Niall Mor National School

Niall Mór National School
Killybegs
Co Donegal
Ireland

Phone/Fax 074 9731794
E-mail: office@niallmor.com

Home

Niall Mór National School

Fáilte go dtí Scoil Néill Mhóir,

Na Cealla Beaga, Co. Dhún na nGall.

Welcome to Niall Mór National School's website. I hope it gives you an insight into life in this busy school.

Niall Mór National School is a primary school under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Raphoe. It is situated in the town of Killybegs, Co. Donegal, Ireland's premier fishing port.

Niall Mór N.S. has a long history dating back to the 1800's. The school moved to the present site in 1965 with the erection of a five classroom school.

In 1989 five new classrooms were added followed by another classroom and new offices in 2011. Most recently, in 2013, a new multi-room unit was added to care for the needs of children with Autism.

At present we have seven mainstream classes, one class for children with Autism, two classes for children with Speech and Language difficulties and a Mild/Moderate General Learning difficulty class.

We have seven mainstream class teachers, four special class teachers, two learning support teachers (one part-time) and two resource teachers (one shared with another school), a H.S.E. appointed Speech and Language Therapist, seven Special Needs Assistants and an Office Administrator.

Cuirim fáilte romhaibh chiug suíomh gréasáin na scoile. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as.

Michael McGuinness
Principal.

Our Staff

Michael McGuinness - Principal

Master Mulligan - Deputy Principal

Kathleen O Donnell - Office Administrator

Mrs Leape - Junior Infants

Mrs Kelly - Senior Infants

Mrs Boyle - 1st Class

Mrs Molloy - 2nd Class

Miss Mc Hugh - 3rd Class

Mrs Mc Brearty - 4th/5th Class

Ms Mc Vey-Peoples - 5th/6th Class

Mrs Maguire - Junior Language Class

Mrs Duddy - Senior Language Class

Mrs Leslie - Speech and Language Therapist

Mrs McLoone - Resource Teacher

Miss Heena - Special Class

Ms Ring - Class for children with Autism

Mrs Clerkin - Resource Teacher

Mrs Quinn - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Lovett - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Boyle - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Dorrian - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Leslie - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Boyle - Special Needs Assistant

Miss Rawdon - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Histon - Special Needs Assistant

Mrs Mooney - Special Needs Assistant

Mission Statement

Niall Mór National School is a Catholic, co-educational, primary school which strives to provide a well-ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed.

While Niall Mór N.S. is a school with a Catholic ethos, it serves equally children of all religious backgrounds and none.

Niall Mór N.S. will strive to promote, both individually and collectively, the professional and personal development of all school staff.

Niall Mór N.S. will encourage the involvement of parents through home/school contacts in the overall organisation of the school.

Niall Mór N.S. will endeavour to enhance the self-esteem of everyone in the school community, to imbue in the pupils respect for people and property and to encourage in them the idea of being responsible.

Niall Mór N.S will promote gender equity amongst the staff and pupils.

Déanfaimid iarracht Gaeilge a labhairt agus meas a chothú in oidhreacht shaibhir ár dtíre.

The school motto is: “Unico studentium bono” (For the good of our students)

We have recently completed a school self-evaluation of teaching and learning in numeracy.

Teachers, parents and children were involved in this process.

It is evident from the process that the children are performing very well overall in numeracy. However, from completing this process we have identified a number of areas which could be further improved upon. Problem solving is the main area for us to focus on going forward.

The school has compiled a 3 year plan on how to maintain current high standards while improving some areas of numeracy.

As partners in your children’s education we will be looking for your continued support in helping us to enable your children to improve their numeracy skills

Time frame: September 2014-June 2017

School Self-Evaluation Report June 2015

School context:

Niall Mór is a catholic co-educational primary school located in Killybegs, Co. Donegal.
The school currently has an administrative principal, seven mainstream teachers, four special class teachers, one learning support teacher, one resource teacher, six S.N.A.’s and a school secretary.
There are currently 192 pupils.
Mainstream classes are grouped as follows: Junior infants, senior infants, first class, second class, third/fourth classes, fourth/fifth classes and sixth class.
The school has no indoor PE facilities but has access to the nearby Foresters’ Hall.

Baseline data/Evidence

Pedometers
Teacher questionnaires
Student council
Parent questionnaires

Concerns: During wet and cold weather how can we increase the children’s access to physical activity and make them more active.

Review Process: This will involve three areas:-

Physical Education
Physical Activity
Partnerships

Physical Education

Planning & Curriculum

Review PE plan
Teach the six PE strands each year or prioritise a different PE strand for further development each year.
Active school week.
Active school noticeboard/PE activities

Professional Development

Liaise with Sports Partnerships.
Liaise with HSE Health Promotions Unit.
Liaise with local sports clubs.

Resources

Playground markings and clearly zone playground.
Audit current PE equipment and purchase any new equipment required.

Physical Activity

During breaks

Activities during break (music in yard last Friday in every month).
Children to use PE equipment.
Teach game of the month.
Older children to teach younger children
Physical activity in classroom – bizzy breaks.

Discretionary Time & Cross Curricular Time

Promote PE at start/end of day i.e. @ 2 o’clock get up and dance.
PE breaks during the day – bizzy breaks.
Use walking trails for other subject areas.
School trips to include physical activity i.e. swimming lessons/ bring middle and senior classes to the pool.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Organise interclass and lunchtime leagues
Cumann na mbunscol activities
Friendly matches with other schools
PE homework once a week –(skipping, jumping jacks, sit ups, throwing a ball)
Running club

Inclusive PE

Autism -Athletics

Partnerships

Working with pupils

“Well Done Wall “ to acknowledge pupil achievements
Pupils voice – student council

Working with parents

Involve their ideas & perhaps to include a walk/run (fundraiser)
Working with local community – have local sports people invited to talk to pupils
Invite sports people to the school

Working with Donegal Sports Partnership

Avail of any courses/personnel/resources available to schools

Targets:

To enable the children to avail of additional PE activities throughout the year especially during wet & cold months.
To enable the children to experience a sense of fun and enjoyment through participation in sport.
Killybegs being a maritime town; to increase the children’s awareness around water safety.
To enable children to understand the relevance of physical activity in their daily lives through healthy eating and the importance and benefits of exercise.
Work towards attaining the Active school flag (ASF).

School Improvement Plan

Sept/Oct

Contact Local Sports Partnership.
Contact HSE Health Promotions Officer
Contact Local Sports Clubs
Staff meeting
Children assessed (Pedometer)
Inform parents

Nov/Dec

Create a PE/ASF noticeboard.
Agree an ASF motto among senior classes.
Form ASF committee including management, teachers, non-teaching staff members, pupils (sporting and non-sporting) and members of the community.
School website.
Staff meeting.

Jan/Apr – All PE activities introduced to classes on a phased basis.

May

Active school week.
Accreditation of active school flag.

June – Review.

School Improvement Plan.

Niall Mór N.S. Killybegs.

Numeracy Plan 2014-2017.

Baseline data/Evidence
Sigma T Standardised test results June 2014 and previous years. Findings from the parent questionnaires. Findings from the pupil questionnaires. Findings from the teachers questionnaires, discussions and classroom observations.
Strengths	Areas of concern
The number of children scoring at or above the 98^th percentile is 4% higher than the national norm in our school. The number of children scoring between 85^th and 98^th percentile is 17% higher than the national norm. The number of children scoring between 3^rd-16^th percentile is 13% less than the national norm. 74% of the children scored above the 50^th percentile. 60% of children have a positive attitude towards Maths and like Maths.	Scores for word problems across all classes are lower than understanding concepts and facts and performing computation and procedures, based on our analysis of this years Sigma-T results. 48% of parents have indicated that their children regularly require help with homework. Parents of children in the senior classes reported that their children experienced most difficulty with multiplication(20%), fractions(19%), division(18%) and problem solving(10%). Division and subtraction are the areas that the children find most challenging.
Targets
To maintain our present school scores of 76% of children scoring above the 50^th percentile. To increase by 5% over the next 3 years, the problem solving capabilities of the children as measured on the standardised test every June. To reduce from 48% to 35% the number of parents who have indicated that their children regularly require help with their Maths. To ensure that homework is explained in class and is based on classwork. To set 4 problems a week (one per day) for the children to complete in class (teams/groups).

School Improvement Plan.

Year 1 Actions

2014/15

Year 2 Actions

2015/16

Year 3 Actions

2016/17

All teachers to provide weekly word problem challenges to their pupils.
To have a maths rich enviroment and maths language displayed in our hallways and classroom.
Encourage children to explain and reason their answers by teaching them problem solving strategies e.g. RUDE etc.
Introduce Ballard Westwood test at the end of the Christmas and Easter terms for children from 1^st class upwards.
Test children termly using the Mathemagic textbook assessments.
Challenge more able pupils with independent tasks based on real-life problems.
Learning Support teacher to support class teacher during maths classes through station teaching and/or team teaching.
Review our concrete materials/resources for maths and purchase any materials/resources required.
To enable children to see the relevance of maths in their daily lives through the use of maths quiz, maths trail and maths week activities.

To review the progress of Year 1 to date and to implement and change any actions necessary.
To organise a maths quiz in senior classes (mixed teams).
To use I.C.T.- online maths games/C.D.’s/Apps for problem solving.
Learning Support teacher to continue to support class teacher during maths classes as in Year 1.
Continue to develop the language of maths and a maths rich environment in the hallways and classrooms.
Continue to use Ballard Westwood with pupils from 1^st to 6^th classes twice yearly.
Continue to challenge our more able pupils with supplementary work.
Contact the V.E.C. and request a maths refresher course for parents to be held locally.

To review the progress of Year 2 to date and to implement and change any actions necessary.
Continue to develop the language of maths and a maths rich environment in the hallways and classrooms.
Learning Support teacher to support class teacher during maths classes as in Year 1 and 2.
Continue to use the Ballard Westwood with pupils from 1^st to 6^th classes twice yearly.
Continue to challenge our mathematically strong pupils with extra work.
Review word problems in each class.
Increase the use of concrete materials in time and money.
Introduce maths games e.g. Mathletics and/or Khanademy.
Develop new word problems i.e. encourage pupil input to word problems. A group of children work with teacher/LS teacher to compose a word problem for other children to solve.

School Improvement Plan.

3 Year Plan to improve Numeracy Levels.

Targets:

To maintain our present school scores of 76% of children scoring above the 50^th percentile.
To increase by 5% over the next 3 years, the problem solving capabilities of the children as measured on the standardised test every June.
To reduce from 48% to 35% the number of parents who have indicated that their children regularly require help with their Maths.
To ensure that homework is explained in class and is based on classwork.
To set 4 word problems a week (one per day) for the children to complete in class (teams/groups).

Target:To increase by 5% over the next 3 years, the problem solving capabilities of the children as measured on the standardised test every June.

Success Criteria:The children achieve on average 5% higher scores in the problem solving section of the Sigma-T.

Review: June 2015 andallocate 10 minutes in 3 staff meetings (one each term) to discussing practice in the classes.

Co-ordinator of Action plan: Maths co-ordinator.

Tasks:What steps do we need to take?

Set word problems for the children from books/real life.
Teach the RUDE strategy by modelling.
Complete the Mathemagic assessments termly.
Increase station/team teaching with L.S. teacher.
Introduce activities to bring maths into the children’s everyday lives e.g. maths quiz, maths week etc.

By whom?

All teachers

2^nd-6^th classes

2^nd-6^th classes

1^st-6^th classes

3^rd-6^th classes

By when?

From Term 1 onwards.

End of Term 1.

End of Term 1 and 2.

Feb 2015.

End of Term 2.

Target:To reduce from 48% to 35% the number of parents who have indicated that their children regularly require help with their Maths.

Success Criteria: The number of parents who have to provide help to their children with Maths falls by 13% when asked by questionnaire.

Review: June 2017

Co-ordinator of Action plan: Maths co-ordinator.

Tasks:What steps do we need to take?

Children’s homework is based on the work currently being covered in class.
Explain maths homework to the children.
Set maths homework at a level to enable the children to achieve success on their own.

By whom?

All class teachers

All class teachers

All class teachers

By when?

From Term 1 2014/15 onwards.

From Term 1 2014/15 onwards.

From Term 1 2014/15 onwards.

Target:To set 4 word problems a week (one per day) for the children to complete in class (teams/groups).

Success Criteria: The children improve their problem solving scores on the Sigma-T on average across the classes.

Review:June 2015

Co-ordinator of Action Plan: Maths co-ordinator.

Tasks:What steps do we need to take?

Enable the children to gain experience of completing word problems on their own or in groups.
Select word problems for the children from suitable textbooks etc.
Model strategies on how to complete word problems.
Set word problems for the children regularly each week (4 per week).

By whom?

All classes

All classes

All classes

All classes

By when?

June 2015

From Term 1 2014/15 onwards.

From Term 1 2014/15 onwards.

From Term 1 2014/15 onwards.

Target: To introduce the Ballard Westwood test for addition, subtraction, division and multiplication in all classes from 1^st-6^th and to use the results to plan future Maths teaching.

Success criteria: The childrenachieve scores similar to or better than the norms.

Review:June 2017 (and annually prior to this date).

Co-ordinator of Action plan:Maths co-ordinator.

Tasks:What steps do we need to take?

Get the Ballard Westwood test.
Provide each teacher with a copy.
Give to pupils twice yearly to complete.
Gather results, assess them and work on any areas in need of improvement by class and overall.

By Whom?

Maths co-ordinator
Maths co-ordinator
Class teachers 1^st-6^th

Class teachers/Principal

By when?

Christmas 2014
Mid-term in Term 1
Christmas and Easter

June 2015

Persons responsible:All teachers are responsible for the implementation of the above plan.

Review :Our targets/actions will be reviewed/monitored on an on-going basis e.g. at staff meetings, Croke Park hours or as necessary.

Niall Mór N.S.

School Self-evaluation

Summary Report

We have recently completed a school self-evaluation of teaching and learning in the area of Literacy with particular emphasis on Oral Language.

Teachers, parents and children were involved in this process.

It is evident from this process that while the majority of children are attaining high standards in literacy, there is room for improvement, particularly with regard to the development ofspeaking and listening skills and vocabulary development throughout the school.

As a result of this the school is in the process of putting together a 3 year plan with a focus on the above.

As partners in your children’s education we will be looking for your continued support in helping us in school to enable your children to develop their oral language skills and to develop and extend their oral vocabulary.

Time frame: September 2013-June 2016

Niall Mór N.S.

School Improvement Plan

September 2013

Baseline Data

The Micra-T results from 2012 were analysed.

We conducted an interview schedule for the “whole school staff”.

Parents and pupil questionnaires were given.

68% of parents indicated that their children recite rhymes, poems or songs every day or very often.
59%% of parents indicated that they prepare for Oral Language activities with their children every day or very often.
37% of parents indicate that they play language based games with their children every day or very often.
61% of pupilsin upper classes do not like to speak in front of their class.
78% of older pupils prefer to write a story rather than tell it.
Analysis of standardised test data from 2012 show that 13.5% of our pupils are achieving at or below the 16^th percentile rank.
From the consultation with teachers it was noted that we need to develop our speaking and listening skills, improve the children’s vocabulary and to empower the children to become confident and competent speakers.

Targets

To develop a whole school approach to the teaching of literacy and in particular, oral language, in our school.

To develop and extend children’s oral vocabulary and language so that they can express their ideas, needs, feelings and opinions.

To build children’s confidence and self-esteem to enable them to speak with authority and confidence in front of their peers, friends and others

To provide them with strategies and skills to enable them to communicate effectively.

Year 1 actions	Year 2 actions	Year 3 actions
Put an oral language whole school plan in place.	Review and change actions if necessary by conducting a review schedule for the staff.	Continue with teacher reflection in cúntasmiosúil regarding literacy.
Put in place a two year whole school plan for the teaching of literacy.	Introduce and teach new oral language strategies while maintaining and mastering those already taught in year 1.	Conduct an interview schedule for the whole school staff and discuss progress/further actions.
Timetable oral language on a weekly basis with an emphasis on working on developing children’s confidence, self-esteem and extension of vocabulary.	Conyinue to develop good listening skills.	Repeat the parent’s questionnaires and monitor the children’s progress in the area of oral language.
Give oral language homework once a week e.g. preparation of oral debates/reports.	Continue to develop on oral language skills.	Consolidate the use of a variety spoken texts.
Staff to attend in-service training when available in Donegal Education Centre in the area of oral language and vocabulary development	Introduce and teach interviewing skills to the children by practicing questioning skills and inviting people from the community to the school to be interviewed.	Attend any in –service training available in the Donegal Education Centre to upskill in the area of oral language.
		Analyse our Micra-T results.
Inform all parent of our school self-evaluation focus on oral language.	Use of ICT to enhance oral language skills.
In the Senior Infant room we will introduce station teaching in the 2^nd term with a focus on oral language.	Organise an oral language day.	Give children opportunities to interview invited guests.
Learning support/resource teachers and class teacher to plan and support each other in implementation and teaching of oral language skills and strategies.	All teachers to plan and continue to support each other.	Organise structured debates in all classes.
Co-construct a speaking and listening chart with the children with the necessary positive speaking and listening rules.	Construct word banks/word walls to support vocabulary development.
Introduce teacher reflection in regard to literacy in our CúntaisMhiosúla (Monthly Reports)	Continue with teaching reflection in our CúntaisMhiosúla

Persons responsible:All teachers are responsible for the implementation of the above plan.

Review :Our targets/actions will be reviewed/monitored on an on-going basis e.g. at staff meetings, Croke Park hours or as necessary.

View Larger Map

Menu

Home

$(document).ready(function() { $('.slideshow').cycle({ fx: 'fade' // choose your transition type, ex: fade, scrollUp, shuffle, etc... }); });

Niall Mór National School