Dominican College Wicklow - 61860V School Improvement Plan

 
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Dominican College Wicklow - 61860V School Improvement Plan
Dominican College Wicklow
          61860V

   School Improvement Plan
       2016 - 2019
Our School Improvement Plan
    Summary of main strengths as             The STen scores for reading of 1st Years surveyed are above the national norms
    identified in SSE on May 2016            Standardised scores for CAT verbal analysis are above the national norms for this same
                                              cohort of students
                                             63% of students are reading fiction for enjoyment
                                             Attainment at both JC and Leaving Cert is generally above the National average
                                             There is a willingness to collaborate among staff
                                             The majority of students have a very positive attitude towards learning
                                             There is a lot of baseline data available on students in DCW
   Summary of main areas requiring           Increase the number of students taking Higher level in English and Maths
improvement as identified in SSE report      Increase the expectations and standards in writing across the curriculum
               in May 2016                   Increase the number of students reading for enjoyment
  (also identified in WSE-MLL Report,        Increase the number of books that students read for enjoyment per year
              August 2016)                   Increase the number of students who can make oral presentations comfortably in class
                                             Improvement in students’ basic computation skills and their application
                                             Increase in self and peer assessment
                                             Improve the performance of students at Leaving Certificate-more As and Bs
                                             Differentiated approach to teaching and assessment
                                             Review of the TY Curriculum
                                             School timetable
                                             Whole-school communications
Target 1: Literacy target 1
       Improvement Targets                Required Actions (related to Teaching            Persons responsible         Success Criteria /Measurable       Timeframe
(related to students’ achievement)        and Learning to help achieve targets)                                                 outcomes                  for Actions
To decrease the number of mistakes       Key words to be displayed on walls in all             Teaching and                Literacy levels to be       Commence
in spelling and punctuation by 5%        classrooms.                                            Learning Team                assessed annually using a   October 2016 and
between November 2016 and May            Learning outcomes to be placed on board at            Teachers of 1st Year         standardised test           continue 2016,
2017 and a further 5% by May 2018        the beginning of the lesson                            English                      commencing with 1st         2017
(1st Years)                              Posters promoting the use of good grammar             SSE Co-ordinator             Years and Second Year
                                         to be displayed on walls.                             English/debating             students.
                                         Spelling bee to be held for 1st Yrs. & 2nd Yrs.        teacher                     The number of spelling
                                         in March 2017.                                                                      and punctuation errors
                                         Punctuation to be emphasised in all classes.                                        made by 1st Years will be
                                         Encourage reading to improve awareness of                                           reduced by 5% from Nov.
                                         when to use paragraphs.                                                             ’16 to May ’17 and
                                         Standardised marking for errors to be used                                          reduced by a further 5%
                                         by all teachers e.g. S (spelling), C (Capital                                       by May 2018
                                         letter).

To increase the % of 1st Year students   Staff and parents to encourage reading for
who love reading for enjoyment           enjoyment among 1st Years                             All teachers of 1st         Surveys to monitor
                                                                                                Years                        increase in reading for
                                                                                               Parents                      enjoyment
                                         Staff to provide opportunities for 1st Year                                        An increase from 25% to
                                         students to engage in oral presentations /                                          30% of 1st Yr. students
                                         discussions in pairs / groups / class contexts                                      indicating that they love
To promote the importance of oral                                                                                            reading for enjoyment
literacy                                 Increase the number of students taking part           1st Year
                                         in debating                                            English/debating            Participation in debates
                                                                                                teachers                     within and without the
                                         Oral Presentations in class                           1st Year subject             school
                                                                                                teachers                    Poetry Aloud
Target 1: Literacy target 2
   Improvement Targets             Required Actions (related to Teaching and            Persons responsible            Success Criteria /Measurable           Timeframe
    (related to students’              Learning to help achieve targets                                                         outcomes                      for Actions
        achievement)
To increase the percentage of          Book in the Bag for 1st and 2nd Years          Year Heads, Tutors &            Increase in the number of            BITB during free
students reading for                   DEAR strategy once a month for 1st, 2nd and    teachers     to     encourage   students reading for enjoyment       classes and DEAR
enjoyment for more than one             TY Years from Nov. ‘16 to May 2017             students to have a book in      for more than one hour per week      time for 1st and
hour per week from 40% in              Use of the library to be encouraged at lunch   their bag                       from 40% in Dec. ’16 to 50% in       2nd Years in
December 2016 to 50% in                 time by prefects                               Senior management to            Dec ‘17                              2016/2017/2018
December 2017                          Each student will complete a book review –     organise a DEAR time once a
                                        encourage inclusion of reviews in Year Book    month
                                       Acknowledgement of student achievement         Senior Prefects to encourage
To increase the number of               e.g.                                           use of Library at Lunch time
students reading more than              Prize for quantity of books read and quality
two books per year                      of book reviews
                                       Asking the Parents’ Association to help re-
                                        stock the Library with more current book       Book Club—Senior Prefects
                                        titles.                                        with Student Council with
                                                                                       help of one adult to organise

                                                                                       Parents’ Association
                                Create an awareness amongst parents in relation to     Annual NGRT to be                                                    Parents at
                                the benefits of reading for enjoyment – feedback of    administered to all First and                                        information
                                L&N results to parents and display at 1st Yr. P-T      Second Year students.                                                meeting Sept
                                meeting re reading for pleasure                                                                                             2016 and PTM in
                                                                                                                                                            January 2017
                                Commence a database of students’ borrowing of          Library prefects will be        Increase in the level of borrowing   January 2017: 1st
                                library books                                          trained to monitor students’    books from the library               Yr. Library Launch
                                                                                       borrowing online
                                Increase volume of books in the library                Principal & local book shops.   Greater availability of modern       January 2017
                                                                                       Parents Association             reading material for students
                                1st Year students will record books read in their      1st Years record books read     Records of books read is kept as a   Every month in
                                journal                                                in their journal                data base for other students         2016/2017/2018
                                                                                       English teacher checks the
                                                                                       students’ journals
                                                                                       Parents sign the journals
Target 1: Literacy target 3
To increase the number of students      1.Higher Level English to be the           English Department          An increase in the        Information to parents of
taking higher level English at Junior   default level for 88% of 1st Years in      All JC teachers              number taking Higher      1st Years at Meeting in
Cert from 85% in 2016 to 88% in 2017    2017 and 90% in 2018 (based on             1st Year Year-Head           level English at Junior   September 2016.
and 90% in 2018                         STen and CAT scores)                       Senior management            Cert                      Assessment at Christmas
                                        2.Common assessment at                     Career Guidance             All students attempting   2016 and Summer 2017.
                                        Christmas and at the end of 1st Year       SSE Coordinator              the Higher level to       Online record for Sixth
                                        3. Standardised test to measure                                          achieve at least a D      Year students in October
                                        literacy development of 1st Years                                        grade                     2016. Other year groups -
                                        and Second Years                                                                                   2017
                                        4. Online record of monthly grades      ● JC teachers
                                        for students
                                        5. Standard form and procedures            Senior management     Standard form for changing       Student Journal results
                                        for changing level in English and all      English Department    levels with consent from         checked monthly by Year
                                        subjects                                   Guidance Department   student, teacher & parent        Heads – under review.
                                        6. Monitoring by Year Heads to put         Parents
                                        in place student supports to                                      Increased parental involvement
                                                                                   1st Yr. Year Head –
                                        improve literacy & student                                        in reading for pleasure.
                                                                                    under review
                                        attainment

T
Target No 2: Improving Student Learning Outcomes target 1
       Improvement Targets           Required Actions (related to             Persons responsible               Success Criteria              Timeframe for
        (related to students’       Teaching and Learning to help                                            /Measurable outcomes                Actions
            achievement)                    achieve targets)
Improving the performance of all Tracking students’ performance in all                   Class Teachers   Increase in the number of        Commencing 2017
students at State Exams e.g.     tests commencing with                                   Year Head        higher grades obtained by        For Review:
increased A’s and B’s at leaving     1) Results supplied by Primary                      Senior           students at State Exams          2018 /2019
Cert level                               schools                                          management
                                        2)   Entrance test results                       Guidance         Increase in the number of
                                        3)   All house exams /assessments                 Counsellor       students attempting Higher
                                        4)   Any State exams taken                       Tracking         level papers
                                        5)   Any additional testing                       Coordinators
                                             administered during their time
                                             in school
                                    Interviewing all exam students re their
                                    performance at exams with a view to
                                    putting supports in place for students.
                                    Ensuring that no student is allowed to
                                    fall below their expected performance
                                    from CAT test

Target No 2: Improving student experience in school target 2
       Improvement Targets          Required Actions (related to              Persons responsible               Success Criteria              Timeframe for
        (related to students’      Teaching and Learning to help                                             /Measurable outcomes                Actions
            achievement)                   achieve targets)
Improving the student experience Expand the whole school community            Principal/ DP/SPHE           Reduction in levels of anxiety   November 2014
in the classroom and outside the based approach to Bullying prevention        Teachers/Tutors              among students                   onwards
classroom
                                    Introduce a whole school community        Deputy Principal/Year        Most Traveller students will     Ongoing
                                    based approach to positive Mental         Heads/Guidance               participate in the UCD-EU PEER
                                    Wellbeing                                 Counsellor/Subject           Project and visit UCD to speak   Annually
                                                                              teachers/SPHE teachers –     about Traveller culture at a
                                                                              all teacher                  European conference for          March 2015- ongoing
                                                                                                           Traveller students
Target the attendance of students         Túsla
                                     who are at risk of early school-leaving                               Traveller students and
                                                                                                           students of Irish and other         September 2016 –
                                     Improve the school experience &           Dr. Catherine Merrigan,     cultures will actively work on      December 2017
                                     engagement of Traveller students and      UCD                         the Diversity Committee
                                     new Irish students                                                    towards obtaining the Yellow
                                                                               Yellow Flag Movement        Flag
                                     Setting up of a Yellow Flag Diversity
                                     Committee to promote inclusion &          Deputy Principal            The attendance rate of
                                     develop & implement an action plan        Yellow Flag Diversity       students at risk of early school-
                                     to promote inclusion and inter-           committee                   leaving will improve
                                     culturalism

To develop and implement a           Consultation with students who            1st & 2nd Yr. Year Head     Academic grades of the              February 2016 – April
                                     achieved CAT4 scores above 110 and                                    student focus group will            2016
programme of support for high
                                     their parents                             All staff of 1st and 2nd    improve
academic achievement in 1st and
                                                                               Years
2nd Year                             Establish a peer tutor team to design                                 More engagement in learning
                                     and implement a programme of              Deputy Principal & Peer     among students with high
                                     support for academic success              Tutor students              academic ability

                                     Teachers include differentiation of       Teachers of 1st & 2nd Yr.   Increased self-motivation and
                                     tasks and homework with extension                                     goal-setting for self-directed
                                     exercises for higher academic                                         learning
                                     achievement

                                     Track the academic attainment of the      Principal & Deputy
                                     student group and report to parents       Principal
                                     and staff

To support 1st Yr. students in their Recruit new Peer Tutors for                                           Academic progress made in           November 2016 – May
academic progress                    Homework Club to support 1st Yr             Deputy Principal          subjects identified by student      2017
                                     students each Monday                        Peer Tutor students       as presenting particular
                                                                                                           difficulty
Purchase iPads to support learning in
                                         Homework Club                               Deputy Principal      Goal-setting and target-setting
                                                                                                           by students to continue
                                                                                                           progress

                                                                                                           Increased engagement in
                                                                                                           learning and homework among
                                                                                                           target-students

Target No 3        Numeracy target 1
       Improvement Targets                         Required Actions              Persons responsible     Success Criteria /Measurable           Timeframe for
(related to students’ achievement)             (related to Teaching and                                           outcomes                         Actions
                 1                             Learning to help achieve
                                                        targets)
To increase the number of students        1. Higher Level Maths to be the           Maths Department          An increase in the           Information to parents of
taking higher level Mathematics at        default level for 75% of 1st Years        1st Yr. Year Head          numbers taking Higher        1st Years at Meeting in
Junior Cert from 49% in 2016 to 60% in    (based on STen , CAT & PTM                Senior management          level in Maths at Junior     September 2017.
2017 and 75% in 2018                      scores)                                   Career Guidance            Cert.
                                          2. Common assessment at                                              All students attempting      Assessment at Christmas
                                          Christmas and at the end of 1st Year                                  the higher level to          2016 and Summer 2017
                                          3. Standardised test to measure                                       achieve at least a D
                                          numeracy development of 1st Years                                     grade
                                          and Second Years                                                                                   CPD in September 2016
                                          4.CPD on standardised assessment
                                          information                                                                                        Standardised assessment
                                                                                                                                             for First and Second
                                                                                                                                             Years May 2017
                                          5. Standard form and procedures           Senior management   Standard form for changing          Student Journal results
                                          for changing level                        Maths Department    levels                              checked monthly by Year
                                          6. Year Head monitoring to put in         Year Heads                                              Heads – under review
                                          place student supports for                                     Increased parental involvement      May 2016/17
                                          numeracy                                                       in checking homework
                                          7. Reduction in size of classes in
                                          Senior cycle Maths
Target No 3   Numeracy target 2
        Improvement Targets            Required Actions (related to          Persons responsible       Success Criteria /Measurable          Timeframe for
(related to students’ Achievement)    Teaching and Learning to help                                             outcomes                        Actions
                 2                          achieve targets)
To expand students’ application to   Teachers will encourage students     Mathematics teachers         Participation in Maths /           September 2016 – May
basic computation skills from        to join Maths Club.                                               numeracy competitions to           ‘18
September 2016 to May 2017                                                                             increase from 15 to 20 students
                                     Students are encouraged to
                                     hypothesise, propose solutions and                                Differentiation of assessment in
                                     explain their reasoning.                                          tests
                                                                          All teachers
                                     Teacher/student use of multiple
                                     means of representing information,
                                     including numbers, graphs and
                                     charts to represent and draw
                                     inferences about data.
                                                                                                                                          September 2016
                                     Celebration of Science Week          Science teachers
                                     Celebration of Maths Week            Maths teachers                                                  October 2016

                                     Introduction of Coding in TY         Senior Management/teacher

                                     Student record Assessment scores     All students and teachers                                       Ongoing
                                     in their school journal

Target No 3      Numeracy target 3
        Improvement Targets           Required Actions (related to           Persons responsible       Success Criteria /Measurable          Timeframe for
 (related to students’ Achievement)  Teaching and Learning to help                                              outcomes                        Actions
                  3                          achieve targets)
To examine and increase the whole Identify the Maths Link teacher              Maths Department &      Subject lesson plans will           September 2016-May
school cross-curricular application in each subject Dept.                      subject co-ordinators   provide for cross-curricular                2017
of numeracy skills                                                                                     numeracy links                     (to be reviewed in May
                                    Identify numeracy demands of               All teachers                                                        2018)
                                    subjects                                                           Differentiation
Students will graph their                                     Students will be able to use
progress in each subject in       All students and teachers   mathematical computations
their Student Journals                                        across a range of subjects
                                                              and apply them in different
Agree and implement a                                         contexts
                                  Maths Department
common approach to teaching
and assessing numeracy skills.

Use teaching strategies such as
    Practical activities         All teachers
    Practical applications of
       numeracy to subject
       content, where relevant
    Structured group work
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