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The School Plan – Proposed Content
Pupil learning needs are at the centre of all planning, and the focus of the school plan should be the teaching and learning that takes place in the school. The following is a suggested model of the layout and contents of a school plan. It is not prescriptive – schools may have their own format which is successful and should be retained.
Section 1 General school details:
History
Personnel (principal, teaching staff, Board of Management, Parents’ Association, caretaker, secretary, others)
Subjects taught
Opening and closing times
Books
Uniform
Extra-Curricular Activities
Other relevant details….
Section 2 – Vision/Mission Statement:
- Inclusivity and Equality. The inclusive school meets the 9 grounds as listed in the Equal Status Act 2000. Discrimination, as stated in the Act, is prohibited on the following grounds: Gender
Marital status
Family status
Sexual orientation
Religion
Age
Disability
Race
Traveller community
- The holistic development of the child
- School climate, atmosphere…
Section 3 Curriculum Plans/Programmes:
When planning for the implementation of the Primary Curriculum, schools need to record their decisions as part of their School Plan. A curriculum plan is based on the policy for that subject as stated in the Primary Curriculum. A school’s own plan might set out the whole school approach to the teaching and learning of a particular subject, and the management and organisation of that subject under the following headings:-
∙ introductory statement and rationale
∙ relationship to characteristic spirit of the school
∙ vision and aims
∙ curriculum planning
∙ strands and strand unit
approaches and methodologies
children with different needs
linkage and integration
assessment and record keeping
equality of participation and access
∙ organisational planning
timetable
resources
health and safety
individual teachers’ planning and reporting
staff development
parental involvement
community links
success criteria
∙ implementation – roles and responsibilities
∙ arrangements for review and evaluation
∙ ratification and communication
Section 4 – Organisational Policies:
Much of what happens in today’s schools is governed by legislation and guidelines. Having reached decisions about the implementation of these guidelines, schools need to set out their practice as part of the School Plan. The organisational section of the plan might be sequenced as follows…
Policies mentioned in legislation – enrolment to include the enrolment of children with special needs, health and safety, code of behaviour and anti-bullying policy, equality, sexual harassment, access to records, attendance, parental involvement…
Policies supported by national guidelines – learning support, RSE, substance abuse use, child protection, intercultural education, assessment
Other organisational areas for which the school requires an outline of practice – administration of medicines, accidents and injuries, communications, homework, ICT and internet use, induction of new teachers, staff development, record keeping, other…
Support is available in many of these areas from PPDS and INTO websites, PPDS and INTO have worked together to draw up guidelines in a number of policy areas. It is important to remember that certain policies overlap and that by completing a policy on assessment a school will also be addressing other areas – learning support, special needs, SNAs, enrolment etc.
Section 5 Procedures and Practices:-
In some areas a short statement of practice may be sufficient. Areas addressed in this section might include:
School calendar
Visitors, sales reps, others
Arrival and dismissal of pupils
Exceptional closures
Supervision duties
Photocopying and copyright issues
Text book selection
Book rental scheme
Use of mobile phones
Healthy lunches
Class and classroom allocation
Keeping of class records and roll books Transfer of essential information
Teacher absences
Staff meetings
Reception of substitute or student teachers School tours
Extra-curricular activities
Promotion/marketing of commercial products Participation in competitions/festivals Contact with other schools
Transition to second level
Other…
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