Gerry Connolly Principal Oaklands Community College Edenderry

1. Education and Training Boards IrelandAnnual Conference for Principals & Deputy Principals 2019 Leaders’ Leadership & Excellence in our Schools The Mount Wolsley Hotel,Tullow, Co. Carlow

2. Gerry Connolly Principal Oaklands Community CollegeEdenderry

3. Growing a school: a school improvement exercise.

4. Sectors • Voluntary Secondary • Vocational/ community colleges • Community and Comprehensive • Educate together

5. What do they want? • Voluntary Secondary – steady pair of hands Ethos • Vocational schools of late more dynamic

6. Know your school • Staff • Student cohort • Parents • Community • Opposition Relationship with these groups will determine your success

7. Staff • Staff Profile • Male/Female • Different types doers organisers thinkers/ideas good teachers others • Skills Audit

8. Middle Management Roles and responsibilities: • Student management roles • Pastoral Role • Curriculum/Planning Role • Staff Management Role - New Circular • Leadership Role • Collective responsibility Role

9. Senior Management • Relationship • Division of Duties

10. Student cohort • Feeder Schools • Socio-economic profile/DEIS • Student Academic Profile • Expectation of Parents • Expectations of Staff • Expectations of Students

11. Parents • Parents operate at different levels in different schools • Essential that relationship exists • Education Act assigns them a central role irrespective of sector (MOS)

12. Community • Every school is rooted in its community • School has to play its part • Principal has to play his/her part • Community pays price for poor decisions • All children have a right to an Education

13. Opposition • Most Schools in Competition • Offering choice/difference • Relationship • Love and war • Level Playing Field – curriculum etc.

14. Previous Life Bayside Secondary College http://www.bayside.vic.edu.au/ • 3 Campuses 2 X Junior Campus 1 x Senior Campus 1600 students 44 units at Senior Level Year 11 and 12

15. Peter Norman Silver Medal 1968 Mexico Olympic Games with Tommie Smith and John Carlos

16. The Plan 1993 Amalgamation of 5 schools into a college of 1600 students 2 Junior 7-10 1 Senior 11-12 42 units in Senior Cycle (VCE)

17. Oaklands Community College

18. Oaklands 2008 • 273 students • No Art/Music/Chemistry/Physics/Applied Maths- no teachers • Few students taking higher level in core • No TY • Big emphasis on tech subjects • Poor Career guidance • Physical environment poor 27 leaks etc.

19. Disaffected staff • Low Expectations • No access to Principal

20. What we did • Numbers • Perception of change • Pre-emptive strike • Sign - we are here!! • Publicity material • Website/Social Media promotion • Word of mouth • Talk up the school

21. What we did • Primary Schools relationship • Principal • 6th class teacher • Secretary • Timing of open day/night etc. • Counter ‘tech’ image

22. What we did Level Playing Field • Curriculum - Physics, Chemistry, Art, Music Applied Maths • Programmes - TY • Facilities – Improve. • Add something every year

23. Student Intake Analysis • CAT Test • NGRT • Primary School Visits • Maths Competency test Know the academic ability of the students

24. Student Cohort Analysis

26. Monitoring their Progress Tracking in First Year Cat Test Sigma T Micra T Common Test Cross Correction

27. Teaching and Learning • SSE – surveys- students attitude to learning • AfL • Study Skills • Analysis of Results MOS • Expectations of all

28. Mean Standard Average Score Verbal SAS Quantitative SAS Non Verbal SAS Spacial SAS Mean SAS A 129 141 137 124 133 B 112 132 122 132 125 C 121 100 132 90 111

31. Predictive Grades

34. Staffing increases (WTE) 2007/8 21.5 2008/09 23 2015/16 49.4 2016/17 56.0 2017/18 62.0 2018/19 63.5 2019/20 64.5

35. Measuring quality in education • pupil achievement • the quality of teaching • leadership and management • behaviour and safety of pupils

36. Not Finished • New School