School Self Evaluation

Our Self-Evaluation Report and School Improvement Plan 

1. Introduction

This document records the findings of this self-evaluation, and our current improvement plan, including targets and the actions we will implement to meet the targets. 

1.1 The focus of this evaluation

The focus of our SSE is Reading Comprehension. We undertook self-evaluation of teaching and learning during the period September to December 2018. We evaluated the following aspect(s) of teaching and learning:

  • Domain: Learner Outcomes: Pupils demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the Primary Curriculum.
  • We focussed on two Learner Outcomes from The Primary Language Curriculum in relation to Reading Comprehension and looked at them on a whole-school basis. (8. Recall, discuss and sequence significant details and identify key points of information in texts. And: 9. Use a range of comprehension strategies to engage with and create meaning when working with a range of texts/ Draw on a repertoire of comprehension strategies flexibly and interchangeably to engage with the text).

1.2 School Context

St Patrick’s BNS is an Urban DEIS Band 1 vertical primary school catering for boys from Junior Infants to 6th Class. We have 6 mainstream classroom teachers, 3 SE Teachers and an administrative principal. All teachers work collaboratively to plan and deliver a targeted, differentiated curriculum to our pupils. We have 132 pupils enrolled in the school at present. We have a shared HSCL teacher and participate in the School Completion Programme.

2. Findings

We looked at the Review Instruments for DEIS schools and on reflection, we felt as a staff that we are doing a lot of things well in relation to Literacy teaching and that, in general, the pupils and parents are happy. We felt that our strengths outweighed our weaknesses but found areas where there was room for growth, development and improvement.

2.1 This is effective practice in our school:

We looked at Domain 1: Learner Outcomes and at the standard: Pupils demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the Primary Curriculum. Our statements of effective practice in relation to this standard are as follows:

  • Pupils’ subject-specific skills and attitudes are developed in accordance with the Primary School Curriculum.
  • The pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding for the specific subjects of the curriculum are at a good standard in accordance with the objectives, skills and concepts of the Primary School Curriculum.
  • The overall attainment of the pupils is improving or is at a good standard in accordance with the objectives and skills of the Primary School Curriculum.

In relation to the teaching of Literacy in our school the following are further examples of effective practice:

  • All pupils have a very good base foundation to build on from book handling skills, Left-Right orientation, effective teaching of all sounds, blending sounds and phonics, use of Aistear, good base of common sight words, fluency progress due to individual readers, appropriate level of text, word ID strategies.
  • Introduction of Accelerated Reading from 2nd – 6th class has had a positive effect on attitudes to reading as well as providing data on reading attainment.
  • Employment of SE Teachers in classroom for Reading stations, small group work, and differentiated/team-teaching is seen as a positive development. 
  • All pupils use individual readers to progress at their own level and pace.
  • Use of First Steps Literacy Programme.
  • The majority of parents believe their son to be a confident reader.
  • The vast majority of pupils enjoy reading.
  • Our Micra-T standardised test scores were at or close to normal distribution levels.

2.2. This is how we know:

  • Teacher discussions, observations, assessments, reflection sheets and questionnaires.
  • Parental survey.
  • Pupil survey and focus group.
  • Standardised test results.

2.3 This is what we are going to focus on to improve our practice further:

  • Discrete teaching of Reading Comprehension strategies at all class levels.
  • Teachers to upskill where necessary on teaching of Reading Comprehension strategies appropriate to their class level.
  • Monitoring and assessment of progress and setting of SMART targets in relation to the teaching of Reading Comprehension strategies in our school.
  • Increasing pupil confidence and success rates in relation to reading comprehension.

3. Our improvement plan

On the next page we have recorded:

  • The targets for improvement we have set
  • The actions we will implement to achieve these
  • Who is responsible for implementing, monitoring and reviewing our improvement plan
  • How we will measure progress and check outcomes (criteria for success)

As we implement our improvement plan we will record:

  • The progress made, and adjustments made, and when
  • Achievement of targets (original and modified), and when


Our Improvement Plan

Timeframe of this improvement plan is from 2018 to 2021

TargetsActionsPersons / groups responsibleCriteria for successProgress and adjustmentsTargets achieved
Pupils can recall, discuss and sequence significant details and identify key points of information in text.2018-2019:Deputy Principal to visit another school to see effective teaching of Reading Comprehension lesson and report back to staff.Deputy Principal.Teacher feedbackDP established a connection with Our Lady’s Good Counsel Johnstown to share experiences/lessons etcJune 2019
Principal to model an effective Reading Comprehension level at 3 class levels this academic year.Comprehension Boxes to be purchased.Principal.Teachers feedbackBoxes purchased and lessons modelled to some classesJune 2019
3 boys from each class to be tested in York Assessment of Reading Comprehension for future monitoring (1 struggling, 1 average and 1 able student).
Principal and teachers.Scores to be compared each year to measure improvement.HS carried out assessments in some classes Further review needed
Teachers to avail of CPD/upskill in the area of Reading comprehension with particular focus on Building Bridges of Understanding. Teachers to engage with ‘Guiding Readers: Layers of Meaning’, ‘Comprehension: Beyond Literal Meaning’ and ‘Guiding Comprehension; Teaching for Meaning’.Teachers to record Drumcondra Reading Profile scores for each child at end of academic year.All teachers.Teacher feedback.Lengthy staff meeting given over to this topic and teachers are now familiar with Building Bridges.
Copies of each were given to all teachers in Term 3 2019.


Assessment Folders for each child distributed and Principal asked for Drumcondra Profiles to be recorded for each child.
Need for annual review of these targets.
Pupils can use a range of comprehension strategies to engage with and create meaning when working with a range of texts independently or collaboratively.Pupils can draw on a repertoire of comprehension strategies flexibly and interchangeably to engage with the text.Discrete teaching of Reading Comprehension to be introduced at all class levels using the Building Bridges of Understanding Programme.All teachers.Principal to ensure all classes are compliant.Introduced at all class levels.
Suitable books to be purchased for use with Building Bridges programme.Principal and Deputy.Principal to oversee purchases.Improvements noted by teachers.
Pupils to improve confidence and performance in relation to Reading Comprehension.2019-2020:Continuation of CPD with DP or Principal to undertake a course in Reading Comprehension.DP to undergo training in Reading Recovery in order to help struggling readers.Principal and DeputyFeedback to staff.DP to take children for Reading Recovery lessons once course is completed.Reading Recovery course yet to be taken.
Use of SE Team in planned small group teaching of Comprehension strategies.All teachers.Teacher feedback.In-Class support
PDST support to be sought if needed.Pupils to be surveyed again to see if attitudes and opinions have changed.Principal and DeputyTeacher  and Pupil feedback.

Pupils from 1st to 6th to improve their Micra-T standardised test scores to become in line with normal distribution rates especially in the higher Sten scores. 2020-2021:Continued implementation of all new initiatives.Further training or upskilling as deemed necessary.Continued testing and assessments to be carried out and analysed to measure success.All teachers.Teacher feedback and test scores from AR and Micra-T.

Pupils from 2nd to 6th to improve their testing accuracy and speed of progression through Accelerated Reading ZPD.Pupils and parents to be surveyed again to see if attitudes and opinions have changed.Principal and Deputy.Feedback.