Statistical Information

CONTENTS

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STATISTICAL INFORMATION

1.INTRODUCTION1

2.ACHIEVEMENTS AND STANDARDS1

3.QUALITY OF PROVISION FOR LEARNING1

4.LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT2

5.OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS3

6.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION3

STATISTICAL INFORMATION (SPECIAL SCHOOLS)

1.1 i. School: Dunfane School, Ballymena iii.Date of Inspection: w/b 24.04.06

ii.School Reference Number: 331-6271 iv.Nature of Inspection: Focused
1.2

The enrolment for the current year is the figure on the day of notification of inspection. For previous years it is the figure in the annual return to the Department of Education.

1.3Number of Pupils in Outreach Programme:7

1.4Average Attendance for the Previous School Year:88.6%

1.5 i.Number of Teachers in School: 18.5 on Outreach Programme: 0 (including the Principal and p/t teachers)
(f/t equivalent = 25 teaching hours)

ii.PTR (pupil/teacher ratio):8.2

iii.Average Class Size:10

iv.Number of Classroom Assistants:15.4

v.Ancillary Support:

Number of Hours per week:

Clerical Support:53.5

vii.Percentage of children in receipt of free

school meals:49%

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1Dunfane School caters for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, aged four to 17 years. It is situated on the outskirts of Ballymena.

1.2Prior to the inspection, all families received a confidential questionnaire seeking their views about the life and work of the school. Some 62 of the parents responded, of whom 30 took the opportunity to include written comments. In their returns to the Department of Education (DE), most of the parents expressed their support for almost all aspects of the school’s provision; the few concerns raised by the parents were discussed with the Principal. A meeting was also held with the Board of Governors (BoG), who also expressed their strong support for the staff and the work of the school. In particular, they highlighted the caring and supportive ethos, the improving standing of the school in the community, and the strong commitment of the Principal and teachers to the welfare and education of the pupils. In discussions with the inspection team, the pupils spoke appreciatively of their teachers and classrooms assistants. The inspection findings endorse the favourable comments made by the BoG, parents and pupils.

1.3The focus of the inspection was on the quality of provision to meet individual needs and the arrangements for child protection and pastoral care.

2.ACHIEVEMENTS AND STANDARDS

2.1The pupils make good progress in their personal, social and educational skills; they generally have good levels of self-esteem and are interested in their work.

2.2The pupils are encouraged to respect one another, the staff, and the school environment; they are helped to understand and co-operate with necessary rules and routines by the school’s positive approaches to discipline.

2.3Many of the pupils avail successfully of the wide range of appropriate accreditation opportunities offered by the school.

2.4In some of the senior classes, the pupils are involved, where appropriate, in an element of self-evaluation and in discussing their progress with their teachers.

2.5The high quality and coherent Careers Education Information and Guidance (CEIG) programme, and the well co-ordinated partnerships among the school and the local College of Further Education, training providers and the local community, enable most of the young people to move confidently to life and work after school.

3.QUALITY OF PROVISION FOR LEARNING

3.1Despite the age of the building, the school provides a welcoming and stimulating environment, which supports the pupils’ learning and celebrates their academic and non-academic achievements. The school is cleaned and maintained to a very high standard.

3.2The quality of pastoral care provided for the pupils is a significant strength of the school. The school has procedures in place which implement the guidance outlined in DE Circulars 1999/10, ‘Pastoral Care in Schools: Child Protection’ and in 2003/13, ‘Welfare and Protection of Pupils Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order’. A comprehensive range of policies to direct the work of the school in relation to pastoral care, child protection, bullying, health education and other matters has been developed and reviewed; the staff ensure that these policies are implemented fully. As a result, the pupils develop personal and social skills and understanding which help them to respond appropriately to situations affecting their welfare.

3.3The curriculum provided is broad and caters well for the range of pupils’ interests, strengths and needs; application of number, communication and personal and social skills are integrated fully within the curriculum and promoted consistency across the subject areas.

3.4The teachers’ planning is generally systematic, thorough and detailed and is available to other staff via the shared school Intranet.

3.5The teaching observed was always satisfactory, often good and frequently excellent; the best practice was characterised by realistically high expectations, clearly displayed learning outcomes which were often shared with the pupils and the use of interactive, practical teaching methods.

3.6The pupils’ progress and attainment are monitored and recorded in all classes. The information gathered is generally used effectively by the teachers to inform subsequent teaching and learning.

3.7The overall organisation of the school day in the post-primary department is well- planned and appropriate to the ability and age of the pupils.

3.8Every effort is made by the school to work in partnership with the parents; regular opportunities are provided for the parents to visit the school to discuss the progress and welfare of their children. The school has an active Parent Teacher Association which organises social functions and raises substantial amounts of money to support the work of the school.

4.LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

4.1The Principal has a high level of professional competence; she promotes high standards, sets a positive tone for the work of the school and provides enthusiastic, and realistic direction, based on a sound knowledge of and a clear vision for the school.

4.2The senior management team and the staff with specific responsibilities for the co-ordination and monitoring of curricular areas demonstrate strong commitment and dedication and provide good role models for other staff.

4.3The Principal evaluates regularly and objectively the work of the school; strategies to address the school’s priorities for development are identified and incorporated into a staged and coherent school development plan.

4.4All the staff are encouraged to improve their expertise and acquire further training and qualifications; there is clear evidence that this ongoing staff development enhances the pupils’ learning experiences and influences positively the work of the school as a whole.

4.5The BoG are kept fully informed of the work of the school.

5.OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

5.1The inspection has identified many strengths in the school; these include:

• the very positive learning ethos in which the pupils enjoy good working relationships with the staff and each other;

• the knowledge of the pupils, demonstrated by the staff, and their understanding of how to help and support the pupils in their learning;

• the high quality of much of the teaching and learning;

• the well-planned and effective arrangements made for the pupils’ transition from school to the wider community;

• the strong, effective and visionary leadership of the Principal;

• the commitment of the Principal, the teachers and other staff to improvement and the progressive development of the school;

• the strong support of the parents and the BoG; and

• the high standard of caretaking and cleaning.

6.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

6.1The quality of education provided in this school is very good. The educational and pastoral needs of the children are being well met.

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