St. Paul’s N.S. Walshestown
Our Self-Evaluation Report and Improvement Plan
1. Introduction
This document records the outcomes of our last improvement plan, the findings of this self-evaluation, and ourcurrent improvement plan, including targets and the actions we will implement to meet the targets.
School Context
St. Paul’s N.S. is a rural Catholic Primary school, which caters for boys and girls from junior infants to sixth class. Our school has recently opened our first S.E.N. class. The current enrolment in our school is 105 students.
The Focus of the Evaluation
A school self-evaluation of teaching and learning in St. Paul’s N.S., Walshestown, Grangebellew, Drogheda, Co. Louth was undertaken during the period September 2021- to June 2023. During the evaluation, teaching and learning in the following curriculum area was evaluated:
- Numeracy
- Outcomes of our last improvement plan
- Cursive handwriting introduced to children starting in 1st Class
- Emphasis on presentation of written work
- Whole school handwriting programme followed and displayed in each classroom
1.2 The focus of this evaluation
We undertook self-evaluation of teaching and learning during the period September 2021- to June 2023. We evaluated the followingaspect(s) of teaching and learning:
- the quality of teaching and learning in the area of Numeracy
The school used available assessment data from standardised test scores together with questionnaires from parents and students to gather relevant information.
We chose the area of problem-solving in maths based on evidence. Our test scores in this area were lowers than in others areas of maths, and teachers, students and parents alike reported a lack of confidence in the children when faced with problem-solving. Further investigation revealed a lack of enthusiasm for "problem-solving".
- Findings
2.1 This is effective / very effective practice in our school
List the main strengths of the school in teaching and learning.
- Effective teacher assessment
- Tables and number facts are strong among students/Strand of Number strong
- Daily Mental Maths
- Access to good resources and concrete materials/ Use of ICT
- Maths Week
- Positive attitude toward Maths by most
- Busy at Maths Programme throughout the school
2.2. This is how we know
List the evidence sources. Refer to pupils’ dispositions, attainment, knowledge and skills.
- Drumcondra Maths results throughout the school
- In class assessment
- Parent questionnaire
- Student questionnaire/ discussion with student council
- Discussion with teachers/staff meetings
- Feedback from Maths subject inspection in December 2022
2.3This is what we are going to focus on to improve our practice further
Specify the aspects of teaching and learning the school has identified and prioritised for further improvement.
- Focus on Problem solving strategies like RUCSAC, teaching children methods to solve a written problems
- Increase team teaching/ maths stations in class as suggested during school subject inspection
- Maths Eyes- highlighting the correlation between the maths in school to real life scenarios
- Enhancing Maths week, problem of the day/ guest speakers/ maths trails/peer mentoring
- CPA approach Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract
- Our improvement plan
On the next page we have recorded:
- The targets for improvement we have set
- The actions we will implement to achieve these
- Who is responsible for implementing, monitoring and reviewing our improvement plan
- How we will measure progress and check outcomes(criteria for success)
As we implement our improvement plan we will record:
- The progress made, and adjustments made, and when
- Achievement of targets (original and modified)
