2014 by Minister Ruairi Quinn The Primary Online Database (POD) was developed in 2014 after many years of lobbying by IPPN about the importance of being able to track our children’s education from pre-school to second and third-level In September 2014, IPPN initiated a pilot project to provide remote administrative support to principals in five small schools across the country – in Mayo, Sligo, Dublin, Tipperary and Louth IPPN and NAPD research into Health and Wellbeing of School Leaders in 2014 and 2015 highlighted significant risks that need to be addressed by management bodies and the DES – The report Irish Principals & Deputy Principals Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing Survey Report 2015 was launched at IPPN Conference by Minister Jan O’Sullivan. Teacher employers (management bodies), senior DES officials and union representatives attended a briefing to hear the specific findings and recommendations. This continues to be a priority for IPPN and NAPD. The research on Health and Wellbeing of School Leaders is now being conducted at an international level through ICP. ‘Continuum of Support’ – IPPN has shaped the language around CPD for school leaders to focus on the needs of aspiring school leaders, those new to the role, those in the role a while and those planning to retire or step down The development of the Centre for School Leadership (CSL) in 2015 as a 3-year pilot project was a key milestone for school leaders – the culmination of a number of years working in partnership with NAPD and the DES in a DES Working Group on school leaders’ professional development. Its initial programmes on coaching and mentoring should reap rewards in the coming years. Coaching of

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ISSUES principals was provided by CSLappointed professional coaches starting in 2017. CSL-trained mentors support newly-appointed principals in the first year of their leadership role.

IPPN member and director, Anna Mai Rooney of St Louis GNS, Monaghan Town, was appointed as Deputy Director (Primary) of CSL in 2015 Improvement to the staffing schedule for one-teacher schools was achieved in 2016 after discussions with the DES following our Symposium on OneTeacher Schools in October 2016 Member consultation surveys are conducted regularly on a wide variety of topics of relevance to school leaders – such research is a key tool to gather data as input to submissions, position papers and other advocacy activity IPPN strongly promotes the use of online tools to help school administration become more efficient - EducationPosts.ie, TextaParent.ie app and online payment facility, TextaSub, ippn.ie, the IPPN Dashboard and our use of SurveyMonkey.com rather than hard copy questionnaires are just a few examples IPPN is represented on the Board of Archways, the organisation responsible for the delivery of the Incredible Years Programmes in Ireland – Padraig McCabe is the current representative Mailing lists for specific types of school enable school leaders to engage on topics relevant to their particular school - small schools, Gaelscoileanna, schools with Autism Units, new principals, principals of one-teacher schools, among others IPPN was been represented on the Committee of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) by Elizabeth Moorehead from 2015 to 2017.

IPPN lobbied extensively over two decades to increase the number of administrative/ release days for Teaching Principals to provide more time for leadership and management responsibilities. The small increase in 2015 was a step in the right direction!

The joint IPPN/NAPD national symposium on Emotional Wellbeing: At the heart of school communities in November 2015 brought together stakeholders from across the education and social care sectors to discuss what 29

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needs to be done to ensure that all schools genuinely place emotional wellbeing at the centre of their work, both for pupils and staff. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny addressed the attendees. A follow-up event in September 2017 will showcase best practice in developing a culture of wellbeing in schools, bringing awareness to practice.

The IPPN Dashboard was created in 2015 to create a simple portal to key information – news, events, key dates, recent DES circulars, latest networking emails, access to the school TextaParent account and an area for users to create links to their own favourite websites In 2015 IPPN introduced an annual Leadership Award for school leaders – the first awardees were: G Catherine Farrell, recentlyretired principal of Holy Family Special School in Cootehill, Co. Cavan (2015) G Caitriona McDonnell of Ballyfeeney National School, Co. Roscommon (2016) G Siobhan Keenan Fitzgerald, Principal of Eglish National School in Ballinasloe, County Galway (2017) County mailing lists enable school leaders address local county-based matters The first time a sitting Taoiseach addressed an audience of primary principals was at IPPN Conference 2016 when Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke to over 1000 school leaders in Citywest Membership surpasses 3,000 – by March 2016, IPPN has more than 3000 member schools The TextaParent.ie online payment facility was launched in September 2016, enabling parents to pay online for school tours, book rental and other school costs - easing the administration burden on schools of dealing with such payments IPPN is progressing the concept of a Calendar of Reform with key stakeholders with a view to creating a single, integrated plan for all education agencies and the DES and to move away from ‘silo mentality’ among stakeholders as they individually seek to change policy and practice in schools – this will help schools manage change more effectively and encourage cross-agency collaboration and communication Over the years, IPPN has fostered

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relationships with sponsors and partners to ensure that we can continue to grow and maintain our supports and services - without them, we could not serve the needs of school leaders as well as we currently do Owing to our Education Partner status and our reputation within the education sector, IPPN attends key stakeholder events, meetings and fora - to ensure that school leaders’ views and concerns are reflected and clarified; and to bring information and clarification back to school leaders IPPN past president Gerry Murphy’s relentless work for marginalised children and families culminated in the Hunger Prevention in Schools Strategy in 2016, in collaboration with Dr Paul Downes of the School of Human Development in DCU IPPN provided input to the DES Inspectorate’s excellent Quality Framework for leadership and management Looking at Our Schools 2016 IPPN involvement in the Partnership Schools initiative has helped to foster a culture of inclusion across the school community – pupils, parents, staff, Board of Management and the wider community, particularly in relation to strengthening school improvement plans A One-teacher schools symposium was held in October 2016 in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Galway - the event was attended by 24 principals from the 32 one teacher schools across 11 counties in Ireland, and helped ease the isolation of the role for those principals IPPN Annual Report 2016 highlights that more than 3000 members were supported one-to-one with information, and well over 4,000 school leaders attended 86 CPD events in 26 counties Virginia O’Mahony, former IPPN president and IPPN Assistant Director, was awarded Honorary Life Membership of IPPN at Conference 2016 IPPN won two Digital Marketing Awards in 2016 – Best Digital Marketing by an NGO/Charity/Community Organisation, and Best Zero Budget Digital Marketing Campaign IPPN 2020 (an overview of IPPN’s

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Strategic Plan 2016-2020) was launched in November 2016 at the AGM of IPPN’s National Council IPPN Education and Leadership Symposia brought together education and business leaders – influencing the STEM drive at primary level, among other ideas The largest-ever attendance at an IPPN event was at IPPN Principals’ Conference 2017, which 1200 principals attended – representing well over a third of Irish primary schools!

Towards a Better Future - A review of the Irish School System was jointly commissioned by IPPN and NAPD and published in March 2017, the culmination of significant research undertaken by Drs John Coolahan, Sheelagh Drudy, Áine Hyland, Pádraig Hogan, and Séamus McGuinness. The book was launched at the Conrad Hotel in Dublin on 7th March 2017 during a national leadership symposium attended by senior DES officials and representatives from across the education sector Appointment of Páiric Clerkin as the second CEO of IPPN in 2017 A report on the health, safety and wellbeing issues in One-Teacher Schools was approved by the Board of Directors in June 2017. Its recommendations will inform IPPN policy on small schools Group mentoring of principals in their second year begins in September 2017, delivered by CSLtrained IPPN members Seán Cottrell and Virginia O’Mahony were awarded ‘outstanding contribution to school leadership’ by the International Confederation of Principals – Seán was presented with his award by Fiona Forbes, President of ICP, at IPPN Conference 2017; Virginia’s award was presented at an event in Capetown, South Africa in September 2017 September 2017 - a key milestone is reached – 100 issues of Leadership+!

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100 ISSUES

Our specially-commissioned cartoon for the 100th issue of Leadership+

CROSSWORD How well do you know IPPN?!

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National -------: The body that elects IPPN's Board of Directors (7) IPPN service to find substitute teachers - where there are any! (8) Venue most IPPN conferences are held each year (8) Location of the IPPN National Support Office in Cork (11) Online summer course for aspiring leaders: Ciall ----------? (10) Website created by IPPN to help recruit school staff - omit the www and the .ie! (9+5) Weekly email bulletin providing key information for school leaders (6) Complilation of key resources on a specific topic: R------- B------ (6) Mailing list for school leaders by school leaders (10) Founding president of IPPN (3+5)

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Acronym for the governance body in schools (1+1+1) 3. IPPN's motto, as found on the IPPN logo (7+3+8) 5. Principal's Information Management S-----?

IPPN management folder (6) 7. IPPN's first Director, CEO (4+8) 11. First name of IPPN's first female president (8) Answers on page 37.

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SeánCottrell 17 Years of Positivity and Hope The following are some excerpts from Seán’s keynote speeches at IPPN Annual Conferences over the years. While there are common threads, each one brings a different angle to consider in relation to your own leadership practice…

The Principals I know who love their jobs are the ones who are clear about the purpose of their role and who get a buzz out of putting their own stamp on change. They are the ones who invest in their own personal and professional development and who have developed a strong survival instinct. These are the qualities that I observe in the Principals who have stepped forward to drive the Irish Primary Principals’ Network.

Each and every one of you, through your membership, can take credit for IPPN. It, is indeed, living proof that collectively, school leadership is a powerful and positive force. We have established leadership credibility and are in a strong position to influence change.

Minister, we have the leaders with the experience, the commitment and the passion to bring about dynamic change in Irish primary education. You have at your disposal this potential which is waiting to be unlocked. Minister, you hold the key. Empower principals now with the supports we need. Just imagine what we can achieve.

Being the Principal of a school is a job like no other. It is tremendously exciting to have such a key influence on the primary education of children. It is a privileged role and, although it’s a word we don’t often use, most of us love what we do.

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Through IPPN we give each other support, guidance, energy and most importantly an uncompromising professional voice. Never has it been so important that the authentic voice of Principals be heard…

What do leaders do in a time of crisis?

First and foremost, leaders define reality. They distinguish the possible from the impossible. They offer direction and, above all, leaders offer hope. Sometimes in the midst of crisis, there is opportunity. Opportunities to reprioritise that which is really important and at the same time to let go of those things that are not important, but which have found their way into routine practice.

Crises have a habit of producing creative thinking, surfacing new leaders with new ideas and new sources of support. But for this to happen you, the leader, must stay positive, keep an open mind and create conditions for others to lead. The influence of leadership is never greater than in a time of crisis.

And for this reason, we have to be very aware of our own ‘leadership attitude’ as it has such an important bearing on how we are perceived by others.

Sometimes we underestimate the degree of influence we have over our teaching colleagues. A single, credible, positive voice can outweigh a dozen whingers. To make that difference, it is critical that you focus all of your time and energy on things that you can

influence or control. And it is even more vital that you smother the forces of negativity by depriving them of your attention.

There are times when you will grow tired of the relentless conveyor belt of problems that teachers, parents and children bring to you on a daily basis.

However, in the words of former U.S General Colin Powell ‘the day people stop bringing you their problems is the day you are no longer their leader’.

Despite all the challenges, schools are extremely positive places.

Your demeanour as a Principal is probably the key factor that determines the mood of the school. Teachers subconsciously observe the body language of their Principal. What they witness has a profound effect on their own attitudes and behaviour.

A major challenge for us all is to keep encouraging our staff. Never before has there been a greater need for Principals to model hope and positivity. Even in the greatest hardships, no one can take away the control we have over our own attitude. Every one of us has the power to choose how we react to people and events.

‘Unity is strength, knowledge is power, but attitude is everything’! Michael J Fox

Principals are, by nature, hardcore optimists. This optimism must have

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been what Napoleon had in mind when he said that ‘A leader is a dealer in hope’.

Remember you have the power to choose which attitude you take. ‘Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it’.

When you choose to react positively, you inspire those around you. Many of you do not realise how influential you actually are. You lead so many children and teachers through their most formative years. They may not remember all that you taught them, but they will remember how you treated them and what you stood for as a Principal. There are children in your schools who have no one else to fight for what they deserve. The reality is that you are often the only advocates for these children.

The principals who thrive and not just survive in their role have certain qualities that set them apart. They rarely ask for permission but, guided by doing the right thing, they rely on forgiveness.

When faced with a challenge, they are not reluctant to lead. They embrace change, provided it makes things better for the school, especially for the children. They look after their staff and pupils. They model hope rather than despair, positivity instead of cynicism.

They have a strong moral compass and

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a well-honed instinct for doing the right thing – based on the needs of children.

They have a life outside of work. They have a confidence which allows them to communicate the challenges of their role to staff, parents and board members. They have acquired the art of saying ‘no’.

In order to better look after all members of our school community, we need to look after ourselves personally and professionally. If our outlook is positive and upbeat, it affects the mood in the school. Our attitude is contagious.

Every single day, principals show how much you care about the children in your school. You keep the children at the heart of everything you do. You fight for every possible resource and support for those who need them. You make sure the gifted children – as well as those who have learning difficulties – are supported to reach their potential.

You offer support and encouragement to the teacher who may be struggling.

You listen to the needs of others, often paying scant attention to your own. In other words, you put others first and lead by example.

ISSUES Being a leader sometimes means having to deal with poor practice. It takes courage to raise expectations. That’s no easy task and can have potential risks for you. Being a leader sometimes means daring to challenge the status quo.

In my experience, the school leaders who have been most effective, and who have gained the most job satisfaction, are those who have a strong instinct and self-confidence about what is the right thing to do for children. They do not rush in to take responsibility for matters that rightfully belong to others. They are not afraid to make tough decisions.

Instead, they rely on the chances of forgiveness if they do get it wrong.

Fellow principals, education is a fascinating business. We don’t make anything. we don’t sell anything, yet the children that we teach go on to become the leaders of our communities, schools, organisations, businesses and governments. There is nothing of greater importance than making sure that you, the leaders of primary schools are simply the best. Go raibh maith agaibh.

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HIGHS&LOWS (and everything in between)

1999

Birth of IPPN

ECSTATIC

National conference of principals in Malahide

2000

Seán Cottrell The Value of secondment Leadership as Director published of IPPN

First Executive Committee formed

HAPPY

Support Office opened Windowless room in Penrose Wharf

Breaking down doors to be heard

Education Partner relationships

Homeless!

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Circular 14/02: Boards can pay IPPN fee

IPPN Constitution agreed

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Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland published

2003

Support Offices moved to 3-room Rose Cottage

Sr Eileen Randles CPSMA ally

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Small Schools Research culminates in publication TextaParent of New launched Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principals

DES support for IPPN CPD

Relationship with In School Ontario, NZ First North/ Management and others South - A Critical Conference Review of Principals published

Building trust and credibility

Fullan/ Hargreaves Leadership Seminars

2006

Secondment of President (Tomás) Awarded Charitable Status Quality Leadership <=> Quality Learning published

Investing in School Leadership leads to benchmarking award

Minister Hanafin asks Principals to 'stop moaning'

Irish Ferries PR fiasco

Education Partner status awarded/ Ciall Ceannaithe and Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar published

Staff appointments build capacity to deliver services and supports

Salesforce adopted as our CRM tool

Staff capacity constraints

Key state departments refuse to fund North/ South principals' event

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1999-2017 2008

Growth of Education Expo

Growth of IPPN Member feedback

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2010

Purchase of land for Support Offices

New Support Offices opened/ Deich mBliana ag Fás published

Minister Ruairi Quinn relationship

Supporting Each Other: Principals and Parent Associations published

2011

Primary School Governance – Challenges & Opportunities published

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IPPN Assitant Inaugural Director Development Priorities for National Virginia of Teaching Principal Wellbeing O’Mahony Principals’ Teachers - In Symposium assumes Summer Clear Focus addressed ICP School published by the Presidency Taoiseach

2016

Membership reaches the magic 90% 3000!

New Leadership Support Team members

World Café Retired Principals projects

TextaParent profits fund services

Mary Robinson addresses Conference

Uachtarán Michael D Higgins addresses Conference

Adoption of Governance code

Support from critical friends

CSL One-teacher school visits

2017

Highest numbers at Principals' Conference/ Towards a Better Future and IPPN 2020 published

Supporting DPs as full members Wellbeing Best Practice Event

TextaParent payment facility IPPN fully TextaParent accepted as redevelopment Education Partner

School Self Evaluation introduced

More robust internal processes

New governance structures and compliance with new legislation pose challenges

Member disapproval of IPPN PR re. homework policy

No more sub cover for events severe impact on Teaching Principals

Succession planning

Transition to new CEO Páiric Clerkin - Farewell to our first CEO, Seán Cottrell

Staff and Board of Directors capacity and turnover

Health and wellbeing of school leaders report highlights crisis

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And Finally…

CARTOONS FROM THE ARCHIVES

Cartoon

by Caoimhín Ó

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hÁinle, Gaelscoi l Uí

Ríordáin, Baile an Chollaigh

Cartoon

by Caoimhín Ó hÁinle, Gaelscoi Baile an Cholla l Uí Ríordáin, igh

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hÁinle, Gaelsco il Uí

Ríordáin, Baile an Chollaigh

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Allianz are very proud of our longstanding partnership with IPPN and are delighted to have been in a position to watch the organisation develop and grow throughout the years.

IPPN has been an exceptional source of knowledge, advice and support for its members throughout the country and Leadership+ has proved to be an impressive communication tool. Leadership+ is up there with any professional trade publication we have seen in terms of its professionalism and consistent high standard of content. Allianz would like to take this opportunity to wish IPPN every success in the future with their next 100 issues of Leadership+ and their new digital platform.

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