# data[].attributes.headline
Health and fitness is important for everyone. Watch the video to learn more about exercise, diet, and meditation.

# data[].attributes.subject
Health and fitness is important for everyone. Watch the video to learn more about exercise, diet, and meditation.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Trinity Access Programme is based on three core practices: Pathways to College, Mentoring, and Leadership in Learning (students & teachers). Read the flyer to find out more.

# data[].attributes.subject
The Trinity Access Programme is based on three core practices: Pathways to College, Mentoring, and Leadership in Learning (students & teachers). Read the flyer to find out more.

# data[].attributes.headline
Want to more about the Trinity Access Programme? Watch the video below!

# data[].attributes.subject
Want to more about the Trinity Access Programme? Watch the video below!

# data[].attributes.headline
To learn more about the Trinity Access Programme in our school, click on the website link below.

# data[].attributes.subject
To learn more about the Trinity Access Programme in our school, click on the website link below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome!Click the icon to find out more about TAP in our school. TAP's work is based on three core pillars. Click on a pillar to find out more Pathways to college Mentoring Leadership in learning About Pathways to College The Leadership in learning core practice involves teachers guiding students in ways that help develop students' autonomy and self-direction, as well as skills such as collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

# data[].attributes.headline
School culture encompasses everything about how the business of education is conducted. It is important because it has a dramatic impact on the well-being and achievement of students and school community members. Take the course to find out more.

# data[].attributes.subject
School culture encompasses everything about how the business of education is conducted. It is important because it has a dramatic impact on the well-being and achievement of students and school community members. Take the course to find out more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School culture

4. Quiz

1. Defining culture

2. Assessing culture

3. Transforming culture

Defining school culture

You will be able to...

describe the different kinds of school culture

recognize features of a strong collaborative school culture

recognize the features of a toxic school culture

describe what a work climate is and its benefits

recognize the features of a positive school climates

Types of school culture

Collaborative

Comfortable-collaborative

Contrived-collegial

Balkanized

Fragmented

Toxic

This type of culture embraces learning for teachers. In a collaborative school culture, teachers:

share strong educational values

work together to pursue professional development opportunities

are committed to improving their work.

curious about teaching and learning

focus on student achievement

discuss and analyze different teaching methods

In a collaborative school culture, leaders:A collaborative culture focuses on all the good things schools should do. A school with a collaborative culture is the nirvana of school cultures!
In a school with a comfortable-collaborative culture, students learn the value of cooperation, courtesy, and compliance. Teachers expect students to be nice to each other and principals expect teachers to do the same. Being nice is the general idea. Teachers may hesitate to voice their disagreement for fear of hurting someone's feelings. This type of culture inhibits feedback. In a comfortable-collaborative school culture, teachers don't question their work or how to improve it. Teacher may not want to try anything different in order to avoid compromising future praise. This may be typical in high-performing schools which are wary of risking a dip in student achievement. The overall motto for a comfortable-collaborative school culture is "We are in the same battle, so we all need to get along."

In a contrived-collegial school culture, leadership determines how staff are to behave. Principals often attempt to improve schools by controlling situations and forcing change. Teachers become more and more regulated and less autonomous. This type of culture can reduce teacher motivation and cooperation, and make them feel frustrated. Changes in this culture can feel forced or smack of micro-managing.

A balkanized culture focuses on collaboration only occurring within cliques of like-minded staff. Staff members who feel the need to compete or who have an idea or initiative may look to recruit other teachers to join them. Members of the clique sit together at meetings, possibly whispering and bonding. They support each other when leadership creates stress or makes decisions which they don't agree with. If there is conflict between what the principal says to do and what the clique collectively says to do, the latter will tend to win.

In a fragmented culture, staff pretty much do their own thing, and most people simply don't care what others are doing. Teachers work independently. Teachers are friendly to each other and might interact with each other in staffrooms. The problem with this type of culture is the lack of professional interaction they have around best practices, new innovative strategies, or student achievement. This type of culture fosters individualism over collaboration.

In a toxic school culture, staff tend to focus on the negative aspects of the school and its operations. Some will use these as flaws to justify poor performance and also as reasons to have low expectations for their students. A toxic school culture expends energy on preventing change. Past failures resurface and collaboration is at an all time low. Some staff may look to scrutinize any efforts a teacher may make to improve. Communication is poor and one way. Bad mouthing and backstabbing are common and the aim of staff can be to simply survive the day. It only take a few negative staff members and some minor issues for a school culture to become toxic.

Collaborative school culture

Focuses on improvment

Shared values

High on Trust

Strong CPD

Challenges ineffective practice

High on support

Everyoneworks together

Collectivereflection

Toxic school culture

Low expectations

Passes blame

Recalls past failures

Aggression

Scrutinizes others

Expends energy

Focuses on the negatives

High staff turnover

School climate refers to the quality and character of school life. A school climate is based on students' and teachers' experiences of school life. It is the first thing that improves when a postive change has been made. It is the general attitude of the school and can be described as "the way we feel around here".

What is a school climate?

Watch the video

Benefits of a positive climate

climate can be easily changed

contributes to improved academics

increases motivation

fosters better relationships

Supportive

Safe

Healthy school climate

Respectful

Considerate

Positive school climates

Equality

Click on Preview

Assessing school culture

You will be able to

identify different tools for asssessing school culture

use the tools for assesssing school culture

recognize the benefits of each tool

Assessing school culture

Culture Typology Activity

School Culture Survey

Who Owns What? Survey

The Culture Typology Activity (Gruenert and Valentine, 2006) is a method to assess what type of culture is in your school. It requires you to determine the degree to which you observe and participate in certain behaviours. This can be administered two teachers in large groups, small groups, or individual settings. It is a conversation starter and allows you to gain insight as to what your desired culture might look like. By the end, you have an inventory of the actions at your school.

How to use the School Culture Typology Activity NOTE: Be sure that the results are anonymous.

Ask teachers at your school to complete the school culture typology activity.

On a scale of 0 to 10, determine the degree to which the descriptor in your cell reflects behaviours in your school.

If the behaviour is unheard of, it gets a 0

If the behaviour occurs all the time it gets a 10.

When the numbers are added up, each row should have a total of 10 points.

Once completed, have teachers add up the totals for each of the six columns.

The column with the most points represents the culture that each teacher believes the school is closest to.

NOTE: The descriptors in the far right column are the targets you will aim for.
Created by Gruenert and Valentine, (1998), the School Culture Survey (SCS) is an instrument designed for teachers to get a sense of how much their school culture is collaborative i.e. the existence of trust, professional development opportunities, a compelling mission and so on. The SCS helps to inventory the typical behaviours of a collaborative school culture. It provides a baseline for school leaders who wish to shape a new school culture. The SCS can be re-administrated at a later stage to determine whether or not (and to what degree) the culture is shifting to a more collaborative one. The items in the SCS can be divided into six main categories: 1. Collaborative leadership 2. Teacher collaboration 3. Professional development 4. Unity of purpose 5. Collegial support 6. Learning partnerships

How to use the School Culture Survey NOTE: Be sure that the results are anonymous.

Student achievement, school dress code, attendance: who should "own" what? Teacher? Management? Students? It's very possible that some individual in the school community are not taking ownership of certain components. Sometimes role can be muddled and everything thinks that a job in a school is someone else's. The goal of this survey is to reveal the beliefs which frame the behaviours within the culture.

How to use the Who Owns What Survey NOTE: Be sure that the results are anonymous.

Click on Preview

Transfroming school culture

You will be able to

identify strategies to transform school culture

identify important elements to consider for culture form

identify the importance and examples of subcultures

identify leverage points for cultural change

Elements of culture form

Vision

Mission statement

Values

Climate

Rituals

Champions

What is a vision?

How to write a visionHow to sell a vision

What is a mission statement?

How to write a mission statementHow to sell a mission statement

What are values?

How to identify your valuesExamples: Inclusion Equality Integrity Respect Loyalty Honesty Creativity Accountability

What is a school climate?

A school climate is the school's attitude, quality, and character.

A school climate reflects school norms, values, and relationships.

What are the benefits of a positive school climate?

Happier staff and students.

High morale.

fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive.

Students are more engaged academically.

Increases academic success.

Higher teacher retention.

How to develop a positive school climate?
What are school rituals?

What are the benefits of a school rituals?How to develop school rituals?

What are champions?

What are the benefits of champions?What makes a good champion?

School subcultures are groups of members who share more values and interests with one another than they do with the rest of the staff. Each member in the subculture has different strengths. Encouraging a subculture of competent teachers can be key to creating a new and improve overall school culture.

What is a subculture?

Watch the video

Examples of subcultures

discipline committee

teaching and learning committee

special ed committee

well being committee

Leverage points for culture change

Start of the school year

New leadership

Awards and recognitions

Outside directives

First or one time events

At the beginning of the year, the culture in the school is like a ball of clay waiting to be formed. The start of the school year is the most unique of all. After a long break, an air of hope, excitement, and change are among all. Teachers and school leaders feel refreshed and they have been afforded ample time to plan and prepare.

Culture is particularly vulnerable when there is a new leader. It is up to the new recruit to build on the success of an effective predecessor or to move on from the disappointment of an ineffective one. The new leaders behaviour in the first few hours, days, and weeks sets the tone for the year. By setting expectations early on, the leader can avoid correcting behaviours down the line. The real challenge lies in inculcating the new vision into the culture. It is important that the leader has both a vision and the skills to implement it.

When schools receive awards or recognition, it shows that they are doing something right. They are a sign of achievement. Use stories of how you won to show why the school got the award or the recognition. Make sure to acknowledge it. The celebration helps to highlight the positive effects the event has had on the school. Use this momentum to create a turning point in your school culture.

Guidelines, different circular focus, new assessment methods, school policies are constantly changing. It can be a good idea to use these mandates as a way of furthering culture change. Although this can be unsetting for staff, try to reassure them that everything is going to be perfectly normal. Make staff aware of the opportunities new mandates can afford them while also acknowledging the challenges they will pose. Look to make the change easier for them and support them to move out of their comfort zone.

Although school culture is a template of the past, even it has no experience of events which occur for the first time. The culture has nothing to compare it to. Build on it and provide support to the people who made the effort and are responsible for it. Make staff feel invested in the change and reward them. This point can be extremely useful for implementing change into school culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
School culture 4. Quiz 1. Defining culture 2. Assessing culture 3. Transforming culture Defining school culture You will be able to... describe the different kinds of school culture recognize features of a strong collaborative school culture recognize the features of a toxic school culture describe what a work climate is and its benefits recognize the features of a positive school climates Types of school culture Collaborative Comfortable-collaborative Contrived-collegial Balkanized Fragmented Toxic This type of culture embraces learning for teachers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is an educational approach that focuses on defining desired learning outcomes for students and designing the educational process to achieve those outcomes. Click the link to take the course and find out more!

# data[].attributes.subject
Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is an educational approach that focuses on defining desired learning outcomes for students and designing the educational process to achieve those outcomes. Click the link to take the course and find out more!

# data[].attributes.headline
Autism calendar. Scan the QR codes to learn more about Autism.

# data[].attributes.subject
Autism calendar. Scan the QR codes to learn more about Autism.

# data[].attributes.headline
Mastery learning is an instructional strategy which aims to ensure that all pupils have mastered key concepts before moving on to the next topic. Watch the video to find out more. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Mastery learning is an instructional strategy which aims to ensure that all pupils have mastered key concepts before moving on to the next topic. Watch the video to find out more. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Congratulations to our TY students who attended @trinitycollegedublin today to celebrate winning The Leadership Project in the @bridge2college_dublin Showcase!👏🏻 Fantastic achievement by all involved!

# data[].attributes.subject
Congratulations to our TY students who attended @trinitycollegedublin today to celebrate winning The Leadership Project in the @bridge2college_dublin Showcase!👏🏻 Fantastic achievement by all involved!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pobalscoil Iosolde on Instagram: "🥳 Congratulations to our TY students who attended @trinitycollegedublin today to celebrate winning The Leadership Project in the @bridge2college_dublin Showcase!
👏🏻 Fantastic achievement by all involved!"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
103 likes, 0 comments - palmerstowncs on May 18, 2023: "🥳 Congratulations to our TY students who attended @trinitycollegedublin today to celebrate win..."

# data[].attributes.headline
Well done to the 2nd Years, under the guidance of Mr Cahill and Mr Bohan, who created and sold Autism Awareness Calendars in aid of AsIAm. They raised €700!🙏🏻 Thanks to all for supporting this fantastic cause!

# data[].attributes.subject
Well done to the 2nd Years, under the guidance of Mr Cahill and Mr Bohan, who created and sold Autism Awareness Calendars in aid of AsIAm. They raised €700!🙏🏻 Thanks to all for supporting this fantastic cause!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pobalscoil Iosolde on Instagram: "🙌🏼 Well done to the 2nd Years, under the guidance of Mr Cahill and Mr Bohan, who created and sold Autism Awareness Calendars in aid of AsIAm. They raised €700!
🙏🏻 Thanks to all for supporting this fantastic cause. @asiamireland"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
33 likes, 0 comments - palmerstowncs on December 21, 2021: "🙌🏼 Well done to the 2nd Years, under the guidance of Mr Cahill and Mr Bohan, who created an..."

# data[].attributes.headline
American Revolution- Light the fire works

# data[].attributes.subject
American Revolution- Light the fire works

# data[].attributes.headline
Take a look at the winning project from the Bridge to College Programme.

# data[].attributes.subject
Take a look at the winning project from the Bridge to College Programme.