St. Brendan’s College – School Plan 2018-2021

Environment and Infrastructure

Goal:       To develop facilities & infrastructure to the highest national standards, appropriate to the delivery of an education in a caring and dynamic second level school

Strategies

Actions

Outcomes

By whom

By when

Status

·  To extend the existing school footprint and thereby to facilitate a student population of 800 in appropriate class and general circulation areas

·  Create a coalition of Staff, Board, Trustee, parents, & student membership

·  Maintain the working links with the Dept of Education & Skills Building Unit

·  Maintain the links with the local, regional & national political representatives

·  Planned extension developed on the site to cater for a school population of 750–800 (in accordance with facilities provision) to include Engineering and Home Economics and appropriate circulation

·  SEN Unit

Building committee / Dept of Education

Sept 2019

 

·  Refurbish and relocate existing school facilities, general circulation and courtyard areas and specialist classrooms

·  Include in the Major Capital Works Plan for the school

·  Refurbishment of existing specialist areas

MCW / Building sub committee

Sept 2021

 

·  Redevelop both the outdoor and indoor sports facilities

·  Continued work with the existing subcommittee on the Track plan

·   prioritise the redevelopment of the gym facility with the Dept of Education & Skills Building Unit

·  All-weather pitch surface and 200m track on the grounds developed

·  Sports hall refurbishment completed

Track subcommittee

Building sub committee

Sept 2018

Sept 2021

 

·  Upgrade our specialist ICT facilities & online tools

·  To upgrade administration facilities, website & online presence

·   Include in the Major Capital Works Plan for the school

·  Implement “Best Practice” with regard to  ICT

·  Create Staff working groups re ICT

·  Phased redevelopment of ICT use and provision concluded

·  Staff use of Office365

·  Staff/student use of VILE

·  Parent/staff & student use of ePortal

·  Whole school use of the App System

Working group

100%

100%

75%

Sept 2019

 

 

 

 

St. Brendan’s College – School Plan 2018-2021

CURRICULUM

Goal:       To provide a greater breadth of subject options and to facilitate the delivery of the curriculum to the highest standards.

Strategies

Actions

Outcomes

By whom

By when

Status

·   develop the curriculum to ensure that it meets the holistic needs of the full cohort of our students

·   to creatively explore with St. Brigid’s & KCC the provision of senior cycle option subjects to allow greater provision and access to shared subjects for our students

·  Examine ways to integrate options at senior cycle

 

·  Work with the Board of  Management of both schools to explore the possibilities regarding greater subject  integration

(Timetabling/staffing/minority and specialist subjects/Special education and gifted and talented student needs)

·  An enhanced curriculum which offers at least 3 more subject options for our students

· Formation assessment system introduced in line with the new JCT allowing a variety of modes of assessment

·  Greater cohesion between the schools in Killarney in order to provide educational opportunities for our young people

Sub-committee to explore

 

Overseeing management

 

Management

Sept 2020

 

 

Sept 2018

 

 

Sept 2021

 

·  Develop  staff teaching methodologies to improve student engagement with curriculum and the highest standard of teaching and learning

·  Encourage staff to avail of CPD to facilitate diversification of teaching methods in line with the new Junior Cycle

·  Engage with the school self-evaluation process at subject department & classroom level

·  Engage with assessment for learning and of learning processes at class room level

·  Ensure the key skills of the Junior Cycle are embedded in all lessons

·  Staff, students and management to identify & engage with  appropriate continuous professional development

·  Subject Dept involvement in consistent planning & evaluation at classroom level through use of Teacher Planning Time

 

·  The learner experience will show increased student engagement in lessons and a consequent increase in attainment

Whole Staff

 

 

 

 

Subject Heads

An increase of 5% annually in level of positive student engagement to response to Questions

Sept 2018

 

 

 

 

November each year

 

·  Ensure that our student SEC results surpass the National attainment targets are  surpassed

·  Strive for improvements in student SEC results

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·   Establish Learning Action Plans with each Subject Department to ensure that subject national standards are exceeded

 

·   Build upon existing Literacy & Numeracy strategies

 

·   School Improvement Plan targets achieved

 

·   Regular planned use of the school self-evaluation process to provide meaningful feedback to staff in an ongoing way

·  10% increase in the number of students at junior cycle Higher level in Maths, 5% in English

·   5% higher attainment in Maths & English at Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate

·  Sharing of resources and teaching strategies & professional support within the subject departments and with the students through the ONENOTE System

Subject Departments

 

 

 

 

 

Whole Staff

Christmas 2018

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2018

 

 

St. Brendan’s College – School Plan 2018-2021

ETHOS

Goal:       To further develop a culture of excellence, an ethos whereby each individual’s potential (spiritual, academic, moral, physical, aesthetic and emotional) is optimised while a student at St. Brendan’s.

Strategies

Actions

Outcomes

By whom

By when

Status

·   To maintain and grow the Catholic Ethos upon which the school was founded

·   To embed best practice in all aspects of life at St. Brendan’s as central to our mission

 

·  Celebration of the events and principles in consonance with the founding intentions of St. Brendan’s

·  Plan the delivery of reflective practice-evaluation and design at Board, Management, Staff and Student levels 

·  Introduce end of cycle focus group interviews

·  Introduce development of an annual student, parent & teacher charter

·  Develop the leadership capacity in all our students

·  542 – leadership proficiency took

·  The continuance of the Catholic traditions and the formation of young men in accordance with our Mission Statement

·  School Self Evaluation information is analysed at management, staff, subject department levels and acted upon.

All staff and BOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working Group

2021

 

 

 

 

2021

Start % complete done

·   The continuation of a culture of  guidance, democracy and care

·   The continuation of a culture of respect and positive behaviour encompassing students teachers and parents

·  Ensure the delivery of an education appropriate

Strengths this Action Policy

·  Special education needs planning and delivery  & extension activities for the gifted

 

·  Expand guidance, counselling & pastoral support, service offered develop restorative practices,

·  Continued engagement with the Parents’ Association and the Student Council

 

·  Concrete individualised planning for all students with exceptional needs

 

·  New protocols and supports for students with pastoral needs

 

·  New Training and new support for …. whole  staff and care teams in place

 

·  Roles for parents and students in the democratic systems of the school (e.g. Policy, fundraising, leadership)

SEN Team

 

 

SEN Team

 

 

Management

 

 

 

Management

2018

 

 

Dec 2018

 

 

Dec 2018

 

 

 

Sept 2019

 

·   In accordance with the mission of the school – delivery of a breadth of Other Learning Experiences, (co-curricular activities, spiritual, academic, moral, physical, emotional and aesthetic)

·  Support staff initiatives in sporting, academic extension, cultural and social justice activities

·  Promote staff & student engagement with social justice and mentoring programmes

·  Continue to engage students with the rituals and rites of the liturgical year

·   Reduction in the percentage of behaviour report cards by 5% pa

·   Increase in percentage of merit and progress cards by 5% pa

·   Increase in percentage attendance to over 90%  daily

·   Reduction in percentage of suspensions by 5% pa

Review by Year Heads

 

Year Heads & Whole staff

Post Holders

 

BOM

May 2019

 

May 2019

 

May 2019

 

May 2019

 

 

·  Involvement of the trustee, Board, Parents and students in the whole life of the school

 

·  Ensure lines of communication, regular meetings, involvement in Policy formation & review, opportunities for feedback

 

·  Involvement of the trustee, Board, Parents and students in the whole life of the school

 

·  Shared with plan for all the stakeholders of the school

 

·  Reviewed annually with form groups

Whole school community

 

 

From 2018

 

 

March annually

 

 

 

St. Brendan’s College – School Strategy Plan 2018-2021

COMMUNITY and EXTRA CURRICULAR

Goal:       To ensure that our students are actively engaged in the community in which our school is embedded, exemplifying good citizenship and displaying an understanding of their role in society. 

Strategies

Actions

Outcomes

By whom

By when

Status

Promote cohesive engagement between the school and the community we serve 

 

·  Voluntary & social justice organisations,

·  Community & charitable organisations

·  The Pastoral area and the Diocese

·  Set up student/parent/teacher working groups to organise engagement with community organisations

 

·  Student engagement activities in award schemes such as Gaisce, AWB Vincent Award, Debating, Young Scientist, Scifest

 

·  Practical engagement with community

·  Greater student understanding of role as citizens

·  Role of students participating in Award Schemes P…

 

·  Annual fund raising targets achieved

 

·  Every student to have some form of extracurricular commitment

 

·  Continued student involvement in the community with 4 target organisations(SVDP/ICS/KS Trocaire)

Reps from each of Stake Holders

From 2018

 

 

·  Sport – To ensure the enjoyment by the whole school in health promoting structures

·  To include our traditions in Gaelic Games and other sports and the introduction of our students to a broad base of …. physical activities

 

25% of our student with at least 3 meaningful volunteering engagement per year

100% …take of …activities

Dec 2018

 

·  Increase links with the past pupils of St. Brendan’s.

 

·  Set up a friends of St. Brendan’s Past Pupil Union through the website

 

·  How many new past pupil engagements

·  Target 100 past pupil links by …

Sub-committee of Past Pupils

Dec 2018

 

 

St. Brendan’s College – School Strategy Plan 2018-2021

FINANCE

Goal:       To provide funding structures to support this plan, i.e., the development of an environment and infrastructure commensurate with our ethos

Strategies

Actions

Outcomes   ……

By whom and

By when

Timeframe

Status

·  To build upon the links with the DES Building Unit which provide a funding stream for the Major Capital Works of the College

·  Design and submit Major Capital Works

·  Design and submit Emergency Works as required

·  A proposed cost of €8 million raised to fund the refurbishment and extension of St. Brendan’s built environment

BOM and Parents’ Association

2018

 

·  Engage a past pupil’s union to provide financial support for College …

·  Meet with key past pupils

·  Formulate Past Pupils executive

·  Call for assistance via Media

·  €1 million

PPU sub-committee

2018

 

·  To develop a fund-raising sub-committee of parents, past pupils, staff and friends of St. Brendan’s which will explore practical fund-raising

·  Explore the Tax incentive Scheme

·  Develop fund-raising raffles with focus on specific projects <non capital>

·  Annual figure €40K pa

Fundraising sub-committee

2018

 

·  To continue to streamline the use of existing monies

·  Ensure staff use of best value in supply of resource

·  Ensure staff use of the Purchase Order System

·  Ensure regular Finance Sub Committee meetings

·  Ensure Subject Departments remain within allocated budget

·  School activities to run cost neutral

·  Staff ensure best value achievement

·  Bursar’s office to continue to reduce per capita running costs of the school by 5% pa

BOM Finance sub-committee, all staff, school bursar

2018