School Development Planning

1. School Development Planning Boards of Governors Training May 2006

2. Programme • Overview of School Development Planning in the NI Education System • Requirements of the DE Regulations 2005 • Issues surrounding the development/review of a Statement of School Values • To focus on key processes underpinning effective School Development Plans • To consider the process and pace of aligning current School Development Planning practice with the new regulations

3. Overview of School Development Planning in NI Education System • The Education Reform Order (1989) introduced wide ranging changes which necessitated strategic planning by schools. • The Northern Ireland School Improvement Programme, launched in 1998, provided guidance for School Development Planning and Target Setting.

4. From Sept 2005 regulations are in place which ‘apply to the preparation and revision of a school development plan by the Board of Governors of a grant-aided school in pursuance of the requirements of the scheme of management for the school under Article 13(1) of the 1998 Order.’

5. A statement of the school ethos A summary of strategies for: Learning, teaching and assessment Promotion of attendance, good behaviour and discipline An evaluation of the nature and quality of: Pupil attainment Management Learning & teaching Professional development Curriculum including extra-curricular provision Special needs Pastoral Care Attendance, good behaviour and discipline Home/community links Accommodation ‘Issues with which a SDP shall be concerned…’ DE Regulations 2005

6. ‘Matters which must be included…’ An assessment of: • The current and projected financial position • The existing plan. A summary of the challenges and opportunities facing the school. A list of the school’s key targets in order of priority, planned outcomes, actions to achieve them along with steps towards implementation. The extent to which the BoG has consulted with parents, pupils, staff and other organisations in the preparation of the plan. Arrangements for BoG, with Principal, to monitor, review and evaluate progress.

7. Stage 1 – School Ethos, Culture and Aims (Statement of School Values) The plan should start with a clear statement of the: • School ethos – mission statement, vision, aims • Underpinning values • Distinctive characteristics. The strategic aims of the school will flow from these statements.

8. Statement of School Values – Context Include statement about: • Type of school • The site • School environment • Buildings • Facilities • Number of pupils • Average attendance • Local context – links with parents and the wider community

9. What are the challenges? Social deprivation Fall in birth rate Finance Increasing diversity of NI population Inclusion Where are the opportunities? Commitment and flexibility of staff Increasing diversity of NI population Extra curricular provision Inspection outcomes Funding Statement of School Values- Challenges/Opportunities

10. Summary • Context • Ethos • Challenges • Opportunities http://www.deni.gov.uk/ For DE Guidance follow the links for Publications (at the bottom of the page 3). For DE Regulations follow the links for Schools, School Improvement Programme and School Development Planning.

11. The Process of School Development Planning 4 Key Stages - DE Guidance 2005 • Confirmation of the school’s ethos, culture and aims. • An audit of current provision and identification of areas for improvement. • Prioritisation for action and the implementation of development planning. • The determination of the arrangements for monitoring and the review of the plan in the light of that monitoring.

12. Stage 2 - Audit of Current Provision and Identification of Key Issues How well is your school doing? • Current performance • Internal environment eg pastoral care, inclusion • External Environment eg Revised NI Curriculum, Entitlement Framework

13. Stage 3 – Priorities for Action and Implementation Planning What more should the school be doing? • Determining priorities (taken from Stage 2) • Setting targets What must be done to bring about the proposed improvements? • planning implementation (action planning)

14. Stage 4 – Implementation, Monitoring and Review How can progress be tracked and success measured? • Frequency of progress reports • Format of reports

15. Alignment with Current Practice Effective for 3 years from the date on which the preparation or, as the case may be, the last revision of the plan was completed by the Board of Governors. • Full audit at least once every 3 years • Annual review in other years • Revise no later than 6 months following an inspection report

16. You already have .... • School prospectus • Annual report • School policies • Prior involvement in self-evaluation eg IIP, SETAQ, Quality Assurance Inspection, Health Promoting Schools, DDGP • Inspection Report(s)

17. Publish and provide copies for: each member of the Board of Governors of the school the principal the teaching and non-teaching staff WELB CCMS (where applicable) Make copies available to any person, free of charge, on request You are required to ...

18. Your commitment is to ... • Be actively involved in, and engaged with the process of improvement. • Understand the process and the contribution required of Governors, management and members of staff. • Establish and agree the processes for monitoring and review.