Le Cheile B5 Cover with Spine 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 16:05 Page 1 Issue No. 9 NAPDPRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS NAPDPRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Le Chéile Le Chéile Issue No. 9 November 2015 NAPD P RINCIPALS AND Leadership & Leaders D EPUTY P RINCIPALS Educational Environments Le Chéile Further Education and Training Creative Engagement is TEN! Current Concerns Spotlight on Leadership November 2015 Issue No. 9 November 2015 JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Le Cheile Journal 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 10:59 Page 1 NAPDPRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Le Chéile JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Issue No. 9 November 2015 A publication of NAPD 11 Wentworth, Eblana Villas, Grand Canal Street Lower, Dublin 2, Ireland. Telephone: (01) 662 7025 Fax: (01) 662 7058 Website:www.napd.ie Email: [email protected] Le Cheile Journal 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 10:59 Page 2 NAPD acknowledges the support of the Teacher Education Section of An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna for the National Conference, 2014, and the National Symposium, 2015. Edited by Derek West Design by Maeve Clancy, Derek West, Mark Daniel Photography by Dermot Carney, Derek West and Charlie McManus Printed by CRM Design + Print, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 Disclaimer: Articles reproduced in this publication solely represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NAPD. Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to reproducing copyright material. NAPD will gladly rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity. Cover illustrations: Front: Addresssing the school leaders, Galway, 2014. Back: Marine scene on the floor of the Blackrock Further Education Institute. Photographs by Derek West 2 Le Cheile Journal 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 10:59 Page 3 NAPDPRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Le Chéile e Chéile means ‘together’ and this edition of the journal represents a coming together of a host of the influences that have marked the NAPD Lscene over the past year. It has been a year of diversification and travel, with important links forged across Europe – in Helsinki (Andrew Cole and Colin Campbell) Plovdiv (Maria Gaidarova and Michael Schratz) and Berlin (Christian Nitsche). Conversations and presentations from a diverse range of educational experts and leaders have yielded a rich harvest of ideas. Further coverage of these journeys appeared in the NAPD Leader Closer to home, we look at leadership style in two very different boys’ schools – the Cistercian College in Roscrea – an exclusive, fee-paying boarding school – and CBS Synge Street – a multi-cultural, inner-city secondary school. The common thread, apart from their Catholic roots, is the combination of high- mindedness and pragmatism, aspiration and competence, that makes for good school leadership. We look at the physical environment of two schools in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Seated around the table in the board room of the BFEI (Blackrock Further Education Institute) were school principals, architects and officials of the DES. Together they examine the process of the school-building project. We look, too, at the ideal school design at Kingswood and at the specific contribution that good acoustics can make to the teaching and learning environment. Last year’s NAPD conference yielded some rich material on the theory and nature of leadership, with contributions from Professor Paul Reville, Shirley Kavanagh, Gary Ó Donnchadha and Finn Ó Murchú. Another regular event in the NAPD calendar is the Further Education and Training Conference which included four very useful papers on education and employment – by Tom Hayes, Ray Kelly, Marie Bourke and Ann Forde. This is the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Creative Engagement, the NAPD arts-in-education project. We mark the occasion with a short history of the scheme, an article from the original NAPD policy document ‘The Arts in our Schools’, a keynote address by Mairéad McGuinness delivered at the third annual exhibition at Collins Barracks and poet Theo Dorgan’s lyrical hymn of praise to the arts, which was one of the highlights of the NAPD Conference 2015 in Galway. Through the magic of TED, ten teachers share the books that changed their lives. The final section looks at some immediate topics: Seán McDonagh conducts an in-depth analysis of Leaving Certificate performances in the STEM subjects, Alan J. Kearns outlines five key principles for teachers, Betty McLaughlin makes a strong case for Guidance Counsellors and we close these pages with a reflection by NAPD Director and President of Esha, Clive Byrne. The expansion in 2012 of NAPD publications into the 48-page six-times-a-year Leader has enabled us to disseminate more instructive material, aimed specifically at principals and deputies, and to complement the work of this journal. The web-site provides a wealth of further articles and features. We hope that this service will build the competence and capacity of second-level school leaders in Ireland, now and into the future. Derek West, Editor November 2015 3 Le Cheile Journal 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 11:00 Page 4 NAPDPRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Le Chéile Foreword am happy welcome you to this our ninth edition of Le Chéile. This is a Ipublication which I almost have to put on “short loan” in my office since I first introduced it to a number of the teaching staff in my school some years ago. At the time some of them were studying for either Diplomas or Masters Degrees in Education Management. This little snapshot shows the appetite that exists in schools for the Le Chéile publication outside Principals and Deputy Principals. The topics covered in this edition include looking at leadership and looking at school leaders. It is invaluable to capture the thoughts, views and advice of practicing school leaders and to share them. International best practice in education and education leadership advocates that successful education systems cultivate a practice of collaboration and sharing between educators and education organisations. In the following pages you will see where the NAPD, IPPN and the Department of Education and Skills have put this model of best practice into action with the formation of the Centre for School Leadership. The collaboration and sharing of ideas required, while setting up this body, has been an enriching experience for all three partners involved. Over the past number of years in this publication the need for such a centre has been highlighted many times. We as a body of school leaders look forward to working with Mary Nihill and her team and to being active beneficiaries of the support and training it will provide. 4 Le Cheile Journal 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 11:00 Page 5 We are now on the cusp of what we anticipate will be significant educational reform at junior cycle level, where more active teaching, learning and assessment practices will see students become more engaged and self-directed in their learning. Is it time, then, to also to look at how our schools are designed? In Around the Table, 2015, we explore the possibilities for change in school design, through the experience of architects, principals and officials from the DES, looking at two brand-new schools. Recently, as part of my school’s involvement with Creative Engagement, we had enlisted the services of the famous Irish sculptor, Jackie McKenna, to work with both our LCA and TY students. Working in the school’s art room under the direction of Jackie and their teacher, Denise Cassidy, the students have produced the first of five life-size sculptures depicting a representative student from each year in the school. It is easy to appreciate the value of such an exercise, when you can see first-hand the joy and fulfilment these students have experienced through this project. Within the covers of this publication we mark ten years of Creative Engagement with a series of articles that articulate the essential value of the arts-in-education. This issue also examines Further Education and Training, the provision of Guidance and importance of language policies. I am sure that when you find the time to enjoy the content of this year’s publication you will find it as fascinating and as useful a resource as its predecessors. NAPD is committed to improving the quality of leadership in our school communities. It is the one organisation which seeks to promote cooperation and sharing across the different sectors in post-primary education and actively facilitates this by initiatives such as Leading for Learning Workshops. NAPD is also now working in closer co-operation with IPPN and is building strong working relationships with what we can safely say is our sister organisation. Remember that your continuing involvement at both Regional and National level and your insightful contributions to our publications are what make NAPD the successful supportive organisation which it is. Tá súil agam go bhainfaidh sibh taithneamh as na leathanaigh seo leanas, tabhar aire duit féin agus gach duine atá faoi do curaim. Ar aghaidh le chéile! Paul Byrne, President, NAPD November 2015 5 Le Cheile Journal 2015:Layout 1 18/11/2015 11:00 Page 6 Contents NAPDPRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leadership and Leaders Introduction 8 Roadblocks to developing the next generation of good school leaders Mary Nihill 9 What will be your legacy as a leader? Shirley Kavanagh 12 Designing 21st Century education systems Paul Reville 25 How effective principals lead change: Lessons from great school leaders