KEY AREA 1

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 1

Self-evaluation

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

To ensure efficiency and secure maximum effectiveness within our school the SMT must ensure that the process of self-evaluation is an on-going process.

1.      SDP Auditing:

·        One of the annual School Development Meetings should focus on the seven checklists and the staff is to identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

·        When feasible, both the parents and their children should be involved in the audit process.

2.      The Role of the SMT:

The SMT, particularly the Head, should assume a more active role in monitoring members of the teaching staff regarding:

·        The quality of teaching.

·        Their involvement in school activities.

·        Horizontal and vertical collaboration with colleagues and promoted school staff.

·        The implementation of commitments in their PMP.

3.      SMT Meetings:

These should be held every Wednesday:

·        To review the amount of effectiveness.

·        For the Head to get feedback from the other members of the SMT who are his critical friends.

4.      Priorities for Teaching:

Teachers should make full use of any formative or summative feedback data to set priorities for their teaching.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All primary teaching staff + SMT.

RESOURCES NEEDED

TIMESCALE

The whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        SMT weekly meetings.

· School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Teachers, parents and children start to feel more a sense of belonging to the school.

·        Implementation of commitments in PMP is secured.

·        The SMT will work more as a team.

·        Improvement in the quality of teaching.

KEY AREA 1

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 2

The School Development Plan

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Content of the SDP:

Although structurally the SDP seems to reach the required standards, however the audit process needs to be improved during the coming scholastic year by:

·        Devoting one of the School Development Meetings to it.

·        Broadening the feedback as to include even children through the Pupils’ Council and a simple questionnaire.

2.      Format of the SDP:

To make it user-friendlier the SDP to start having a page for contents.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

The Head of School.

RESOURCES NEEDED

SDP document.

TIMESCALE

Last term of scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        All school personnel to feel a sense of ownership of the SDP.

·        A more user-friendly SDP.

KEY AREA 1

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 3

Implementation of the School Development Plan

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Involvement in Implementing the SDP:

During the coming scholastic year improvement needs to be made in the following areas:

·        All the staff needs to be involved in the implementation process of the SDP.

·        Parents, children and Minor Staff also need to contribute towards the implementation of the SDP.

2.      The Monitoring Process:

·        The SMT, as the monitoring team, has to make time for a weekly meeting (Wednesdays) to discuss implementation of the SDP.

·        Head of School to meet, formally and informally, the personnel responsible for implementation and to discuss any adjustments in the original plans, if the need arises.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Every Staff Member + Parents + Children + SMT (to monitor)

RESOURCES NEEDED

All human resources within the school.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        Weekly SMT meetings (Wednesdays).

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        A wider ownership of the SDP.

·        More efficiency and effectiveness within the school.

KEY AREA 1

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 4

Effectiveness of Leadership

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Staff Relations:

The Head of School values the need for more positive horizontal and vertical relationships between all members of the staff: the SMT, teachers, kindergarten assistants, facilitators, clerks and minor staff.

2.      Decision-making:

All staff should feel ownership in the decision-making process and responsibility within the demands of the NMC.

3.      Better Delegation:

·        Members of the teaching staff to be empowered in those areas of school life in which they feel they can utilise their strengths and expertise.

·        Promoted staff, Assistant Head and Primary Co-ordinator to have clearly defined duties - to be provided with an updated job description that reflects the need for a shift of duties.

·        Apart from the daily routine jobs, the Assistant Head is to be attached to Year 1, Year 2 & Year 3 classes re-monitoring of quality of teaching/learning, collaboration of staff in school activities and the implementation of the SDP.

·        Apart from her teaching duties, the Primary Co-ordinator is to assume a more pro-active role regarding the co-ordination of the Half-Yearly examination sessions and the implementation of the new primary syllabuses.

4.      Curriculum Co-ordination:

Head of School to support, monitor and develop the expertise of all teachers regarding staff and curriculum development policies.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Head of School + all teaching staff.

RESOURCES NEEDED

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        Daily informal meetings with staff before the morning assembly and during breaks.

·        Weekly SMT meetings on Wednesday.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        A greater sense of belonging to the school due to staff empowerment.

·        Staff more accountable due to involvement in decision-making.

·        More efficiency and greater effectiveness in the school’s overall performance.

KEY AREA 1

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 5

Effectiveness of Promoted Staff

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Assistant Head:

The Assistant Head of School, apart from the usual routine and administrative tasks, should develop her role as:

·        An important link person between the staff and the Head of School.

·        The monitoring person regarding Years 1-3.

·        The person of action: to be given a termly action plan, negotiated with the Head, identifying key tasks for implementation.

2.      Primary Co-ordinator:

Apart from the 50% teaching load, the primary co-ordinator has:

·        To see to the timely requisition of the school text-books.

·        The responsibility of setting Half-Yearly Examination papers.

·        To work alongside colleagues giving them support, advice, implementing policy and monitoring progress.

·        To liaise closely with the Head of School on the focus for Curriculum Staff Development sessions.

·        To be given a termly action plan, negotiated with the Head, identifying tasks for implementation.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Head of School + Assistant Head + Primary Co-ordinator.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Weekly quality time for SMT meetings.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the scholastic year.

·        Weekly during SMT meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Better delegation of duties to promoted staff.

·        Promotion of a sense of belonging to the school by promoted staff.

·        Promotion of more efficiency and effectiveness within the school.

KEY AREA 2

CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 2

Quality of  Schemes of Work and Projects

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006 

1.      Whole School Approach:

·        First steps towards the development of school policy statements re-curriculum development and implementation.

·        Development of a whole school approach to schemes of work.

·        Ensuring continuity and progression across the board.

2.      S.O.W for non-academic Subjects:

Commitment by teaching staff to the development a scheme of work for each curriculum subject, possibly even those considered to be non-academic.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All primary teaching staff + Hd. of School to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Quality schemes of work

TIMESCALE

On-going throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the scholastic year.

·        Staff Development Meetings.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        School Development Meeting-Day Seminar.

Criteria for Success

·        Better collaboration between year groups regarding quality planning.

·        A teaching staff better prepared to offer quality education.

KEY AREA 2

CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 3

Quality of Teachers’ Planning

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

Effectiveness and high levels of achievement for our children can only be achieved through planned teaching.

1.      Kindergarten Staff:

·        More collaborative forecasts both for Kinder 1 & Kinder 2.

·        Introduction of the Daily Programme for all Kindergarten levels. (to be monitored by Head of School)

2.      Primary Staff:

·        All staff to have copies of the new primary syllabuses.

·        All schemes of work to be updated according to the new syllabuses.

·        Forecasts on class registers to be standardised for Years 1-3 and for Years 4-6 after discussion between teachers and SMT.

·        Timetables to be displayed in every classroom. Though there should be flexibility in the primary timetable, teachers are to put an extra effort to stick to the days and times shown on it as much as possible.

·        Daily planning of lessons is a necessity, although notes need not be in detail as if teachers are undergoing TP sessions.

·        Teachers to identify and share learning objectives with their children.

3.      Facilitators:

·        Schemes of Work to be made available to all facilitatators.

·        Facilitators who are attached to Year 1 & 2 S.E.N. children to have IEP’s tailored to the particular needs of the children under their care.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All teaching staff + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Daily Programme + Schemes of Work + Lesson Plans + Target Agendas + New Primary Syllabuses + Timetables.

TIMESCALE

On-going throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year

Criteria for Success

·        More effective teaching/learning. 

·        The individual needs of the children are catered for.

·        Better achievements by the vast majority of children, even those with special needs.

KEY AREA 3

LEARNING & TEACHING

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 2

Quality of Pupils’ Learning

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Active Participants in their Learning:

No more lessons based on the ‘chalk and talk’ methodology. Rather, the children’s learning process should involve:

·        Continuous teacher-child interaction.

·        Involvement in discussions and exchange of ideas.

·        Collaboration with their peers in class. ’Gifted’ children can even become peer tutors of the ‘less gifted’ peers.

·        Children should be encouraged to become independent learners. e.g: conducting simple research work in the library or by using computer software and/or internet.

2.      Pedagogy of Co-operation:

The implementation of a pedagogy of co-operation, based on group work, wherein children and their teachers together, have the possibility of:

·        Solving problems together.

·        Becoming co-producers of knowledge.

3.      Complementary Education:

To avoid children from losing ground on what is going on in their classroom, their withdrawal time for CE sessions should coincide with the time allotted on the class timetable for that particular subject for which they need to be withdrawn.

4.      Linguistic Remedial Programmes:

Time should be ripe for starting linguistic remedial programmes for children who are encountering difficulties in reading and are risking of being society’s dropouts in the near future. Such programmes can include the following:

·        Paired reading with parents.

·        Reading sessions after school hours (Dingli Local Council).

·        Collaboration with the Foundation for Educational Services.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Primary teaching staff + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

In-house training + Local Council + F.E.S. + external speakers.

TIMESCALE

On-going throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        Termly School Development Meetings.

·        School Development - Day Seminar.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Marked improvement in the social relationships between children.

·        Less individualistic and competitive classrooms, but more collective endeavours.

·        More democratic classrooms in which a balance between class, individual and participatory learning is achieved.

KEY AREA 3

LEARNING & TEACHING

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 3

Meeting Pupils’ Learning Needs

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

Our school should spare no effort to make clear its vision of inclusion and celebrate diversity of learning styles that are bound to exist among our community of learners. In fulfilling the above principles wel should embark on the following:

1.      A Pedagogy Recognising Difference:

Implementation of a pedagogy based on learning/teaching across difference.

2.      A Pedagogy Based on Co-operation:

The implementation of a pedagogy of co-operation based on group work, for certain areas of the curriculum.

3.      In-house Training:

Initiation of an in-house training programme for primary teaching staff in the area of pedagogy based on respect for and the celebration of difference.

4.      Parental Education:

Initiation of a programme of parent education in the area of ‘education for diversity’.

5.      Consolidation of Inclusion:

Consolidating on the already existing process of inclusion to embrace, as much as possible, the less-gifted children by:

·        Providing MAP’s and IEP’s session for children with a statement in Year 1 and Year 2.

·        Including statemented children within the mainstream class as much as possible - withdrawal rooms to be used only on occasions of absolute necessity.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All primary teaching staff + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

‘External’ speakers, if needed, for in-house training.

TIMESCALE

On-going throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        Termly School Development Meetings.

·        School Development - Day Seminar

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Every child’s self-esteem is boosted and nobody is marginalised.

·        Teaching staff is empowered in the area of a pedagogy for diversity and inclusion through in-house training.

·        Consolidation of the MAP’s and IEP’s programme already started last year.

KEY AREA 3

LEARNING & TEACHING

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 4

Assessment as Part of Teaching

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Assessment for Learning:

The assessment process within {u\e’ Ebejer Primary School should not be merely informative for teachers, parents and children. Rather, it should be seen as an integral part of teaching and learning on going in the school. Thus, the following measures should be taken within the next scholastic year to start transforming a whole school culture focused on assessment for learning rather than assessment of  learning:

·        Oral feedback to be considered as the most powerful.

·        Feedback to focus on the original learning objectives.

·        Feedback to focus on the task rather than the marks or grades.

·        Written comments to be neat and understandable.

·        The tone of the comments to be positive and constructive.

·        When feasible, marking to be done alongside the child.

·        Children to be given time to act on the feedback.

·        Teachers to adjust their teaching methodology to take account of the results of assessments.

·        Parents to be made aware of school marking policy.

2.      Creative Writing:

·        All work connected to creative writing (Compositions) should be carried out in class.

·        No such work is to be started in class and finished at home.

·        These measures should increase reliability & validity in assessing creative writing.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All teaching staff  + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Assessment Register.

TIMESCALE

On-going throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        School Development - Day Seminar.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Boost in children’s self-esteem. thus encouraging better performance.

·        Boost in teacher-pupil relationship.

·        The continuous input of feedback into the learning process should result in better overall performance.

KEY AREA 3

LEARNING & TEACHING

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 5

Communication with Parents about Pupils’ Progress

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

The system of communication with parents has to be further        fine-tuned by introducing the following measures:

1.      Open-door Policy:

·        Parents need not wait for the Parents’ Afternoon (November) or the Parents’ Day (February/March) to discuss any concerns regarding their child.

·        Parents should be offered more room for discussion through a termly meeting for all of them. (Ejja u Nisimg]ek!)

·        The appointment system should be refined: appointments to be made, as much as possible, during the non-contact time. e.g: when class teachers are covered by a peripatetic teacher, etc.

2.      Positive Reporting:

·        Examination raw marks for Years 4 to 6 to be shown against both the class and the year group average.

·        Introduction of the Home-School Link Booklet wherein parents of Years 1 to 3 are regularly kept informed about their child’s academic, social and personal development.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Primary class teachers + Head of School, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

The Home-School Link Booklet.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Parents regularly informed about their child’s holistic progress.

·        Boosting of better relations with parents.

·        No post-mortems. Feedback inputted into the teaching/learning almost instantly.

KEY AREA 5

SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 2

Personal and Social Development

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Self-esteem:

Boosting the children’s self-esteem and increasing their confidence by enhancing their positiveness all the time through:

·        Rewards as praise, smiles, stars, stickers, etc

·        Encouragement to take part in competitions organised by the school itself and other organisations.

2.      Personal Safety:

Both adults and children in schools have become aware of their personal safety, especially after the campaign launched by the Health & Safety Unit of the Education Division.

·        Health & Safety lessons to be continued during the coming scholastic year.

·        Empowerment of all staff re-Health & Safety rules.

·        Fire evacuation drill to be performed once a term.

·        Children never to be left unattended.

3.      Behavioural Policy:

All staff to take immediate action on unacceptable behaviour on the school premises. Implementation of behavioural school policy as indicated on pages 42-43.

4.      Celebration of Achievements:

The school should lose no occasion to celebrate the achievements of its children. Such occasions could be:

·        Participation in football and netball tournaments.

·        Participation in Sports’ Day and the Fun Field Day.

·        Participation in a radio or TV programmes.

·        Success in the Junior Lyceum Examination, etc.

5.      Extra-curricular Activities:

All the children are to be encouraged to participate in  extra-curricular activities such as:

·        Animal Awareness Day.

·        The Christmas Concert.

·        The Carnival Activity, etc.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All teaching staff, including Kinder + SMT to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

The human resources within the school.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year.

Criteria for Success

·        More confident and respectful children.

·        More awareness regarding Health & Safety.

·        More discipline on the school premises.

KEY AREA 5

SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 3

Quality of Curricular and Vocational Guidance

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Transition from Primary to Secondary:

At the moment a Guidance Teacher from a nearby secondary school comes along for a whole morning in January, right before filling in J.L. Examination Forms, and discusses the choice of subjects with the Year 6 children. On the same lines the    German-Maltese Circle sends a representative regarding the choice of the German language as one of the children’s languages during their secondary schooling. However, improvement needs to be sought in relation to the orientation visits.

·        No visit should be missed out. The more schools they visit, the better the preparation for such a transition.

·        Year 6 class teachers should make optimum use of such orientation visits. e.g: involving the children in discussions about the experience, making them write about it, etc.
 

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Year 6 teachers + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Year 6 teachers and children.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        After each orientation visit.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Year 6 children better prepared for the transition from primary to secondary schooling.

·        Year 6 children make the right choices for their secondary schooling.

KEY AREA 5

SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 4

Monitoring Progress and Achievement

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Parental Consultation:

Class teachers and support staff to consult parents/guardians:

·        Whenever suggestions for improvement are made.

·        Whenever educational targets are set.

2.      Best Use of Information:

Full use should be made of any information obtained regarding a particular child:

·        When drawing up his/her learning programme.

·        When setting his/her learning targets.

·        When assessing his/her progress.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Class teachers + Support Staff + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

The human resources available in the school.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Better quality education with the input of parents and by making use the information obtained regarding particular children.

KEY AREA 5

SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 5

Effectiveness  of Learning Support Programmes

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Catering for Individual Needs:

·        Teaching/learning to be made more child-friendly by catering for the individual needs in each and every class.

·        Strengthening of MAP’s and IEP’s for children with SEN in Year 1 and starting of such programmes in Year 2.

2.      Complementary Education:

·        The CE programme to be evaluated and reviewed with the Head of School to enhance more the needs of children lagging behind in the three core subjects. Such programme should include more parental involvement: A session to be held with parents/guardians before their child starts attending CE sessions.

3.      Quality Support:

·        More external support should be sought for MAP and IEP sessions: educational psychologist, speech therapist. early intervention teacher, social worker, etc.

·        More collegial involvement of teachers, facilitators, parents, children, etc. in such sessions.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Class teachers + Facilitators + Asst. Head in charge of Sp. Needs + Complementary Teacher + Head, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Target Agendas + IEP’s + External Specialists.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        MAP’s & IEP sessions.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        The individual needs of all children are catered for.

·        Quality support for children SEN.

·        More effective CE programme for children lagging behind in the three core subjects.

KEY AREA 5

SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 6

Implementation of S.E.N. Programmes

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Differentiated Programmes:

·        Such multi-disciplinary programmes to be negotiated with all persons concerned such as teachers, facilitators, parents/guardians and other external experts in the field.

·        Programmes of work for SEN children must ensure a more balanced curriculum. SEN children to be encouraged to take part in extra-curricular activities and voluntary activities as their class peers.

2.      Out-of-class Teaching:

·        Two withdrawal rooms to be available: one on each floor.

·        SEN children to benefit from timetabled ‘time-out’ for more personalised and effective teaching.

·        SEN children should never be excluded from the mainstream for long periods of time.

3.      Informing Parents/Guardians:

·        The Head of School to meet all parents/guardians of SEN children in October 2005 to explain school and national policy re-inclusion.

·        Commitment by the school to inform parents/guardians of any eventual developments in the field of inclusion.
 

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Class teachers with SEN children + facilitators + Asst. Head in charge of Special Needs.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Target Agendas + 2 withdrawal rooms + External Experts + Support Groups.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        More integration of SEN children within a mainstream setting.

·        Educational needs of SEN children are more catered for.

·        More parental support for SEN programmes.

KEY AREA 5

SUPPORT FOR PUPILS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 7

Placement of Pupils with Special Educational Needs

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Referrals:

·        The class teacher should immediately refer children with learning difficulties to the Assistant Head in charge of Special Needs and also the Head of School.

·        The Head must inform the parents/guardians re-intervention programmes available.

·        If parental consent is granted, the child should be immediately referred to medical experts and assessment agencies without any delays.

2.      Provision of Support:

Statemented children should be provided with the following      on-going support:

·        Facilitators should work in close co-operation with the teachers and the child’s parents/guardians.

·        An IEP to be drawn up after a MAP’s session. (Years 1 & 2)

·        On-going evaluation and monitoring of the support being provided.

·        Corrective measures are taken if the child’s needs are not being adequately addressed.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Class teachers + Facilitators + Asst. Head in charge of Special Needs + Head, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

IEP’s + MAP’s + CDAU + Statementing Moderating Panel.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        SMT weekly meetings.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        The needs of such children are adequately addressed.

·        SEN children make adequate progress within the mainstream setting.

·        All stakeholders work in close collaboration.

KEY AREA 6

SCHOOL ETHOS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 2

Partnership with Parents and the School Council

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Partnership with parents:

·        All well-meaning parents are to be made feel welcome within the school premises.

·        Once a child is registered for entry, the parents are to be kept informed of important events happening at our school.

·        Parents are to be encouraged to attend Open Days and explore classroom areas where they will find displays of work, which will inform them of the learning potential in activities provided within our school.

·        More parents to invest time and work in the school e.g: giving a helping hand with fund-raising activities, the School Library, decorations for Christmas, etc.

·        The School Policies Booklet to be made available to all parents and prospective ones from September/October 2005.

·        The introduction of a Home-School Agreement Booklet wherein the school, parents and children bind themselves to certain agreed rules.

·        The introduction of a paired reading scheme for poor readers and their parents.

·        Parents to be kept informed of curriculum developments.

2.      Partnership with the School Council:

·        Healthier relations to be fostered between all representatives on the School Council.

·        Active participation of Parent Council Members in School Development Planning - participating in the Day Seminar.

·        The School building is to include a Parent/Community Room for a variety of purposes.

·        New initiatives to be taken re-fund raising. e.g: organisation of a spellathon, a sponsored Fun Day or Marathon Walk, etc.

·     Most of the funds raised during next scholastic should go towards the embellishment of the Kindergarten Play Area.
 

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

SMT + all teaching staff + School Council members.

RESOURCES NEEDED

School-Home Agreement Booklet + School Policies Booklet + external speaker to introduce the paired reading scheme.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        Staff & School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Stronger ties with parental community.

·        A wider acceptance of school policies by the vast majority of parents.

·        More parents helping in school activities.

·        A more embellished and welcoming kindergarten play area.

KEY AREA 6

SCHOOL ETHOS

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 3

Links with other Schools, Organisations & the Community

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Links with the Village Community:

Links with the following with these village entities should be further strengthened:

·        The Dingli Parish community.

·        The Dingli Local Council.

·        The Dingli Swallows Nursery.

·        The Dingli Day Centre for the elderly.

·        The Boy Scouts & Girl Guides.

·        Savio College and other entities that wish to establish links.

2.      Links with Support Agencies:

Our school should seek further collaboration with such support agencies as:

·        A[enzija SEDQA: regarding life skills programmes for school children and parental skills programmes for their parents.

·        A[enzija APPO{{: regarding neglected children.

3.      Links with other Schools:

·        The twinning scheme for Year 6 children followed during the past two years with St. Edward’s College to be continued.

·        The other twinning scheme with Ss. Peter & Paul RC Primary School in Wirral (U.K), proved successful only with one Year 5 class.

One should explore the possibility with the authorities of this English school to continue and extend such a twinning project to other year groups. Such project could prove very beneficial towards English creative writing.

4.      Links with the University of Malta:

Our school should seek help from university personnel:

·        To deliver talks to parents re-various educational aspects.

·        To give expertise advise re-Staff Development and School Development Planning.
 

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Years 4 to 6 teachers + SMT to initiate links & monitor developments

RESOURCES NEEDED

Dingli entities + Support Agencies + University of Malta.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        SMT meetings.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Greater collaboration with village entities.

·        Children’s sense of altruism and their       self-esteem are boosted.

·        Improvement in the standards of the English language through the twinning projects.

KEY AREA 7

RESOURCES

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 2

Provision and Organisation of Resources

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      School Library/Resource Room:

·        To start functioning from October 2005.

·        A one-hour slot per week allotted to each class, including the Kindergarten classes.

·        Cataloguing all the existing educational resources.

·        Completion of the library books’ inventory and colour coding.

·        Availability of more library books through procurement and donations by parents and the Local Council.

·        Procurement of a DVD player.

·        Shifting of CD player from Head’s Office to School Library.

·        Networking of the four already existing computers.

·        Attachment of Assistant Head to the School Library/Resource Room.

·        Attachment of Resource Teacher to the School Library/Resource Room during her non-contact time.

2.      P.E. Equipment:

·        Cataloguing all old and newly bought P.E. equipment.

·        Equipment to be kept in a ground floor room.

·        Due consideration to be given to Health & Safety implications.

3.      School Surroundings:

We also recognise the value and wealth of opportunities which abound in the local area, therefore, regular use should be made of the following:

·        The Dingli Cliffs area.

·        The Buskett Gardens.

·        The Buskett Palace.

·        The Cart Ruts.

·        The surrounding agricultural areas.

·     The Rabat/Mdina area for its historical wealth.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All teaching staff + Assistant Head + Resource Teacher + Head, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Timetable + more library books + DVD player + CD player.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        School Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        A functional school library/resource room.

·        Creation of a healthy learning environment.

·        Optimum use made of all available resources to the benefit of all children.

KEY AREA 7

RESOURCES

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 3

Effectiveness and Deployment of Staff

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Teamwork:

Although year groups function perfectly together, all staff (teachers & SMT) need to strive harder to achieve teamwork and the participation of the greatest possible number in whole-school activities such as:

·        Animal Awareness Day.

·        World Peace Day.

·        Carnival Activity.

·        Fun Field Day, etc.

2.      Child Support:

Quality time needs to be provided for the following:

·        Facilitators to meet together as a team.

·        Facilitators to meet and co-ordinate with class teacher.

·        Facilitators to meet SMT on a regular basis.

3.      Minor Staff:

Each member’s duties to be clearly defined by the beginning of scholastic year in September/October 2005.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

All teaching staff + facilitators + SMT, to monitor implementation.

RESOURCES NEEDED

All human resources within the school.

TIMESCALE

(1) & (2) Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

         (3) September/October 2005.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole school year.

·        Staff Development Meetings.

·        End of scholastic year 2005/06.

Criteria for Success

·        Improved teamwork among all school staff.

·        Increase in the sense of belonging to the school by all staff.

·        More commitment to cleanliness by the minor staff.

KEY AREA 7

RESOURCES

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 4

Staff Review and Development

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Staff Development:

·        The responsibilities of promoted staff regarding staff development should be clearly defined.

·        Every teacher’s contribution should be both recognised and valued during staff development meetings.

·        The SMT and other promoted staff to help teaching staff to become reflective practitioners by stimulating and strengthening the culture of collaborative development.

·        Various areas  of expertise should be tapped to satisfy the needs of individuals, the whole school staff and individuals

2.      Performance Management:

A Staff Development Meeting is scheduled for October 2005. The aim is to enhance the staff’s needs re-subject.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

(1) SMT (2) Head of School.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Staff Development Meeting.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

·        The weekly SMT meetings.

·        School Development Meeting-Day Seminar.

·        End of scholastic year.

Criteria for Success

·        A staff that works more as a team, rather than as individuals.

·        A feeling of belonging to the school by the vast majority of the staff.

·        More accountability on the part of primary teaching staff to their commitments.

KEY AREA 7

RESOURCES

DEVELOPMENT TARGET 5

School Management of Finances

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING 2005 / 2006

1.      Awareness re-School Funding:

All members of the staff, general hands included, to be made aware of financial arrangements that regulate the school budget.

2.      Management of School Budgets:

All members of the staff to be given the opportunity to discuss and propose acquisitions in their particular area of teaching, with the Kindergarten Section to be given priority to boost learning through play.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE

Head of School.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Imprest Funds + School Council Funds.

TIMESCALE

Throughout the whole scholastic year 2005/06.

PROGRESS REVIEW

Date of Review

·        On-going throughout the whole year.

Criteria for Success

·        All staff will become aware that school finances need to be managed well.

·        All staff will become aware of the need to reduce wastage.