Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap to Sustainability

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action

A Roadmap to Sustainability

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action A Roadmap to Sustainability

Published in 2022 by Líonra+, Glounthaune, Co. Cork © IPPN 2022 All rights reserved ISBN: 978-0-9555050-7-2 Printing by Print Plus, Co. Offaly Graphic Design by Print Plus Illustrations by Intrinsic Management

Acknowledgements The evolution of the Sustainable Leadership project and the publication of this report have been made possible by the ’sustained‘ commitment, professional generosity, wisdom and expertise of so many people.

Sincere, heartfelt and enduring thanks to l

the project team of Páiric Clerkin, Angela Lynch, Damian White and Jack Durkan for their enormous contribution to crafting the shape and contents of the report

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the membership of IPPN who participated so enthusiastically in our online fora and who responded in such numbers to both the Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey as well as our own Sustainable Leadership member survey

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colleagues who allowed us to learn and borrow from their research papers and theses

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our Board, staff members and fellow stakeholders whose interest in the project has never waned, and who gave so generously of their time in reading drafts of the report and providing feedback

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our wonderful “critical friends” – including Éadaoin McGovern, Shay Bannon, Emer Nowlan & Gavin Murphy – for challenging our thinking, for holding us to account and for affirming the importance of the work

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Ger Ruane, for his forensic work and analysis of circulars, legislation and policy guidelines

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Stephen Middleton, Enda McGorman, Marc de Grás, Rhodri Mears & Aisling Power and their school communities for allowing us to capture, in photographs, the magic that takes place on a daily basis in classrooms the length and breadth of the country

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Pat, our photographer, for spotting and capturing that magic

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Rosie, our visual artist, and Andrew, our graphic designer, for lifting the text with their imagery and creativity and

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Dr. Karen Edge for lighting the fuse.

I am indebted to Geraldine D’Arcy for her dedicated co-leadership of the project. Geraldine’s unswerving commitment, her attention to detail, and her pursuit of excellence have elevated the quality of this report.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to our school leaders for their unwavering dedication to serving their school communities and for their selfless commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of children. I hope they find their experiences of the practice of leadership reflected in these pages and that the recommendations provide a message of hope for a better, more sustainable future.

Brian O’Doherty Project Co-lead November 2022

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Foreword

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chool leadership is widely recognised as one of the most complex tasks in an education system – and one of the most important. Across the world, increasing attention is being paid by governments and the wider public to sets of competencies for school leadership, to the identification and articulation of quality standards for leadership practice, to appraisal and evaluation of leadership performance, to mentoring and coaching supports, to professional learning programmes and networks, to recruitment processes and to salaries and benefits. In short, when it comes to school leadership, education systems give a lot of policy time and tools to getting and supporting the right people to do the right job and to do it well. This attention is justified, with strong research evidence that good leadership is a key factor in the quality of a school and the outcomes for learners.

So when a network of school leaders in an education system presents a considered and informed analysis of their experiences of and insights into their work, the system – and the public - should take note. When they conclude that the sustainability of the role is in question - at a point when we depend more and more on our schools as drivers of social cohesion and inclusion, as places where children and young people develop resilience and make sense of the world and where they get to practice democratic interaction for the first time – then the stakes are very high indeed.

The report contrasts the range of ‘management’ demands on leaders against the ‘leadership’ expectation and provides evidence of the time leaders spend on the former, at the expense of the latter, particularly the ‘core purpose’ activities of supporting and leading teaching and learning.

Most leaders in organisations have to juggle competing demands. It is rare for a leader to experience a perfect alignment between their personal values and motivations, their day-to-day activities, the expectations of their organisation or board, the demands of stakeholders and the time available to do the job. Good leadership requires ongoing consideration of the balance of energy and time to be applied to the demands of the day.

The analysis in Appendix 1 of the duties of school leadership arising from the endless stream of circulars is illuminating to those who are not school leaders, probably terrifying to those who are, and certainly offputting to anyone considering a leadership role in an Irish primary school. Because what those leaders have to face is not just an overwhelming to-do list; they have to deal with a fundamental system design problem.

The centrist model of schooling at primary level in Ireland, coupled with the legacies of patronage and the chronic underfunding of the system over decades has created a ‘perfect storm’ for the leaders. It’s a storm that’s easily missed on the horizon of a system that performs well relative to international benchmarks, that attracts talented young people to join the teaching profession, that has been successful in closing achievement gaps between schools, and that daily engages thousands of happy children who like school and parents who value what schools do.

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Foreword

As Chairperson of a Board of Management of a primary school which prides itself on ticking all of those boxes, I have had a birds-eye view of that storm! I have seen our current principal, and her predecessor before her, don a yellow hard hat to deliberate where the emergency lighting should be placed, meet the local authority about pest control, reboot the school Wi-Fi, attend meetings with the HSE about the highly contested places in the DLD class, and then deal with the endless appeals from the disappointed. I have seen her search for subs and teachers, juggle staff when none are available, just to keep the show on the road. And I have seen her do all of that on the same day. I work with a Board that includes an accountant, a post-primary principal, and a person with expertise in building and planning. Yet still we struggle with the demands of governance, and supporting the principal in leading the school. The leadership role is not sustainable. Because the governance model has reached the end of its shelf life.

The report contains a number of recommendations – the roadmap - which, if accepted and acted upon, would certainly improve the conditions for leadership. But along with these, as a system, we need to look hard at the context for leadership and a governance model that reflects simpler times, stronger community capital and networks, and a system still in development in a relatively new state. Our system has developed, but our governance model continues to depend on the generosity of volunteers and voluntary organisations.

This creaking system is unsustainable and it is adding to the challenges for school leaders documented in the report. A new roadmap will help. But ultimately, we need a new and better road.

Anne Looney Professor Anne Looney Executive Dean of the Institute of Education, Dublin City University October 2022

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Table of Contents Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 – Context.....................................................................................................................................................................................5 l Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................................6 l Investment in Leadership....................................................................................................................................................................6 l School Context.........................................................................................................................................................................................7 l Principles underpinning IPPN’s consideration of school leadership..............................................................................7 l Sources of Evidence...............................................................................................................................................................................8 l References..................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Chapter 2 – Current Reality....................................................................................................................................................................9 l Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................................................10 l Recruitment & Retention...................................................................................................................................................................10 l Lack of Role Clarity.............................................................................................................................................................................. 12 l Complexity of the Role....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 l Breadth of responsibilities................................................................................................................................................................ 13 l Inadequate infrastructural supports............................................................................................................................................. 14 u Insufficient administrative support.......................................................................................................................................... 14 u Inadequate funding......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 u The challenge of inclusion without adequate and/or timely resourcing.............................................................. 15 u Reduced in-school leadership and management posts................................................................................................ 16 l Workload................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 l Impact on Health & Wellbeing........................................................................................................................................................ 17 l Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21 l References................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21 Chapter 3 - Effective School Leadership & Core Purpose.................................................................................................. 23 l Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 l What does effective school leadership look like?................................................................................................................ 24 l What do effective school leaders do?........................................................................................................................................ 25 l Key Competencies............................................................................................................................................................................... 27 l Core Purpose.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 l Recommendations...............................................................................................................................................................................30 l References...............................................................................................................................................................................................30 Chapter 4 - Preparation for Leadership......................................................................................................................................... 31 l Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................. 32 l Building Leadership Capacity........................................................................................................................................................ 32 l An Overview of the Literature on Newly Appointed Senior Leadership.................................................................. 33 l Key Issues to be addressed............................................................................................................................................................. 35 l The process of preparation and induction...............................................................................................................................36 u The Pre-Appointment Phase for Aspiring Leaders........................................................................................................36 u The Post-Appointment phase for Newly Appointed Principals............................................................................... 37 u The Induction phase for Newly Practising Principals.................................................................................................... 38 u Rationale for a 3-year Induction Phase................................................................................................................................ 38 u Deputy Principals............................................................................................................................................................................39 u Professional Practice.....................................................................................................................................................................39 l Recommendations...............................................................................................................................................................................39 l References.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Chapter 5 - Recruitment.........................................................................................................................................................................41 l Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................................42 l A Reluctance to Lead.........................................................................................................................................................................42 l Highlighting the positives of the role.........................................................................................................................................42 l The process of recruitment.............................................................................................................................................................43 l Recruitment Challenges....................................................................................................................................................................44 l Observations on the recruitment of school leaders by HR professionals................................................................45 l Recommendations...............................................................................................................................................................................46 l References............................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 — vii —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Chapter 6 - Time and Space to Lead..............................................................................................................................................49 l Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................................50 l Leadership in Context........................................................................................................................................................................50 l Leadership in Practice......................................................................................................................................................................... 51 u Teaching Principalship................................................................................................................................................................... 51 u Leadership of Small Schools..................................................................................................................................................... 53 u Special Schools................................................................................................................................................................................54 u DEIS Schools..................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 u Schools with Special Classes..................................................................................................................................................... 55 u Leadership of a Community National School................................................................................................................... 55 u New and Developing Schools...................................................................................................................................................56 u Health implications for School Leaders............................................................................................................................... 57 u Skilled administrative support.................................................................................................................................................. 58 l Recommendations............................................................................................................................................................................... 59 l References...............................................................................................................................................................................................60 Chapter 7 - Sharing and Supporting Leadership......................................................................................................................61 l Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................. 62 l The Case for Sharing Leadership.................................................................................................................................................. 62 l Co-Leadership – Principals & Deputy Principals................................................................................................................... 63 l Assistant Principals and Middle Leadership............................................................................................................................64 l A Wider Development of Leadership Capacity.....................................................................................................................66 l The Role of the Inspectorate in Supporting Leadership...................................................................................................68 l Recommendations...............................................................................................................................................................................69 l References...............................................................................................................................................................................................69 Chapter 8 – Governance......................................................................................................................................................................... 71 l Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................. 72 l What is the difference between Management and Governance?................................................................................. 72 l A practical example of compliance and oversight demands.......................................................................................... 73 u School Buildings – Devolved Projects................................................................................................................................... 73 l Key issues to be addressed............................................................................................................................................................. 75 l Recommendations............................................................................................................................................................................... 79 l References................................................................................................................................................................................................ 81 In Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................................................................83 l The value of school leadership...................................................................................................................................................... 83 l Leadership capacity, effectiveness and sustainability are compromised................................................................. 83 l A solution focused approach to ensuring effective and sustainable school leadership...................................84 l Summary of recommendations.....................................................................................................................................................84 Appendix 1 – Analysis of the role and responsibilities of the principal....................................................................... 87 Appendix 2 – Domains and Standards in the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management........ 122 Appendix 3 – External agencies with whom the principal engages............................................................................ 123 Appendix 4 – Responsibilities that can be shared with others...................................................................................... 124 Appendix 5 – The PIEW Framework: Prioritise – Implement – Embed - Wait....................................................... 128 Appendix 6 – Charity Regulator Governance Code.............................................................................................................. 131

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Executive Summary

‘Leadership and learning are indispensable to each another’ – taken from the text of the speech John F Kennedy was due to deliver in Dallas in November 1963.

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he importance of school leadership as an influence on, and key determinant of pupil learning has been clearly established. The equation is simple – effective school leadership leads to school effectiveness which, in turn, leads to better outcomes for children. It is, therefore, a priority that school leaders be empowered and supported to deliver that effective leadership in our schools, thereby maintaining their focus on what is most closely aligned with their core purpose – leading teaching and learning.

This report explores the context (Chapter 1) and current reality (Chapter 2) in which school leadership is practised and experienced in Irish primary schools.

Our analysis of that current reality is informed by

select academic literature and practitioner research.

We mapped and charted the expansion of the role by detailing the tasks and responsibilities that are ascribed to school leaders within Department circulars, policy guidelines and relevant education legislation. We then cross referenced those tasks and responsibilities within the quality framework for leadership and management, as detailed in the Looking at our Schools (2016) policy document. This exercise was completed prior to the publication of the updated Looking at our Schools (2022). However, the domains and standards remain substantially the same. We identified which of the four domains of that quality framework into which each of the tasks and responsibilities falls.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Our analysis of the current reality is further informed by the data gleaned from the 1,000+ responses to our member survey and from the Irish Principal & Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing survey (2022), commissioned in partnership with our sister organisation at post-primary level, the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals.

The areas of responsibility that they identified as least closely aligned with their core purpose, namely l maintenance of buildings and grounds l financial management l administrative tasks were also the top three areas where they felt they spent too much of their time.

The data is compelling: l The 1,000+ school leaders who responded to our survey gave an average rating of 3.96 out of 10 for the sustainability of their leadership role l The sustainability rating for teaching principalship fell to 3.53 out of 10 l 97% of respondents either strongly agreed (78%) or agreed (19%) that the key issue that undermines the sustainability of their leadership role is the number of tasks and responsibilities that divert their attention away from their core purpose as a school leader.

The Irish Principal & Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing survey (2022) corroborates these findings when it identifies that the top two stressors for primary school leaders are: l the sheer quantity of work and l lack of time to focus on teaching & learning.

These responses are better understood in the context of our analysis of Department of Education (DE) circulars that have issued since the beginning of 2016, as well as policy guidelines and relevant education legislation with reference to the quality framework for leadership and management. l 100% of the 162 documents analysed detailed tasks and responsibilities for school leaders that fell within the domain of Managing the Organisation l Fewer than 25% of those documents detailed tasks and responsibilities for school leaders that fell within the domain of Leading Teaching and Learning l Tasks and responsibilities relating to Leading School Development and Developing Leadership Capacity were identified in only 18% and 14% of the documents analysed.

This further resonates with the responses from our member survey when respondents identified: l curriculum planning and implementation and l quality assurance of teaching and learning as two of the areas of responsibility that were most closely aligned with their core purpose, but also, as the top two areas for which they had insufficient time.

The data from this survey details the impact that the practice and experience of school leadership is having on the health and wellbeing of our primary school leaders. It reveals that the incidence of burnout, stress and depressive symptoms among Irish primary school leaders was almost double that of the healthy working population and more than double for sleeping troubles and cognitive stress.

The researchers conclude that:

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‘This report presents compelling evidence that many Irish primary school leaders are struggling with complex job roles and competing job demands. Policymakers and systems administrators should engage with school leaders to identify the workload challenges that they face and provide support to enable leaders to spend time on the activities that matter most’.

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Our analysis has led us to conclude that the current reality in which school leadership is practised and experienced limits leadership and school effectiveness, undermines the sustainability of the role and impacts negatively on the health and wellbeing of school leaders.

The subsequent chapters in the report explore what could better ensure school leadership of the highest quality in our schools and a leadership role that is sustainable. To that end, we have considered: l what constitutes effective school leadership and the core purpose that underpins it

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Executive Summary

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how best to develop leadership capacity and prepare aspiring leaders for the role how to better ensure that the process of recruitment identifies the most suitable candidates whether all school leaders are afforded sufficient time and space to exercise both the leadership and management dimensions of their role how leadership can be shared and supported more effectively in schools how the current governance structure in primary schools is impacting on the sustainability of school leadership roles and how that structure could be reimagined.

We have considered the key issues in each of these areas and have made recommendations that, where relevant, identify: l what individual school leaders can do for themselves l what IPPN can do l what the system can do to better ensure leadership effectiveness and the sustainability of school leadership roles.

The education partners and stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure that current and future school leaders are afforded the opportunity to be as effective as they can be in their roles, as there is a consequential

impact on school effectiveness and outcomes for children. We look forward to working with those partners and stakeholders to consider and implement the report’s recommendations and to better ensuring the future sustainability of school leadership roles.

IPPN also understands that meaningful reform and change take time but the urgency of the need for action is clear.

It is also important to note that The Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Well-being survey found that, ‘Despite the challenges of the role, many school leaders find great meaning in their work and work in schools with high levels of trust, community and sense of justice’. When asked about the positives of the role, most school leaders emphasise the privilege of leading the teaching and learning, and the enjoyment they get out of teaching, whether they do so full-time in the case of teaching principals, or now and then in the case of administrative principals. It is widely understood that it is the ‘other stuff’ that distracts principals in particular, but also deputy principals, from engagement with their core purpose. This is what has fostered a perception of unattractiveness of the role. There is work to be done to restore balance in the discourse around school leadership. It is hoped that the implementation of the recommendations contained in this report would have such an impact.

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Context

Given the diversity of context, a one-size-fits-all approach to ensuring the sustainability of school leadership roles is unlikely to be effective

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction It is broadly accepted, both nationally and internationally, that effective school leadership is a significant influence on pupil learning “and is vital to the success of most school improvement efforts.” (Leithwood et al 2019). Hence the title of Michael Fullan’s 2006 publication for IPPN – Quality Leadership <=> Quality Learning. Its opening paragraph makes for interesting reading.

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Investment in Leadership

‘Let me start with the conclusion. The principal is the nerve centre of school improvement.

When principal leadership is strong, even the most challenged schools thrive. When it is weak, schools fail or badly underperform. But the principalship itself is not thriving. If anything it is reeling because of heightened expectations and corresponding neglect of re-examining and repositioning the role, suitable to the needs of the system in the twenty-first century’.

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PPN aspires to empower school leaders to provide dynamic leadership of their school communities, resulting in inspired learners. From the system’s perspective, it makes sense that having the most effective people in school leadership roles will have a consequential positive impact on the effectiveness of those schools – the right people in the right positions, focusing on the right things. Anything that negatively impinges on or detracts from the potential effectiveness of school leaders has a detrimental impact on schools and, more importantly, on learners.

To better ensure leadership effectiveness and the sustainability of those leadership roles, any such impinging or negative factors must be addressed.

Since its foundation over 20 years ago, IPPN, as the professional body for school leaders, has provided supports and services that enable that empowerment.

Those supports and services are shaped directly by our engagement with our members to ensure that they are in keeping with their needs. That direct engagement with school leaders has highlighted the increasing levels of challenge, frustration and disillusionment experienced and articulated by school leaders in response to their experience of the practice of leadership. The intensity of that sense of frustration and disillusionment has noticeably increased in recent years and prompted IPPN to undertake this Sustainable Leadership project.

It is clear that the value of school leadership has been recognised in recent years, and the systemic investment in leadership development and in supports for school leaders must be acknowledged. Since the establishment of the Centre for School Leadership (CSL) in 2015, a range of supports has been developed and made available to existing and aspiring school leaders. CSL-specific supports include mentoring for newly appointed principals, bespoke mentoring for those experiencing professional challenge, and access to professional coaching for senior leaders, team coaching and the collaborative development of a post-graduate diploma in school leadership (PDSL) with academic partners. These have added to the suite of supports and professional learning opportunities that already existed, including the Misneach, Forbairt, Tánaiste, Meitheal and Comhar programmes offered by the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). Undoubtedly, these supports and professional learning opportunities have served to develop the leadership capacity of existing and aspiring school leaders (Murphy, 2020).

Account must be taken of this in reflecting on the sustainability of school leadership roles.

The establishment of the Primary Education Forum (PEF) by the DE in 2018/19 was a welcome development as it signalled an awareness of the issue of workload and how change was experienced by the system. It also signalled an intent to mediate the sequencing and implementation of change and reform to address those workload issues.

In addition, in bi-lateral meetings with the education stakeholders, there has been a demonstrable and increased awareness of the challenge of school leadership and the burden that is being carried in terms of workload. Stakeholders have told IPPN that school leaders continue to reference the lack of time and space as barriers to successfully engaging with and embedding system change. This is of great consequence as research shows that the school leader is a key agent in enabling sustained school and system-wide change. (Fullan, 2006).

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Chapter 1 - Context

IPPN also welcomes the sense of shared responsibility and common mission with regard to the sustainability of school leadership that has been a feature of collaborations with the stakeholders. These synergies have the potential for significant positive impact into the future.

However, despite this investment in leadership and the developments that have been detailed above, serious challenges persist which combine to significantly undermine the potential effectiveness and sustainability of school leadership roles.

classes 8. Large schools with administrative deputy principals - 24 to 32 classes 9. Large schools with administrative deputy principals and special classes - 24 to 32 classes 10. All of the above with DEIS status 11. Special schools 12. Island schools 13. Hospital schools 14. Developing schools 15. Detention centre schools.

School Context Another factor that must be considered is the significant diversity in primary schools, with very different leadership contexts and, consequently, differing challenges (Hallinger, 2018). A quick look at the different types of school at primary level gives us at least 15 ‘categories’ of primary school, regardless of the medium of instruction: 1.

Small schools - fewer than 4 mainstream classes

2. Medium sized school with teaching principals - 5 to 7 mainstream classes 3. Small schools with special classes 4. Medium sized schools with administrative principals - 8 to 15 mainstream classes 5. Medium sized school with special classes - 8 to 15 classes 6. Large schools - 16 to 23 classes 7. Large schools with special classes - 16 to 23

Clearly, given the diversity of context, a generic approach to ensuring the sustainability of school leadership roles is unlikely to be effective. Account needs be taken of the leadership reality in which school leaders are operating.

Principles underpinning IPPN’s consideration of school leadership Mindful of school context, the concept of moral purpose and school leadership must also be considered. It is accepted that school leadership is a moral activity, underpinned by values, and characterised by a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of children.

Education policy and practice are subject to a wide range of political, societal, and cultural influences. The moral purpose of school leadership brings with it a responsibility to interpret, adapt to and, sometimes, disrupt these influences. That moral purpose confers a legitimacy on the right of school leaders to make

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

decisions that are in the best interests of the children and their school communities, imbued as they are with an innate understanding of their school context. It is the professional responsibility of school leaders to act in this way, but a tension arises when such autonomy is constrained. That tension will inevitably have an impact on the sustainability of school leadership roles.

The final underpinning principle of our approach to a consideration of sustainable school leadership is a recognition of the importance of shared leadership and the central role it has to play in ensuring both the effectiveness and sustainability of school leadership.

Responsibility for the leadership and management of our schools cannot be assumed by, or invested in, one person; it is in that context that the development and embedding of a culture of shared leadership in our schools has to be both a policy and a practice priority. This will be explored further in Chapter 7: Sharing and Supporting Leadership.

In the course of this report, we will explore: l the factors that sustain school leaders in their leadership roles l the factors that undermine the sustainability of those roles and l what could be done differently, or what could be put in place, to better ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of school leadership roles into the future as we know the transformational and positive impact that this will have on the effectiveness of our schools and, ultimately, on outcomes for children.

Our consideration of this issue of sustainable school leadership and the perspectives we offer are evidence informed. The sources of that evidence are detailed in the following table, and referenced in chapter bibliographies. This has assisted greatly in our exploration of the current reality in which school leadership is exercised - presented in Chapter 2: Current Reality - and the issues for consideration in subsequent chapters.

Sources of Evidence Analysis of policy documentation (Circulars, guidelines, etc.)

Academic literature, including both peer-reviewed literature (e.g. articles) and grey literature (e.g. theses and reports) Feedback from membership clusters Surveys Sustained work with stakeholders

References l

Leithwood, K., Harris, A. & Hopkins, D. (2020) Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited.

School Leadership and Management

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Fullan, M. (2006). Quality Leadership <=> Quality Learning. IPPN

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Murphy, G. (2020). Leadership preparation, career pathways and the policy context: Irish novice principals’ perceptions of their experiences.

Educational Management Administration & Leadership.

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Hallinger, P. (2018). Bringing context out of the shadows of leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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Current Reality

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It is IPPN’s belief that if school leaders were enabled to maintain their focus on that core purpose and not diverted from it by tasks, functions and responsibilities that are not in keeping with that core purpose, it would have a significant and positive impact on the effectiveness and sustainability of their leadership.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction There is a largely unaddressed, if not unspoken, crisis relating to the sustainability of school leadership in Irish primary schools. In order to understand the extent, causes and impact of this crisis, we have endeavoured to explore how leadership is practised and experienced in our primary schools, informed by the data we have garnered from our member survey, to which over 1,000 school leaders responded.

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e asked those school leaders to rate the current sustainability of their leadership role (0 being totally unsustainable and 10 being fully sustainable). For the purposes of the survey, we defined ‘sustainable leadership’ to be ‘progressive and enduring’ in the context of the ‘supports, structures and practices in Irish primary education’ (McGovern 2015). Their responses (see Figure 2.1) tell us that: l school leaders rate the level of sustainability of their leadership roles at just less than 4 (3.96) l principals of DEIS schools rate the level of sustainability of their leadership roles at just 3.76 l teaching principals rate the level of sustainability of their leadership roles at just 3.53 l 26.3% of school leaders rated the sustainability of their leadership role at 0, 1 or 2.

The focus of this report is to understand: l the extent to which primary principals consider the role to be sustainable l why so many of those who are tasked with one of the most strategically important roles in education, and a key determinant of a school’s effectiveness, are struggling to sustain themselves in those roles l what are the factors that are undermining that sustainability l what is the impact on their leadership practice l what are the implications for their health & wellbeing and l what can be done to render school leadership roles more sustainable.

Recruitment & Retention There is a natural assumption that challenges being experienced by school leaders in terms of the sustainability of their leadership roles would give rise to recruitment and retention issues, but the data is not wholly conclusive in that regard.

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DEIS Principals

Teaching Principals

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Sustainability rating Figure 2.1: How school leaders rate the sustainability of their

Our member survey indicates that, in the last five years, there has been a change of leadership in 39% of the schools that responded and that, in 60% of those cases, the principal had not reached the age of retirement, but rather was stepping away from their leadership role early or to a different role. We further ascertained from our survey that the average number of applications received for those vacant principal positions was 5.5 and that in 7% of cases the role had to be re-advertised. It is also interesting to note from

leadership role

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Chapter 2 - Current Reality

our analysis of the data from the educationposts.ie website that, of the 376 ads placed for principals in the period from 1st of September 2021 to the 31st of August 2022, 60 were readvertised. This constitutes a readvertising of 16% of principal posts.

a lack of continuity in the leadership of such schools.

There is further evidence that candidates are applying for principal posts to facilitate their relocation geographically and not necessarily because they aspire to school leadership. (Murphy, 2020)

To supplement this data and to ensure ongoing monitoring of this dynamic, from the beginning of 2022, IPPN began to survey principals as they exited the role, to start gathering data on how many were retiring, taking early retirement or moving to a different role within or outside the education sector, and the reasons behind their decisions. While this research is at an early stage, the data is nonetheless valuable. One quarter of respondents were leaving the role due to early retirement. Of these, half said their decision to retire early was directly related to the challenges of their leadership role. When asked what might have helped them to continue in their leadership role, they cited administrative status, fewer new initiatives from the DE and education agencies, adequate support for pupils with additional needs, more supportive colleagues, parents and/or Board of Management and adequate administrative support.

In terms of retention, fewer than one of every two school leaders (48%) who responded indicated that they were either highly likely or likely to be in their current role in 5 years’ time. Of this cohort: l 9% said it was because they were thriving in their current role l 53% said it was because they were committed to leading their school l 52% indicated that they were not in a position to retire l 42% cited a lack of alternative roles or positions for which they could apply l 38% highlighted the fact that there is no dignified step-down facility.

It should be noted that respondents could choose more than one of the options listed, which serves to further highlight just how few school leaders described themselves as thriving in the role.

The data relating to the recruitment of school leaders in smaller or DEIS schools does not differ significantly from the overall data - see Figure 2.2. . In the last five years, there has been a change of leadership in 39% of the smaller schools and 40% of the DEIS schools that responded. Similarly, the average number of applications received for those vacant principal positions in smaller schools was 4.9 and 5.2 in DEIS schools. Further research that is beyond the scope of this project is warranted on this issue but there is evidence that candidates are accepting principal posts in smaller or DEIS schools as a stepping stone to a post in a larger or non-DEIS setting, which leads to

Of the 45% who indicated that it was unlikely or highly unlikely that they would be in their current role in 5 years’ time: l 29% said it was because they were due to retire in the next 5 years l 29% said it was because they would take early retirement in the next 5 years l 8% said it was because they hoped to be in a leadership role in a different school l 15% said it was because they hoped to be seconded to another agency/body l 15% said it was because they were not thriving in their current role and would resign their position.

All Internal applicants Admin Principal Posts DEIS Principal posts Teaching Principal Posts Special Schools 0

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Figure 2.2: Average number of applications for principal posts

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

In order to develop a deeper understanding of why school leaders experience their roles as unsustainable, it is necessary to explore the context in which school leadership is practised in Ireland, which is characterised, through our work with members by: l a lack of role clarity l increasing role complexity l the breadth of responsibilities l inadequate infrastructural supports and l the workload that arises from all of the above.

Lack of Role Clarity The role of the principal, and indeed that of the deputy principal, lacks definition and no coherent overview of such responsibilities exists. This is a prevailing fundamental issue and should be a baseline for improving both leadership capacity and the sustainability of that leadership. The last time the role of the principal was addressed by Departmental circular was in 1973. As the professional body for school leaders, IPPN has attempted to provide some clarity on this issue with publications such as the HayGroup report Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland (2002) and Priorities for Principals – In Clear Focus (2014).

effectiveness and sustainability of their leadership.

This assertion is corroborated by the data from our survey as an unequivocal 97% of school leaders who responded either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘The key issue that undermines the sustainability of my leadership role is the number of tasks and responsibilities that divert my attention away from my core purpose as a school leader’.

This will be explored in greater depth in Chapter 3: Effective Leadership and Core Purpose.

Complexity of the Role A range of factors has contributed to the increasing complexity of the role of a school leader. It is broadly recognised and accepted that there are both leadership and management dimensions to the role.

In the introduction to Looking at Our Schools (2016), it states:

“

‘The quality framework sees leadership and management as inseparable. The framework defines school leadership by its impact on learning. It sees leadership that is focused on creating and sustaining environments that are conducive to good learning as paramount and acknowledges that effective leadership is essential for schools to be places where successful learning happens. It is a fundamental principle of the framework that, for schools to be led effectively, they must be managed effectively. Therefore, both leadership and management skillsets are considered at all times as serving the school’s core work: learning and teaching’.

The publication of the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management in Looking at Our Schools: A Quality Framework for Primary Schools (2016), with its domains, standards and statements of effective and highly effective practice, was a welcome development, although not reflective of the totality of roles school leaders currently undertake.

Without being prescriptive, it identifies the core purpose and activities of effective school leaders.

It also resonates with the literature on the focus of effective school leaders who “orient their practice toward instructionally focused interactions with teachers, building a productive school climate, facilitating collaboration and professional learning communities, and strategic personnel and resource management processes” (Grissom et al 2021). It is in this context that we understand the concept of the core purpose of school leadership. Tasks and responsibilities that are in keeping with the leadership practices described by Grissom et al form the basis of that core purpose.

It is IPPN’s belief that if school leaders were enabled to maintain their focus on that core purpose and not diverted from it by tasks, functions and responsibilities that are not in keeping with that core purpose, it would have a significant and positive impact on the

“

It is important to acknowledge that leadership and management are two completely separate and demanding roles requiring fundamentally different skillsets and competencies. If there is no shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership and no requirement for school leaders to have undertaken any formal preparation for leadership, there is no guarantee that those who are appointed to school leadership roles have those differing skillsets and competencies. Schools that are over-managed and under-led are likely to be stagnant and lacking innovation, while schools that over-led and under-managed are likely to be chaotic and lacking cohesion. A balanced exercising

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Chapter 2 - Current Reality

of both dimensions of the role is crucial but not easily achieved. Those tasked with the challenge of recruiting school leaders must be acutely aware of this. Chapter 5: Recruitment expands on this point.

Breadth of responsibilities In attempting to do justice to the increasing breadth of responsibilities that fall to school leaders, it has been said that a school principal is the CEO, the de facto CFO, the Head of Human Resources, the Quality Assurance Manager, the Facilities Manager, the Head of Operations, the Marketing Manager, the Health & Safety Officer and the Complaints’ Department.

Since the role of the principal was last defined by circular in 1973, successive pieces of legislation, circulars, policies, guidelines and new initiatives have identified and leveraged the strategic importance of the role in terms of effecting reform and improvement, both at a school level and within the system. Each identifies the particular responsibilities that fall to school leadership.

In the intervening period, the adverse impact of this ad-hoc approach to the re-framing or, more accurately, the expansion of the role of the school leader, is significant. It is reasonable to ask the question as to whether anyone has been responsible

for tracking the impact of the sequence of new responsibilities in terms of maintaining a coherent overview of the demands of the role.

In order to ascertain the exact breadth of these responsibilities, we have analysed all active circulars for the period 2016 to 2022, as well as all of the key policy initiatives and guidance documents arising from education legislation and logged the duties and responsibilities that are ascribed to school leadership.

The period from 2016 for the analysis of circulars was chosen as the Looking at our Schools policy document, with its quality framework for leadership and management, was published in 2016. If that quality framework forms the basis of how leadership should be practised, it is reasonable to analyse duties and responsibilities in that context. In total, 162 documents were reviewed. Our analysis details the year-on-year expansion of the role that has arisen for school leaders because of this approach. See Appendix 1 – Analysis of the Role and Responsibilities of the Principal for more information.

In addition to an analysis of role and responsibilities, we also reviewed the documents to identify into which of the domains from the Quality Framework for Leadership & Management the responsibilities fell. The results of that review are detailed in Table 2.1 below.

Leadership & Management Domain

Number of the 162 documents/ circulars analysed that have duties that fall into each domain

% of the 162 documents/ circulars analysed that have duties that fall into each domain

Leading Teaching & Learning

40

25%

Managing the Organisation

162

100%

Leading School Development

29

18%

Developing Leadership Capacity

22

14% Table 2.1

“

There is a largely unaddressed, if not unspoken, crisis relating to the sustainability of school leadership in Irish primary schools. In order to understand the extent, causes and impact of this crisis, we have endeavoured to explore how leadership is practised and experienced in our primary schools, informed by the data we have garnered.

”

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

The review identifies a disproportionate focus on Managing the Organisation in terms of the responsibilities ascribed to school leaders. This disproportionate focus on management undermines the capacity of principals to deliver on the leadership dimension of their role and their core purpose – leading teaching and learning.

6. The lack of capacity of many Boards of Management to discharge their increasingly complex governance responsibilities further undermines the sustainability of school leadership.

Inadequate infrastructural supports The following conclusions can be drawn from the review: 1.

The sustainability of school leadership is potentially further compromised by inadequate infrastructural supports, which include: l a governance structure that may not have the capacity to discharge its onerous responsibilities (which will be dealt with comprehensively Chapter 8: Governance) l insufficient administrative support (at the school and system levels) l inadequate funding l the challenge of inclusion without adequate resourcing l reduced in-school leadership and management posts.

The strategic importance of the principal in effecting change has been recognised and leveraged by the system

2. Education legislation, policy guidelines, circulars, information letters and administration requirements identify specific responsibilities that fall to the principal 3. The cumulative impact of this expansion of the role of the principal has led to a considerable and expanding workload 4. The disproportionate focus on management/ administrative tasks diverts principals from their key leadership responsibilities and undermines their effectiveness as instructional leaders 5. The Board of Management’s responsibility to exercise its duty of care to its employee (the principal) is compromised, as it does not control the role, responsibilities and consequential workload of the principal. The DE, as paymaster retains this control.

Insufficient administrative support Effective school leadership requires adequate administrative support. It is the view of IPPN that all schools should have appropriate levels of skilled administrative support available to them. It is unconscionable that any school would be without any administrative support and inequitable that primary schools that are the equivalent size as postprimary schools, both in pupil and staff numbers, would have such an inferior level of administrative

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Chapter 2 - Current Reality

support available to them. Furthermore, it should be reasonable to expect that, in discharging administrative duties that require the support of the Department or other state agencies, such support should be readily accessible and provided in a timely manner. This is currently not the case and leads to a diminution of the efficiency and effectiveness of school leaders.

Appendix 4: Responsibilities that can be Shared with Others details how this administrative burden could be alleviated with a consequential positive impact on leadership effectiveness. The appendix shows that sufficient administrative capacity to share certain administrative tasks with an adequately skilled and trained person would enable school leaders to focus on tasks and activities more in keeping with their core purpose of leading teaching and learning.

The consequent impact on the workload and the wellbeing of school leaders would be considerable.

This is further explored in Chapter 7: Sharing and Supporting Leadership.

Inadequate funding The capitation grant received from the Department for the running of primary schools is not sufficient to meet the actual running costs. In its pre-budget submission for Budget 2021, the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) cites research undertaken by Grant Thornton in 2018 which ‘shows that the capitation grant which is meant to pay for the day to day running costs of schools and the provision of educational materials, on average covers just over half of school running costs’.

To meet that shortfall, school leaders often have to resort to fundraising activities, which place an unfair burden on parents. School leaders report significant cash flow issues caused by the manner and timing of how grants are paid as well as heightened levels of stress at having to find ways of stretching and supplementing budgets.

In their ‘Wellbeing in Post-Covid Schools: Primary School Leaders’ Reimagining of the Future’ research, Burke and Dempsey detail some of the stressors for

school leaders that are directly linked to inadequate financial resourcing. These include ongoing difficulties in funding: l basic services such as cleaning and requisites l teaching/curricular materials/resources l the cost of ancillary staff – insufficient grant aid to fund the level of support required l supports for children whose families cannot pay for the ‘extras’ e.g., buses, school trips, swimming etc. l ICT-related resources and support l training and CPD for staff l accounting, auditing and payroll services l basic maintenance of buildings and grounds.

The anomalous funding disparity between primary and post-primary schools is also highlighted as a source of frustration for primary school leaders and, at the time of writing, inflationary pressures and significant increases in the cost of utilities are exacerbating this stress. Failure to address this will lead to shortfalls in funding in the order of 40 -50%.

The challenge of inclusion without adequate and/or timely resourcing IPPN fully supports the principle of ensuring equal access to quality inclusive education for all learners.

This inclusion must be planned, supported and resourced. However, the way in which the model of inclusion is currently implemented, supported and resourced compromises the very nature and efficacy of that inclusion. Either children have needs or they don’t. Either those needs are met, or they are not.

Where needs are not met, there is a consequential impact for that child and, indeed, the other children in that class. The system currently does not respond quickly or comprehensively to need. As things stand, children are placed in classes without any guarantees that the requisite supports will be put in place. School leaders also deal with the fallout when it does not work. It is a significant stressor and a contributor to increased workload.

Schools cannot make up for a shortfall in the provision of supports that children with additional

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

needs require to learn and thrive in school. The heavy bureaucracy, the lack of transparency in decision-making, the excessive time taken to arrive at a decision and the level of unmet need have all been highlighted by many organisations, including

by IPPN in its submission to the NCSE in May 2021.

The Ombudsman for Children and many others in the sector have also pointed to the lack of provision in this area and the consequent impact on the children with additional needs and other children in the school.

Every primary school supports children with additional needs and/or those at risk of educational disadvantage. Where adequate teaching and SNA resources, equipment and learning resources are provided, these pupils can thrive and reach their full potential, which is at the heart of every primary school’s ethos and mission. There are far too many examples of funding not matching the need in our schools to conclude that the issue is not systemic.

DE, Inspectorate and NCSE research points to the success of the DEIS programme and pilot projects relating to SNA allocations and the resourcing of additional needs in primary schools. Where the level of resourcing provided in pilot projects is extended to other schools, it is likely that the positive outcomes would be replicated. However, moving from pilot to implementation often results in a far more limited suite of supports being made available, in order to reduce costs.

The application processes to access these supports are cumbersome and time-consuming, often requiring forms to be sent to multiple agencies, as it’s not always clear which part of the system (Department of Education/HSE/NCSE/other) handles each aspect. When these resources and supports are not forthcoming, the school is left to manage as best they can. This causes significant frustration and stress for the school, as well as for the parents and the children, as clearly outcomes for individual children are compromised, despite the best efforts of the school staff.

It is clear from research, including the Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Well-being survey and the previously mentioned Burke & Dempsey report, that the management of additional needs in schools is a significant contributor to work overload and stress for primary principals, and needs to be addressed to make the role more sustainable. School leaders and teachers are among the strongest advocates for children with additional needs and they consistently express a sense of having to fight for every support and

resource – including human resources (teaching and SNA), staff training, equipment, learning resources, health and safety measures, and infrastructural works - to facilitate the best possible environment in which the children learn.

IPPN understands and accepts that identifying and meeting additional need is complex and requires significant investment of resources and systemic planning. IPPN also acknowledges that significant investment has been made in meeting additional needs, with Budget 2023 allocating an additional 686 teaching posts and an additional 1,194 special needs assistant posts across the primary and post-primary sectors to support inclusion of children with special education needs. However, in the absence of an up-to-date and accurate dataset detailing the level of need presenting in our schools, it is impossible to state that the level of resources allocated will be sufficient to meet the actual level of need. This ongoing tension undermines the capacity of school leaders to maintain a focus on inclusive best practice.

Reduced in-school leadership and management posts The question might reasonably be asked as to whether the burden of responsibility school leaders face could be reduced by the pursuit of a model of shared leadership described in Circulars 0070/2018 and 0044/2019. Most school leaders would enthusiastically embrace that shared model of leadership, but it presupposes that there are sufficient numbers with whom that leadership can be shared (Murphy & Brennan 2022). The significant reduction of posts in those leadership and management teams has limited the scope for distributed or shared leadership.

Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that in-school management teams can make the transition to being leadership and management teams without structured support and access to professional development and learning. In Chapter 7: Sharing and Supporting Leadership, the importance of sharing leadership is explored, in terms of both school effectiveness and leadership sustainability.

Workload The significant workload arising from all of the foregoing, for all school leaders, is evident. The management aspects of the role have undermined and limited instructional and transformational leadership capacity. Management, and the administrative tasks associated with it, are urgent and incessantly emergent therefore leading learning is compromised, as it cannot compete with the urgency of the other duties.

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Chapter 2 - Current Reality

Healthy Working Pop

Irish Primary School Leaders

80 70

66

66.1 60.8

60 51.5

51.3

50 40

37.5

36.0

34.1

28.7

26.7

30

21.3

21 17.8

20

17.8

10 0 Self-rated Health

Burnout

Stress

Sleeping Troubles

Depressive Symptoms

Somatic Stress

Cognitive Stress

Figure 2.3 – Health & Wellbeing Outcomes 2022

It is the view of IPPN, arising from our direct engagement with our members, that schools are policy overloaded, curriculum overloaded, initiative overloaded, programme overloaded, additional duties overloaded, reporting overloaded, planning overloaded and recording overloaded. Workloads cannot remain the same - they must be decreased, not redistributed, if any real positive growth and change is expected in terms of leadership effectiveness and sustainability.

In this context, it must also be noted that 54% of primary school principals are teaching principals, who are expected to discharge their responsibilities effectively as class or Special Education teachers while also attending to their duties as principals. How can they be expected to discharge the responsibilities attending to the leadership and management dimensions of their role without being afforded the requisite time and opportunity to do so? The personal and professional toll this is taking on our teaching principal colleagues is explored in Chapter 6: Time and Space to Lead. This issue has an obvious resonance for the challenge of recruiting aspiring school leaders to such a demanding role.

The inequity of this situation is exacerbated by the fact that these school leaders are resourced, and remunerated, in accordance with the number of mainstream class teaching posts in the school. No account is taken of the actual number of staff the

school leader is leading and managing, such as teams of SNAs, bus escorts, administration and cleaning/ maintenance staff, who are not considered when calculating whether a principal or deputy should have administrative status. The current method of using pupil numbers to determine such status is no longer fit for purpose.

Impact on Health & Wellbeing In response to concerns that the increasing complexity and workload demands of school leadership roles are impacting on the health and well-being of Irish school leaders, IPPN commissioned a specific piece of research in partnership with our sister organisation at post-primary level – the National Association of Principals and Deputies (NAPD).

The focus of the research project was on the occupational health, safety and well-being of school leaders in Ireland and was conducted by a team from Deakin University, Melbourne, in March/April 2022. The data gleaned from this research revealed that the incidence of burnout, stress and depressive symptoms among Irish primary school leaders was almost double that of the healthy working population and more than double for sleeping troubles and cognitive stress. See Figure 2.3 above Also notable was that the scores for burnout, stress, sleeping troubles, depressive symptoms, somatic

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

stress and cognitive stress have all increased since the last study undertaken in 2015. See Table 2.2 below.

2015

2022

Burnout

57.6

66.1

Stress

49.6

51.5

Sleeping troubles

45.4

51.3

Depressive symptoms

33.5

36.0

Somatic stress

23.8

28.7

Cognitive stress

34.2

37.5

Table 2.2 – Comparison of Health & Wellbeing Outcomes between 2015 & 2022

While all of the elevated scores should be a cause for concern, of most relevance to the sustainability of school leadership is the burnout score, which is statistically the most significant increase, while also being the most elevated score.

It is also noteworthy that the negative health and wellbeing scores of our post-primary colleagues, as identified by the same survey, are similarly a cause for concern yet in all cases the scores of primary school leaders are higher. The most significant differentials are for depressive symptoms, somatic stress and cognitive stress. See Figure 2.4 for a comparison of primary and post-primary scores.

The consistent differential between the negative health and wellbeing scores of primary as opposed to post-primary school leaders highlights how the practice of leadership is experienced differently between the sectors and may be attributable to better infrastructural supports and an increased capacity to share leadership at the post-primary level.

The two highest sources of stress at work were identical to the top two identified in the 2015 study, namely quantity of work and lack of time to focus on teaching & learning. However, in both cases, the stress rating has increased from 2015. In the case of quantity of work, the stress score has increased from a mean score of 8.05 in 2015 to a mean score of 8.8.

In the case of lack of time to focus on teaching & learning, the stress score has increased from a mean score of 7.92 in 2015 to a mean score of 8.5.

It should also be noted that the third highest source of stress is teacher shortages, which has jumped from 13th place on the list of stressors in 2015. Its mean score for stress has more than doubled from 4.08 to 8.4. See Figure 2.5 and Table 2.3 opposite.

It is further worth noting that the mean stress scores have increased in 14 of the 19 categories.

Primary

Post Primary

80 70

66.1

63.6

60 51.5

50.3

50

51.3

49.5

40

36

37.5 32.5

30

28.7

32 25.1

20 10 0

Burnout

Stress

Sleep disorders

Depressive symptoms

Somatic stress

Cognitive stress

Figure 2.4 - Comparison of Health & Wellbeing Outcomes between Primary & Post-Primary School Leaders

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Chapter 2 - Current Reality

8.8

Sheer quantity of work Lack of time to focus on teaching & learning

8.5

Teacher shortages

8.4 7.7

Resourcing needs

7.5

Government initiatives

7.2

Expectations of the employer 6.0

Inability to get away from school/community

5.8

Student related issues Mental health issues of students

5.6

Parent-related issues

5.5

Mental health issues of staff

5.4 5.1

Financial management issues

4.8

Lack of autonomy/authority

4.5

Poorly-performing staff

4.1

Interpersonal conflicts

3.8

Declining enrolments

3.5

Complaints management

3.1

Critical incidents 2.0

Industrial/union disputes 0

2

4

6

8

Figure 2.5 – Sources of Stress 2022 (Primary School Leaders)

2015

2022

Sheer quantity of work

8.1

8.8

Lack of time to focus on teaching & learning

7.9

8.5

Teacher shortages

4.1

8.4

Resourcing needs

7.2

7.7

Government initiatives

6.9

7.5

Expectations of the employer

6.3

7.2

Inability to get away from school/community

5.3

6.0

Student related issues

5.7

5.8

Mental health issues of students

4.2

5.6

Parent-related issues

5.4

5.5

Mental health issues of staff

4.2

5.4

Financial management issues

5.2

5.1

Lack of autonomy/authority

3.9

4.8

Poorly-performing staff

4.0

4.5

Interpersonal conflicts

4.2

4.1

Declining enrolments

3.3

3.8

Complaints management

3.8

3.5

Critical incidents

3.2

3.1

Industrial/union disputes

2.1

2.0

Table 2.3 – Comparison of Sources of Stress between 2015 & 2022

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10

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

In his address at IPPN’s Principals’ Conference in 2015, Dr. Philip Riley concluded from the data that “You have all the attributes of people who should be scoring well above average on these measures but you are collectively below the average. This means it is very likely to be the demands of the job that are causing this.” Given the increased scores for negative health and wellbeing outcomes, and the increased sources of stress scores reported in the 2022 data, it is clear that the current reality of primary school leadership in Ireland is taking a significant toll on the health and wellbeing of our school leaders, and that the situation is getting worse over time. This is further compromising the sustainability of school leadership roles.

The report makes a definitive recommendation in this regard:

This is confirmed in the Irish Primary Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey Report (2022) where it states:

“

“

“This report presents compelling evidence that many Irish primary school leaders are struggling with complex job roles and competing job demands. Policymakers and systems administrators should engage with school leaders to identify the workload challenges that they face and provide support to enable leaders to spend time on the activities that matter most. For example, based on the results from this survey, policymakers need to provide additional resources to reduce the amount of time school leaders spend on internal and external administration. This may mean increasing the size of the school leadership team or recruiting additional administrative staff members.”

“

“Overall, there is a need for all stakeholders to make school leadership work roles and responsibilities more manageable. School leaders reported ‘sheer quantity of work’, ‘a lack of time to focus on teaching and learning’ and ‘teacher shortages’ as the top three major sources of stress. The analysis determined that there was a strong association between school leaders who felt that work had a significant impact on their home lives and experiences of both high burnout and high stress. The key job demands were also associated with both stress and burnout. Urgent action is required to provide school leaders with adequate support and ensure that they are given the time and resources to fulfil the obligations of the role.”

“

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Chapter 2 - Current Reality

“

54% of primary school principals are teaching principals, who are expected to discharge their responsibilities effectively as class or Special Education teachers while also attending to their duties as principals. How can they be expected to [do this] without being afforded the requisite time and opportunity to do so?

Conclusion

”

In order to ensure school leadership of the highest quality in our schools, and a leadership role that is sustainable and less likely to have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of school leaders, consideration needs to be given to the following: l

l

l

l

the development of a shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership and the core purpose of that leadership the extent to which school leaders are deflected from their core purpose by having to take on responsibilities and tasks not related to that purpose and how that impacts on the sustainability of their roles the skills, knowledge and competencies school leaders require to enable them to be effective whether there is a need for a systematic process of preparation for leadership and what it might look like

l

l

l

l

whether the process by which school leaders are recruited could be improved whether all school leaders are afforded sufficient time and space to exercise both the leadership and management dimensions to their roles how leadership can be shared and supported more effectively in schools how the current governance structure in primary schools is impacting on the sustainability of school leadership roles and how that structure could be reimagined.

Each of these issues is further explored in the following chapters.

References l

Murphy, G., & Brennan, T. (2022). Enacting distributed leadership in the Republic of Ireland: Assessing primary school principals’ developmental needs using constructive developmental theory. Educational Management Administration & Leadership

l

DE (2016) – Looking at our Schools: A Quality Framework for Primary Schools

l

Grissom, J., Egalite, A. & Lindsay, C. (2021) How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research. Wallace Foundation

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3

“

Effective School Leadership & Core Purpose

In order to be effective, a school leader must be able to respond to the external demands of the system while remaining responsive to and mindful of the particular school context in which they are operating.

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”

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction A school’s effectiveness and that of its leaders are inextricably linked - effective schools have effective leaders (Grissom et al. 2020). Even more powerful is the knowledge that effective school leadership is second only to effective classroom teaching as a positive influence on and determinant of pupil learning. Accordingly, the importance of effective school leadership comes into sharper focus, as does the need for a shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership. What does it look like? Would we recognise it if we saw it? Why is that important?

I l

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t is IPPN’s view that a shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership is crucial in terms of informing: aspiring leaders’ understanding of senior leadership a systematic process of preparation for leadership the perspectives of those charged with recruiting school leaders the supports and professional development opportunities available to newly appointed, newly practising and existing school leaders.

In the first part of this chapter, we explore the practices of effective school leaders and look at the key competencies and skillsets that are required.

practices of effective leaders and the standards in the quality framework, there would be a consequential positive impact on their practice and their schools’ effectiveness and it would enhance the sustainability of school leadership roles.

What does effective school leadership look like?

Undeniably, the role of school leader is becoming increasingly complex and demanding. As Professor Ciaran Sugrue puts it in his book, Unmasking School Leadership,

In the second part of this chapter, we explore what constitutes core purpose in the context of school leadership and identify points of intersection between the practices of effective school leaders and the standards that are detailed in the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management articulated in Looking at our Schools (2016). It is the view of IPPN that, if school leaders were empowered to maintain their focus on this core purpose, as articulated in the

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“

“School leaders, as the gatekeepers and boundary spanners between the internal school community, its immediate context and wider policy environment are continuously positioned on the threshold of change—a lonely borderland of turbulence that requires considerable navigational nous accompanied by instant decision-making.”

“

Chapter 3 - Effective School Leadership & Core Purpose

“

The person of the leader and their leadership competency are inextricably linked in terms of their leadership effectiveness.

It highlights the socio-cultural and policy context in which school leadership is exercised, with an increased emphasis on compliance and accountability, while also recognising the crucial importance of remaining “sensitive to the ecology of the school community” and “being intimate with local circumstance.” It is a clear articulation of the fact that there is no ‘onesize-fits-all’ approach to school leadership, as has been highlighted previously in Chapter 1: Context and will be referenced again throughout this document. Context is key and school leaders need to adapt their practice to the context of the school in which they work.

School leaders require a broad range of skills and attributes in order to lead and manage their schools effectively. These twin dimensions of the role, namely leadership and management, add significantly to its complexity and will be explored in greater detail later in this chapter.

It has also been shown that there is a strong link between school leaders’ personal qualities and the effectiveness of their leadership. The most effective school leaders share a number of key characteristics, including that they l are open-minded l are ready to learn from others l have strong values l are emotionally resilient.

The values referenced above, what we might consider to be ‘core values’ l have people at their centre l inform leaders’ moral purpose and l are underpinned by the principles of respect and trust.

Therefore, in order to be effective, a school leader must be able to respond to the external demands of the system while remaining responsive to and mindful of the particular school context in which

”

they are operating. They must possess a broad range of skills and competencies as well as personal qualities that inform the way they exercise their leadership. The person of the leader and their leadership competency are inextricably linked in terms of their leadership effectiveness.

What do effective school leaders do?

Much research and analysis has taken place internationally to identify the practices of effective school leaders. That research and analysis suggests that effective school leaders l have a clearly defined vision for their school - they adapt and communicate that vision coherently to ensure that it is shared by all of the stakeholders in their school communities l know their staffs and their children l foster a sense of unity or common purpose, underpinned by shared values and beliefs l build trust – in their research published in 2002, Bryk and Schneider demonstrated a causal relationship between the degree of trust within a school community and the degree of improvement in student outcomes. Professor Viviane Robinson identifies relational trust as a key ingredient of leading for improvement l encourage collaboration – the centrality of trust to any process of collaboration cannot be overstated. In his article, How We Know Collaboration Works, Greg Anrig references research that found that “the most effective schools……had developed an unusually high degree of relational trust” that informed the way they collaborated to improve outcomes for students. He identified principal leadership as central to this process. The linkage with and implications for the school self-evaluation process are obvious. l distribute and share leadership – this will be explored in greater depth in Chapter 7: Sharing and Supporting Leadership

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

The majority of my time as principal is spent focusing on areas that are in keeping with my core purpose

2%

Strongly agree Agree 13%

25%

Neither agree nor disagree Disagree 11%

Strongly disagree

50%

Figure 3.1

l

l

l

l

l

maintain a focus on teaching and learning – a key recommendation in the report of the Chief Inspector (2016 – 2020) is that primary school leaders should give greater priority to the leadership of teaching and learning. As detailed in Chapter 2 – Current Reality, primary school leaders are consistently diverted from maintaining a focus on leading teaching and learning by having to undertake tasks and responsibilities that are not aligned with that core purpose.

The data from our member survey corroborates this (see Figure 3.1), with 75% of respondents either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that the majority of their time as principal is spent focusing on areas that are in keeping with their core purpose look for new and better ways of doings things and are not afraid to challenge the status quo – this speaks to the school leader’s moral purpose as described by Fullan, among others, and asserts the legitimacy of their right to make decisions that benefit their pupils and school communities, as has been previously stated in Chapter 1: Context ensure effective communication within the school community adapt approaches and organisational routines to suit the school’s context establish clear goals and a focus on their achievement – in their research paper on factors

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l

l

that promote and hinder data-based decisionmaking in schools, Schildkamp, Poortman, Luyten and Ebbeler suggest that any process of data-based decision-making for school improvement needs to start with the setting of goals that are tangible and measurable, as opposed to starting with the data to frame the goals involve staff in the design and implementation of the school’s organisational routines and approaches – Spillane describes the dynamic as follows: ◆ a school organises itself to deliver quality teaching and learning ◆ data is used to determine what those organisational routines are ◆ the greater the involvement of staff in making sense of that data and designing the organisational routines, the more likely those routines will be impactful monitor the effectiveness of those organisational routines ensure that teachers’ practice is informed by both academic and practitioner research.

The process of preparation for leadership, and any professional learning for leadership that is part of that process, must be shaped and informed by this understanding of effective leadership practices.

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Chapter 3 - Effective School Leadership & Core Purpose

Leadership requires l l l l l l l l l l l l

Management requires

Strategic thinking (SSE, SIP, PIEW) Inter-personal understanding Communication Team leadership Team-working Impact and influence Development of others / mentoring Empowerment Analytical Thinking Networking / Relationship Building Facilitation of change Initiative

l l l l l l l l l l l l

Administrative competency Resource management Development of organisational routines A focus on Health & Safety Compliance Facilities management / maintenance Financial management Time management Development of systems Forward planning Multi-tasking Delegation

Table 3.1

Key Competencies

Core Purpose

The practices of effective school leaders detailed above require certain key skills and competencies, which must be widely understood and recognised by aspiring and existing leaders, as well as those tasked with recruiting new school leaders.

The findings of the HayGroup report Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland highlighted the twin dimensions (leadership and management) of the role of the principal and the need for differing and not always complimentary skillsets. This serves to sharpen the focus, not only on the complexity of the role but also on the personal and professional qualities needed by school leaders.

Developing a broader awareness, within the wider education community, of the differing skillsets and competencies required by school leaders will do three things: 1. It will allow those aspiring to school leadership roles to reflect on their suitability for such positions and to identify areas for professional/ personal development 2. It will allow existing school leaders to seek out professional learning opportunities to address areas where they feel they have a skills’ deficit 3. It will afford those charged with appointing school leaders a deeper understanding of the skills and competencies required for effective leadership and whether they are evident in those who are applying for leadership roles.

While Looking at Our Schools (2016) is an important policy document in the Irish educational context, it has an added resonance for the concept of school leadership and, in particular, for the role of the principal.

As detailed in Chapter 2: Current Reality, no coherent overview of the role of the principal exists. The role and its attendant responsibilities lack clarity and, accordingly, identification of a core purpose is problematic. While it was intended as a tool to evaluate standards, as articulated in the Minister’s foreword, the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management in Looking at Our Schools also helps to describe the main components of effective school leadership. In short, it allows us to “zero in” on what might be described as core purpose.

Looking at Our Schools (2016) contains two quality frameworks, one for Teaching & Learning and one for Leadership & Management. For the purposes of this report, we will focus entirely on the quality framework for Leadership & Management. That framework comprises four domains, which are: l Leading Learning & Teaching l Managing the Organisation l Leading school development l Developing leadership capacity.

In each of the four domains, standards are identified and further described by statements of effective and highly effective practice. These act as descriptors or benchmarks for evaluation.

The standards are detailed in Appendix 2 - Domains and Standards in the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

“

Effective school leadership is second only to effective classroom teaching as a positive influence on and determinant of pupil learning

”

When you cross-reference these standards with the practices of effective school leaders that were outlined earlier in this chapter, clear linkages are identifiable and what constitutes core purpose begins to emerge. This in keeping with the data gleaned from our member survey.

The school leaders who responded identified l curriculum planning and implementation l meeting Special Educational Need l quality assurance of teaching and learning and l ensuring Child Protection procedures are followed as the areas of responsibility that were most closely aligned with their core purpose.

The areas of responsibility that they identified as least closely aligned with their core purpose, namely l maintenance of buildings and grounds l financial management l administrative tasks were also the three of the top four areas where they felt they spent too much of their time, the fourth being HR & Staffing.

Furthermore, 74% of school leaders who responded either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “There is a direct link between my ability to remain focused on my core purpose and the sustainability of my leadership role.” See Figure 3.2.

However, they also identified l curriculum planning and implementation l quality assurance of teaching and learning as the top two areas for which they had insufficient time.

There is a direct link between my ability to remain focused on my core purpose and the sustainability of my leadership role

2%

Strongly agree Agree

11%

Neither agree nor disagree

25%

Disagree 13%

Strongly disagree

49%

Figure 3.2

— 28 —

Chapter 3 - Effective School Leadership & Core Purpose

The key issue that undermines the sustainability of my leadership role is the number of tasks and responsibilities that divert my attention away from my core purpose as a school leader

≤1%

≤1%

2%

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree

19%

Disagree Strongly disagree

78%

Figure 3.3

But perhaps the most powerful statistic gleaned from our survey is that 97% of school leaders who responded either agreed (19%) or strongly agreed (78%) with the statement “The key issue that undermines the sustainability of my leadership role is the number of tasks and responsibilities that divert my attention away from my core purpose as a school leader”. See Figure 3.3.

This response substantiates the conclusions drawn in Chapter 2: Current Reality arising from the analysis of role and responsibilities (detailed in Appendix 1) where the cumulative impact of the expansion of the role of the principal has led to a disproportionate focus on management/ administrative tasks, diverting principals from their key leadership responsibilities and undermining their effectiveness as instructional leaders.

Accordingly, it is our contention that, if school leaders were empowered to maintain their focus on this core purpose, as articulated in the practices of effective leaders and the standards in the Quality Framework, there would be a consequential impact on school effectiveness and it would enhance the sustainability of school leadership roles. The current reality in which school leadership is exercised means that the ability of school leaders to maintain their focus on that core purpose is undermined, as is their potential effectiveness and the sustainability of their leadership role.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Recommendations To assist with the development of a shared understanding what constitutes effective school leadership in the Irish context, and mindful of the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management as detailed in Looking at our Schools (2016) and the revised/updated version (2022), it is recommended that: l

l

l

l

l

the role of the principal is clearly defined to better ensure that the focus of school leadership can be maintained on the core purpose of leading teaching and learning such a role definition include a clear and concise statement or overview of the personal qualities and practices of effective school leaders is developed and articulated the description of such practices is further developed in the quality framework for leadership and management in future drafts of the Looking at our Schools policy document the importance of the personal qualities, values and emotional intelligence of school leaders is recognised within the quality framework the core competencies required for school leaders to effectively lead and manage their schools are identified and collated

l

l

the process of preparation for leadership, and any professional learning for leadership that is part of that process, is shaped and informed by this broader understanding of effective leadership practices a consensus around what constitutes the core purpose of school leaders is reached.

The above should then inform l the preparation for leadership l recruitment and induction processes l the professional development and learning opportunities provided to school leaders, including coaching and mentoring programmes, and l the development of Departmental and education agency policy.

References l

Grissom, J., Egalite, A. & Lindsay, C. (2021) How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research. Wallace Foundation

l

DE (2016) Looking at Our Schools: A Quality Framework for Primary Schools

l

Anrig, G. (2015) How we know Collaboration Works. Educational Leadership

l

Spillane, J. (2012) Data in practice: Conceptualizing the data-based decision-making phenomena. American Journal of Education

l

Sugrue, C. (2015) Unmasking School Leadership – Studies in educational Leadership – Studies in Educational. Springer

l

Schildkamp, K., Poortman, C., Luyten, H. & Ebbeler, J. (2016) Factors promoting and hindering data-based decision-making in schools.

School Effectiveness and School Improvement.

l

Bryk, A., & Schneider, B. (2002) Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement. The American Sociological Association’s Rose Series in Sociology

l

Fullan, M. (2020) Leading in a Culture of Change. Jossey-Bass

l

HayGroup (2003) Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland. IPPN

l

Robinson, V. (2017) Capabilities required for leading improvement: Challenges for researchers and developers. Australian Council for Educational Research

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4

“

Preparation for Leadership

The complexity and breadth of the role require that aspiring school leaders be afforded the opportunity to develop the requisite competencies and skills, while also deepening their understanding of what it is to be an effective school leader.

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”

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction “The critical part principals play in developing successful schools has been well established by researchers over the last two decades: committed leaders who understand instruction and can develop the capacities of teachers and of schools are key to improving educational outcomes for all students… Knowing that this kind of leadership matters is one thing, but developing it on a wide scale is quite another.” Wallace Foundation (2007)

T

he importance of a clearly defined process of preparation for leadership being developed and implemented cannot be overstated. As the Wallace Foundation report suggests, school leaders “must be educational visionaries and change agents, instructional leaders, curriculum and assessment experts, budget analysts, facility managers, special program administrators, and community builders.”

The complexity and breadth of the role require that aspiring school leaders be afforded the opportunity to develop the requisite competencies and skills, while also deepening their understanding of what it is to be an effective school leader.

In her doctoral thesis on Sustainable Leadership, McGovern’s research suggests “a lack of provision for leadership preparation and inadequate training and development relating to leadership”. Her research findings establish that 62.3% of Newly Appointed Principals (NAPs) felt poorly prepared for the role of principal and that “the majority of the sample group have not completed formal training or preparation for the role, with 83.9% having no post-graduate leadership qualification.” It is unsurprising, therefore, that 80% of those NAPs experience the role as being more challenging than they expected. She concludes that “In Ireland, school principals are continuing to accept ‘the unending level of responsibility which seems to be increasing year on year’ with no formal qualification requirements, limited preparation opportunities and insufficient leadership supports.”

Building Leadership Capacity Effective leadership is focused on the development of the team and the building of leadership capacity throughout the organisation. Some teacher leaders with great potential for senior leadership can be reluctant to even consider the possibility of taking on such leadership roles. They need encouragement at local level. The data from our member survey indicates that 56% of respondents were encouraged by a senior school leader to consider leadership and to engage with one of the support services/ leadership courses, before they decided to become

a school leader. While this is a positive statistic, it would be preferable if the percentage were higher.

Many teachers with significant leadership potential need encouragement to consider senior leadership, especially women. Given that 80% of teachers are female, there is currently an imbalance in the male/ female ratio in school leadership. Further research on experiences, barriers and bridges for women in school leadership must form an important part of the conversation on this issue but is beyond the scope of this report.

The system should actively encourage school leaders to enthuse these teacher leaders to engage with the support services and agencies that can assist aspiring school leaders along their leadership journey.

Promoting leadership and the supports available to school leaders is critical to promoting the concept of sustainability, thereby ensuring the availability of quality candidates for vacant positions, which would then result in healthy competition.

Research indicates that future senior leaders need to be identified and developed. According to Schleicher (2012) in an OECD report, many countries rely on self-selection to fill training and development programmes: While this approach rewards initiative, it can be inefficient. Some countries do take a proactive approach to identifying and developing future leaders. In the McKinsey report (Barber, Whelan, and Clark, 2010: 10), which describes how the world’s top school systems build leadership capacity, the authors maintain that ‘High-performing organizations identify potential leaders early and have mechanisms for developing their talents over time, for example, by providing them with opportunities to gain leadership experience, rather than expecting them to emerge or send them through training programmes just before they assume leadership responsibility or, worse still, after they assume leadership responsibility.’

This descriptor has a particular resonance for the manner in which we prepare, induct and support school leaders in Ireland. Almost six in ten (56%) of the respondents to our survey felt that they had not

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Chapter 4 - Preparation for Leadership

been afforded sufficient opportunity to develop their leadership skills, either as a member of the middle management team or as a curriculum/teacher leader pre appointment. See Figure 4.1. This is a missed opportunity in terms of preparing teachers for senior leadership by enabling them to consider or imagine themselves in a senior leadership role.

Were you afforded sufficient opportunity to develop your leadership skills either as a member of the middle management team or as curriculum/ teacher leader in school pre appointment?

56%

44%

Yes

An Overview of the Literature on Newly Appointed Senior Leadership Newly appointed senior school leaders require targeted professional learning and system support, particularly during that critical period at the beginning of their career. In the international context, specific support and professional learning is generally provided for their first two years. In the research, authors such as Reeves et al. (1997) outline two stages, from settling in to a head teacher post (up to two years) to feeling thoroughly settled (4–10 years). The 2008 OECD Report noted that induction programmes generally run from one to three years.

Spillane and Lee (2014: 431–432) found that: ‘the volume, diversity, and unpredictability of tasks emerge early in the tenure of a newly-appointed principal and intensify over the first three months on the job, largely due to new principals’ sense of ultimate responsibility.’ Spillane and Lee (2014: 44) write that ‘for the (newly-appointed) principals, along with their sense of ultimate responsibility came: l increased stress l a constant alertness to what might go wrong and l an inability to leave the job behind, even at weekends.’

No

Figure 4.1

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

“

Almost six in ten (56%) of the respondents to our survey felt that they had not been afforded sufficient opportunity to develop their leadership skills, either as a member of the middle management team or as a curriculum/teacher leader pre appointment.

”

Furthermore, principals reported that this stress was manifested in things such as sleep loss, physical exhaustion, frustration, nervousness, and constant worrying. The parallels with the results of the Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing study (2022) are obvious and speak not only to the inadequacy of the process of preparation for leadership but also of the experience of the practice of leadership.

The responsibility is therefore on stakeholders and providers of professional learning to ensure that new school leaders’ time is optimised and their commitment to learning is honoured by the highestquality provision, Fitzpatrick Associates (2018: 19) A report by the OECD (2009) noted that professional learning for leadership can play a key role in shaping leaders’ performance. Guskey (2000: 16) described professional development as ‘processes and activities designed to enhance the professional knowledge, skills and attitudes of educators so that they might in turn improve the learning of students.’

Fitzpatrick Associates (2018) identified the professional learning needs of principals. The research task was to explore what a range of school leaders in Ireland perceive as their professional development needs, and to explore how these vary for different sub-groups or categories of school leaders. The top six critical areas as indicated by all respondents, and the percentage who identified them as such, are as follows: 1. Conflict management/resolution (34.8%) 2. Managing challenging behaviours (32.2%) 3. Distributing leadership roles and responsibilities (31.1%) 4. Curriculum development and planning (30.4%) 5. Leader personal development and wellbeing (30.2%) 6. Technology-enhanced learning (30.2%).

The availability of such research should help to inform the professional learning needs of newly appointed principals and deputy principals in Ireland and should inform the CPD provided to prepare teachers for senior leadership roles.

It is evident from the research that the learning experiences of the aspiring leader and the newly appointed senior leader are crucial to their successful progression and retention, and that this period in their leadership development warrants the highest quality of professional learning and targeted system support to ensure long-term sustainability in the leadership role.

It is in this context that IPPN notes some of the key findings in CSL’s report, The Impact of the Newly Appointed Principal National Mentoring Programme: l There is strong evidence of a focus on the professional growth of the mentee - building confidence, strengthening self-care and a sense of self-efficacy, including dimensions of relational and of strategic leadership l Mentors consistently report substantial benefits for themselves - a place for reflection and an opportunity to review their own leadership practice l There is evidence to indicate that the mentoring process supports school development, and the building/strengthening of strategic and curriculum leadership.

It is clear that the mentoring of newly practising principals is having a demonstrable impact on the leadership practice and capacity of these new school leaders.

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Chapter 4 - Preparation for Leadership

Key Issues to be addressed IPPN understands that some consideration was given previously to making pre-appointment leadership qualifications mandatory. This might have seemed like an attractive option, in that it could pre-empt the need for elements necessary in the induction process. However, as stated earlier, school leadership is extremely complex. Mandatory qualifications do not adequately prepare the aspiring leader for school leadership and could also potentially create an unnecessary barrier to quality candidates with significant experience and leadership potential.

While IPPN appreciates that a similar strategy and approach across primary and post-primary sectors would be desirable, it is fair to say that the pathways to leadership are very dissimilar in the two sectors.

While the senior leadership structures in post-primary schools are largely homogenous with administrative principals (who have no formal teaching duties) and administrative deputy principals (more than one in many cases), the same cannot be said of the primary sector. More than half (54%) of primary school principals are teaching principals with full-contact teaching hours in addition to their leadership and management role.

Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach to preparing teachers for principalship will not work. Some have experience as assistant / deputy principals but no post-graduate leadership qualifications, while others have post-graduate leadership qualifications but no experience in middle or senior leadership. Some have

neither leadership qualifications nor experience in middle or senior leadership.

To underline this point, PDST’s analysis of its 2021 Misneach data – “The Path to Principalship” identified that, of the 252 newly appointed principals that year, l 14% had undertaken a Master’s degree level leadership course, or above l 35% had undertaken a post-graduate diploma level leadership course and l 50% had not undertaken any leadership development training.

While this data suggests that some progress has been made in this area since McGovern’s findings in 2015, there is still a distance to travel before all newly appointed principals will have undertaken some form of accredited professional learning for leadership prior to their appointment. See Figure 4.2.

The Misneach data further identified that, at the time of their appointment to their current principal role, 31% of appointees were Deputy Principals, 20% were Assistant Principals (AP1 or AP2) and 31% had no prior leadership and management post. See Figure 4.3. This all serves to highlight the differing levels of both preparation for and experience of leadership among those who are being appointed as principals.

Our own survey of members indicates that only 29% of respondents had been a deputy principal prior to their appointment to the role of principal and as few as 27% to those appointed to administrative principal roles.

Professional learning for leadership undertaken by NAPs prior to appointment 1%

Masters Post-graduate cert/diploma

14%

No leadership course Other 50% 35%

Figure 4.2 — 35 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Leadership experience of NAPs prior to appointment

Principal/Acting Deputy Principal 15%

Assistant Principal

31%

Not specified No experience 31%

3% 20%

Figure 4.3

The literature supports IPPN’s assertion of the importance of professional learning for the development of good school leadership practice, and it has become a priority in many jurisdictions, including Ireland. Schleicher (2011) noted that the development of effective school leaders has become a key part of educational reform, and it is widely accepted that professional learning is an essential part of the terms and conditions of appointment to a leadership role in most jurisdictions.

The process of preparation and induction In essence, what is required is a three-stage process of preparation and induction: l pre-appointment (aspiring leaders) l post-appointment but prior to taking up the role (newly-appointed principals) l after taking up the role (newly practising principals).

The evaluation report of the Centre for School Leadership (CSL), by Fitzpatrick Associates (2018), posed the challenge of how to strike the right balance between leadership training per se – regardless of context/setting and country – and leadership training for operational needs, which would be specific to the challenges faced in a particular school context. This diversity, relevance and importance of school context is outlined in Chapter 1: Context.

The Pre-Appointment Phase for Aspiring Leaders At the pre-appointment stage, aspiring leaders should be engaging with leadership development and learning opportunities to deepen their understanding of effective school leadership and the skills/competencies that are required (as was explored in Chapter 3: Effective Leadership & Core Purpose). Our member survey indicated that 75% of those who engaged in professional learning for leadership courses found them to have been either helpful or very helpful.

A combined and coherent preparation and induction process would provide the flexibility to strike that balance, while also meeting the diverse needs of newly appointed primary school leaders as well as reflecting the findings of Munby (2009), who states that 30% of leadership development should be done through course work, and 70% through learning on the job.

The system has a responsibility to meet the professional learning needs of aspiring leaders and provision could include short focussed programmes and opportunities for internship and enquiry. All such leadership-learning opportunities should be subject to an endorsement process to better ensure

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Chapter 4 - Preparation for Leadership

“

A combined and coherent preparation and induction process would provide the flexibility to strike that balance, while also meeting the diverse needs of newly appointed primary school leaders

”

that they are underpinned by the statement of the personal qualities and practices of effective school leaders. Such endorsement would also better ensure the coherence and standard of that leadership learning provision.

The Post-Appointment Phase for Newly Appointed Principals This crucial phase in the preparation and induction process is not currently catered for in a meaningful way in the Irish system. Having been appointed to but prior to taking up the role, the newly-appointed principal should have the opportunity of “shadowing” the outgoing principal, so that they can observe leadership in practice, while also developing a better understanding of and feel for the school context and its culture. While relevant to all NAPs, this experience would be particularly important for external appointees and those appointees who have not had a leadership and management post prior to appointment. NAPs would also derive significant benefit from engaging with CSL coaching as part of the job shadowing of others in leadership positions, but it would be particularly beneficial to those who have no previous leadership experience. This coaching could then continue into the induction phase of the process.

At this juncture, the NAP should be given a document detailing the school’s context and its leadership needs, which would have been prepared as part of the recruitment process, having garnered the views of all the relevant stakeholders in the school. Further information is provided in Chapter 5: Recruitment.

Another critical source of support for and a resource to the NAP would the Inspector of the school to which they have been appointed. A planned interaction between the NAP and Inspector during this phase of the NAP’s preparation for leadership could have significantly beneficial impact on their practice. The nature of the interaction should be one of advice and support and would allow for the development of professional collaboration. It would also ensure that the first engagement the NAP would have with the Inspectorate was not evaluative.

Finally, during this phase, NAPs would benefit from engaging with a range of modules designed to ensure leadership learning in keeping with their needs at this stage of their leadership development. Feedback from IPPN members during our online consultative fora identified five areas that would have been of benefit to them as NAPs. They are l leading and managing people l sharing leadership with the leadership and management team l working with parents l working the Board of Management l self-care and wellbeing.

Consideration could also be given to including the six critical areas for professional learning suggested in the Fitzpatrick Associates 2018 report.

Such modules could be developed and offered through IPPN’s Headstart programme, in consultation with the other education stakeholders, or through PDST’s Misneach programme or the DE’s “Preparation for Principalship” programme, which is currently being developed in consultation with CSL. The Headstart programme now encompasses newly-appointed and acting school leaders and offers supports immediately on appointment and throughout their first year (particularly to those who have not yet had the opportunity to engage with Misneach). The emphasis is on developing personal engagement between the NAP and IPPN. The challenge for IPPN has always been to strike a balance between the leadership and management dimensions of the role when developing programmes such as Ciall Ceannaithe and other CPD, and in supporting sustainability of the role from the outset through a structured service. Piloting of Headstart began in September 2021 and the programme is currently being developed and expanded. A dedicated team is undertaking to engage with every newly appointed principal during their first year and will then move to the implementation phase of the Headstart plan.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

The need for immediate and continuous support throughout the year, through the lens of sustainable leadership, is an IPPN priority. Headstart will develop and expand these services over the next five years and, accordingly, is ideally placed to contribute to the process of preparation and induction.

The Induction Phase for Newly Practising Principals The Induction phase for Newly Practising Principals should incorporate four core elements, as follows.

1.

Participation in a Post-graduate leadership programme (level 9 post-graduate diploma or higher) with relevance to one of the following areas: 1. School leadership and management 2. Curriculum leadership 3. SEN leadership.

The post-graduate programme could be completed either at the pre-appointment stage or during the two to three-year induction process.

2. Completion of agreed modules Core leadership and management skills are required of all school leaders, regardless of school context. However, some modules would need to be specific to the different school settings as noted Chapter 1: Context. These could be delivered through the Misneach programme.

Our member survey indicated that 79% of those who engaged with the Misneach programme found it to have been either helpful or very helpful.

3. Participation in formal leadership support programmes Year 1 l Joining a local professional learning community / principal support group. Our member survey indicated that 80% of respondents found being a member of an IPPN leadership support group either helpful or very helpful. l Engagement with one-to-one mentoring via CSL. Years 2 - 3 l Participation in group mentoring l Continued engagement with local professional learning community / principal support group.

4. Coaching As previously stated, those with no previous leadership experience would engage with CSL coaching as part of the job shadowing of others in leadership positions throughout the induction process. All others would engage with CSL coaching before completion of the induction programme.

Rationale for a 3-year Induction Phase As noted earlier in this chapter, it can take up to two years to settle in to the post of principal and four to ten years to feel thoroughly settled. It would seem that three years would optimize the opportunity for success with a consequent positive impact on sustainability.

Making such a process of preparation and induction mandatory for all aspiring leaders, newly appointed principals and newly practising principals merits consideration. School leadership is complex and continues to become ever more challenging.

Preparation for school leadership is a much broader issue than just the introduction of mandatory qualifications as has been the case in many other jurisdictions. Mandatory qualifications will not adequately prepare aspiring leaders for school leadership.

A preparation and induction programme, however, can incorporate the many different elements of preparation required for success, which will help to make the role more sustainable for those leaders. The second and third stages of such a programme should suit the needs of the newly appointed principal and the school. A bespoke but differentiated programme of induction lasting two to three years should be considered for each Newly Appointed Principal/ Newly Practising Principal.

The design of such a programme would depend on the context of the particular school, the level of experience of the appointee, previous leadership experience within primary schools / agencies supporting primary education or in other leadership roles, pre-appointment leadership CPD and/or other relevant qualifications.

Moos (2011), in his paper on the development of Danish school leaders, acknowledges the variety of contexts that school leaders operate in, from small rural schools to much larger urban schools. He makes the point that context impacts on the shape and form of professional learning for leadership. A

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Chapter 4 - Preparation for Leadership

differentiated approach to leadership preparation in Ireland is critical, given the significant diversity in primary schools, with very different leadership contexts and, consequently, differing challenges.

These differing challenges could be catered for through the design of a modular induction process, taking into account the 15 types of schools referenced earlier in Chapter 1: Context.

Deputy Principals Ideally, a similar preparation and induction process should be introduced for deputy principals. An induction process for the newly appointed deputy principal would be an ideal opportunity for both the principal and deputy principal to jointly engage in elements of the programme. This would provide opportunities to consider the critical importance of a co-leadership approach, which in turn will positively impact on the school, children, staff and the wider school community. It would also assist with the development of a culture of shared leadership in the school, which will affect the effectiveness, as well as sustainability of the leadership.

A further core objective should be to prepare the deputy principal for occasions when they will be required to take on the role of acting principal. Such a programme should also impact positively on the numbers applying to move from deputy to principal, which should be a natural career progression, as is the case at post-primary.

Professional Practice In much the same way as teachers must register with the Teaching Council to practice in Ireland, there should also be an expectation that a school leader would be supported through membership of their professional body/association. The school leader ensures that the Board of Management supports the professional development needs of the school staff.

Likewise, Boards of Management have a responsibility to support the principal and deputy principal. They can do so by ensuring that membership of the relevant professional association is available to the principal and deputy principal and thereby help sustain them in their leadership roles.

Recommendations What leaders can do to enhance the process of preparation for leadership l Those with leadership potential should be encouraged to engage with professional learning for leadership l They should also be provided with opportunities to develop their leadership capacity in areas such as SSE, curriculum development, school initiatives, etc. l Aspiring leaders should be encouraged to develop a personal portfolio that maps out their leadership journey. This could take the form of a reflective journal and would greatly enhance the recruitment process.

What IPPN can do to enhance the process of preparation for leadership l IPPN should further develop the Headstart Programme to incorporate support for aspiring school leaders and newly appointed and newly practising deputy principals/acting principals.

What the system (DE/agencies) can do to enhance the process of preparation for leadership l A one-size-fits-all approach to preparing teachers for leadership does not work. Neither a wholly academic nor a wholly experiential approach is likely to fully equip the teacher for the leadership role. It is IPPN’s view that a blended approach centred around the preparation and induction process would work best l Therefore, the overall objective is to design a flexible preparation and induction process, which allows for a bespoke programme that is reflective of the differing needs of each individual newly appointed and newly practising principal. The preparation and induction programme, in terms of duration and content, will depend on experience, previously acquired leadership qualifications, school context, leadership experience within the school, education or community and the CPD completed and recorded as part of the personal leadership portfolio of each NAP.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Recommendations (continued) l

l

l

The preparation and induction programme should facilitate personal development and growth. It should help to maximise the capacity to lead and inspire quality teaching and learning. It should, through coaching, focus on critical aspects of leadership such as, sustainability, resilience, emotional intelligence, etc.

It should offer opportunities for reflective practice, the setting of reasonable, achievable and sustainable goals. It should, from the outset, allow the newly practising principal to work one to one with a mentor in year one and with a group mentor from the start of year two until completion of the induction phase of the programme.

A quality assurance process is required to plan and manage the preparation and induction process. The Centre for School Leadership (CSL) is well positioned to undertake this work

l

Resourcing - consideration should be given to the enhanced supports that the newly appointed and newly practising principals require to successfully engage with the preparation and induction process. It is imperative that potential barriers are removed for those considering movement into senior leadership positions. Those with leadership potential need to be encouraged and feel reassured that the preparation and induction process will equip and prepare them for sustainability and success in the role.

Newly practising principals need l Access to a reasonable number of study leave days for completion of post-graduate study l Substitute cover to facilitate attendance at all induction CPD events l Substitute cover to facilitate job shadowing.

References l

Darling Hammond, L. (2007) Preparing School Leaders for a Changing World (2007) Wallace Foundation

l

McGovern, E. (2015) From Aspiration to Succession and Transition: An exploratory study of the fundamental principles of sustainable leadership from the perspectives of newly appointed principals in Irish primary education.

l

Centre for School Leadership (2021) Learning to Be a School Leader in Ireland.

l

Schleicher, A. (ed.) (2012) Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders for the 21st Century: Lessons from Around the World. Paris: OECD.

l

Barber, M., Whelan, F., and Clark, M. (2010) Capturing the leadership premium: How the world’s top school systems are building leadership capacity for the future. McKinsey & Company.

l

Forde, C. (2022) The Impact of the Newly Appointed Principal National Mentoring Programme – report for the Centre for School Leadership

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Reeves, J., Mahony, P., and Moos, L. (1997) ‘Headship: Issues of career’. Teacher Development

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Spillane, J.P. and Lee, L.C. (2014) ‘Novice school principals’ sense of ultimate responsibility: Problems of practice in transitioning to the principal’s office’, Educational Administration Quarterly

l

Fitzpatrick Associates (2018) School Leadership in Ireland and the Centre for School Leadership: Research and Evaluation Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants.

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Guskey, T.R. (2000) Evaluating Professional Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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OECD (2009) Improving School Leadership: The Toolkit. Paris: OECD.

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Munby, S. (2009) ‘The authentic leader: An interview with Steve Munby’, In Conversation.

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5

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Recruitment

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If the principal is critical to school success, then it is clear that those who select the principal play a vital role in the process.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction Given the demonstrable impact school leaders have on their schools and their strategic importance in terms of effecting and implementing change, the recruitment of effective school leaders is crucial. Central to such a process of recruitment has to be a shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership and the key skills and competencies required of such leaders. See Chapter 3: Effective School Leadership and Core Purpose, for more on this point.

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he identification and encouragement of potential senior leaders to engage with a systematic process of preparation for leadership, as described in Chapter 4: Preparation for Leadership, should better ensure the number and suitability of applicants applying for vacant senior leadership positions. If those who are charged with the responsibility of appointing those senior leaders also have that deeper and shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership, there is a greater likelihood that they will identify those applicants who possess the relevant key competencies and skills. The combination of the two factors would result in the most effective potential school leaders applying for and being appointed to senior leadership positions.

A Reluctance to Lead

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“The enduring perception of the school principal as over-worked and under-supported has done much to devalue the role and feed the issue of principal reluctance and prevailing leadership shortages”. McGovern (2015)

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The perceived unattractiveness of the role of principal and the limited number of applicants (particularly internal applicants) when vacancies arise is not a new phenomenon; it has been identified as an issue of concern in a range of reports by various authors and organisations over the last 20 years. The only surprise is that we are still surprised! A lack of role clarity, the increasingly complex and challenging nature of the role and an expanding workload are significant contributory factors. This reluctance to lead is even more pronounced when it comes to vacant teaching principal roles.

The evidence to date has been largely anecdotal, with schools reporting receiving small numbers of applications for vacant principal positions. The failure of some schools to attract a stipulated minimum

number of applicants, if any at all, has necessitated the re-advertising of roles.

Data gleaned from our survey of members confirms that l 27% of schools received three or fewer applications for the role of principal when the post was last advertised l 36% of schools received no internal applications and l in 68% of cases, the DP did not apply.

The data in relation to the recruitment of teaching principals is even more sobering, confirming that l 35% of schools received three or fewer applications for the role of principal when the post was last advertised l 51% of schools received no internal applications and l in 67% of cases, the DP did not apply.

It seems clear from this data that internal aspiring leaders and deputy principals look at the role of principal and consider it impossible to take on while also preserving a work-life balance. Indeed, Sugrue (2014) highlighted that deputy principals are “quite willing to be leap frogged by colleagues to the position of principal”. This is a concern, given the experience and skills they could offer in the role of principal. It is worth noting that this is not an issue at post-primary level in Ireland, where it is expected that applicants for the role of principal will have experience as a deputy principal. As referenced in the previous chapter, only 31% of the 2021 appointees to the role of primary principal who engaged with Misneach were deputy principals, while at post-primary level, 77% of appointees were deputy principals.

Highlighting the positives of the role To counter this narrative, all stakeholders have a role to play in terms of highlighting the positives of the school leadership role, including IPPN. Indeed, this was a defined strategic priority for IPPN in the period 2016-2020 – and this work is ongoing – as IPPN recognised the dangers of the one-sided narrative

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Chapter 5 - Recruitment

that prevailed, particularly from about 2010, when the myriad system changes began to have a serious impact on school leaders’ workload and wellbeing.

Anecdotally, IPPN is aware of many principals who thoroughly enjoy their leadership role, and who have put in place processes – with the support of their staff and Boards of Management - to manage workload.

See Chapter 7: Sharing and Supporting Leadership for more information on this.

The Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Well-being survey found that, “Despite the challenges of the role, many school leaders find great meaning in their work and work in schools with high levels of trust, community and sense of justice.”

When asked about the positives of the role, most school leaders emphasise the privilege of leading the teaching and learning, and the enjoyment they get out of teaching, whether they do so full-time in the case of teaching principals, or now and then in the case of administrative principals. It is widely understood that it is the ‘other stuff’ that distracts principals in particular, but also deputy principals, from engagement with their core purpose. This is what has fostered a perception of unattractiveness of the role. There is work to be done to restore balance in the discourse around school leadership. It is hoped that the implementation of the recommendations contained in this report would have such an impact.

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The process of recruitment l

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The process to recruit principals and deputy principals is undertaken in accordance with the provisions of Circular 0044/2019 The Board of Management is responsible for the appointment of the principal or deputy principal,

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subject to the approval of the relevant patron, and must ensure adherence to the agreed recruitment procedures The Board delegates the selection process to an Interview Board which is comprised of the Chairperson of the Board and a minimum of two Independent Assessors (except in the Community National School sector, where the interview board comprises of one Nominee of the CE, one Education Expert and one Independent Assessor, all appointed by the ETB) Having advertised the vacant post, the Interview Board convenes to consider the applications for the post. Each application is assessed to ensure that it is valid and that the applicant meets the minimum eligibility requirements for appointment.

For schools of fewer than 80 pupils, no minimum level of teaching experience is required for appointment to the role of principal. For all other schools, applicants must have a minimum of five years’ teaching experience.

The selection process is based on four competencies that are aligned to the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management. Each applicant demonstrates their capacity to ◆ Lead learning and teaching ◆ Manage the organisation ◆ Lead school development ◆ Develop leadership capacity These criteria are used both in the process of shortlisting and interviewing applicants Having conducted the interviews in accordance with the stipulated procedures, the Interview Board identifies the successful applicant, whose appointment is subject to reference checks, ratification by the Board of Management and the approval of the relevant patron.

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Recruitment Challenges IPPN’s submission in 2014 to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Priority Issues for Leadership in Schools identified that, “The recruitment process for principals requires review and radical overhaul. If the principal is critical to school success, then it is clear that those who select the principal play a vital role in the process. In addition, those who select the selectors carry immense responsibility, but also have the opportunity to put in place a model for selecting principals that is based on international best practice.”

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While the procedures to recruit principals are clearly defined, some obvious shortcomings exist: l Recruitment practices vary between the different patron bodies. An example of this would be that some patron bodies assign independent assessors to schools, when a recruitment process is initiated, while other patron bodies allow schools to choose their own independent assessors. While some good practice exists, there is little consistency. It is worth noting that, while practices also vary somewhat at post-primary level in relation to the recruitment of school leaders, there are practices, guidelines and templates that could be emulated or adapted. l The training in recruitment focuses on the procedures rather than on understanding the needs of the school, the skills and competencies and the personal qualities required of today’s school leader. The training does not focus on how the interview board goes about establishing the existence of such skills, competencies and personal qualities and how questions are tailored to support this. l Independent assessors may or may not have been trained before serving on an interview board, as such training is currently not mandatory across all patron bodies. As McGovern states, “It is essential that those involved in recruiting school principals who are central to a school’s long term success, be adequately trained to procure the best candidates for the role. At present there are no transparent criteria or recruitment guidelines for the selection of members to principal recruitment panels.” l Chairpersons, who have a pivotal role to play in the appointment process, may not have had the training provided to Independent Assessors, or perhaps the experience of the education system, and yet are the only member of the Interview Board with any knowledge of the school’s context. McGovern describes this

dynamic as follows – “It is the job of a nominated recruitment panel at local level to appoint the appropriate candidate to the position of school principal. Specific school needs are not always a consideration in the selection process across contexts according to the qualitative findings.”

Given that there is no shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership, there is a reduced chance of a balanced exploration of the twin leadership and management dimensions to the role at interview.

There is a perception that an external applicant may have to be exceptional to be appointed over an internal applicant. This perception seems to be confirmed by the data from our member survey, which indicates that the average number of internal applicants was less than 1 (0.95) out of an average total number of 5.5 applicants.

See Figure 5.1. However, internal applicants were successful in 49% of the recruitment processes.

It is highly likely that this would also hold true for the appointment of deputy principals. According to McGovern’s research in 2015, “It would seem that some participants in the study perceive that context-based experience or local knowledge is more highly valued than professional qualifications when it comes to appointments in schools. […] Appointments should be made on the basis of suitability and qualifications for the role rather than on connections or previous associations with a school”.

Internal V External appointees

51%

49%

Internal Figure 5.1

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External

Chapter 5 - Recruitment

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The shortage of applications for school leadership positions leaves interview boards with limited options. However, the appointment of a less than suitable applicant is to be avoided; it will have significant impact on the school for at least a generation of children.

While the rationale for removing barriers to the recruitment of school leaders is understandable, appointing someone with no teaching experience to such a key and challenging role, in a school of 80 or fewer pupils, or indeed a school of any size, is ill judged at best. While the incidence of this is uncommon, appointing such an inexperienced person does a disservice to the appointee and the school and undermines the very concept of leadership. How can someone be expected to lead teaching and learning in a school when they have no teaching experience, let alone no leadership experience?

An additional challenge arises with regard to the recruitment of principals of new or developing schools. There can be little doubt that someone with previous leadership experience would be better equipped to take on what is an onerous challenge and one which requires a welldeveloped leadership skillset. However, the current linkage of a principal’s allowance to the size of the school militates against experienced school leaders applying for or taking on such leadership positions.

Observations by HR professionals on the recruitment of school leaders As part of our consideration of the recruitment of school leaders, perspectives from HR professionals in private industry were sought, one of whom is a senior executive in a HR consultancy and the other, the head of HR in a private company with over 4,000 employees. The following is a summary of those perspectives.

What should the objectives of the Sustainable Leadership project re. recruitment be? l To ensure there is clarity around the role of the school leader and the skills and competencies required to be effective in the role l To ensure that role is focused on and in keeping with the core purpose of school leaders, as articulated in the four domains of the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management l To consider how the process of recruiting school leaders could be enhanced to improve the likelihood of identifying the most suitable candidate for the role.

What are your observations on the current reality of school leadership recruitment? l The potential to recruit effective school leaders is undermined by the lack of a shared understanding of ◆ what constitutes effective school leadership ◆ the skills and competencies required to be an effective school leader ◆ the importance of the personal qualities of the leader

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

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The four domains in the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management form a logical basis for an understanding of the role of school leader Given that three of those domains speak to leadership and one to management, it seems clear that schools should be looking to recruit leaders who can manage, as opposed to managers who can lead Account must be taken of the personal and professional characteristics required of school leaders in the recruitment process The subjective nature of a one-off interview is less likely to ensure that such account is taken The context in which one leads determines the type of leadership required; the particular needs and context of the school must be a central consideration in determining the type of leader to be appointed.

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What would improve the process? l When a vacancy for a new school leader arises, a consultation process with the school community should be initiated, to determine the needs and priorities of the school and the type of leadership that is required l This consultation process should take account of the perspectives of all stakeholders – staff, students, parents and members of the Board of Management l The report arising from that consultation should inform the process of recruiting the new school leader and should be provided to the selection committee

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All who serve on selection committees must have undertaken a training module on the recruitment of school leaders; that module should include an exploration of ◆ effective school leadership ◆ personal and professional characteristics ◆ leadership in context ◆ the recruitment process and the procedures that underpin that process Consideration/assessment of the personal characteristics of all candidates who are shortlisted for interview by the selection committee should be undertaken prior to the interview process This should be undertaken by a third party who is independent of the selection committee (a panel of suitably-qualified people could be formed in the same manner as those involved in the professional coaching for school leaders) A report of that consideration/assessment should be provided to the selection committee Based on the leadership and management needs of the school, as identified in the consultation report, the selection committee should have flexibility with regard to the weighting they give to the four domains, within agreed parameters The recruitment process should be completed in sufficient time to allow for a period of induction prior to the appointee taking up the role The cost of recruiting school leaders should be met by means of a recruitment grant for which the school applies when the vacancy occurs.

Recommendations l

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School leaders should provide opportunities for all teachers to engage in leadership activity as an essential component in developing future school leaders.

A consistent (national) recruitment and appointment process, underpinned by HR best practice (outlined above), and supported by mandatory training for those engaged in recruitment, with the emphasis on leadership, must be developed.

The development of this recruitment and appointment process should be undertaken by a body such as the Centre for School Leadership (CSL), in consultation with the management bodies and in collaboration with

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system leaders, to fuse collective expertise and perspectives.

To ensure consistency of approach, the CSL, or other such appropriate body, should have a role in the design of a mandatory training programme, in consultation with the management bodies and practicefocused academics to ensure such design is underpinned by research.

Those who serve as independent assessors should have recent working knowledge of primary school leadership, ideally within the past five years, given the pace of change in the sector

Chapter 5 - Recruitment

Recommendations (continued) l

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Training should be mandatory for independent assessors, to better ensure a shared understanding of expectations, of the leadership role and of the characteristics and skills required to excel in the role – see Chapter 4: Preparation for Leadership. They are the ‘gate keepers’ to quality leadership in our schools and their decision is the determining factor in shaping a school community and potentially the education of children for a generation or more. “Presently, leadership recruitment in primary schools is highly decentralised and local school boards are awarded full responsibility for principalship appointments via an open application and interview process. The selection boards in schools consist of nominated members with mixed profiles in terms of their knowledge of the school context. The training and development of recruitment panels in Irish schools is a critical component of succession planning.” McGovern 2015 Such training should also be made available to chairpersons involved in the recruitment of senior leaders

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A preparation and induction process framework should be introduced – see Chapter 4: Preparation for Leadership. This would help Interview Boards to identify where each candidate is positioned on the ‘continuum of leadership preparation’ during the shortlisting process and at interview.

In turn, this would help to bring about consistency to the recruitment process in terms of post-graduate studies and leadership experience, and would ensure that all principals have a similar level of skills and/or training in all of the key elements of the role by the end of the induction process, setting them up for leadership success.

Revisit the eligibility criteria for appointment to ensure a minimum level of experience as a teacher Consideration should be given to incentivising experienced school leaders to take on leadership roles in new and developing schools.

References l

McGovern, E. (2015) From Aspiration to Succession and Transition: An exploratory study of the fundamental principles of sustainable leadership from the perspectives of newly appointed principals in Irish primary education.

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Sugrue, C. (2015) Unmasking School Leadership – Studies in educational Leadership – Studies in Educational. Springer

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IPPN (2014) Priority Issues for Leadership in Schools – Report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education & Social Protection.

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Research for Educational Impact (REDI) Faculty of Arts and Education Deakin University (2022) The Irish Primary Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey

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6

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Time and Space to Lead

Simply put, school leaders require sufficient time and resources to fulfil the critical school leadership role and to minimise the structural and resource variances between those who lead and manage full-time and those who must also teach.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction ‘The principal is the visionary who plays a pivotal role in teaching and learning, and, subsequently, school improvement’ (Fullan, 2011) ‘Principals feel overwhelmed by the burden of responsibility and there is little time for leading learning in schools’ IPPN, 2006; (O’Hanlon, 2008)

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he weight of international evidence demonstrates that school principals experience - given the breadth of their responsibilities - a significant lack of time and space to lead. The importance and impact of the principal as a leader of teaching and learning is widely recognised and promoted as a key determinant of school improvement and effectiveness (Looking at our Schools, 2016). However, the current reality in which school leaders operate does not afford sufficient time or opportunity for those leaders to engage in that instructional leadership. As has been outlined in previous chapters, principals are constantly diverted from their core purpose by the breadth of their responsibilities, arising from a lack of role clarity, as well as inadequate financial and human resources and a continuous stream of new initiatives, circulars and legislation. Unless addressed, this dynamic has significant ramifications for the implementation of the redeveloped curriculum. That implementation will lean heavily on the instructional leadership of school leaders whose capacity to provide such instructional leadership is consistently undermined.

The report of the Department of Education Working Group on the Role of the Primary School Principal in 1999 recognised this dynamic and the need to reconsider the role of school principal because “societal, legislative and educational changes involve increased responsibilities and wider aspects of the role, leading to new challenges and new tensions in carrying it out” (DES, 1999).

McGovern alludes to the same dynamic when observing that “the role of the principal has expanded exponentially in tandem with the relentless reform catalogue directed at organisational level in schools” (McGovern, 2015).

In its Improving School Leadership Background Report – Ireland, the OECD concluded that “There is too much wrong with a system that leaves its leaders asking fundamental questions like “what actions should a leader be expected to engage in and which aspects of the school and system organization and development fall within the role” (OECD, 2008) In summarising the perspectives of multiple authors and organisations on this issue, including Anderson et al, HayGroup, the OECD and IPPN, McGovern highlights that “Principals are observed in schools carrying the weight of imposed changes, juggling management tasks, attending meetings, securing resources, overseeing policies, dealing with stakeholders, organising budgets and staffing arrangements and the list continues” (McGovern, 2015). As former President of IPPN, Damian White put it – “many would identify with the analogy of a surgeon in an operating theatre expected to schedule the staff, prepare the patient, procure and maintain the materials and equipment, arrange the cleaning, source the funds, write the reports, and fix technical problems, all while performing surgery.”

The question quite reasonably can be asked, where is the time and space to lead?

Leadership in Context An international study of management practices by the London School of Economics in 2014 concludes that it is leadership that makes schools successful.

Michael Fullan’s ‘Quality Leadership = Quality Learning: Proof beyond reasonable doubt’ (2006) also makes a powerful argument that if we expect our school leaders to function effectively as leaders, then we must

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Chapter 6 - Time and Space to Lead

support them with sufficient time to do so. Simply put, school leaders require sufficient time and resources to fulfil the critical school leadership role and to minimise the structural and resource variances between those who lead and manage full-time and those who must also teach.

Referring to someone as a ‘Primary School Principal’ is akin to describing someone as a farmer or an engineer.

A farmer can have anything from one to 1,000+ acres of land of varying degrees of arability, with local supports, machinery and infrastructure ranging from poor to ample. Similarly, describing someone as an engineer could mean she/he designs and builds anything from microchips to suspension bridges. So too can school principals lead schools where there is a huge variation in circumstances, work conditions, challenges and opportunities – the role cannot be considered or treated as ‘one-size-fits-all’. (Hallinger 2018) The principal of a large urban school in an area of economic advantage has a large proportion of the same administration to carry out as their colleague leading the DEIS Band 1 school, but may have very different challenges around the leadership of learning, due to a myriad of circumstances. Rural Schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, schools led by teaching or administrative principals, special schools, mainstream schools with special classes, island schools and hospital schools must all be led effectively and sustainably by a Principal, supported by their leadership team, where such teams exist. As identified in Chapter 1: Context, leadership is exercised in a variety of contexts and, while there are many unifying or common characteristics, there are fundamental differences that have implications for the way that leadership should be supported and resourced.

Leadership in Practice The role of the school principal derives originally from Circular 16/73 and, subsequently, the Education Act 1998 – the former stressing management and supervisory aspects of the role and the latter emphasising the learning, developmental, consultative and leadership aspects of the role (Fullan, 2006). In the intervening years, there has been an exponential expansion of, rather than a revision of, the principal’s responsibilities.

As referenced previously, the strategic importance of the school leader to the achievement of systemic improvement has been recognised and leveraged, with each individual initiative identifying the particular responsibilities that fall to school leaders.

As outlined in Chapter 2: Current Reality, in order to identify the cumulative impact of such an approach to role expansion and the diminished capacity to focus on the core purpose of leading teaching and learning, IPPN has mapped out the responsibilities that fall to the principal as identified within active circulars, legislation, policy documents and initiatives. See Appendix 1 –Analysis of the role and responsibilities of the principal. To quote the disclaimer that is typically used in such circumstances - the list is not exhaustive. In relation to DE Circulars, it lists those issued during the period 2016 to 2022, to show a comprehensive list of new and amended policies and procedures. However, its impact is conclusive and the analysis that has been done clearly demonstrates the extent to which school leaders are pressed in terms of having the time and space to lead.

Teaching Principalship

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“The position of teaching principal is viewed as problematic and unsustainable in the Irish context because of a lack of training and support in ameliorating the dual role of teacher and leader.”

(McGovern, 2015, citing Morgan & Sugrue, 2008 & McDonald, 2008).

“The critical conclusion which we would advance is that, to be effective, principals need to demonstrate an appropriate range of competencies and management styles which will be dictated, in large measure, by the school environment in which they are operating. This is not to suggest that the role is fundamentally different from school type to school type, but rather that the means of being effective has different emphases.” (HayGroup Report, 2003)

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

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in the system as ‘release days’, to allow Teaching Principals to ‘undertake administrative, leadership and management functions’ (PC13, 2000). See Table 6.1. This was superseded by subsequent circulars, all which adopted an approach that the smaller the school, the fewer the number of release days were required. For illustration purposes, the following were the arrangements detailed in Circular 0020/2019 in this regard.

“Our analysis of the role of Teaching Principal would lead us to agree with a perception articulated by many [teaching principals] that the “official” definition of Principalship is based primarily on the role of the Administrative Principal and that there is insufficient recognition of the reality of the combined teaching and leadership roles” (HayGroup Report, 2003)

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“As a body supporting principals in their professional and personal development and as a recognised Education Partner, IPPN believes that it has an obligation to highlight the increasing challenges faced by Teaching Principals and to make recommendations that will address some of those challenges, so that Teaching Principals may be enabled to focus on their core function – being leaders of teaching and learning” (IPPN, 2015)

School Size

Leadership & Management Days per school year

% time allocated to school leadership

by DE

Principal + 0/1/2 teachers

19 days *

10%

Principal + 3/4 teachers

25 days *

14%

Principal + 5/6 Teachers

31 days *

17%

Table 6.1

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For a teaching principal, into which category 54% of our principals fall, all of the duties and responsibilities of a school leader must be carried out by a full-time teacher. Usually, this is on top of the responsibility for planning lessons for multiple classes, or in the case of a teaching principal working as a Special Education Teacher, the individual learning and emotional needs of a cohort of children with varying additional needs.

In her research into the wellbeing of principals in small schools in Ireland, Finnegan identifies something of a paradox. She reports that, despite the fact that 59% of the Teaching Principals surveyed were considering stepping down from their roles, 70% felt they did not achieve work-life balance, and 71% saying their work-related stress regularly impacted on their family life, 83% of these Teaching Principals report as being satisfied. Finnegan concludes that, “it may be the teaching and rapport with their pupils and staff that are keeping these principals buoyant and the demands of leadership in congruence with this that is drowning them.” (Finnegan 2021) In 2000, the DE introduced the concept of leadership and management days, also known

It should be noted that the calculation of school size above includes mainstream class teachers only. It excludes ex-quota posts such as special education teaching posts, special class posts and HomeSchool Community Liaison (HSCL) and it does not take into account special needs assistants, ancillary staff, bus escorts, nor other staff such as nurses and occupational therapists that are often allocated to special schools. These additional staff members add huge value to each school but also result in significant additional duties for the teaching principal, as all staff must be managed, led and supported. In short, using the number of mainstream class teachers as a metric to calculate release days was misguided, as it failed to take account of the breadth of responsibilities that fall to all school leaders, regardless of size.

As articulated in IPPN’s position paper on Administration Days for Teaching Principals in 2015, “If we expect our school leaders to function effectively as leaders, then we must support them with sufficient time to do so.” The paper further concludes that “There is evidence that lack of time and inadequate administrative supports to deal effectively with workload are barriers that prevent Teaching Principals from spending ‘quality time’ on their leadership function and there is evidence that this is having a particularly negative effect on the health” and wellbeing of those school leaders. (IPPN, 2015)

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Chapter 6 - Time and Space to Lead

For over two decades, IPPN consistently lobbied for a minimum of one leadership and management day a week for Teaching Principals. This was introduced on a temporary basis in the 2020/21 school year, as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the additional burden that school leaders had to carry. It was retained for the 2021/22 school year but initially only as a temporary measure. IPPN continued to advocate for its retention on a permanent basis as it “would help ease the burden on teaching principals and would signal serious intent on the part of the Department to address the significant problems highlighted for many years by IPPN and other education partners in relation to their role.” (IPPN, 2021) In 2022, this milestone was finally reached. This was a welcome development, but should be seen only as an important step in the right direction in terms of affording teaching principals the requisite and appropriate time to properly exercise the leadership and management aspects of their role, thus enhancing their effectiveness as school leaders and the effectiveness of their schools. As Finnegan concludes in her research, “Relying on school leaders to ‘keep going’ as the teacher-martyr archetype cannot be accepted as a sustainable model for school leadership in Ireland.” (Finnegan, 2021) Leadership of Small Schools While 54% of principals have full-time teaching duties, there is a further subset of this group who are principals of small schools. These are schools with four mainstream class teachers or fewer. 43% of school principals fall into this category.

While all of the challenges that have been previously outlined are part of the experience of the principal of a small school, some additional factors contribute to the growing complexity of the role as well as the undermining of its sustainability.

Finnegan cites Halsey’s research into the role of principals in small schools in Australia – “His research has pointed to smaller communities placing higher expectations on small school principals in comparison with those in larger, urban settings.

One respondent elaborated on this saying the “challenge of navigating and negotiating priorities and opportunities in contexts where there is high surveillance of performance and low anonymity for recovery from any errors of judgement was very difficult.” The dynamic described by Halsey has a resonance for leaders of small schools in Ireland as it speaks to the heightened scrutiny or pressure such school leaders can experience.

The importance of schools to their local communities has been amplified by the closure of other local amenities, such as post offices, Garda stations, shops and churches. This too adds to the pressure of leading an institution that is inextricably linked with a sense of local identity. When one adds in such myriad issues as rural isolation, population decline, fewer teachers applying for vacant posts in these schools and the dearth of people to serve on Boards of Management, the magnitude of the challenge emerges.

The Small Schools Action Research project, launched in July 2021 is an important project. Developed by a working group including IPPN, school management

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

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Leading a school is also about allowing others to take on leadership roles and supporting them in this. For this sharing of leadership to happen effectively, principal teachers must have the requisite time and supports to make it happen.

bodies and teacher unions with the Department of Education, as part of the programme of work of the Primary Education Forum (PEF), the project aims “to encourage small schools to cluster together in local groups, enabling them to collaborate and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions”.

While the research project will consider more than just the challenges faced by leaders of such schools, the results of the research and the solutions that are trialled will undoubtedly play a part in identifying ways of ensuring greater sustainability of such roles.

Special Schools In its position paper on Special Schools in 2017, IPPN identifies the particular complexities involved in leading and managing a Special School. The burden of endeavouring to provide children with access to an educational placement, in an equal and fair learning environment which is safe and inclusive, is proving overwhelming when considered against the backdrop of the reality in which these school leaders are operating.

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provision of substitute cover and roster management.” (IPPN, 2017) This may explain why special schools receive fewer applicants for principal posts (an average of 4.5 applications compared to 5.5 for all schools, according to the data from our member survey). l

The increased level of risk and the associated health and safety considerations Whilst every school presents health and safety challenges, the duty of care in a Special School far exceeds that of any other school due the high risk factors involved when working with pupils with significant additional needs. Principals are constantly on high alert and assessing risk at a level of intensity and frequency not found in most mainstream settings.

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Co-ordinating with multi-disciplinary teams and visiting professionals The co-ordination of the professionals in multidisciplinary teams usually falls to the Principal, who must manage parental expectations, organise workspace, manage resources and coordinate meetings for each pupil in the school.

The issues are many and unique to this particular context. They include: l

Leading and managing large numbers of staff Principals of Special Schools manage full-time and part-time primary and secondary teachers, Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), transport escorts, part-time secretaries, caretakers and cleaners - all of whom report only to the Principal. Indeed, research undertaken by the Special School principals has ascertained that Special Schools have a minimum of 3 times the number of staff that the equivalent mainstream school has, based on pupil numbers. As IPPN’s position paper describes it – “With regard to bus escorts and ancillary staff, Special School Principals are acting as wage clerks, tax consultants and counsellors in addition to managing the HR issues associated with dignity at work, underperformance, recruitment processes, de-briefing and assault management,

An additional leadership burden is borne by principals in Special Schools as result of l children with complex medical needs l unsuitable buildings l unrealistic pupil/teacher ratios and l the broad range of programmes that are required to be offered and co-ordinated, given that pupils range in age from 5 to 18 years.

All of the foregoing contribute to the increasingly unsustainable and untenable position in which principals in special schools fined themselves. While IPPN welcomed the decision to confer administrative status on all principals of special schools, more needs to be done to alleviate the leadership burden they carry and to make their roles more sustainable.

Consideration of the status of the deputy principal in special schools must be factored into that equation.

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Chapter 6 - Time and Space to Lead

DEIS Schools Leading a DEIS schools creates considerable additional workload for principals, especially for teaching principals, including significantly more meetings, more planning, and more engagement with parents and families. Such additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to: l the development of DEIS plans l the development of literacy and numeracy strategies l the development of attendance, transfer and retention strategies l the development of Partnership Action Plans l the organisation of the School Meals Programme l facilitation of and engagement with the School Completion Programme l the appointment of Home/School Community Liaison (HSCL) Teachers.

Schools with Special Classes The provision of administrative status to teaching principals who were leading schools with two or more special classes in the 2021/2022 school year was a welcome acknowledgement of the additional workload and challenge pertaining to this particular school context. This will remove a potential barrier to the opening of such classes and will help to make the role of those leaders more sustainable.

However, there are specific challenges that arise for school leaders with regard to the establishment and running of special classes. IPPN members have articulated such issues, which include:

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the resourcing of a new class – accommodation, sensory space, specialist furniture and equipment (this is a greater challenge when additional accommodation needs to be put in place to facilitate the opening of the class) securing the specialised training that is needed for all staff working with children in special classes (this needs to be put in place and resourced before the class is opened) facilitating the attendance of special class teachers at training for extended periods and the securing of substitute cover for same liaising with professionals and external agencies on the securing of professional reports and therapeutic interventions managing appropriate integration with mainstream classes.

Leadership of a Community National School The Community National School model provides an interesting case study in terms of support for the leadership and governance of the school.

Community National Schools are under the patronage of the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). A distinguishing feature of this model of patronage is that the ETBs take responsibility for or provide access to support in a range of areas such as buildings, finance and HR. This centralised provision of services is designed to ensure Boards are supported in carrying out their governance responsibilities and that school leaders will have more time and space to focus on their core purpose of leading teaching and learning.

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From a school leadership perspective, key supports include: l general advice and support from the Director of Schools l management of the recruitment process of all new staff, thus alleviating the administrative burden associated with recruitment l access to a dedicated IT section that supports schools in all matters concerning IT, such as maintenance & troubleshooting l assistance with procurement of repairs and maintenance as well as the management of building projects.

There is little doubt that the central provision of such supports better enables school leaders to focus on teaching, learning and school development. Despite this, school leaders have cited a number of issues that arise for them including: l a lack of consistency in terms of approach across the ETBs l a lack of understanding of the primary school context and, for our purposes, primary school leadership l a certain loss of leadership autonomy l delays in initiating recruitment processes l procurement of resources unsuitable to primary school needs l confusing reporting structures l constraints on access to online resources/ platforms due to ETB requirements re. GDPR.

There is much that can be learned from the CNS model and experience in terms of how leadership and governance can be better supported in our schools, as well as how that support is structured and delivered to have the maximum positive impact on leadership and school effectiveness.

New and Developing Schools There are significant additional challenges involved in establishing a new school, and in leading and managing a school with developing status. Many appointees to such positions are also new to the role of principal, which adds to the difficulties that can be experienced.

IPPN members who have been through the process have identified some of the challenges as follows: l While there is some training provided, there are so many facets to opening a new school that only someone who has been through the process will appreciate the issues, pitfalls and workarounds. l Many ‘founding principals’ have sought support from their leadership support group but there are not many principals with experience of establishing a new school l As all founding principals are teaching principals, the challenges are compounded by a lack of time to attend to the myriad responsibilities that arise l Governance – new schools have a ‘Single Manager’ before a Board of Management is formed. It can be very challenging to understand how to form a brand new Board

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Chapter 6 - Time and Space to Lead

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The provision of sufficient and skilled administrative support to all schools has the potential to have an enormous impact in terms of decluttering the role of school leader and allowing them to focus on core purpose.

There are countless organisations that a founding principal will need to engage with, including the DE Building Section, Tusla, HSE, NEPS, insurance company, PDST, SESS, As there are no existing policies in place, all required policies must be developed, and while templates are available from a range of sources, this can still be particularly challenging for inexperienced leaders Initial funding is usually grossly inadequate, adding further pressure – capitation grants should be provided in advance There are specific issues in one-teacher schools, including child protection, dealing with a medical emergency, sick leave etc., as well as multi-grade curricular issues Existing supports such as PDST’s Misneach and IPPN’s Headstart are invaluable to new leaders, but are inadequate to meet the needs of founding principals.

As previously referenced in Chapter 5: Recruitment, an additional challenge arises with regard to the recruitment of principals of new or developing schools. There can be little doubt that someone with previous leadership experience would be better equipped to take on what is an onerous challenge and one which requires a well-developed leadership skillset.

However, the current linkage of a principal’s allowance to the size of the school militates against experienced school leaders applying for or taking on such leadership positions.

Health implications for School Leaders At the IPPN principals’ conference in January 2015, Dr Philip Riley – Associate Professor of educational leadership at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne and Program Director of Principal Health and Well-being services in Australia and Ireland presented stark evidence that principals’ health and well-being was suffering as a direct consequence of their role. He pointed out that school leaders “Score and average well above the population on all the negative health & wellbeing elements (burnout, sleeping troubles, stress and depressive symptoms)”.

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He further commented that, compared to administrative principals “teaching principals report lower levels of physical and mental health, coping, confidence, autonomy, personal well-being and a raft of other negative factors, along with the highest levels of work-related stress.’

As previously detailed in Chapter 2: Current Reality, IPPN and NAPD commissioned a research team from Deakin University to revisit this issue of the occupational health, safety and well-being of school leaders in Ireland. The data from the 2022 study reveals that all of the scores on the negative health and wellbeing elements (burnout, sleeping troubles, stress and depressive symptoms) have worsened from 2015.

From the comparative data, we can surmise that school leaders in general, and teaching principals in particular, are at risk of serious consequences for their health and well-being directly linked to their workload and work environment.

In their research on the Well-being of School Leaders in 2021, Burke and Dempsey conclude that, “It is now time to review leaders’ loaded role and identify ways in which it can be altered to positively impact on their wellbeing, ensure sustainability of the position, as well as ensure that they have the time and space to focus on rebuilding the ruptured school communities for a brighter post-Covid future.” (Maynooth University 2021). They further conclude that, “it is crucial that primary school leaders’ wellbeing is considered to ensure the sustainability of their roles.”

They highlight that “Worryingly, approximately a quarter of the primary school principals began to experience an increased number of symptoms of depression, even though the number of symptoms do not yet reach the threshold of depression. If they are not addressed over the coming months, and action is not taken to alleviate their symptoms, school leaders’ mental strain may persist and lead to diagnosable mental illness.”

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They recommend that it is time to: l review and clarify the school leaders’ role l streamline the role by centralising some of their duties l provide leaders with more time to manage the quality of teaching and learning.

In its report entitled School Leadership Matters, PricewaterhouseCoopers recommend that it is necessary to “Review levels of administrative and caretaking support provided to schools to ensure that principals have dedicated leadership time.”

(PWC, 2009)

If school leadership is to be sustainable for teaching principals, and those who lead in the school contexts explored in this chapter, in the long term, clearly there needs to be change. Leading a school is also about allowing others to take on leadership roles and supporting them in this. For this sharing of leadership to happen effectively, principal teachers must have the requisite time and supports to make it happen.

This is true of all schools, regardless of their context.

The provision of sufficient and skilled administrative support to all schools has the potential to have an enormous impact in terms of decluttering the role of school leader and allowing them to focus on core purpose. There is a range of administrative tasks that have little or nothing to do with the leadership and management domains, and which would be more appropriately the responsibility of an administrator who was specifically trained to undertake them. This is detailed in Appendix 4: Responsibilities that can be shared with others.

Skilled administrative support The job of school secretary has evolved into something akin to the ‘beating heart’ of the school.

So many systems, such as school management, communications and financial management packages, are operated through the school office nowadays. For many small schools, even smaller schools with an administrative principal, part-time administrative support is all they can afford, due to inadequate ancillary grant funding. This places them in a particularly difficult situation, especially teaching principals, who can focus on neither their teaching nor their leadership role, both of which are critical to the school, its pupils, and its staff.

The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) has proposed the establishment of the role of a School Administrative Officer (SAO) with a view to better ensuring leadership effectiveness and sustainability. The SAO role could be adapted to meet the different, but no less onerous, administrative needs of primary schools.

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Chapter 6 - Time and Space to Lead

Recommendations The Role of the Principal Ensure that the role of the principal is de-cluttered to afford greater time and space for them to focus on their core purpose and to lead their schools effectively. An approach to this is outlined in Appendix 4 – Responsibilities that can be shared with others. It sets out those aspects of their work that principals must do themselves and those they can/should share with others.

Leadership and Management days for Teaching Principals Build on the permanent provision of at least one leadership and management day per week for all teaching principals, such that additional time is provided based on the overall school context, not on the number of mainstream class teachers only.

Review the leadership demands of Special School Principals A specific review of the role demands and responsibilities of principals of Special Schools needs to be undertaken which should include l the need for release time or administrative status for deputy principals l the need for a greater level of administrative support.

Ensure that reform is implemented in a managed, agreed and sustainable manner The potential impact of any reform or initiative from within the sector, or a combination of proposed initiatives or reforms, that will impact on schools needs to be assessed to ensure that it is planned, managed and implemented in a manner which takes account of the system’s capacity (and in particular that of school leaders) to implement that reform. This has a particular resonance for the process of curriculum reform that is currently underway and the capacity of school leaders to ensure the successful implementation of the revised curriculum. Exceptional imperatives - such as Child Protection and GDPR - need to be taken into account as well, in the pacing and spacing of the change agenda. The Primary Education Forum is the body that is best placed to ensure this, as it is in keeping with its terms of reference.

Promote IPPN’s PIEW Framework as the way to pace proper and sustainable change in schools.

The PIEW framework is a model that allows schools to plan the implementation of change, over a period of three to five years, at a local level to ensure that is both manageable and sustainable. A full description of the model is included in Appendix 5 - The PIEW Framework: Prioritise – Implement – Embed - Wait.

Evaluate the criteria for Administrative Principalship and Deputy Principalship The status of a principal (teaching or administrative) is currently determined by the number of pupils enrolled in their schools. This is not an appropriate metric to use to determine such status. Taking account of the number of staff (mainstream class teachers, Special Education teachers, SNAs, ancillary staff, bus escorts, etc.) that they lead and manage would be a far more appropriate way of determining the status of principals. It is anomalous that a principal with 177 pupils has one day a week to focus on leadership and management, and another with 178 pupils can do so full-time. A similar approach to that suggested earlier in this chapter in relation to the provision of DEIS supports, a graduated approach to the provision of leadership and management time for leaders of smaller schools would be fairer and more equitable than the current all-out (administrative) or ‘almost-all-in’ (teaching) approach.

Sufficient administrative support All schools should have access to adequate and skilled administrative support provided by staff who are properly trained and remunerated.

This should not be dictated by the availability of ancillary grant funding based on school size, which has led to the inequitable remuneration of such staff and an inequitable resourcing of schools, to the particular detriment of the teaching principal. While there has been recent progress in relation to the terms and conditions of employment of secretarial staff in schools, there is a complete lack of consistency in relation to the skills and capabilities of these staff, which comprises and limits the level of support provided to school leaders. A specific training programme in school administration is required and funding and resourcing provided to enable all current administrative staff to avail of it.

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Recommendations (continued) Technological supports for all - regardless of school size or budget In recent years, there have been many technological developments - apps, programmes etc. - that are designed to make the management of school affairs more efficient, and many routine tasks less time- and energy-consuming. These tools are also expensive and the prohibitive cost prevents many schools, particularly smaller schools, from availing of the advantages they bring. Centralised funding for all schools to avail of such supports – better still, centralised procurement and maintenance of such systems and supports - are necessary to create time and space for school leaders to operate more efficiently and to deliver their leadership of learning remit.

group. The project is being driven by the schools, who will identify the supports that will work for them within their context. The learnings from this project will be key to informing the greater sustainability of leadership roles in such schools into the future.

Act on the findings of the Small Schools Action Research Project The Small Schools Action Research Project was described earlier in this chapter. The project involves seven pilot clusters, each supported by a part-time local coordinator sponsored by one of the education partners, working with a national coordinator under the guidance of a steering

A pilot should be undertaken to evaluate the practical implementation of a General Manager / Director of Schools supporting a cluster of schools and school leaders. It would be preferable if such a pilot included schools of different size and context.

Review learnings from CNS Model and Small Schools Action Research Project The role of a General Manager or a Director of Schools should be scoped out, based on learnings from the Community National School model and the Small Schools Action Research project, in order to ensure that such a role would assume responsibilities and tasks that are not aligned with the core purpose of school leaders.

References l

Fullan, M. (2011) Change Leader: Learning to Do What Matters Most (2011)

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O’Hanlon, M. (2008) Leadership through the in-school management structure, Oideas

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IPPN (2006) Investing in School Leadership

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DE (1999) Report of the Working Group on the Review of the Role of the Primary School Principal

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McGovern, E. (2015) From Aspiration to Succession and Transition: An exploratory study of the fundamental principles of sustainable leadership from the perspectives of newly appointed principals in Irish primary education

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OECD (2008) Improving School Leadership Background Report

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Fullan, M. (2006) Quality Leadership = Quality Learning. IPPN

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Hallinger, P. (2018) Bringing context out of the shadows of leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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HayGroup Report (2003) Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland. IPPN

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IPPN Position Paper (2015) Administration Days for Teaching Principals

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Finnegan, A. (2021) It’s Just too Much - An exploration of the wellbeing of principals in small schools in Ireland

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IPPN (2021) Pre-Budget Submission

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Riley, P. (2015) Irish Principals & Deputy Principals Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing Survey

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Burke, J. & Dempsey, M. (2021) ‘Wellbeing in Post-Covid Schools: Primary school leaders’ Reimagining of the Future’. Maynooth University

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PwC (2009) School Leadership Matters: An empirical assessment of the attractiveness of principalship in the North of Ireland and the South of Ireland - Commissioned by LDS (Leadership Development Service) in the South of Ireland and the RTU in the North of Ireland.

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Sharing and Supporting Leadership

Movement away from a hierarchical, duties-focused approach to the more inclusive approach to the leadership and management of our schools, where the contributions of all are valued and celebrated, cannot be assumed. It needs to be fostered, facilitated and embedded.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction “Great leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders.” Tom Peters “Principals as the senior leaders in schools, strive to ensure that their complex organisations continuously improve. A leadership style that can navigate change and embed that change in a sustainable way is a prerequisite of this role. Schools require a leader who can motivate both teachers and students to learn and the education system requires a leader who can meet the requirements and needs of all stakeholders. This is a significant undertaking for one individual.

We must question whether placing this level of responsibility on one person is sustainable.”

Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh (2020)

The Case for Sharing Leadership

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shared or distributed model of leadership in schools is common to many jurisdictions and is generally accepted as the most appropriate way of ensuring our schools are led and managed effectively. It is also recognised that this distributed leadership approach has the potential to enhance the sustainability of senior leadership roles within our schools, while also developing the capacity of those who may be appointed to those roles in the future. This is articulated by the Centre for School Leadership (CSL) in its publication Learning to be a School Leader in Ireland: “There is a growing belief that single-person leadership, such as that of the principal, is insufficient when it comes to leading learning and teaching in a complex organisation like a school, hence the emphasis on collective responsibility for leadership in schools.”

Solly suggests that the purpose of pursuing a model of distributed leadership is “to increase the leadership capacity within a school so that the school

can improve and grow in an authentic manner […] It allows a school to genuinely become a more effective educational institution as a result of leaders within it collectively pulling in the same direction, guided by the same vision and values towards a common set of goals.” There is a consequential and demonstrable impact in terms of enhancing school effectiveness, building leadership capacity within the team, while also contributing to a greater level of sustainability of senior leadership roles.

In Circular 0070/2018 Leadership and Management in Primary Schools, the Department of Education establishes the rationale for such an approach to leadership. “The primary purpose of school leadership and management is to create and sustain an environment that underpins high quality pupil care, learning and teaching. Leadership, in a school context, creates a vision for development, leading to improvements in outcomes for learners, and is based on shared values and robust evaluation of evidence of current practice and outcomes. In this

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Chapter 7 - Sharing and Supporting Leadership

way leadership is distributed throughout the school as a key support for pupil learning.” The sharing or distributing of leadership thus moved from being a concept to being a policy imperative.

However, movement away from a hierarchical, duties-focused approach to the more inclusive approach to the leadership and management of our schools, where the contributions of all are valued and celebrated, cannot be assumed. It needs to be fostered, facilitated and embedded. It requires time, effort and investment to ensure that all are, as Solly put it, “collectively pulling in the same direction, guided by the same vision and values towards a common set of goals.” Promoting it as a policy imperative does not ensure its successful implementation. As McGovern posits, “Distributed leadership is not a quick fix support for school principals. Authentic and successful partnerships take time and considerable effort to consolidate.”

Kavanagh goes further when she states that, “Effective schools require a team of leaders, who utilise their collective intelligences to transform the school into a learning community. […] investment in the development of these teams is recommended to ensure that senior and middle leaders have the necessary skills to work well together.”

It is a theme echoed by Solly when he states, “Ultimately, implementing a true distributed leadership approach requires patience, trust and a genuine belief that your school can become more effective as a result of investing time, effort and resource into developing the professional capital of your staff.”

Co-Leadership – Principals & Deputy Principals

IPPN’s 2007 research publication, Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar: Distributing Leadership: Deputy Principals, sought, among other things, “to seek to support a team-focused partnership in school leadership, to promote a distributed leadership model for schools, to reflect on the importance of developing a leadership strategy for schools which potentially

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acknowledges all staff as leaders, but specifically promotes the shared leadership model for principals and deputy principals.”

Having reflected on the practice and experience of leadership in our schools, with a particular emphasis of the scope for maximising the leadership potential and impact of the deputy principal, Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar offered a number of recommendations. Those recommended actions fell into two categories – those that school leaders could do for themselves and those that required a response and a commitment from the wider system. It is worth revisiting those recommendations as they provide a valid focus for future action. However, they also serve as reminder as to what effective leadership, and more specifically co-leadership, look like. In summary, effective (shared) leadership l is not something you do ‘to’ people – it is something you do ‘with’ people l requires a shared vision l assumes relationship l cannot be realised in the absence of good communication.

The discussion paper further highlights that the leadership dynamic between the principal and deputy principal will affect the leadership culture of the entire school.

It is instructive to note that the obstacles to the realisation of this co-leadership potential, identified in 2007, remain, despite the clarity brought in Circular 0070/2018 Leadership and Management in Primary Schools. These stumbling blocks are summarised as follows: l The leadership description of, and vision for, the role of deputy principal lack definition and clarity l The potential of the role of deputy principal and the value of team leadership, shared leadership and co-partnership between principal and deputy principal have not been adequately supported and resourced l The delineation of the role of deputy principal has not had any significant policy development or professional development outside the Tánaiste programme

It is instructive to note that the obstacles to the realisation of this co-leadership potential, identified in 2007, remain, despite the clarity brought in Circular 0070/2018 Leadership and Management in Primary Schools.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

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Constraints conspire to frustrate the meaningful development of the deputy principal’s role these include time and role combination There are anomalies between the support structures provided for deputy principals in postprimary schools, and those provided for deputy principals in primary schools. Apart from as a temporary measure during the Covid pandemic, no leadership and management (‘release’) time is available for primary deputy principals – this is in contrast with the arrangements in place for post-primary deputy principals. Co-partnership and shared leadership are difficult to develop in the absence of shared, agreed in-school planning time for principals and deputy principals.

Schools have differing leadership and management needs depending on size, location, type, special category status etc. Differentiation between schools requires a more localised and flexible definition and interpretation of the deputy principal’s role.

Failure to address these obstacles l undermines the efficacy and sustainability of the role of deputy principal l limits the potential to share leadership l compromises the effective leadership and management of the school with a consequential impact on school effectiveness and l undermines the efficacy and sustainability of the role of principal.

The challenge of co-leadership is particularly pronounced in schools where both the principal and the deputy principal have full-time teaching duties. The limited leadership and management time afforded to teaching principals, detailed in Chapter 6: Time and Space to Lead, reduces the scope for the development of this important co-leadership. See Table 7.1. It is difficult to co-lead when the protagonists are rarely in the same place at the same time.

Much as it did with the leadership and management days for teaching principals as a response to and recognition of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the DE sanctioned a limited number of release days for deputy principals in schools where there are administrative principals. This was introduced on a temporary basis for the 2020/21 school year and was retained for the 2021/22 school year. The current arrangements were detailed in Circular 0045/2020 and are outlined in the table below.

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Table 7.1

Notwithstanding the fact that the small number of leadership and management days afforded to this cohort of deputy principals has limited the extent to which collaboration and co-leadership can be exercised, the impact of these release days has been transformative. If nothing else, they have served to highlight what could be achieved if principals and deputy principals were given greater time and space to develop the potential and impact of this leadership dynamic. Those schools that are large enough to meet the criteria for the appointment of an administrative deputy principal, though small in number, already know the truth of this and its crucial importance to the effective leadership and management of their schools.

The sanctioning of such leadership and management days to deputy principals, in schools where there are teaching principals, would have a transformative impact on the leadership practice of the deputy principal, the potential for co-leadership and the sustainability of the leadership of the teaching principal role.

Assistant Principals and Middle Leadership With the publication of Circular 0070/2018, a similar challenge emerged for our Assistant Principals who occupy the middle leadership space within our schools. Overnight, not only were they rebranded as Assistant Principals, but they also moved from being post-holders with specific responsibility for named and agreed duties to being members of a putative leadership team who had collective responsibility for leadership and management in the school. As Kavanagh describes it, “The notion of a middle leader

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Chapter 7 - Sharing and Supporting Leadership

has evolved from one of a manager who carries out tasks to one of a leader who is an essential part of the leadership structure in a school.” The success of this ongoing transition has largely depended on the extent to which these Assistant Principals already identified with and felt part of an in-school management team or, indeed, identified themselves as a leader.

This paradigm shift for schools and this cohort of middle leaders is not something that is unique to Ireland. In its consideration of middle leadership, CSL identifies excellent practice in Scotland, Australia and New Zealand in this regard and concludes that “most of the international research agrees that middle leaders are significant leaders in schools, but that in order for them to feel valued and developed as leaders, meaningful appraisal experiences and well-constructed development opportunities need to be prioritised by educational systems wishing to maximise the potential of this leadership”. In short, to unleash the full leadership potential of this middle tier, with its capacity to enhance the effective leadership and management of the school, requires a systematic approach underpinned by planning and investment.

Citing Gurr and Drysdale (2013), Kavanagh echoes this call when she states, “the success of middle leaders

is dependent on how their roles are constructed coupled with their capacities, abilities and attitudes.

This construction requires a package of support which would typically include “induction, coaching, mentoring, teaming, learning communities, formal and informal training, short and long-term professional learning opportunities, and a supportive performance management programme.”

There is a further complicating factor when it comes to sharing leadership with middle leaders as it assumes there are middle leaders in situ with whom the leadership can be shared. The economic crash of the late 2000s precipitated a drive to reduce public expenditure and, as a consequence of that, a moratorium was imposed on the appointment of teachers to middle leadership positions. As post-holders, or middle leaders for our purposes, retired from or resigned their positions, they were not replaced. This had the impact of significantly reducing the number of middle leaders in our schools with some schools losing their entire leadership team, with the exception of the deputy principal post.

IPPN welcomed the partial restoration of middle leadership posts in Budget 2018 and the second phase of restoration that was announced in 2022.

However, further restoration of posts is still required.

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It is now crucial that this rebuilding of leadership and management capacity and the related culture of shared leadership is nurtured and supported. Failure to do so: l limits the capacity to share and distribute leadership l limits the possibility of developing leadership capacity l undermines school effectiveness l undermines the sustainability of senior leadership roles.

It would also signal a failure to grasp the importance of the role of middle leader in effecting reform and improvement of which Kavanagh reminds us when she states, “Their role gives them a unique position which comes with a responsibility to enact change, while still being closely connected to and involved in teaching.

This unique position gives them a sphere of influence which is not available to the principal.” While Kavanagh is referring to the post-primary context, which does not take account of teaching principals and deputy principals, there is an inherent truth in this assertion that also has resonance for the primary sector.

A Wider Development of Leadership Capacity

“There is a dual advantage to distributed leadership structures in schools. Firstly, school principals are guided and supported in their roles by members of the school community who have the knowledge and skills to identify and address the specific needs of the school in relation to student learning. Secondly, distributed leadership helps to acknowledge, affirm and develop leadership talent more widely in schools, thus promoting future leaders.” McGovern (2015).

Consideration of the statements of effective practice within each of these standards is instructive. In the context of empowering staff to take on and carry out leadership roles, it is expected that the principal l understands the importance of the quality of leadership and management for the school as a learning organisation l encourages teachers to take on leadership roles and to lead learning l is willing to distribute significant leadership responsibilities l encourages the formation of teams to address school priorities l understands the potential for building leadership capacity, and seeks to develop this l (in conjunction with the deputy principal) provides a mentoring programme to support to teachers in new roles.

The policy document would appear to consider the principal as having sole responsibility (with the exception of mentoring of new teachers) for the empowerment of others, which is somewhat at variance with the espousal of a distributed leadership model. However, the statements provide an important reminder that school leaders do not always have to be the most expert person in the room or the person who is best placed to lead change or reform. It is more important that school leaders, in partnership with the wider leadership team, recognise where that expertise and capacity lie and then ensure that the leadership is shared and supported accordingly. This would lead to the sort of capacity building that was described in Chapter 4: Preparation for Leadership and which needs to take place, if future senior leaders are to be identified and developed.

The DE’s Looking at our School 2016 policy document identified four domains within the quality framework for leadership and management, as previously detailed in Chapter 3: Effective Leadership and Core Purpose.

One of the four domains is Developing Leadership Capacity, which challenges school leaders to reflect on and develop their own practice while also empowering others to realise their leadership potential.

With regard to building professional networks with other school leaders, the statements of effective practice detail an expectation that the principal l would engage in professional dialogue with their peers at various levels on an ongoing basis l would seek to apply what they learn to their practice l would contribute to the professional learning community of his / her peers.

The two standards identified within this domain that are most relevant to the focus of this chapter are the call to l empower staff to take on and carry out leadership roles and l build professional networks with other school leaders.

IPPN is that professional learning community. The organisation was founded on the premise that individual school leaders, through their engagement with the network, benefit from the wisdom and experience of the collective. Their individual leadership practice is informed and empowered by that interaction, leading to better outcomes for

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Chapter 7 - Sharing and Supporting Leadership

children. Finnegan identifies the importance of this peer-to-peer support in her exploration of the wellbeing of principals in small schools when she states, “Principals get comfort and advice from likeminded principals in their local area who are experiencing similar dilemmas and struggles in support groups. The importance of collegial support and opportunities for growth through professional conversations cannot be underestimated.” (Finnegan, 2021) Notwithstanding all of the supports and services that IPPN has developed and offers to members - including the Leadership Support phone line, a closed mailing list for peer-to-peer support, a weekly ‘E-scéal’ highlighting the key news and events in the sector and a range of CPD offerings for principals and deputy principals - the beating heart of the network continues to be the local leadership support group. The support that school leaders derive from networking with their peers, both nationally and internationally, has the potential to have a profound impact on practice and the sustainability of school leadership roles. IPPN remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that every principal and deputy principal in the country will have the facility to access such a support group, if they so wish.

The work of the Leadership Support Group Project – a collaboration between IPPN and the Education Centre network and their umbrella organisation ESCI - is ongoing and significant progress has been made toward the achievement of that stated aim.

The statements of effective practice also detail an expectation that those with leadership and management roles would avail of the support of

national bodies that support the development of effective management and leadership practices. IPPN is already active in this space as assistant principals have the facility to become associate members of the organisation. Currently, associate members have access to: l a digital copy of the IPPN publication, Leadership+ l the IPPN website, including IPPN publications and commissioned reports, template policies, curricular plans, resource bundles etc. l regional seminars and online training courses.

However, there is scope for the development of a specific interface with assistant principals with supports and resources targeted at the needs of middle leaders. The focus should be on such areas as: l shared leadership and school development (including implementation of School Improvement Plans and the school’s Action Plan) l school culture l collaboration l the leadership of teaching and learning.

Such engagement with and by assistant principals (middle leaders) should lead to the development of a wider understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership and form part of their leadership learning for those who aspire to senior leadership positions.

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Notwithstanding all of the supports and services that IPPN has developed and offers to members, […] the beating heart of the network continues to be the local leadership support group.

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The Role of the Inspectorate in Supporting Leadership

The Code of Practice for the Inspectorate (Sep 2015) states that “the core elements of our work as inspectors are the evaluation of the work of teachers, schools and centres for education, and the supply of advice and support in relation to educational provision.” The experience of school leaders is that there is a lack of balance between the exercise of the inspectorate’s evaluative function and that of its advisory/support role. This is probably understandable given the manner in which it is framed within the Code of Practice documents, when it states, “One of the central ways in which we evaluate, advise and support is by visiting and conducting inspections in schools, centres for education and other settings.” If advice and support are offered only in the context of inspection and evaluation, the aspect of the role of the Inspectorate is undermined and the potential benefit or impact of that advice is diminished. (Murphy 2018) There needs to be a clear separation or demarcation between advisory and evaluative interactions with schools and school leaders. Real and meaningful engagement between school leaders and Inspectors outside of the evaluative context has the potential to have a transformative impact on the practice of both. From a school leader’s perspective, the opportunity to have open and honest professional conversations about teaching and learning will enhance their effectiveness as instructional leaders and will inform the school self-evaluation process.

From the Inspector’s perspective, such engagement should lead to a deeper understanding of the school’s context, which would better inform any future evaluative work undertaken.

This dynamic was clearly in evidence when the facility to engage with the Inspectorate was made available to schools as part of the original roll-out of SSE. Schools had the opportunity to avail of an advisory or support visit from their Inspector to plan and inform the process of self-evaluation. There was a resoundingly positive response from those schools that availed of such visits, and appreciation for having the opportunity to engage with the Inspector in a different way. While we do not have access to any review of this practice that may have been undertaken by the Inspectorate, individual inspectors commented on the positivity of the engagement and welcomed the opportunity to engage with schools in a different way.

As referenced in Chapter 4: Preparation for Leadership, the post-appointment phase for newly appointed principals (NAPs) offers an ideal opportunity for engagement by the Inspector with the new principal in an advisory/support capacity. This would assist in informing and shaping the leadership practice of the NAP while also ensuring that the first engagement they have with the Inspectorate is not evaluative. This would assist in laying a foundation for a professional relationship that has the potential to impact positively on the effectiveness of both parties.

Central to the success of any such engagement is consistency of understanding and approach. It is a cause of much frustration for school leaders to have to adapt to varying interpretations and individual preferences, on the part of inspectors, when it comes to strategic planning, establishing priorities and delivering school improvement. Progress towards greater consistency of approach across the Inspectorate has to be a priority.

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Chapter 7 - Sharing and Supporting Leadership

Recommendations l

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The role of the deputy principal should be clearly defined as a senior leadership role of significant importance in its own right and not just in the context of supporting the principal and stepping into that role should the need arise A clearly-defined policy statement on the significant co-leadership position of deputy principals, in the context of the core purpose of school leadership, is required There should be a mandatory preparation and induction programme for newly-appointed and newly-practising deputy principals The sanctioning of deputy principal ‘release’ time on a temporary basis needs to be placed on a permanent footing and the trajectory needs to move towards more release time in recognition of the increasing demands of this senior leadership role At post-primary level, the threshold for the appointment of extra deputy principals has changed, reflecting the extra demands now on leadership at that level. Primary leadership should also be examined with a view to similar provision.

The criteria for appointment of an administrative deputy principal should be amended and based on the number of staff to be led and managed as opposed to the number of pupils in the school Professional development programmes focused on developing a leadership vision for deputy principals, and specifically areas of co-leadership and co-responsibility should be further developed

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Elements of preparation and induction programmes for principals and for deputy principals should be delivered, with both attending together as the senior leadership team – promoting and sharing best practice regarding co- or distributed leadership The CSL mentoring and coaching programmes currently offered to principals should be expanded to include deputy principals Professional development opportunities for leadership teams on the development of a culture of shared leadership should be cultivated. This should include but not be limited to access for all school leadership and management teams to team coaching.

IPPN should develop an interface specifically for assistant principals to further develop leadership capacity at a middle leadership level to ensure an ongoing commitment to the provision of peer-to-peer networking and learning opportunities for all middle leaders HEIs to introduce the concept of teacher leadership / shared leadership as part of initial teacher education (ITE) All DE-recognised professional development to incorporate a module on leadership / shared leadership / teacher leadership building leadership capacity as part of all CPD programmes and starting with Droichead In order to achieve a greater balance between the advisory/support and evaluative functions of the Inspectorate, one advisory visit per school year should be scheduled with each school with an agenda for that visit to be agreed between the Inspector and the school leadership team.

References l

Solly, B. (2018) Distributed Leadership Explained – SecEd The Voice for Secondary Education,

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Kavanagh, S. (2020) The Professional Development needs of appointed Middle Leaders in Education and Training Board, Post-Primary Schools

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Centre for School Leadership (2021) Learning to be a School Leader in Ireland – Middle Leaders

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DE (2018) Circular 0070 - Leadership and Management in Primary Schools

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McGovern, E. (2015) From Aspiration to Succession and Transition: An exploratory study of the fundamental principles of sustainable leadership from the perspectives of newly appointed principals in Irish primary education.

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IPPN (2007) Giorraíonn Beirt Bóthar: Distributing Leadership: deputy principals

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DE (2020) Circular 0045 - COVID-19 operational supports for the full return to school

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IPPN (2021) Pre-Budget Submission

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DE (2016) Looking at our Schools: A Quality Framework for Primary Schools

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Finnegan, A. (2021) It’s Just too Much - An exploration of the wellbeing of principals in small schools in Ireland.

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Murphy, G. (2018) A tangled tale? Teachers making sense of school evaluation in The Republic of Ireland. In E. Ottesen & F. Stephens (Eds.), School Evaluation with a Purpose: Stories from European Schools. Routledge.

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8

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Governance

Confusion exists between the concepts of governance and management and the consequential blurring of the lines between what locates itself within the remit of the school’s leadership team and what is the remit of the Board.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Introduction “An equally pressing gap in the Irish system – more at primary level than at second level – is the reliance that we place on voluntary boards of management. All schools, irrespective of their ownership or patronage, are run by boards made up of volunteers including representatives of the owner/founders, teachers, parents and community members. These volunteers do heroic work in attempting to manage schools. Legally they are responsible for all employment matters, human resources and financial management, and often capital expenditure, too. They are required to hold the school leader to account and they should play a key role in determining the direction and purpose of the school. It is not realistic, in my view, to expect that volunteers can be found to adequately carry out these complex tasks in all 4000 plus schools in Ireland....”

Harold Hislop (Chief Inspector), 19th September 2015

“We have outsourced our second most important public service to volunteers…This makes the job of the Irish principal impossible.”

Harold Hislop at the launch of the Chief Inspector’s Report (2016-2020), 23rd March 2022

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he current ‘Board of Management’ model of school governance in Irish primary schools was introduced in 1975 to replace the ‘Single Manager’ system that had been in place until that juncture. The context in which educational governance was exercised, at that time, was fundamentally different in terms of legislation, policy and compliance to that experienced by schools and Boards of Management today. In the intervening period, since their introduction, Board of Management structures and practices were embedded, with many boards discharging functions and responsibilities that were more closely aligned with the day-today management of the school as opposed to the exercising of a governance function. This has served to blur the line between that which is the remit of the principal (and the school’s leadership team) and that which more appropriately locates itself within the remit of the Board.

The Education Act (1998) and subsequent educational legislation have brought greater clarity to the role and functions of Boards of Management but such Governance suggests l l l l l l l l

Legal entity Legal accountability Financial accountability Participation Representative group Transparent group Consensus orientation Reflection and response

legislation has also served to highlight the onerous legislative and statutory responsibilities assumed

by Boards on behalf of their patrons. Boards are operating in a complex regulatory environment where the levels of oversight and compliance demanded of them are significant. When one further considers that these Board members are volunteers with no specific, relevant expertise guaranteed and limited opportunities, if any, for induction and training, the inadequate and haphazard nature of the school governance structure becomes apparent.

What is the difference between Governance and Management?

Definitions of governance and management vary but governance is a term that is more associated with longer-term reflection and discernment with a focus on strategy and policy. Management suggests a more immediate focus on systems and procedures.

The following descriptors of governance and management emerge:

Management suggests l l l l l l l l

Table 8.1

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Planning Structuring Organising Administration Layers of management (teams) Senior/middle management Individual/group action Immediate response

Chapter 8 - Governance

As Walkley puts it in his Blueprint for Governing Australian schools, “The language used, both in conversation and documents associated with the governance structure governing processes of our schools, is important. In the past (and continuing) there has often been misunderstanding, and subsequent tension, due to the misuse of key words associated with the governance structure and the governing processes of the school.”

Therefore, given that l the Board of Management structure in operation in Irish primary schools was put in place nearly fifty years ago l the role and functions of Boards of Management have become increasingly onerous and complex l confusion exists between the concepts of governance and management and the consequential blurring of the lines between what locates itself within the remit of the school’s leadership team and what is the remit of the Board l the spirit of volunteerism that underpins the governance structure offers no guarantee of a specific skillset or expertise l there are limited opportunities for the induction and training of Board members, key issues emerge with regard to the governance of Irish primary schools that need to be addressed.

A practical example of compliance and oversight demands The following example is included by way of illustration of how the theory of how a Board of Management meets its responsibilities is challenged by the lived reality of school.

School Buildings – Devolved Projects During the course of most school leaders’ tenure, they will have the experience of their school being involved in a devolved project such as an emergency works, summer works or additional accommodation project. Such projects are generally delivered in a more time and resource efficient manner than major capital projects. However, they are still subject to procedures detailed in comprehensive technical guidance documents. Accordingly, there is a significant additional workload associated with the undertaking of any such project not to mention the exacting oversight, reporting and compliance standards that must be met.

The following details the tasks that need to be undertaken/completed as part of most devolved works projects including summer works, emergency works and additional accommodation projects (including SEN/ASD base units, which many schools are opening): l Procurement of consultant to complete the report required to accompany the application for works l Facilitation of site visit for reporting consultant

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

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Liaison with consultant re completion of report Completion of application to DE for devolved works Initiate tendering process for consultant to design/oversee the devolved works Facilitate site visits from prospective tenderers Analyse and evaluate submitted tenders Communicate the outcome to preferred consultant and unsuccessful tenderers Respond to feedback requests Return completed Form of Agreement to DE Liaise with consultant re design or spec for works Liaise with consultant with regard to applications for planning permission, should such planning permission be required Liaise with consultant re tendering process for contractor Consider the Tender Report compiled by the consultant Liaise with consultant on communication to preferred contractor and unsuccessful tenderer Revert to DE if lowest tender is in excess of the amount sanctioned for the project/works Register contract with Revenue Inform insurer of planned works Liaise with consultant and contractor re schedule of works Draw down first instalment of grant from DE after works have commenced Complete reportage to DE as required Ensure that the works undertaken are in keeping with the scope of the works that was sanctioned Respond to queries and requests from contractor and consultant Notify payments to Revenue Deduct RCT as directed Make payments to contractor Make VAT and RCT returns to Revenue

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Liaise with consultant re Certificate of Substantial Completion Liaise with consultant re Certificate of Compliance on Completion Ensure Safety File has been prepared and received Provide written confirmation that appropriate retention amount has been withheld Ensure all documentation relating to the project is filed and retained for possible future audit.

Many of the tasks listed above are management tasks and could be undertaken on behalf of the Board by an appropriate person with the requisite skills. However, it is envisaged that the Board of Management will oversee all aspects of a building project in order to ensure its successful completion and compliance with procedures. In practice, the “absent” nature of Boards and the fact that there may be no building, financial, project management or health & safety expertise among Board members, undermines their capacity to discharge this oversight responsibility, which is a key part of the governance remit. Inevitably, the school leader is heavily involved to a greater extent than was probably envisaged.

This serves to highlight two key points: l The line between the governance and management of schools is blurred due to the manner in which Boards are constituted and their capacity (or lack thereof) to deliver on their governance role l The impact of this is that key tasks and responsibilities relating to oversight and compliance are undertaken by the leader of teaching and learning in the school, which limits their capacity maintain a focus on that core purpose.

The focus of Boards remains on issues relating to the management of schools, and operational matters, as opposed to the wider and more appropriate governance role with which they are charged and for which they are responsible. Accordingly, schools are lacking strong, informed, effective, responsive governance structures that ensure oversight, compliance, accountability and better outcomes for students.

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Chapter 8 - Governance

Key issues to be addressed l

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Primary schools in Ireland are managed rather than governed As referenced previously, there have been significant changes in primary education and the context in which schools operate, since the establishment of Boards of Management almost fifty years ago. However, the focus of Boards remains on issues relating to the management of schools, and operational matters, as opposed to the wider and more appropriate governance role with which they are charged and for which they are responsible. Accordingly, schools are lacking strong, informed, effective, responsive governance structures that ensure oversight, compliance, accountability and better outcomes for children.

A new governance structure is required to support a far more complex school system with educational, legislative, financial, human and other resource responsibilities - see Figure 8.1 “Understanding complexity is important for policy making and reform, as complex systems cannot be successfully governed with the simple, linear mechanisms of the traditional policy cycle………Although it might be tempting to look for easy, one-size-fits-all policy responses for a specific problem, simple solutions to complex problems are doomed to fail. Public governance must remain flexible enough to learn from and adapt to specific circumstances.” OECD, 2013 The level of compliance demanded of Boards with regard to legal, financial, human resource, building/ maintenance, health and safety, and child protection matters, is both significant and onerous in equal measure. Such compliance can only be assured when specific and relevant expertise is readily available to schools. The involvement of local stakeholders in the governance structure who are invested in the school community needs to be supplemented by those with professional expertise. An alternative governance structure, which takes account of the increasing complexity and the need for professional expertise, is required.

The feedback from our member survey on this issue was as follows: A new governance structure is required to support a far more complex school system with educational, legislative, financial, human and other resource responsibilities 1% 2%

Strongly agree Agree

6%

Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree

25% 66%

Figure 8.1 l

Current governance structures militate against the engagement of all Board members and limit the potential effectiveness of the Board The manner in which Boards are constituted influences and limits the extent to which other board members are encouraged to take collective responsibility for governance and to be actively engaged in the work of the Board at and between meetings. Beyond the Chairperson, the Principal and to a lesser extent the Treasurer, other Board members are typically less involved in the work of the Board.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

The feedback from our member survey on this issue is provided in Table 8.2: Current governance structures militate against the engagement of all Board members and limit the potential effectiveness of the Board Strongly agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

23%

36%

34%

6%

1%

Table 8.2

In addition to this, under current procedures, the Chairperson is nominated by the patron and may not be the most suitable and skilled person to undertake that crucially important role. This can have the impact of limiting the Board’s effectiveness and places the Chairperson in an unnecessarily difficult position. l

Current governance structures impact heavily on the workload of principals The manner in which governance is exercised and the inadequacy of the current Board of Management structure to fully discharge its governance responsibilities impact heavily on the workload of principals.

Many of the responsibilities that are ascribed to Boards of Management in every circular, policy, strategy document, Act, statutory instrument and new initiative that issues end up on the desk of the principal, due to the blurred line that exists between governance and management allied to the fact that a majority of Board members are not on site to attend to such responsibilities. From the perspective of the school principal, this adds greatly and unnecessarily to an already significant workload. This is supported by the data from the Irish Primary Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey, where almost three quarters of survey respondents (74.4%) indicated ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the governance structure in their school significantly affected their workload. See Figure 8.2.

There is an unequivocal recommendation in the survey report, which states – “To make the school leadership role more manageable, there is an urgent need to review the role and functioning of Boards of Management.”

The current governance structure significantly affects my workload

Strongly agree

4%

Agree

6%

Neither agree nor disagree Disagree

16% 42%

Strongly disagree

32%

Figure 8.2

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Chapter 8 - Governance

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There is a scarcity of willing volunteers to serve as members of Boards of Management The large number of primary schools in Ireland, particularly smaller schools in rural areas, and the voluntary nature of boards, leaves many schools struggling to establish a properly constituted Board. This has implications for any decision such a Board might make. Allied to the challenge of trying to secure sufficient numbers of Board members to ensure the Board is properly constituted, there is the additional challenge of securing Board members with specific and relevant expertise. This combination of these factors compromises the capacity of those schools to deliver good governance and undermines their effectiveness.

The feedback from our member survey on this issue is shown in Table 8.3: There is a scarcity of willing volunteers to serve as members of Boards of Management Strongly agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

64%

26%

6%

3%

1%

Table 8.3 l

There is a lack of sufficient training and induction for Board members While some training is available to Board members, there is insufficient capacity to ensure it is available to all. Specialist training does exist for the role of the Chairperson and the Treasurer but this is not mandatory.

Given that there are approximately 3,240 primary schools in Ireland, almost 26,000 people serve on Boards.

There is no data to identify what percentage of those Board members has received training. Given the important, onerous and complex nature of the responsibilities of Boards, it is reasonable to expect that all members of those Boards would have access to and avail of the requisite training to equip them to discharge those responsibilities. This lack of training impacts on the potential for effective governance, and may be a contributory factor to the unequal participation of Board members at and between meetings.

The feedback from our member survey on this issue is highlighted in Figures 8.3 and 8.4.

There is a lack of sufficient training and induction for Board members

2% Strongly agree 7%

Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree

15% 47%

Strongly disagree

29%

Figure 8.3

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Attendance at training for Board members should be mandatory

3%

Strongly agree

8%

Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree

14%

Strongly disagree

48%

28%

Figure 8.4

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The complex regulatory environment has the potential to become significantly more complex The charitable status, which all schools enjoy, brings with it an onus to be compliant with the Charity Regulator’s Governance Code, as is the case with IPPN, which is also a registered charitable organisation.

However, there is an understanding currently in place with the Charities Regulator, that if Boards of management adhere to the provisions of the Governance Manual for schools, they will be deemed to compliant with the Charites Governance Code. There is no guarantee nor indeed clarity as to whether this understanding will remain in place and will continue to be sufficient in terms of compliance. If it did not continue and schools were obliged to become compliant with the 49 standards expected of the charities, it will add greatly to the burden of compliance that Boards of Management are obliged to discharge.

Boards could experience significant challenge in this regard in the coming years, both in terms of ensuring compliance and in meeting the reporting requirements. See Appendix 6: Charity Regulator Governance Code, which details the standards.

While it is clear that the standards were not written with schools in mind, there is a clearly articulated expectation with regard to standards of oversight, compliance, reporting and best practice that would challenge Boards of Management, as they are currently constituted.

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Chapter 8 - Governance

Recommendations The governance of Irish primary schools needs to be l robust l distinct from the day-to-day leadership and management of the school and l informed by professional expertise.

The following recommendations focus on the key issues identified in the previous section as well as the foundations for good governance. They offer opportunities for reform and real change in structures and practices which have the potential to have a profoundly positive impact on how effectively our schools are governed and, consequently, on the sustainability of school leadership.

Primary schools need to be both governed and managed Boards of Management are inappropriately named, which adds to the confusion that exists with regard their role and functions. The governance role of the Board needs to be clearly defined and distinct from the day-to-day leadership and management of the school. Governance is about vision, mission, goals, strategic direction, policy, values and compliance. Effective governance supports and enables effective school leadership and management.

Leadership and Management should be defined in the context of the Quality Framework The leadership and management of the school, as exercised by the school leaders and the wider leadership team, should focus on l Leading teaching and learning l Leading school development l Developing leadership capacity and l Managing the organisation.

Such a focus will ensure that school leaders can maintain their focus on their core purpose and should lead to better delineation between those responsibilities that are within the remit of the leadership of the school and those that more appropriately locate themselves within the area of governance.

The dissolution of the Board in its entirety, at the one time, militates against continuity and compromises a consistent approach to governance Consideration should be given to a cyclical approach to Board members completing their terms of office to guard against the possibility of an entirely new Board having to be formed at the same time.

The Chairperson should be selected by the Board The role of the Chairperson is crucial to the effective operation of the Board. The Board member with the necessary skills, experience and time, and who is most suitable for the role (not including the principal) should be selected by their fellow Board members to chair meetings and lead the governance group (for a stipulated period e.g. 4 years, and for a maximum of e.g. 3 terms, in line with governance best practice). This should happen at the first meeting of the Board after the previous chairperson has completed their term of office, and can be subject to the ratification of the patron. It should be noted that this is already the practice at post-primary level in Community & Comprehensive and ETB schools.

The Governance role of the Board should complement the work of the Principal and school leadership team If Boards are operating effectively and are discharging their role and functions in terms of governance, it is more likely that they will complement the work of the principal and the school leadership team. To ensure that this is the case, there needs to be l clear delineation between those responsibilities that are within the remit of the leadership of the school and those that more appropriately locate themselves within the area of governance l greater involvement of all Board members at and between meetings l relevant professional expertise available to the Board.

This should serve to reduce the additional workload accruing to principals in the area of governance arising from the inadequacy of the current governance model.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Recommendations (continued) The facility to establish shared governance structures should be available to schools who wish to do so The facility to establish a shared governance structure for clusters of schools within a community would assist in ensuring more skilled, effective representation and the availability of a sufficient number of people with the time and the interest to commit to governance. For this to be successful, schools and boards of management need to be supported by a skilled facilitator, at least until the cluster has been fully established. The inspectorate could potentially support the process.

Account should be taking of any findings that emanate for the Small Schools’ Action Research project in this regard. The project is ongoing at the time of publication of this report and findings will issue in due course.

Legal, financial, human resource, health and safety and building/maintenance expertise should be available on a cluster or regional basis to all schools or through a meso-level structure developed by the DE to support all schools A system of school governance that relies on willing and interested volunteers is neither sustainable nor tenable. The increasingly complex nature of the

legislative reality in which schools operate requires the availability of paid professional services on an ongoing basis to all schools. Boards need access to legal, financial, human resource, health and safety and building/maintenance expertise to adequately discharge their responsibilities. This expertise should be available on a cluster or regional basis to all schools or through a meso-level structure developed by the DE to support all schools.

Governance roles should be defined and duties and responsibilities allocated All members of a school Board should understand their collective responsibilities and should have specific individual responsibilities for particular areas of the Board’s governance role. All actions arising at and between meetings of the Board in a specific area would the responsibility of the Board member allocated to that area. This would serve to promote greater engagement among Board members while also reducing the workload of the principal that arises from the current governance structure.

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Chapter 8 - Governance

Recommendations (continued) Appropriate and relevant training should be provided for, and undertaken by, all Board members in advance of their first meeting and as required thereafter The provision of relevant, appropriate and mandatory training to all members of Boards will better ensure a deeper understanding of the governance role and functions of the Board.

Webinars or seminars can be developed to ensure that all members of Boards can engage with such training, at a time convenient for them, in advance of the first meeting of the newly constituted Board.

Board members should confirm their engagement with such training as a matter of record at that first meeting.

Additional training should be provided for individuals who have specific roles and responsibilities in governance Training must respond to the differentiated needs of boards and of board members on matters such as chairing of meetings, human resource management in schools, legal implications for boards, managing school finances, oversight of capital projects etc. The need for specific training in the area of recruitment has been highlighted in Chapter 5: Recruitment.

Adequate, skilled administrative support should be put in place to enable principals to fulfil both their governance and instructional leadership responsibilities The principal is key to effective school governance and efficient school leadership and management.

Ensuring that the principal can fulfil the distinct roles of secretary to the Board and leader of teaching and learning requires appropriate and adequate professional resources and supports.

The governance structure should allow for co-option and the formation of sub-committees Under the current governance structure, there is no facility for the co-option of people with relevant expertise who might have a valuable contribution to make for a specific purpose and timeframe.

This limits the potential effectiveness of the Board and should be addressed. Equally, such co-optees could enhance the work of any sub-committee set up by the Board subject to such sub-committees having specific terms of reference.

References l

OECD (2013) What Makes Schools Successful? Resources, Policies and Practices – Volume IV

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Walkley, D. (2017) Blueprint for Governing Australian Schools. Australian Educational Leader.

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IPPN (2011) Primary School Governance - Challenges and Opportunities

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Hislop, H (2015) Reflections on Leadership Challenges in Irish Schools. Address by the Chief Inspector to the Annual Conference of European Network for Improving Research and Development in Education Leadership and Management

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Research for Educational Impact (REDI) (2022) The Irish Primary Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey. Faculty of Arts and Education Deakin University.

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In Conclusion

The value of school leadership We know school leadership is shaped by the school’s context; we know that it has a moral purpose to make a positive difference and we also know that it is most effective when it is shared. Most importantly, we know that it matters. It’s a very simple equation – effective school leaders mean effective schools and effective schools mean better outcomes for children. Therefore, making sure that school leaders can dedicate themselves to delivering effective leadership must be a system imperative.

Leadership capacity, effectiveness and sustainability are compromised The system relies heavily on school leaders to implement change and mandated reform, at both school and system levels. As a result, and because school leaders do not have a clearly defined role, that role has expanded year on year. Every set of policy guidelines, every piece of education legislation and every circular has added, and continues to add, to

the list of tasks and responsibilities and that fall to school leaders.

Our analysis of these documents highlighted that all of them include tasks and responsibilities in the area of managing the organisation but less than a quarter of them have tasks and responsibilities in the area of leading teaching and learning, which is central to the core purpose of school leadership.

Through our member survey, school leaders told us that they do not have enough time for the things that are most closely aligned with their core purpose and spend too much time on areas that are least closely aligned with that core purpose. 97% of the respondents to our survey told us that the key issue that undermines the sustainability of their leadership role is the number of tasks and responsibilities that keep them from their core purpose. In short, we are consistently limiting the capacity of school leaders to focus on their core purpose – to do the job they signed up to do.

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Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

This is not only having a detrimental impact on leadership effectiveness but also on the sustainability of those leadership roles. School leaders currently rate the sustainability of their roles at less than 4 out of 10. We also know the toll that this is taking on the health and wellbeing of our school leaders. The data from the Irish Principal and Deputy Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey (2022) tells us that there is increased incidence of burnout, depressive symptoms, sleep disorders and stress. The scores are double and sometimes more than double those of the healthy working population. The researchers state that urgent action is required to address the issue of the role and workload of school leaders.

A solution focused approach to ensuring effective and sustainable school leadership

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5.

6.

This report aims to be solution focused and we have endeavoured to explore the key issues, and advocate for what needs to happen to ensure school leadership of the highest quality in our schools as well as a leadership role that is sustainable.

To that end, we have considered l what constitutes effective school leadership l what preparation for leadership should look like l how best to recruit school leaders l how to create the time and space to lead l how leadership can be shared and supported more effectively l what needs to happen in the governance space.

7.

8.

We have made recommendations in each of these areas and will work with the education partners towards their implementation.

9.

Summary of recommendations We have made specific and detailed recommendations relevant to each section from Chapter 3 – Effective Leadership & Core Purpose through to Chapter 8 – Governance. The following is offered by way of a broad summary of those detailed recommendations.

1.

The role of the principal and that of the deputy principal should be clearly defined and delineated to better ensure that the focus of school leadership can be maintained on their core purpose of leading teaching and learning 2. The defining of these roles should be based on a shared understanding of what constitutes effective school leadership in the Irish context and take account of the domains and standards

10.

11.

12.

— 84 —

detailed in the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management in Looking at our Schools (2022) Tasks and responsibilities that are not aligned with that core purpose should be redistributed with a consequential reduction of workload An increased capacity for shared leadership, increased and improved administrative support and a governance structure that is developed and formally supported and thus fully capable of discharging its compliance and oversight functions should assist this process The process of preparation for leadership should be shaped and informed by this clearer understanding of the core purpose of school leadership and should not be generic There should be three stages in that preparation and induction process: a. pre-appointment (aspiring leaders) b. post-appointment but prior to taking up the role (newly-appointed principals) c. after taking up the role (newly-practising principals) Relevant and specific opportunities and supports for the development of leadership capacity should be made available at each of the three stages of the process (as detailed in Chapter 4 – Preparation for Leadership) both formally and informally A consistent, national recruitment and appointment process, underpinned by the principles of HR best practice and supported by mandatory training for those engaged in recruitment, should be developed Additional and sufficient release time for teaching principals and deputy principals should be sanctioned to better ensure their capacity to discharge their leadership and management duties and to better facilitate a collaborative, coleadership approach Administrative status as a principal or deputy principal should be provided based on the number of staff that are being led and managed and not on the number of children enrolled in the school All schools should have access to an adequate level of administrative support provided by staff who are appropriately skilled and remunerated Greater account should be taken of the leadership demands of the different school contexts and supports and resources should be tailored to assist in meeting those demands – a “one size fits all” or generic approach does not work

In Conclusion

13. There should be a mandatory preparation and induction programme for newly-appointed and newly-practising deputy principals with access for all deputy principals to rigorous and relevant mentoring and coaching 14. At post-primary level, the threshold for the appointment of extra deputy principals has changed, reflecting the extra demands now on leadership at that level. Primary school leadership should also be examined with a view to similar provision being made.

15. Professional development should be provided to leadership teams to foster and embed a culture of shared leadership in all schools. This should include, but not be limited to, access for all school leadership and management teams to professional development on how to optimise collaborative practice, and the provision of team coaching 16. A review of the role and structure of Boards of Management should be undertaken, as a matter of urgency, prior to the formation of new Boards in 2023

17. A clear distinction between the governance function of the Board of Management and the leadership and management of the school should be made 18. Boards should be constituted and operate in accordance with governance best practice including, but not limited to, mandatory training for all Board members, specific roles for each Board member and rotation of membership to ensure some continuity 19. Legal, financial, human resource, health and safety and building/maintenance expertise should be available on a cluster or regional basis to all schools or through a meso-level structure.

Strategic leverage of a digital infrastructure and regional hubs could achieve this; opportunities in this regard exist post-Covid.

IPPN believes that implementing these recommendations would have a profound effect on leadership effectiveness and sustainability. We have a shared responsibility to current and future school leaders, to their school communities and most importantly to the children in those schools to ensure progress on the implementation of these recommendations. The time for action is now.

— 85 —

Appendix

1

Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

OBJECTIVES l

to collate and analyse the responsibilities that fall to primary school principals, as identified within education legislation, policy guidelines, circulars and administration requirements

l

to consider whether there has been a consequential expansion of the role

l

to cross reference the responsibilities identified within the documents with the domains of the quality framework for leadership and management as detailed in the Looking at our Schools policy document

l

to consider if such responsibilities lead to balanced focus between the leadership and management domains

Process l l

l

l l

l

A document review of the following took place: Circular 16/1973, which defines the role of the principal Legislation that impacts on leadership practice in primary schools Policy guidelines Circulars and Information Notes from the period 2016 to 2022 Administration requirements of other statutory bodies, state agencies and organisations.

The author completed the aforementioned document review and has structured this document in line with these elements. He made a summary note of the responsibilities of the principal arising from each.

He reviewed ‘Looking at Our School 2016: A quality Framework for Primary Schools’ (Department of Education and Skills Inspectorate, 2016) and noted into which Leadership and Management Domain the responsibilities fell.

Also included is a list of the various external agencies with which principals interact in the discharge of their responsibilities (see Appendix 3).

Context The Board of Management is the employer of all school staff. The Department of Education (DE) is the paymaster of all staff with the exception of ancillary staff (secretaries and caretakers), the majority of whom are currently paid from the ancillary services

grant received by the school. At the time of writing, arrangements are being made for the DE to become the paymaster for school secretaries.

The Board of Management (Board) employs the principal to lead and manage the day-to-day activities of the school. The principal is accountable to the Board to ensure that all related duties and responsibilities are fulfilled. It is envisaged that responsibility for the leadership and management of the school is shared with the deputy principal and assistant principals, where a school is entitled to such posts. Deputy principals and assistant principals have defined contracts which detail their duties and which are commensurate with the level of allowance of which they are in receipt. The roles and responsibilities attached to the posts of Assistant Principal I and Assistant Principal II respectively should be commensurate with the level of post (Circular 70/2018 Leadership and Management in Schools, p.19). School secretaries also have contracts, which define their duties in terms of the administrative support they provide.

Principals do not have a defined or a clearly articulated job specification. Consequently, duties that are not undertaken by someone else generally fall to the principal. Ultimately, accountability for everything that is done in schools falls to the Principal and the Board of Management. As previously stated, the principal is an employee of the Board. Yet, it is the paymaster (the DE) who stipulates and alters the terms and conditions of employment and the responsibilities of

— 87 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

the principal; notably, this is without recourse to or a need to consult with the employer. Such a situation would appear to compromise the Board’s exercise of its duty of care to its employee (the principal) in that it does control the role, responsibilities and consequential workload of the principal.

At the launch of the Chief Inspector’s Report 20162020 in March 2022, while acknowledging the commitment of Board members around the country to serving their school communities, the Chief Inspector stated that we had effectively outsourced our second most important public service to volunteers who are ill equipped to deal with the more complex issues that inevitably occur. In such circumstances, those issues find their way back to the desk of the school leader and the Chief Inspector concluded that this makes the job of the Irish principal impossible.

l

l

l

l

Points of Information l

l

l

l

Primary schools are fundamentally different places to the schools of 1973 and it is inevitable that roles and responsibilities would evolve to take account of the vastly different context.

Education systems should operate within a legislative framework and that framework should seek to ensure access to and the provision of quality education to all.

ICT infrastructure and information management systems have had a transformative impact on areas of administration including enrolment, recording of attendance, school reports, etc.

The period from 2016 for the analysis of circulars was chosen as the Looking at our Schools policy document with its Quality

— 88 —

Framework for Leadership and Management was published in 2016.

If that quality framework forms the basis of how leadership should be practised, it is reasonable to analyse duties and responsibilities in that context.

Not all circulars apply to all schools, however, the overwhelming majority of circulars do Circulars that issue on an annual basis (staffing, SNA allocations, revision of salaries, ICT grant scheme, etc.) have been included only once. It should be noted that duties arising from those recurring circulars still need to be discharged on an annual basis.

The investment of leadership time simply to engage with circulars is significant. During the 2017/2018 school year, the time requirement to engage with and implement the primary circulars that issued during that school year was tracked.

Acknowledging that there will be variations due to the relevance of specific circulars to particular school contexts, the conclusions drawn from the analysis were illustrative. Just to read, take account of and disseminate the circulars that issued that year was logged at taking 13 -14 hours. Variations will also occur in terms of the time required to implement the provisions of each circular, however, IPPN’s analyst logged a further 88 hours in this regard, giving a total of 102 hours or 18.5 school days invested on circulars alone. This represents half of the leadership and management release days that teaching principals are afforded. It should also be noted that the time logged by our analyst did not take account of any incidental or informal professional conversations, queries, concerns or reflections about content or implementation.

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Executive Summary of Appendix 1 The role of the Irish primary school principal was last defined by Circular 16/73, nearly 50 years ago. Schools are now fundamentally different and more complex places. This has implications for the way in which schools are led and managed. This practice of leadership in schools is informed by and described in the legislation, policy guidelines, circulars, information letters and administration requirements that have been interrogated in this document. This approach has led to an inevitable and inexorable expansion of the role, which has a consequential impact on workload.

The Chief Inspector Report’s Report September 2016 –December 2020 notes that ‘(t)hose in leadership and management positions in settings and schools, particularly primary schools, need to place a more substantial focus on the leadership of teaching and learning; (p.20).

Having reviewed the 162 documents detailed in this report (including legislation, policy guidelines, circulars, information letters but not including the administrative duties detailed in Section 5) and having identified the leadership and management domains into which the responsibilities fall, it is clear that an inordinate and disproportionate focus on Managing the Organisation emerged. This analysis is provided in the table below.

Leadership & Management Domain

No of the 162 documents/circulars analysed that have duties that fall into each domain

% of the 162 documents/circulars analysed that have duties that fall into each domain

Leading Teaching & Learning

50

25%

Managing the Organisation

162

100%

Leading School Development

29

18%

Developing Leadership Capacity

22

14%

This disproportionate increase and focus on Managing the Organisation, without a corresponding increase in management supports and resources, undermines the capacity of principals to deliver the greater focus on leading teaching and learning that the Chief Inspector correctly recommends.

The following conclusions can be drawn from the review: 1. The strategic importance of the principal in effecting change has been recognised and leveraged by the system 2. Education legislation, policy guidelines, circulars, information letters and administration requirements identify specific responsibilities that fall to the principal 3. The cumulative impact of this expansion of the role of the principal has led to a considerable and increasingly untenable workload 4. The disproportionate focus on management/administrative tasks diverts principals from their key leadership responsibilities and undermines their effectiveness as instructional leaders 5. The Board of Management’s responsibility to exercise its duty of care to its employee (the principal) is compromised, as it does not control the role, responsibilities and consequential workload of the principal.

The paymaster (DE) retains this control.

6. The lack of capacity of many Boards of Management to discharge their increasingly complex governance responsibilities exacerbates the unsustainability of school leadership.

— 89 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Section 1: Duties of the Principal deriving from Circular 16/1973 Circular

Principals’ Responsibility

Circular 16/1973

Note some language is outdated but the Circular is still active l Consulting with Chairperson and keeping him/her informed on all school matters l General discipline l Control of staff l Supervision of work of staff l Attendance records l Timetabling l Free book scheme l Day-to-day activities l Appoint teachers l Organise supervision and general behaviour of pupils l Organise supervision at assembly, breaks and dismissal l Ensure staff carry out duties outlined in Rules for National Schools l Visit classrooms to be familiar with quality of teachers’ work l Encouragement, advice and teaching demonstrations l Staff conferences l Arrange staff training l Encourage teachers to cooperate with parents when starting school l Plan a scheme of work to implement the curriculum l Organisation of pupils for teaching purposes l Allocate teaching duties l Organise timetables l Ensure teachers have short-term and long-term schemes l Ensure teachers do a monthly progress report l Arrange assessment of pupils l Organise support for pupils who need it l Ensure pupils progress in special classes and there is coordination between the classroom teacher and special class teacher l Create opportunities for gifted children l Supervision and work for absent teachers l School Records - roll books, registers, teacher’s reports, school record cards, annual school reports, free book scheme and other official records l Cooperate with government officials l Cooperate with parents l Advise final year pupils l Arrange for tours l Promote savings l School supplies

— 90 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Section 2: Legislation Legislation

LAOS Domains

Education Act 1998

l

Leading Teaching and Learning

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Leading School Development

l

Developing Leadership Capacity

Key Duties l

Encourage and foster learning in students

l

Evaluate students and report the results of the evaluation to the students and their parents

l

Promote cooperation between the school and the community

l

Assign duties to teachers

l

Day-to-day management

l

Guide and direct teachers and staff

l

Be accountable to Board of Management (BoM)

l

Provide leadership to the teachers and other staff and students in the school

l

With the BoM, parents, teachers and students, create a school environment supportive or learning

l

With the BoM, parents, teachers and students, create an environment supportive of professional development of teachers

l

Set objectives for the school and monitor the achievement of those objectives

l

Encourage the involvement of parents of students in the school in the education of students and in achievement of objectives of the school

l

Consult with teachers and other staff

l

Prepare, review and update the school plan

— 91 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Legislation Name

LAOS Domains

Education Welfare Act 2000

l

l

Teaching Council Act 2001

l

l

l

Key Duties

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Developing Leadership Capacity

l

l

l

l l

l l

Create Code of Behaviour Implement procedures around suspension and exclusion of pupils Liaise with Education Welfare Officer/ Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) re. pupil attendance and reporting procedures: ◆ Ensure that the school register of pupils is maintained in accordance with regulations ◆ Inform the Education Welfare Officer/ Tusla: a. if a pupil is not attending school regularly b. When a pupil has been absent for 20 days or more during the course of the school year c. If a pupil has been suspended ◆ Inform parents of a decision to contact the Education Welfare Officer of concerns regarding a pupil ◆ Insofar as is practicable, promote the importance of good school attendance among pupils, parents and staff.

Facilitate the formation of a Professional Support Team (PST) Arrange for training of PST Facilitate the Droichead process as part of, or in consultation with, the PST Ensure records are maintained Ensure declarations are completed and returned

Note: The inspectorate previously carried out this duty. Responsibility for induction was transferred to schools, starting in 2017.

— 92 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Legislation Name

LAOS Domains

EPSEN Act 2004

l

Leading Teaching and Learning

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Leading School Development

Key Duties l

l

l

l l l l l

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

l

l

l l l

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the ‘Vetting Act’)

l

Managing the Organisation

l l l

l

— 93 —

Ensure children with special education needs are educated in an inclusive environment unless it is not in the best interests of the child with special needs or the best interests of the other children with whom the child is to be educated.

Seek advice from educational psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, visiting teacher for the blind, visiting teacher for the deaf and hearing impaired Facilitate staff training on special education needs Procure assistive technologies Recruit Special Needs Assistants Manage Special Needs Assistants Ensure Support Plans are in place for each child Meet with parents of children with complex needs Ensure the school complies with the requirements of the Act Report to the Board of Management on health & safety matters Manage health & safety in the school on a dayto-day basis Communicate regularly with all members of the school community on health & safety matters Ensure all accidents and incidents are investigated and all relevant statutory reports completed Organise fire drills, training etc.

Carry out safety audits Ensure infection control measures are in place Ensure compliance with the Act Maintain vetting records of all staff Make vetting applications for all relevant new staff Verify vetting of all who have interactions with the children

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Legislation Name

LAOS Domains

Children First Act 2015, along with

l

Managing the Organisation

Key Duties l

l

Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017

l

l l l

and

l l

Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children

l l l

Develop coding and recording systems for child protection concerns and referrals Develop appropriate record-keeping procedures Ensure staff have engaged with Child Protection training Maintain records of same Ensure implementation of procedures Develop a Child Protection Safeguarding statement Develop a Child Protection Risk Assessment Complete an annual review of the Child Protection Risk Assessment in consultation with staff and parents Arrange publication of same Publish notice of review Act as DLP: ◆ Be fully familiar with the school’s responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding of children ◆ Have good knowledge of your school’s guiding principles and child safeguarding procedures ◆ Ensure that the school’s reporting procedure is followed, so that child protection and welfare concerns are referred promptly to Tusla ◆ Receive child protection and welfare concerns from workers and volunteers and consider if reasonable grounds for reporting to Tusla exist ◆ Consult informally with a Tusla Duty Social Worker through the Dedicated Contact Point, if necessary ◆ Where appropriate, make a formal report of a child protection or welfare concern to Tusla on behalf of their school, using the Tusla Web Portal or the Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Report Form ◆ Inform the child’s parents/guardians that a report is to be submitted to Tusla or the Garda Síochána

— 94 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Legislation Name

LAOS Domains

General Data Protection Regulation

l

Key Duties

Managing the Organisation

l l

l

l

l

l l

l

Education (Admission to Schools) Act

l

l

l

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

l l l l l

Ensure the school has a Data Protection policy Ensure that the policy and procedures are communicated to staff Obtain and process personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner Ensure it is used only for one or more specified and explicit lawful purpose(s) Ensure it is processed only in ways compatible with the purpose for which it was given initially Keep data accurate and relevant Ensure that the data is retained no longer than is necessary for the specified purpose or purposes Keep personal data safe and secure Ensure development and implementation of Admission Policy Ensure Admissions Policy is on school website Ensure annual admissions notice is published Oversee enrolment process annually Apply criteria stipulated in policy Communicate outcome of applications

Where schools elect to or are directed to open a special class l Amend admissions policy to include enrolment into special class l Liaise with SENO and DE with regard to sanction of the class l Identify existing accommodation or apply for additional accommodation for the class l Secure all necessary resources and infrastructure for the class l Identify a staff member to teach the class or recruit someone specifically for the role l Identify SNA(s) to support the children in the class from the school’s existing allocation or recruit SNA(s) specifically for the role l Employ a bus escort (where relevant) l Lead and manage aforementioned staff l Organise for training of staff

— 95 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Section 3: Policy Guidelines Name of Publication

LAOS Domains

Guidelines on Managing Safety, Health and Welfare in Primary Schools

l

School Self Evaluation Guidelines

l

l

l

l

Guidelines for Primary Schools - Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools

l

l

Year of Publication

Key Duties

Managing the Organisation

2013

On behalf of the BoM: l Manage and conduct school activities so as to ensure the safety, health and welfare of staff l Prevent improper conduct or behaviour likely to put staff and others’ safety, health and welfare atrisk l Provide safe means of access and egress l Provide safe plant and equipment l Provide safe systems of work l Prevent risk to safety, health and welfare from any article or substance l Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision l Provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing where hazards cannot be eliminated l Prepare, review and revise emergency plans l Designate staff for emergency duties l Provide and maintain welfare facilities l Appoint a competent person to advise and assist in securing the safety, health and welfare of staff.

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

2016

l

Managing the Organisation Leading Teaching and Learning

2017

l

l l l l

l

l

Initiate consultation re. establishment of area of focus Facilitate consultation to identify priorities with the area of focus Ensure data is gathered and analysed Ensure tasks and targets are formulated Ensure school improvement plan is devised Ensure school improvement plan is implemented

Allocate support teaching time to children with additional needs Determine which children are entitled to SNA access and deploy SNA resources in accordance with the level of need

Note: Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) from the National Council for Special Education previously carried out these duties.

Responsibility for deciding which children get SNA access, the level of that access, support teaching and the hours for both was transferred to schools in 2017.

— 96 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Name of Publication

LAOS Domains

DEIS Plan 2017 and related documents

l

(Applicable to schools who meet the criteria for DEIS status)

l

l

l

Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020

l

l

and l

Digital Learning Planning Guidelines Governance Manual for Boards of Management

l

l

l

l

Guidelines for the use of Reduced School Days in Schools

l

l

Year of Publication

Key Duties

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

2017

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development

2018

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

2019

l

Act as Secretary to Board of Management (BoM): ◆ Set the Agenda for meetings in consultation with the Chairperson ◆ Issue notice of meeting and agenda to Board members ◆ Record the minutes of Board meetings - to include issues discussed, decisions taken, including the numbers of those voting for or against a motion, and actions to be taken ◆ Communicate Board decisions to relevant parties and follow up appropriately ◆ Keep minutes of each meeting in an appropriate form and in a safe place ◆ Deal with BoM correspondence ◆ Liaise with Chairperson between meetings ◆ Provide information to Board of Management members concerning rights and responsibilities ◆ Liaise with school management authorities on behalf of BoM and apprise BoM members of advice and guidance received ◆ Advance development of school policies.

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

2021

l

Identify evidence-based reason for use of reduced day Secure parental consent Notify Tusla & SENO Formulate plan for use of reduced day Communicate plan to parents Review plan Maintain records of same

l

l

l l l

l

l

l l l l l

l l l l l l

— 97 —

Development of DEIS plans Development of Literacy & Numeracy strategies Development of attendance, transfer and retention strategies Development of partnership action plans Organisation of school meals programme Implementation of School Completion Programme Appointment of HSCL Teacher.

Identification of digital infrastructure priorities/needs Procurement of digital infrastructure Maintenance of digital infrastructure Development of digital learning plan Implementation of digital learning plan Organisation of relevant CPD.

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Section 4: Circulars & Information Letters The following is the number of DE circulars issued each year since 1973 of relevance to primary education: l 888 circulars have issued since 1973, 229 of which have been issued since 2017. l On average, 26 circulars have issued per year since 1973, and an average of 44 per year since 2006. l To put things into perspective, 95 circulars were issued to primary schools in the first 30 years from 1973 – 2003. l 794 were issued in the next 18 years from 2004-2022 (up to mid-September), an exponential increase by any measure.

Year

No. Circulars

Year

No. Circulars

1973

1

2006

83

1982

1

2007

69

1988

1

2008

58

1990

1

2009

29

1991

2

2010

46

1992

1

2011

39

1995

2

2012

21

1996

2

2013

43

1997

9

2014

31

1998

2

2015

42

1999

10

2016

36

2000

12

2017

37

2001

10

2018

43

2002

18

2019

42

2003

23

2020

43

2004

36

2021

40

2005

32

2022

24

Total

888

— 98 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Analysis of DE Circulars and Information Notes This section provides an outline of the key responsibilities relating to each DE Circular/ Information Note issued to primary schools from 2016 to 2022.

IMPORTANT NOTES: (a) Annual Circulars have been omitted for a particular year if already listed. (b) Superseded Circulars have not been listed.

2016 Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0004/2016 Combined Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers Involved in Learning Support and Special Education – 2016/2017

l

l

l

l

Circular 0005/2016 Graduate Certificate in the Education of Pupils on the Autism Spectrum for teachers working in Special Schools, Special Classes or as SET’s in mainstream schools

l

l

l

l

Circular 0006/2016 Postgraduate Diploma Programme of CPD for Special Education Teachers

l

l

l

l

Circular 0007/2016 Staffing arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2016/17 school year

l

Principal’s Responsibility

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

If a SET teacher is successful in applying for the course, principal must recruit a substitute teacher.

The principal must ensure the teacher is allocated a SET position for the duration of the course.

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

If a SET teacher is successful in applying for the course, principal must recruit a substitute teacher.

The principal must ensure the teacher is allocated a SET position for the duration of the course.

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

If a SET teacher is successful in applying for the course, principal must recruit a substitute teacher.

The principal must ensure the teacher is allocated a SET position for the duration of the course.

Managing the Organisation

l

Confirm teacher allocations for 2021/22 Inform patron of all permanent and fixed-term vacancies Initiate redeployment (where relevant) Confirm participation in SET cluster Return details of CID holders Process new applications for CID Engage with panel/panel operator where relevant Initiate recruitment procedures when permitted to do so Process all appointment forms arising from recruitment

l

l

l

l l l

l

l

Circular 0008/2016 Teacher Fee Refund Scheme 2015

l

Managing the Organisation

— 99 —

l

Review application, confirm it is accurate and sign to

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0009/2016 Rescinding of Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools

l

Circular 0010/2016 Cost limits for primary school buildings

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to BOM

Circular 0012/2016 Release time for Teaching Principals

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Identify number of release days Form cluster for same

Circular 0013/2016 Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Implement new procedures where applicable

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement new procedure re. indemnity

Circular 0015/2016 Seniority of Teachers Circular 0017/2016 Indemnity Declaration Form

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement Rule Change

Promote healthy lifestyle initiatives Ensure healthy eating policy

Circular 0018/2016 Further Extension to the ‘Grace Period’ for Superannuation Benefits in respect of Teachers

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0019/2016 Further Extension to the ‘Grace Period’ for Superannuation Benefits in respect of Special Needs Assistants

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0020/2016 Further Extension to the ‘Grace Period’ for Superannuation Benefits in respect of Clerical Officers and Caretakers employed in National Schools under the 1978/79 Scheme and Clerical Officers employed in Post Primary Schools under the 1978 Scheme

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0027/2016 Post 01 January 2011 and Post 01 February 2012 New Entrants to Teaching – Recognition of Previous Public Service in another EU Member State

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0028/2016 Capitation and Ancillary Services Grants

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0030/2016 Expiry of Increment Measures under the Terms of the Haddington Road Agreement

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

— 100 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0031/2016 Commencement of Statutory Requirements for Garda Vetting

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l l

l

Circular 0034/2016 Information in relation to Standardised Testing and Other Matters Academic Year 2018/19 and Subsequent Years

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

Circular 0035/2016 Recruitment of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) - Supplementary Assignment Arrangements for the 2016/17 school year

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l l

l l

See Section 2 Ensure receipt of statutory declarations Ensure receipt of forms of undertaking Return Standardised test results to DE Ensure Education Passport for 6th Class pupils completed and sent to relevant post-primary schools Communicate details of circular to staff Communicate details of circular to staff Identify relevant staff Establish whether they wish to be placed on supplementary assignment panel Process form for same If not, process redundancy form

Circular 0037/2016 Primary Online Database (POD)

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure compliance with reporting requirements

Circular 0037/2016 Primary Online Database (POD) – Special Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure compliance with reporting requirements

Circular 0039/2016 Continuing Implementation of School Self-Evaluation 2016-2020 - Primary and Special Schools

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

See Section 3

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure that Croke Park hours are used in accordance with the provisions of the agreement

l

l

l

Circular 0042/2016 Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2018 (Lansdowne Road Agreement) Teachers Review of Usage of Croke Park Hours – Amendment to Circular 0008/2011

l

Circular 0046/2016 Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2016/2017 - Special Ed Component

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure compliance with revised arrangements

Circular 0049/2016 Post-1 January 2011 New Entrant Special Needs Assistants – Recognition of Previous Public Service in another EU Member State

l

Managing the organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

l

— 101 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Circular

LAOS Domains

Principal’s Responsibility

Circular 0050/2016 Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2016/2017 – Two Strands (Children without a school place & Children in Care without a school place)

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure compliance with revised arrangements

Circular 0051/2016 Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2016/2017 – Maternity Related Absences Component

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure compliance with revised arrangements

Circular 0054/2016 HSE Primary School Vaccination Programme 2016/2017

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Cooperate with Vaccination Programme Administration of paperwork Facilitate HSE in-school

Circular 0056/2016 Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2018 (Haddington Road Agreement/ Lansdowne Road Agreement) Pay Increase for Primary Teachers

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0057/2016 Paternity Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes

Circular 0058/2016 Paternity Leave Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools

l

Circular 0074/2016 Panel access to the Supplementary Redeployment Panel for the 2017/18 school year

l

Circular 0077/2016 Revision of Pension Related Deduction with Effect from 01 January 2017

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0078/2016 Revised Salary Scale From 1 January 2017 For Post-1 February 2012 Entrant Teachers

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0079/2016 Revision of Pay Rates in 2017 for School Secretaries, Caretakers and Cleaners employed by the Boards of Management of Recognised Primary Schools using Ancillary Services Grant funding and Revised Rates of Ancillary Services Grant

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Communicate details of circular to BOM Inform payroll where relevant Apply revised rates

l l

l l

Managing the Organisation

l l l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

l l

— 102 —

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes Communicate details of circular to staff Sign panel access forms

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

2017 Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0001/2017 Grant Scheme for ICT Infrastructure 2016-2017 School Year

l

l

l

Circular 0009/2017 Standardisation of the School Year in respect of Primary & Post-Primary Schools for the years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20

l

Circular 0013/2017 Special Education Teaching Allocation

l

Principal’s Responsibility

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development

l

See Section 3

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff and BOM Ensure compliance with the provisions of the circular

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

See Section 3

l

Managing the Organisation

l

See Section 2

Circular 0030/2017 Parental Leave Entitlements for all Staff, other than Teachers and SNAs, in Education and Training Boards

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Process parental leave applications Employ replacement

Circular 0032/2017 Measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

Circular 0016/2017 Statutory Requirements for the Retrospective Vetting of Teaching Staff, Non-Teaching Staff and Others.

Also 0072/2017 Reminder to schools regarding the deadline of 31 December 2017 for the retrospective vetting of teaching staff, non-teaching staff and others

l

l l

Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme for Primary Schools and Special Schools in Gaeltacht Language-Planning Areas. Initial Implementation Phase (April 2017 to June 2018)

l

Circular 0060/2017 Roll out and operation of the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) at Primary Level

l

l

l

l

Ensure school has a uniform which can be purchased from various stores Ensure generic option Tender for exclusive supply arrangements

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Establish eligibility to qualify for scheme

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to BoM Ensure compliance with reporting procedures

l

— 103 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0061/2017 Scheme For Leave of Absence following Assault for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement scheme

and Circular 0061/2017 Scheme for Leave of Absence following Assault For Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools Circular 0063/2017 Leadership and Management in Primary Schools

l

l

l

l

Circular 0066/2017 Cycle to Work Scheme Circular 0081/2017 Publication of new “Child Protection Procedures for Primary and PostPrimary Schools 2017”

l

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Managing the Organisation

— 104 —

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BoM Use framework for reflection on practice

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement Scheme

l

See Section 2

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

2018 Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0012/2018 Scheme of Temporary Re-Assignment For Registered Teachers In Recognised Primary Schools

l

Circular 0018/2018 Management of Safety & Health, including Fire Safety, in Primary and Post Primary schools

l

Circular 0025/2018 Sick Leave Scheme for Teachers changes to the Critical Illness Provisions (CIP) From 31st March, 2018

l

Circular 0027/2018 Provision to allow for certain education and training sector staff to be retained in employment beyond their Compulsory Retirement Age of 65 years until they reach the age of eligibility for the Contributory State Pension

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0029/2018 Secondment Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Process leave application Recruit replacement If seconded person has post of responsibility, appoint a person to act up

Circular 0030/2018 Adjudication Process – Contracts of Indefinite Duration

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Attend hearing where CID is not awarded to Teacher by Department of Education

Circular 0038/2018 Consultation with the School Community including Teachers, Students and Parents on the use of Smart Phones and Tablet Devices in Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Consult with school community on use of tablets and smart phones Review and update relevant policies

Circular 0039/2018 Update on Primary Language Curriculum, Primary Mathematics Curriculum and Notice of Additional School Closure 2018/19

l

Circular 0040/2018 Release Time for Principal Teachers in Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Process applications for same

Managing the Organisation

l

See Section 3

Managing the Organisation

l

Implementation of new Critical Illness Protocol Communicate details of circular to staff

l

l

l l

l

l

Leading teaching and learning Managing the Organisation

l

Managing the Organisation

l

— 105 —

l

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement provisions of circular

Identify number of release days Form cluster for same

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0042/2018 Best practice guidance for primary schools in the use of programmes and/or external facilitators in promoting wellbeing consistent with the Department/ of Education and Skills’ Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice

l

Circular 0049/2018 Revised Procedures for Suspension and Dismissal of Teachers and Principals

l

l

Principal’s Responsibility

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

and

Develop Wellbeing Policy Assess wellbeing programmes and facilitators

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement procedures re. professional competence procedures relating to work, conduct and matters other than professional competence

Circular 0050/2018 Procedures for Suspension and Dismissal of Principals of Community National Schools Circular 0060/2018 Breastfeeding Breaks for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Organise breastfeeding breaks for teachers

Circular 0070/2018 Leadership and Management in Primary Schools

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Implement new procedures for the appointment of assistant principal Implement reporting procedures for assistant principals to BoM Conduct reviews of duties

l

l

l

— 106 —

l

l

l

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

2019 Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0001/2019 Special Leave for teachers who are members of Voluntary Search and Rescue Organisations and are calledout on a Search and Rescue Operation

l

Circular 0016/2019 Home School Community Liaison Scheme: Assignment of Home School Community Liaison Coordinators within DEIS schools

l

l

l

l

Circular 0018/2019 ICT grant funding

l

l

Circular 0027/2019 Multi-Annual Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2020 onwards Scheme of Capital Grants for Small/Medium Scale Works in recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools

l

Principal’s Responsibility

Managing the Organisation

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Implement revised scheme for appointment of HSCL

Managing the Organisation Leading School Development

l

See Section 3

Managing the Organisation

l

Tender for consultant to prepare summer works application Enter into agreement with consultant for preparation of report as per Guidance on Procuring Consultants for Small Works and TGD-007 Design Team Procedures for Small Works Submit application through ESINET Ensure school is registered with SEAI and make annual submissions to SEAI

l

l

l

l

Circular 0032/2019 Appointment of Administrative Deputy Principal and Staffing Arrangements in Special Schools for the 2019/2020 school year

l

l

l

l

Circular 0035/2019 Changes to the Career Break Scheme for Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools - Employment while on Career Break

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Managing the Organisation

l

— 107 —

l l l l

l

Process application Employ substitute

Consult with staff on duties on behalf of BoM Advertise position Appoint selection panel Interview Announce successful candidate and appeals procedure Appoint teacher to replace teaching duties of deputy principal.

Communicate details of circular to staff

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0044/2019 Recruitment/Promotion and Leadership for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary Schools

l

l

l

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

Principal’s Responsibility l

l

l

l

l

l

Circular 0045/2019 Primary Language Curriculum/ Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile Stages 1–4 (junior infants to sixth class) Support and Implementation

l

l

l

l

Circular 0052/2019 Exemptions from the Study of Irish Revising Circular 12/96

l

l

Communicate details of circular to BoM & Staff Ensure registration of teachers with Teaching Council Implement revised procedures for the recruitment of teachers Implement revised procedures for appointment of promoted posts Implement revised procedures for the appointment of principals and deputy principals Ensure seniority of teachers is established

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Lead implementation of Revised Language Curriculum

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff and parents Process applications for exemption in accordance with stipulated criteria Record on POD

l

l

Circular Letter 0054/2019 Leave Schemes for Registered Teachers Employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular 0057/2019 Election of new Boards of Management of Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Carry out election of teacher nominee Carry out election of parent nominees In association with the above and the patron nominees, carry out appointment of community nominees

l

l

Circular 0059/2019 Primary Schools Supply Panel Pilot Scheme for the 2019/2020 School Year

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

l l

— 108 —

Principals of base schools establish supply panels Install and set up app to manage supply panels Communicate details to schools in the cluster Recruit teachers to staff the panels Manage the administration of the panel

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0060/2019 Sick Leave Scheme for Special Needs Assistants employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l

l l l

Communicate details of circular to staff Ensure data entry on OLCS, Appoint substitute SNA Make Medmark referral where required

Circular 0071/2019 Educational licences for the use of Copyright works

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure compliance

Circular 0072/2019 Revised Rates and Thresholds of the Additional Superannuation Contribution with Effect from 1 January 2020 for members of Standard Accrual Pension Scheme, Fast Accrual Pension Scheme and Single Pension Scheme.

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

Circular Letter 0073/2019 Revision of Certain Daily/Hourly Rates For Primary Teachers with Effect from 1 January 2020

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

— 109 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

2020 Circular

LAOS Domains

Principal’s Responsibility

Circular No. 0007/2020 Commencement of Certain Sections of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 Changes to school admission processes

l

Managing the Organisation

l

See Section 3 – Admissions

Circular 0020/2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in primary schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff Process sick leave Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes

Circular 0024/2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Delay Phase Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised primary and post primary schools

l

l l l

l

l

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

l

l l l

Ensure appropriate arrangements are developed to support remote learning of students Liaise with staff to ensure implementation of same Support staff with any challenges that emerge Communicate plans to parents Identify enhanced supports for children with additional needs

Circular 0027/2020 Temporary assignment arrangements for certain staff in the education and training sector

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Identify SNAs for reassignment

Circular 0040/2020 Arrangements for the Inspection and School Self-Evaluation for the 2020/2021 School Year

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff

l

Communicate details of circular to BoM and staff Identify entitlement to release days for teaching principals, and for DPs in schools with Admin Principals

l

l

l

Circular 0045/2020 COVID-19 operational supports for the full return to school

l

Roadmap for a full Return to School

l

l

Managing the Organisation

l l l l l l l l l

l l

l

— 110 —

Develop Covid Response plan & policy Appoint Lead Worker Representative(s) Communicate plan to school community Ensure staff complete induction training Ensure staff complete RTW forms Ensure PPE is in place Ensure signage is in place Ensure classroom layouts are adjusted Ensure appropriate modifications are made to buildings Complete risk assessments Ensure Covid contact log is in place and maintained Prepare isolation room(s)

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0049/2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary schools

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l

l

l l

l

Circular 0054/2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Arrangements for certain employees of recognised Primary and Post Primary schools in the Free Education Scheme and of ETBs, employed using grant funding

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l l

l

Managing the Organisation

Communicate Covid response plan to school community Ensure return to work forms are completed Identify staff not returning to work Process absence/leave of such teachers Implement revised health & safety protocols Communicate Covid response plan to school community Ensure return to work forms are completed Identify staff not returning to work Process absence/leave of such teachers Implement revised health & safety protocols

Circular 0068/2020 Emergency Works Grant Scheme: Migration to On-Line Applications and Minor Revisions of Scheme

l

Circular 0069/2020 New Arrangements and Procedures for Appeals under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 effective from 12 November 2020 onwards

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of Circular to BoM

Circular 0072/2020 Updated Guide to Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspections in Primary and Special School

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff and BoM

Circular 0074/2020 Arrangements for schools to have in place appropriate contingency measures to ensure that schools are prepared to continue to support teaching and learning in the event of a partial or full closure of schools arising from Public Health advice

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

l

Develop contingency plans for the support of remote learning in the event of a school closure Secure BOM approval for same

Circular 0081/2020 Revised Procedures for the Upgrading of Grade III Secretary Posts in Schools to Grade IV Posts (Revision to Section 7 of Circular F39/1997

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

l

l

l

— 111 —

l

Communicate details of Circular to BoM Make applications in accordance with the provisions of the revised scheme

Communicate details of circular to staff and BoM

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

2021 Circular

LAOS Domains

Principal’s Responsibility

Information Note SD 0001/2021 Further supplementary measures to increase the availability of substitute teachers for 2021/2022 school year

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Source substitute teachers in accordance with the sequence detailed in the information note

Temporary Teacher Allocation (Covid-19 Support Measures) for Primary Schools during the 2021/22 School Year

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Teaching Principals arrange their one day per week for leadership and management Principals of base schools establish supply panels Install and set up app to manage supply panels Communicate details to schools in the cluster Recruit teachers to staff the panels Manage the administration of the panel

l

l

l

l l

Information Note TC 0001/2021 COVID-19: Temporary Changes to the Parental Leave Scheme and Unpaid Leave Scheme and other temporary arrangements for Teachers

l

Information Note TC 0002/2021 COVID-19: Temporary Changes to the Parental Leave Scheme and Unpaid Leave and other temporary arrangements for Special Needs Assistants

l

Information Note TC 0005/2021 COVID-19: Temporary Changes to the Parental Leave Scheme and Unpaid Leave Scheme and other temporary arrangements for Teachers employed in recognised Primary Schools

l

Information Note TC 0006/2021 COVID-19: Temporary Changes to the Parental Leave Scheme and Unpaid Leave and other temporary arrangements for SNAs employed in recognised Primary Schools

l

Information Note TC 0009/2021 COVID-19: Extension of COVID-19 Diagnosis Special Leave with Pay for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants

l

Information Note TC 0012/2021 Temporary Changes to the Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants for 2020/21 School Year

l

l

Managing the Organisation Leading School Development

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l l

l l

Managing the Organisation

l l l

Managing the Organisation

l l l

Managing the Organisation

l l l l

Managing the Organisation

— 112 —

l

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter data on OLCS Recruit substitutes Make referrals to Medmark as appropriate Confirm/enter data on OLCS

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Circular

LAOS Domains

Information Note TC 0013/2021 COVID-19: Working Arrangements for Very High Risk Teachers and Special Needs Assistants and Pregnant Teachers and Special Needs Assistants

l

Information Note TC 0014/2021 Extension of the Employee Assistance Service (EAS) – 2021/22 school year

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of information note to staff

Information Note TC 0015/2021 Temporary changes to the Career Break Scheme for Teachers for 2021/22

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of information note to staff

Information Note TC 0016/2021 Temporary changes to the Job Sharing Scheme for Teachers for 2021/22

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of information note to staff

Information Note TC 0017/2021 Temporary Changes to the Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants for 2021/22

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of information note to staff

Information Note TC 0018/2021 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Temporary Substitution Arrangements and Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) Leave for 2021/22

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of information note to staff Co-ordinate and approve requests Book substitute teachers for days for days that are substitutable Confirm/enter data on OLCS

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l

l

l

l l

l

Information Note TC 0019/2021 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Temporary Substitution arrangements for Special Needs Assistants for 2021/22

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

Managing the Organisation

Employ substitute staff to replace cover for ‘Very High Risk’ staff Assign work to staff working from home Confirm/enter data on OLCS

Communicate details of information note to staff Book substitute teachers for days for days that are substitutable Confirm/enter data on OLCS

Information Note TC 0020/2021 on Circular 0051/2019 and Circular 0026/2021 – for the filling of Special Need Assistant vacancies during the school year 2021/2022

l

Information Note TC 0021/2021 on Circular 0044/2019 – for the Recruitment and Appointment Procedures for Teacher, Deputy Principal and Principal posts in Primary Schools during the school year 2021/2022

l

Information Note TC 0023/2021 Amendment to the Maternity Leave Scheme for Teachers

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Follow procedures for the recruitment of Teachers

Information Note TC 0024/2021 Amendment to the Maternity Leave Scheme for SNAs

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Follow procedures for the recruitment of SNAs

l

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

— 113 —

Follow procedures for the recruitment of SNAs Set up remote interviews as well as face-to-face

Follow procedures for the recruitment of SNAs Set up remote interviews as well as face-to-face

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Circular

LAOS Domains

Information Note TC 0025/2021 COVID-19: Working Arrangements for Very High Risk Teachers and Special Needs Assistants and Pregnant Teachers and Special Needs Assistants for 2021/22

l

Circular 0045/2021 CLASS Hours Scheme

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l

l

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

Employ substitute staff to cover for very high risk staff Lead very high risk staff while working from home

Calculate quantum of hours to which school is entitled Organise how to implement such hours Employ substitutes to teach CLASS hours

Circular 0047/2021 Guidelines for the use of Reduced School Days in Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

See Section 3

Circular 0050/2021 COVID-19 operational supports for the 2021/22

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure sufficient supplies of PPE Arrange deployment of CO2 monitors Plan DP release days (where applicable)

l

l

Managing the Organisation

Information Note TC 0027/2021 COVID-19: Updated Working and Leave Arrangements for Teachers and SNAs for 2021/22

l

Information Note Revised Inspection Arrangements from 25 November 2021

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Reduction of Inspections

Working Arrangements for staff (other than Teachers and SNAs) who are categorised as Very High Risk (VHR) and for Pregnant staff (other than Teachers and SNAs) employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools - 2021/22 School Year

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Employ substitute staff to cover for very high risk staff Lead very high risk staff while working from home

Circular 0025/2021 Allocation of Assistant Principal Posts 2021/2022

l

l l l l

l

l

l

l

Leading Teaching and Learning Managing the Organisation Leading School Development Developing Leadership Capacity

— 114 —

l

l

Process all leave applications Confirm/enter entry on OLCS Recruit substitutes Make referrals to Medmark as appropriate

Determine number of Assistant Principal posts to which the school is entitled Initiate a recruitment process where applicable

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular Letter 0021/2021 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary schools

l

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility l l

l

l l

l

Circular Letter 0042/2021 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary schools

l

Managing the Organisation

— 115 —

Update Covid response plan Communicate updated plan to school community Ensure return to work forms are completed Identify staff not returning to work Process absence/leave of such teachers Implement revised health & safety proto

As above

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

2022 - up to mid-September Circular

LAOS Domains

0008/2022 New Public Holiday

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Ensure school calendar is agreed, ratified by the BoM and communicated appropriately

Information Note TC 0002/2022 COVID-19: Changes to Special Leave with Pay from 7th February 2022 for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary Schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Manage leave arrangements for those affected by Covid-19 Secure substitute cover or redeploy from within existing staff

COVID-19: Updated Working and Leave Arrangements from January 2022 for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary Schools

l

Circular 0016/2022 Employment of 3rd and 4th Year Undergraduate Student Teachers and application of the ‘5 Day Rule’

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to BOM

Circular 0017/2022 Implementation of Sectoral Bargaining in the Primary Sector with effect from 01 February 2022

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to BOM

Circular 0019/2022 DEIS identification 2022: Appeals process for schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to BOM Make appeal in accordance with procedures, where relevant

Circular 0028/2022 ‘Say Yes to Languages’ – Language Sampler Module 2022/23

l

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

l

l

Circular 0029/2022 Arrangements for Inspectorate Engagement with Primary and Special Schools April to June 2022

Principal’s Responsibility

l

l

l

Leading teaching and learning Managing the Organisation Leading school development

l

Leading teaching and learning Managing the Organisation Leading school development

l

l l

l

Manage leave arrangements for those affected by Covid-19 Secure substitute cover or redeploy from within existing staff

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Identify language of choice Make application under the provisions of the scheme Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Manage any preparatory work required

Circular 0033/2022 Permanent extension of the Employee Assistance Service (EAS) to all school staff employed in recognised primary and post-primary schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM

Circular 0038/2022 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Updated Working Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary schools

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Take account of revised arrangements

l

— 116 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Circular

LAOS Domains

Circular 0040/2022 COVID-19: Working Arrangements for Certain Higher Risk employees of Recognised Primary and Post Primary schools in the Free Education Scheme and of ETBs, Employed Using Grant Funding for the 2022/23 school year

l

Circular 0042/2022 Building Momentum - A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022 Implementation of Sectoral Bargaining Fund in the Primary Sector

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM

Circular 0043/2022 Allocation of Assistant Principal Posts 2022/2023

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM

0044/2022 Revision of Working Hours in Recognised Primary, Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme Implementation of the Independent Hours Body Recommendations in relation to the Haddington Road Agreement Hours for certain employees in Recognised Primary, Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme

l

Managing the Organisation

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Staff scheduling

Circular 0050/2022 Parent’s Leave Scheme For Registered Teachers employed In Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools

l

Circular 0051/2022 Parent’s Leave Scheme for Special Needs Assistants employed in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools

l

Circular 0054/2022 Exemptions from the study of Irish – primary

l

Circular 0056/2022 School Self-evaluation: Next Steps September 2022 – June 2026

l

l

l

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

Managing the Organisation

l

l

l

l

l

Circular 0057/2022 Arrangements for Inspectorate engagement with primary and special schools: September to December 2022

Managing the Organisation

Principal’s Responsibility

l

l

l

Leading teaching and learning Managing the Organisation

l

Leading teaching and learning Managing the Organisation Leading school development

l

Leading teaching and learning Leading school development Managing the Organisation

l

— 117 —

l

l

l

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Implement the provisions of the circular

Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Staff scheduling/ arrange substitute cover Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Staff scheduling/ arrange substitute cover Communicate details of circular to staff, BOM and parent body Manage applications for exemptions in line with revised procedures Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Discuss at staff and BOM meetings and agree priorities in line with revised procedures Communicate details of circular to staff & BOM Manage any preparatory work required, including review of antibullying policy and procedures

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Section 5: Administration The following table provides an overview of the types of administrative tasks that often fall to the principal, particularly where the ancillary services grant is inadequate to provide for a full-time skilled administrator.

Regardless of the level of administrative support an individual principal may ‘enjoy’, all of these tasks/ responsibilities have increased the workload of the principal, given that, at a minimum, they will have oversight of all data / reports.

Key Responsibilities Pupil Online Database

l l l l

Online Claims System

l

l

Annual Census Return

l

l

l l l

Standardized Test Scores

l l l l l l

Information Management Systems

l l l

Attendance

l

l l l

Ensure pupil data is entered and updated Facilitate transfers of pupils to and from other schools Do end-of-year progressions Record details of all exemptions granted Ensure that all of the following are entered on the system and approved as appropriate: ◆ School closure dates ◆ Staff details ◆ Staff leave is recorded accurately ◆ All claims for substitute cover ◆ All claims for substitution are approved ◆ Statements of absence printed and given to staff ◆ Referrals to Medmark Ensure that medical certificates and forms relating to approved leave are retained Ensure that POD is up to date before completing the annual census Input all required information on pupil numbers, classes, those availing of support teaching, complex needs, etc.

Submit census figures Complete declaration form Arrange for signature of Chairperson and post to DE Ensure tests are administered Collate scores from class groups Return scores via ESINET to DE Analyse test scores Include key information on pupils annual reports Use information to inform teaching and learning plans Register all pupils Maintain contact details of parents/guardians Maintain records of additional support provided Ensure that attendance and reasons for absence are entered and recorded by all classroom teachers on a daily basis Ensure monthly reports are generated Ensure attendance returns are made to Tusla Ensure referrals are made to EWO where there are concerns re. attendance

— 118 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Key Responsibilities Recruitment

In conjunction with the Chairperson of the BoM: l Confirm existence of post l Advertise post l Arrange date(s) for interviews l Secure an independent assessor l Convene a meeting of the selection committee l Shortlist candidates for interview l Issue invitations for interview l Devise format for interview l Prepare marking sheets for interview l Ensure appropriate arrangements for interviews l Conduct interviews l Identify preferred candidate(s) l Check references of preferred candidate(s) l Issue report to BoM from selection committee l Request approval of preferred candidate from Patron l Communicate result of interview process to all interviewees l Ensure garda vetting, medical fitness and registration with Teaching Council are in place l Prepare and furnish appointee with relevant contract l Complete and return appointment form to DE l Retain all records for stipulated period

Seniority of Staff

l

Ensure list detailing the seniority of staff is maintained

HR/Staffing

l

Ensure each employee has a personnel file Ensure such files contain ◆ Letters of acceptance ◆ Contracts ◆ Medical fitness ◆ Garda Vetting ◆ Teaching Council registration ◆ Copies of appointment forms ◆ Details of Medmark referrals ◆ Disclaimer re. use of vehicles ◆ Letters of resignation ◆ Other relevant personnel documentation (applications for CID, job-sharing, career break, etc.)

Class allocation Career Break applications Job-sharing applications CID applications Leadership & Management appointments Consultation re. the needs of the school ISM Team Meetings

l

l l l l l l l

Pupil Files

l

Ensure the appropriate maintenance and retention of ◆ Enrolment forms ◆ School reports ◆ Professional reports (where relevant) ◆ IEPs/IPLPs (where relevant) ◆ Pupil personal plans (where relevant) ◆ Correspondence relating to the child

— 119 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Key Responsibilities Irish Exemptions

l l l l l

NCSE/SENO

l l l l

l

Process application forms Determine whether child meets the criteria Communicate outcome of application to parent Issue certificate of exemption to parent Record exemption details on POD and on school’s information management system Complete and return confirmation of attendance form Complete and return confirmation of leavers form Make application for exceptional review (where relevant) Seek confirmation from SENO of eligibility of child to be placed in an ASD class (where relevant) Make applications for assistive technology/specialist furniture (where relevant)

Health & Safety

l

Ensure the appropriate maintenance and retention of ◆ A register of concerns ◆ Incident report forms ◆ Risk assessments ◆ Permits to work ◆ Maintenance records of fire safety equipment ◆ Records of fire drills ◆ Records of fire safety training ◆ First aid records

Buildings & Maintenance

l

l

Cleaning Acquisition of consumables Waste disposal General maintenance Upkeep of grounds (grass cutting, tree surgery, etc.)

Minor Works Summer Works Emergency Works Tendering process Liaison with consultants Liaison with contractors

SEAI

l

Make annual returns on the school’s energy usage

Copyright Licensing

l

Ensure licence is in place

Motion Picture Licensing

l

Ensure licence is in place

Charities Regulatory Authority

l

Make annual returns to the CRA re. school’s compliance

l l l l l l l l l

— 120 —

Appendix 1 – Analysis of Role and Responsibilities of Principal

Key Responsibilities Finance

l

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Miscellaneous

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Retention of all invoices, statements and receipts for stipulated period Banking Payroll Revenue returns Preparation of Accounts Bank reconciliation Reportage to PA Liaison with auditors Taking account of FSSU advisories Budgets VAT returns Notification of contracts for RCT Notification of payments to contractors for RCT Payment of RCT Submission of accounts to FSSU Submission of accounts to Patron Election of and engagement with Student Council School wide initiatives (Green /Active Schools, etc.)

Liaison with external agencies Dealing with complaints Dealing with disciplinary issues Networking with other schools Facilitation of school placement Facilitation of school vaccination programme Facilitation of vision & hearing screening Facilitation of dental scheme Facilitation of participation in inter-school activities Facilitation of work experience Organise PDST training Organise NEPS consultations

— 121 —

Appendix

2

Domains and Standards in the Quality Framework for Leadership and Management

T l

l

l

l

he focus of Domain 1 is on Leading Learning & Teaching. The standards detailed within this domain suggest that effective school leaders: promote a culture of improvement, collaboration, innovation and creativity in learning, teaching and assessment foster a commitment to inclusion, equality of opportunity and the holistic development of each pupil manage the planning and implementation of the curriculum foster teacher professional development that enriches teacher and pupil learning.

The focus of Domain 2 is on Managing the Organisation. The standards detailed within this domain suggest that effective school leaders: l establish an orderly, secure and healthy learning environment, and maintain it through effective communication l manage the school’s human, physical and financial resources so as to create and maintain a learning organisation l manage challenging and complex situations in a manner that demonstrates equality, fairness and justice l develop and implement a system to promote professional responsibility and accountability.

The focus of Domain 3 is on Leading School Development. The standards detailed within this domain suggest that effective school leaders l communicate the guiding vision for the school and lead its realisation l lead the school’s engagement in a continuous process of self-evaluation l build and maintain relationships with parents, other schools, and the wider community l manage, lead and mediate change to respond to the evolving needs of the school and to changes in education.

Finally, the focus of Domain 4 is on Developing Leadership Capacity. The standards detailed within this domain suggest that effective school leaders l critique their practice as leaders and develop their understanding of effective and sustainable leadership l empower staff to take on and carry out leadership roles l promote and facilitate the development of pupil voice, pupil participation, and pupil leadership l build professional networks with other school leaders.

— 122 —

Appendix

3

1.

External agencies with whom the principal engages

Department of Education Sections: a. Inspectorate b. Payroll c. Primary Allocations d. Special Educational Needs (SEN) e. Statistics f. Primary Online Database (POD) / Esinet g. School Buildings h. Governance i. Non-Teaching Staff j. Visiting Teacher Service

10. School Completion Programme 11.

Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU)

12. Charities Regulator 13. Revenue Commissioners 14. Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland (SEAI) 15. Teaching Council 16. Professional Body for School Leaders: Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) 17. Union: Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO)

2. Health Service Executive Teams a. Early Intervention b. Primary Care c. Vaccination d. Dental e. Vision & Screening f. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

18. Education Centre 19. Employee Assistance Service: Medmark 20. Insurer - Buildings 21. Insurer - Personal Accident 22. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – School Placement

3. Tusla/Child & Family Agency a. Social Work Team b. Family Support Team c. Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) d. Education Welfare Officer (EWO)

23. Pre-schools - Transitions 24. Post-Primary Schools – Transitions 25. Post-Primary Schools – Work Experience

4.

National Educational Psychological service (NEPS)

5.

National Council for Special Education (NCSE) / Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO)

6.

Patron Body

7.

Management Body

8.

Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)

9.

The National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT)

26. Office of Public Works (OPW) – Energy procurement 27. Health & Safety Authority (HSA) 28. National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE, part of PDST) 29. Courts – Jury Service 30. Elections: Returning Officer 31. Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC) 32. Irish Copyright Licensing Agency (ICLA)

— 123 —

Appendix

4

Primary School Leadership: A Roadmap to Sustainability

Responsibilities that can be shared with others

T

he following table provides an overview of the types of administrative tasks that often fall to the principal, particularly where the ancillary services grant is inadequate to provide for a fulltime skilled administrator. If certain administrative tasks were undertaken by the school administrator/ secretary or another appropriate person, the principal would be able to focus on tasks and activities more in keeping with their core purpose of leading teaching and learning.

The table is colour coded as follows l Tasks in green font could be undertaken by the school administrator/secretary A/S l Tasks in blue font could be undertaken by a General Manager (who would also be well placed to undertake the tasks in green) GM l Tasks in black font should remain the responsibility of the principal P

Key Responsibilities Pupil Online Database

l l l l

Online Claims System

l

l

Annual Census Return

l

l

l l l

Standardized Test Scores

l l l l l l

Information Management Systems

l l l

Attendance

l

l l l

Ensure pupil data is entered and updated Facilitate transfers of pupils to and from other schools Do end-of-year progressions Record details of all exemptions granted

A/S

Ensure that medical certificates and forms relating to approved leave are retained Ensure that all of the following are entered on the system and approved as appropriate: ◆ School closure dates ◆ Staff details ◆ Staff leave ◆ All claims for substitute cover ◆ Statements of absence printed and given to staff ◆ All claims for substitution are approved ◆ Referrals to Medmark

A/S

Ensure that POD is up to date before completing the annual census Input all required information on pupil numbers, classes, those availing of support teaching, complex needs, etc.

Submit census figures Complete declaration form Arrange for signature of Chairperson and post to DE

A/S

Ensure tests are administered Collate scores from class groups Return scores via ESINET to DE Analyse test scores Include key information on pupils annual reports Use information to inform teaching and learning plans

P

Register all pupils Maintain contact details of parents/guardians Maintain records of additional support provided

A/S

Ensure that attendance and reasons for absence are entered and recorded by all classroom teachers on a daily basis Ensure monthly reports are generated Ensure attendance returns are made to Tusla Ensure referrals are made to EWO where there are concerns re. attendance

A/S

— 124 —

GM

GM P

P

P

GM P

Appendix 4 – Responsibilities that can be shared with others

Key Responsibilities P

Recruitment

In conjunction with the Chairperson of the BoM: l Confirm existence of post l Advertise post l Arrange date(s) for interviews l Secure an independent assessor l Convene a meeting of the selection committee l Shortlist candidates for interview l Issue invitations for interview l Devise format for interview l Prepare marking sheets for interview l Ensure appropriate arrangements for interviews l Conduct interviews l Identify preferred candidate(s) l Check references of preferred candidate(s) l Issue report to BoM from selection committee l Request approval of preferred candidate from Patron l Communicate result of interview process to all interviewees l Ensure garda vetting, medical fitness and registration with Teaching Council are in place l Prepare and furnish appointee with relevant contract l Complete and return appointment form to DE l Retain all records for stipulated period

Seniority of Staff

l

Ensure list detailing the seniority of staff is maintained

P

HR/Staffing

l

Ensure each employee has a personnel file Ensure such files contain ◆ Letters of acceptance ◆ Contracts ◆ Medical fitness ◆ Garda Vetting ◆ Teaching Council registration ◆ Copies of appointment forms ◆ Details of Medmark referrals ◆ Disclaimer re. use of vehicles ◆ Letters of resignation ◆ Other relevant personnel documentation (applications for CID, job-sharing, career break, etc.)

Class allocation Career Break applications Job-sharing applications CID applications Leadership & Management appointments Consultation re. the needs of the school ISM Team Meetings

GM

Ensure the appropriate maintenance and retention of ◆ Enrolment forms ◆ School reports ◆ Professional reports (where relevant) ◆ IEPs/IPLPs (where relevant) ◆ Pupil personal plans (where relevant) ◆ Correspondence relating to the child

A/S

l

l l l l l l l

Pupil Files

l

— 125 —

P

P

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

Key Responsibilities Irish Exemptions

l l l l l

NCSE/SENO

l l l

l l

Process application forms Determine whether child meets the criteria Communicate outcome of application to parent Issue certificate of exemption to parent Record exemption details on POD and on school’s information management system

GM

Complete and return confirmation of attendance form Complete and return confirmation of leavers form Make applications for assistive technology/specialist furniture (where relevant) Make application for exceptional review (where relevant) Seek confirmation from SENO of eligibility of child to be placed in an ASD class (where relevant)

GM

P

Health & Safety

l

Ensure the appropriate maintenance and retention of ◆ A register of concerns ◆ Incident report forms ◆ Risk assessments ◆ Permits to work ◆ Maintenance records of fire safety equipment ◆ Records of fire drills ◆ Records of fire safety training ◆ First aid records

GM

Buildings & Maintenance

l

GM

l

Cleaning Acquisition of consumables Waste disposal General maintenance Upkeep of grounds (grass cutting, tree surgery, etc.)

Minor Works Summer Works Emergency Works Tendering process Liaison with consultants Liaison with contractors

SEAI

l

Make annual returns on the school’s energy usage

A/S

Copyright Licensing

l

Ensure licence is in place

A/S

Motion Picture Licensing

l

Ensure licence is in place

A/S

Charities Regulatory Authority

l

Make annual returns to the CRA re. school’s compliance

GM

l l l l l l l l l

— 126 —

Appendix 4 – Responsibilities that can be shared with others

Key Responsibilities Finance

l

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Garda Vetting

l l l l

GDPR

l l

l

l

l

l l

l

Miscellaneous

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Retention of all invoices, statements and receipts for stipulated period Banking Payroll Revenue returns Preparation of Accounts Bank reconciliation Reportage to PA Liaison with auditors Taking account of FSSU advisories Budgets VAT returns Notification of contracts for RCT Notification of payments to contractors for RCT Payment of RCT Submission of accounts to FSSU Submission of accounts to Patron

A/S

Ensure compliance with the Act Maintain vetting records of all staff Make vetting applications for all relevant new staff Verify vetting of all who have interactions with the children

GM

Ensure the school has a Data Protection policy Ensure that the policy and procedures are communicated to staff Obtain and process personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner Ensure it is used only for one or more specified and explicit lawful purpose(s) Ensure it is processed only in ways compatible with the purpose for which it was given initially Keep data accurate and relevant Ensure that the data is retained no longer than is necessary for the specified purpose or purposes Keep personal data safe and secure

GM

Election of and engagement with Student Council School wide initiatives (Green /Active Schools, etc.)

Liaison with external agencies Dealing with complaints Dealing with disciplinary issues Networking with other schools Facilitation of school placement Facilitation of participation in inter-school activities Facilitation of work experience Organise PDST training Organise NEPS consultations Facilitation of school vaccination programme Facilitation of vision & hearing screening Facilitation of dental scheme

P

— 127 —

GM

A/S

Appendix

5

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

The PIEW Framework: Prioritise – Implement – Embed - Wait

The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities - Stephen Covey

The PIEW Framework has been designed by IPPN to help school leaders and school staffs to decide on, and work to, agreed priorities. It is used in an increasing number of schools nationwide and is proving very successful at creating the necessary time and space to lead.

The aims of the PIEW Framework are to provide school leaders with a practical model which will: l allow the school leader to control and manage the flow of initiatives l structure the workload l provide a means of prioritising initiatives, considering

l l

l

l

l

the capacity of the school the ability of the initiative to enhance Teaching and Learning their importance in relation to the other competing initiatives the willingness and recognition by the School Staff that the initiative will be taken through all phases. enable the school leader to manage the expectations of those who would exert pressure to have their suggested initiative adopted by the school to the exclusion of others.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PIEW MODEL Aims

Rooted in

Informed by

Help prioritise

LAOS 2016

SSE SIP

Control flow of • Good Ideas • Initiatives

LAOS

Structure workload

Circular 44/2019

Figure A5.1 - Characteristics of the PIEW Model

— 128 —

Appendix 5 – The PIEW Framework: Prioritise – Implement – Embed - Wait

THE PIEW MODEL Pilot

– 1 or 2 years

School

Implement

– 1 or 2 years

Improvement

Embed

– 1 or 2 years

Plan

Wait

for

SSE

Exceptional Imperatives Figure A5.2 - The PIEW Model

The PIEW Framework is based on the idea that system change takes time and goes through phases before the change is embedded in practice. It also captures the idea that no two schools are the same, that capacity to implement change is finite and that schools have to prioritise to ensure that any change has a chance to become embedded. To do otherwise is a waste of time – nothing becomes embedded in the culture of the school; it’s change for the sake of change with little or no longer-term impact on learning outcomes for children.

Looking at Our Schools (LAOS) 2016 and its Quality Framework works hand in hand with PIEW as a process of internal review and a way of working that enables schools to focus on implementing change and effecting improvement in teaching and learning.

The Framework is also informed by the School Self-Evaluation and School Improvement Planning processes, as well as Department Circular 44/2019, which outlines a model of distributed leadership that is based on the Leadership and Management domains of LAOS. Ultimately, PIEW offers a flexible approach which encourages schools to undertake a regular review to ensure a focus on current priority needs, to assume control of the agenda and to use SSE proactively

to make a difference to the quality of leaching and learning, which is the core purpose of school leadership.

What is PIEW?

‘P’ stands for Prioritise, the agreed area(s) to be looked at, updated, changed if necessary, and often includes a ‘Pilot’ stage. Crucially, the amount of work to be prioritised in any school is based on the capacity of the school and how much work is still in the ‘IEW’ stages outlined below.

This is a 2-year phase, after which the area moves to the ‘I’, or ‘Implement’ stage, over the following 2 years.

In years 5 and 6, the agreed changes or updates have become ‘Embedded’, represented by the letter ‘E’.

This phase can include a review stage, to measure effectiveness, to check to ensure the learning has been embedded, and to agree what needs to change if this is not the case.

The ‘W’ stands for ‘Wait’, or the ideas and suggestions that have been put on hold while the agreed priorities are worked through the ‘PIE’ elements. These ideas and suggestions, which can

— 129 —

come from staff members, parents, pupils, Board members and others in the school community, are noted under the ‘W’ of the PIEW plan. Every year, these ideas are discussed with the school staff and, depending on the capacity to pilot them, a small number are prioritised and added to the school PIEW plan and go through the phases as outlined. For example, a school may decide to prioritise a specific curriculum subject, or aspect of a subject, as well as a key operational policy or the attainment of a ‘flag’ for environmental awareness, fitness or enterprise.

Those are the agreed priorities and should not be added to until they are at the implement stage. The exception is Departmental imperatives, such as Child Protection or Data Protection, where changes in the law require a realigning of priorities for schools. In such case, the imperative will replace a previously identified priority until it is completed.

A number of key questions should be asked of any initiative that is considered for inclusion in the Waiting List: l Why should the school undertake the initiative? l How does this initiative contribute towards the teaching and learning in the school? l How does this give expression to the Quality Framework? l Is this rooted in the curriculum? l Why is this more important, at this time, that another item on the Waiting List? l Are we as a staff prepared to undertake this initiative for a period of 6 years to see it through all three phases? l Have we the capacity to undertake this initiative properly?

Focal Scoir An important aspect of PIEW is the clarity it provides for the whole school community in terms of the school’s capacity for change and the agreed priorities. It also documents all the change taking place in the school over a period of time. Thus, it is a key communication tool that can be shared on the school’s website.

PIEW represents a genuine opportunity to give schools a mechanism by which leadership is sustainable and time and space to lead is possible.

Schools interested in finding out more can download the resource bundle PIEW - Empowering School Leaders through Prioritising, and the various PIEW templates, all of which are on the IPPN website.

What this might look like for a school:

EXAMPLE SCHOOL PLAN School Plan

List of Good Ideas

Exceptional Imperatives

PILOT

WAIT (for SSE)

• Child protection

• Yr 1 Digital Learning Framework • Yr 1 Language Curriculum 3rd-6th • Yr 2 SSE - Maths - Problem Solving

• Gaeilge - Teanga ó bhéal timpeall na scoile

• GDPR

IMPLEMENT

• Gross motor skills development

• Yr 3 SEN - New Model • Yr 3 PLC JC - 2nd Child Protection Procedures • Yr4 Active School

• Assessment

• Attendance strategies

EMBED • Yr 5 Digital Learning - SI - 2nd • Yr 6 Wellbeing - Mindfullness, SC etc.

Figure A5.2 - PIEW Example School Plan

— 130 —

• Attendance strategies

Appendix

6

Appendix 5 – The PIEW Framework: Prioritise – Implement – Embed - Wait

Charity Regulator Governance Code

The Charities Governance Code comprises: l six principles of governance which all charities should apply; l core standards that we expect all charities to meet when putting the principles into action; and l additional standards that reflect best practice for charities with high levels of income and/or complex organisational and funding structures and/or significant numbers of employees.

l

The standards are: l Be clear about the purpose of your charity and be able to explain it in simple terms to anyone who asks. l

l

l

Consider whether or not any private benefit arises. If a private benefit arises, consider if it is reasonable, necessary and ancillary to the public benefit that your charity provides.

l

If you don’t have the resources, you need to show a plan for getting those resources

l

From time to time, review what you are doing to make sure you are still: ◆ acting in line with your charity’s purpose and ◆ providing public benefit.

l

Develop your charity’s strategic plan and associated operational plans.

l

Make sure there is an appropriate system in place to: ◆ monitor progress against your plans; and ◆ evaluate the effectiveness of the work of your charity.

From time to time, consider the advantages and disadvantages of working in partnership with other charities, including merging or dissolving (winding up).

l

l

l

Decide how you will deal with conflicts of interests and conflicts of loyalties. You should also decide how you will adhere to the Charities Regulator’s guidelines on this topic.

gifts and hospitality; and

◆

out-of-pocket expenses.

Be clear about the roles of everyone working in and for your charity, both on a voluntary and paid basis.

l

Make sure there are arrangements in place for the effective involvement of any volunteers, including what to do if any problems arise.

l

Make sure there are arrangements in place that comply with employment legislation for all paid staff including: ◆

recruitment;

◆

training and development;

◆

support, supervision and appraisal;

◆

remuneration (money paid for work) and dismissal

l

Agree operational policies where necessary, to guide the actions of everyone involved in your charity.

l

Make sure to document the roles, legal duties and delegated responsibility for decision-making of:

l

Agree the basic values that matter to your charity and publicise these, so that everyone involved understands the way things should be done and how everyone is expected to behave.

◆

l

Agree an achievable plan for at least the next year that sets out what you will do to advance your purpose.

Make sure your charity has the resources it needs to do the activities you plan.

Have a code of conduct for your board that is signed by all charity trustees. It must make clear the standard of behaviour expected from charity trustees. This includes things like maintaining board confidentiality and what to do in relation to:

◆

individual charity trustees and the board as a whole;

◆

any sub-committees or working groups;

◆

staff and volunteers

Make sure that there are written procedures in place which set out how volunteers are: ◆

recruited, supported and supervised while within your charity; and

◆

the conditions under which they exit

l

Decide how you will develop operational policy in your charity. You also need to decide how your charity trustees will make sure that the policy is put in place and kept up to date.

l

Decide if your charity’s current legal form and governing document are fit-for-purpose.

Make changes if necessary, telling the Charities Regulator in advance that you are doing so.

l

Find out the laws and regulatory requirements that are relevant to your charity and comply with them.

— 131 —

Primary School Leadership: The Case for Urgent Action - A Roadmap To Sustainability

l

If your charity raises funds from the public, read the Charities Regulator’s guidelines on this topic and make sure that your charity adheres to them as they apply to your charity

l

Make sure you send out board packs with enough notice and include all relevant reports and explanatory papers to enable informed decisionmaking.

l

Make sure you have appropriate financial controls in place to manage and account for your charity’s money and other assets.

l

l

Identify any risks your charity might face and how to manage these

Make sure that you have a charity trustee succession plan in place and consider how you can maximise diversity among your charity trustees.

l

Make sure your charity has appropriate and adequate insurance cover

Put in place a comprehensive induction programme for new charity trustees

l

Conduct a regular review that includes an assessment of: ◆ the effectiveness of your board as a whole, office holders and individual charity trustees; ◆ adherence to the board code of conduct; and ◆ the structure, size, membership and terms of reference of any subcommittees.

l

Do regular skills audits and provide appropriate training and development to charity trustees. If necessary, recruit to fill any competency gaps on the board or of your charity.

l

Make sure that the name and Registered Charity Number (RCN) of your charity is displayed on all of your written materials, including your: ◆ website; ◆ social media platforms; and ◆ email communications.

l

Identify your stakeholders and decide how you will communicate with them.

l

Decide if and how you will involve your stakeholders in your: ◆ planning; ◆ decision-making; and ◆ review processes.

l

Make sure you have a procedure for dealing with: ◆ queries; ◆ comments; and ◆ complaints.

l

Follow the reporting requirements of all of your funders and donors, both public and private.

l

Produce unabridged (full) financial accounts and make sure that these and your charity’s annual report are widely available and easy for everyone to access.

l

Make sure all the codes and standards of practice to which your charity subscribes are publicly stated.

l

Regularly review any complaints your charity receives and take action to improve organisational practice.

l

l

Have written procedures to make sure that you comply with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements.

l

Make sure there is a formal risk register that your board regularly reviews

l

Consider adopting additional good practice standards that are relevant to the particular work that your charity does.

l

Identify charity trustees with the necessary skills to undertake: ◆ any designated roles set out in your governing document; and ◆ other roles as appropriate within the board.

l

Hold regular board meetings. Give enough notice before meetings and provide prepared agendas.

l

At a minimum, your board agendas should always include these items: ◆ reporting on activities; ◆ review of finances; and ◆ conflicts of interests and loyalties.

l

Make sure that your charity trustees have the facts to make informed decisions at board meetings and that these decisions are recorded accurately in the minutes.

l

Consider introducing term limits for your charity trustees, with a suggested maximum of nine years in total.

l

Recruit suitable new charity trustees as necessary and make sure that they receive an induction.

l

Make sure all of your trustees understand: ◆ their role as charity trustees; ◆ the charity’s governing document; and ◆ this Code

l

Commit to resolving problems and emerging issues as quickly as possible and in the best interests of your charity

l

From time to time, review how your board operates and make any necessary improvements.

— 132 —