An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna

Department of Education and Skills

Curriculum Evaluation

REPORT

Ainm na scoile / Scoil Cnoc Loinge

School name
Knocklong
Seoladh na scoile / Co Limerick
School address

Uimhir rolla / 18142T

Roll number

Date of Evaluation: 05-10-2016

WHAT IS A CURRICULUM EVALUATION?
Curriculum Evaluations report on the quality of teaching and learning in specific subjects of the
Primary School Curriculum (1999). They affirm good practice and make recommendations, where
appropriate, to aid the further development of the subject in the school.

HOW TO READ THIS REPORT

During this inspection, the inspector evaluated learning and teaching in History under the following
headings:
1. Quality of pupils’ learning
2. Supporting pupils’ learning through learning experiences and teachers’ practice
3. The effectiveness of school planning, including SSE, in progressing pupils’ learning

Inspectors describe the quality of each of these areas using the Inspectorate’s quality continuum
which is shown on the final page of this report. The quality continuum provides examples of the
language used by inspectors when evaluating and describing the quality of the school’s provision in
each area.
 Curriculum Evaluation

INSPECTION ACTIVITIES DURING THIS INSPECTION

Date of inspection 04 October- 05 October 2016

Inspection activities undertaken  Observation of teaching and learning

 Examination of pupils’ work
 Discussion with principal and teachers
 Interaction with pupils
 Review of relevant documents
 Feedback to principal and teachers
 Pupil focus-group interview

SCHOOL CONTEXT
Knocklong N.S. is a co-educational primary school under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Cashel
and Emly. The school has a staff of eight teachers, three of whom work in support settings. There are
117 pupils enrolled in the school. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity
to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report
without response.

SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

FINDINGS
 The pupils present as interested and motivated learners who eagerly engage in classroom
discussions.
 While the overall quality of pupils’ learning in History is satisfactory, greater emphasis
should be placed on the development of pupils’ skills and concepts to enable them to
work as historians.
 Pupils’ learning experiences in History are good and appropriate emphasis is placed on
local History.
 Teachers have a good knowledge of the History curriculum and all strands of the
curriculum are addressed consistently.
 The school plan needs to be developed further to clarify the content to be addressed at
each class level and to ensure continuity and progression in pupils’ experience of the
curriculum.
 While the overall quality of assessment of pupils’ progress in History is satisfactory, there
is need to further clarify the learning expectations at each class level and the extent to
which they are achieved.

RECOMMENDATIONS

 Greater emphasis should be placed on the development of pupils’ skills and concepts to
enable them to work as historians.
 The school plan should clarify the content to be addressed at each class level and ensure
that there is continuity and progression in pupils’ experience of the curriculum.
 A whole school approach to the assessment of History should be prioritised.
 DETAILED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. THE QUALITY OF PUPILS’ LEARNING IN HISTORY

 The overall quality of pupils’ learning in History is satisfactory. Pupils in all classes present as
interested and motivated learners who eagerly engage in discussion on topics covered. They
know a number of myths and legends well. In junior classes, story is used to develop pupils’
understanding of chronology to good effect. Pupils look at evidence of change in themselves
and their families by discussing photographs and toys from their early years. In middle and
senior classes, pupils can recall information on a range of topics adequately. While
commendable emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ understanding in History orally, pupils
should also be encouraged to record historical findings and learning in a variety of ways. To
improve the quality of pupils’ learning, explicit emphasis needs to be placed on the
development of their skills to enable them to work as historians. Teachers are therefore
advised to ensure that the learning activities they provide maximise the pupils’ opportunities
to develop their skills as historians.

2. SUPPORTING PUPILS’ LEARING IN HISTORY: LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND TEACHERS’ PRACTICE

 Pupils’ learning experiences in History are good. Particular attention is paid to developing
pupils’ awareness of local History. Drama and story are used effectively to consolidate pupils’
learning in this strand. Timelines were evidenced in most learning settings. Good use was
made of talk and discussion to elicit children’s prior experience and understanding of topics.

 In the lessons observed, teachers’ practice ranged from satisfactory to very good. Teachers
have a good knowledge of the History curriculum and all strands of the curriculum are
addressed consistently. History is taught in an integrated manner with effective links made
to other curricular areas. Appropriate emphasis was placed on literacy for History in the
lessons taught during the evaluation. In teachers’ individual planning and practice, greater
attention needs to be placed on the development of pupils’ skills and concepts to enable them
to work as historians. Accordingly, pupils should be provided with regular opportunities to
participate in historical investigations in meaningful contexts and to engage with a wider
range of historical evidence and artefacts.

 The overall quality of assessment is satisfactory. Teacher observation and teacher designed
tasks are the primary methods of assessment. A whole-school approach to the assessment of
History should be prioritised to clarify the learning expectations at each class level and the
extent to which they are achieved.

3. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL PLANNING, INCLUDING SSE, IN

PROGRESSING PUPILS’ LEARNING IN HISTORY
 A commercial scheme is used to implement the History curriculum in the school. The use of
this scheme should be reviewed. The school plan for History should ensure that there is
continuity and progression in pupils’ experience of the curriculum and it should outline the
content to be addressed at each class level. It should also outline a whole-school approach to
the incremental development of pupils’ skills and attitudes in History.
THE INSPECTORATE’S QUALITY CONTINUUM
Inspectors describe the quality of provision in the school using the Inspectorate’s quality continuum
which is shown below. The quality continuum provides examples of the language used by inspectors
when evaluating and describing the quality the school’s provision of each area.
Level Description
Very good applies where the quality of the areas
Very Good evaluated is of a very high standard. The very few areas
for improvement that exist do not significantly impact on
the overall quality of provision. For some schools in this
category the quality of what is evaluated is outstanding
and provides an example for other schools of
exceptionally high standards of provision.
Good applies where the strengths in the areas evaluated
clearly outweigh the areas in need of improvement. The
Good areas requiring improvement impact on the quality of
pupils’ learning. The school needs to build on its strengths
and take action to address the areas identified as requiring
improvement in order to achieve a very good standard.
Satisfactory applies where the quality of provision is
Satisfactory adequate. Overall, learners have access to a basic level of
provision. The strengths in what is being evaluated just
outweigh the shortcomings. While the shortcomings do
not have a significant negative impact they constrain the
quality of the learning experiences and should be
addressed in order to achieve a better standard.
Fair applies where, although there are some strengths in
Fair the areas evaluated, deficiencies or shortcomings that
outweigh those strengths also exist. The school will have
to address certain deficiencies without delay in order to
ensure that provision is satisfactory or better.
Weak applies where there are serious deficiencies in the
Weak areas evaluated. Immediate and coordinated whole-
school action is required to address the areas of concern.
In some cases, the intervention of other agencies may be
required to support improvements.
Published Dec 2016
Example of descriptive terms
Very good; of a very high quality; very
effective practice; highly
commendable; very successful; few
areas for improvement; notable; of a
very high standard. Excellent;
outstanding; exceptionally high
standard, with very significant
strengths; exemplary
Good; good quality; valuable; effective
practice; competent; useful;
commendable; good standard; some
areas for improvement
Satisfactory; adequate; appropriate
provision although some possibilities
for improvement exist; acceptable
level of quality; improvement needed
in some areas
Fair; evident weaknesses that are
impacting on pupils’ learning; less than
satisfactory; experiencing difficulty;
must improve in specified areas; action
required to improve
Weak; unsatisfactory; insufficient;
ineffective; poor; requiring significant
change, development or improvement;
experiencing significant difficulties;