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Community of Practice of Teaching and Learning Coordinators

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Community of Practice of Teaching and Learning Coordinators

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This year’s phase will build on the previous year’s successes and aim to deepen leadership, embed research-informed strategies into everyday practice, and strengthen cross-school collaboration.

Ensuring that the CoP endures beyond the initial phases requires both organisations commitment and dynamic, evolving practices that become embedded in everyday school operations.

This phase aims at developing leadership capacity- and leading teaching and learning

Developing the Teaching and Learning (T&L) Coordinator’s leadership is essential to ensuring effective teaching, learning, and assessment practices that drive school improvement.

A Teaching and Learning Coordinator’s and his/ her team’s effectiveness depends on strategic leadership training, team collaboration, and research-based teaching practices. Strong leadership in assessment, pedagogy, and data-driven instruction will ensure long-term school improvement. Ongoing coaching and mentorship, professional learning and training, and collaborative school-wide initiatives will also provide sustainable leadership capacity development.

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Please share your experiences and insights in the appropriate sections:

1. Available Supports : Share existing resources and supports available to schools and discuss what supports are required

2. Leadership Challenges : Describe challenges you face in leading teaching and learning

3. Solutions & Strategies : Share successful approaches to overcome leadership challenges/obstacles

4. Ongoing Support Needs : Identify additional supports needed for effective leadership of teaching and learning

Add links or attachments to relevant resources where applicable.

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What supports have you accessed and found beneficial?

What specific support do you and your staff require to enhance teaching and learning in your school?

Are there any resources or professional development opportunities that would significantly benefit your team?

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1. Challenges:

What are the current challenges your school is facing related to teaching and learning?

How do these challenges impact student outcomes and staff morale?

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1. Possible Solutions and Barriers

What strategies have been effective in addressing teaching and learning challenges in the past?

What potential barriers or challenges do you foresee in implementing new solutions or strategies?

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1. Ongoing Support Needs:

What ongoing support do you believe is necessary to sustain improvements in teaching and learning?

How can the school leadership better support teachers in their professional growth and development?

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Work with Middle Management

Community of Practice with English Teachers

Sustaining previous support and reach across more subject areas.

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Joe O Connell, Caitríona and Finn have worked very well. Community of practice went well. Provision mapping went well. Maybe more in school meeting supports with subject department.

The sharing of best practice and policies and templates were very useful.

Challenges

A lot of meetings require time. Be careful not to have too many initiatives

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Subject Planning for subject depts

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Time

Behaviour

Initiative overload

Weather

Range of abilities

EAL

Recruit staff

Paperwork overload

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Amount of time demanded by activities that impact on delivery of curriculum.

Staffing issues.

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Managing our own time more effectively - say no!

Sharing of policies & expertise more more

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Learn to say no

Share policies and templates

Allow bespoke solutions for individual schools

Always be aware of time demands (not everything requires meeting)

Training for subject heads

Staff induction going well

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Reflection and feedback -What has worked well

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Reflection and feedback -What has worked well

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Available supports that worked well:

Provision mapping, Dr. Joe, Dr. Finn, Caitriona, Community of Practice, Oide, NCSE, Conferences, Principal Meetings

Subject Planning for subject depts

Work with Middle Management

Community of Practice with English Teachers

Sustaining previous support and reach across more subject areas.

Joe O Connell, Caitríona and Finn have worked very well.

Community of practice went well. Provision mapping went well.

The sharing of best practice and policies and templates were very useful.

Challenges

A lot of meetings require time. Be careful not to have too many initiatives

Time

Behaviour

Initiative overload

Weather

Range of abilities

EAL

Recruit staff

Paperwork overload

not enough formal planning form getting teachers to lead subject planning in larger departments, consistency in assessment, finance, leading all the post holders, managing SNA's, leading multiply special classes,

Amount of time demanded by activities that impact on delivery of curriculum.

Staffing issues.

Solutions

Learn to say no

teaching and learning teams in schools leading out standards school staff sharing their experiences, core values,

Share policies and templates

Allow bespoke solutions for individual schools

Always be aware of time demands (not everything requires meeting)

On Going Support needed

Supports required:

Behavioural Norms at subject department meetings,

Senior Cycle reform,

classroom management best practice, more access to special ed teacher training, digital best practice in classroom for teaching and learning

Subject Planning for subject depts

Coaching for school teams

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🧭 School Development Coordinator Support Plan (2025–2026)

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🧭 School Development Coordinator Support Plan (2025–2026)

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Empowering Leadership. Strengthening Practice. Driving Change.

________________________________________

🎓 1. Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• Targeted CPD Pathways aligned with DE Education Plan 2025 priorities:

o Formative assessment and feedback strategies

o Inclusive teaching practices and differentiation

o Digital learning integration and portfolio use

• On-demand CPD support for departments and individual staff

• Facilitated workshops on SSE, curriculum planning, and student voice

Goal: Ensure every teacher has access to relevant, high-impact professional learning.

________________________________________

🤝 2. Team Development & Collaboration

• Support for Subject Teams in setting termly goals and reviewing progress

• Facilitation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) within and across schools

• Resource sharing via TETB Padlet to promote cross-pollination of ideas and strategies

Goal: Build strong, reflective teams that collaborate to improve student outcomes.

________________________________________

🧠 3. Developing Leadership Capacity

• Mentoring for Assistant Principals and Coordinators in leading teaching and learning

• Leadership workshops focused on strategic planning, SSE, and distributed leadership

• Support for new and aspiring leaders through coaching and peer learning

Goal: Cultivate confident, capable leaders at every level of the school.

________________________________________

🌐 4. Cross-School Collaboration

• Facilitated Communities of Practice across Tipperary ETB schools

• Joint CPD sessions and planning days for subject departments

• Showcase of best practice through shared case studies and school visits

Goal: Break down silos and foster a culture of shared innovation and excellence.

________________________________________

📚 5. Supporting Curriculum Change

• Guidance on curriculum reform (e.g. Senior Cycle, Junior Cycle )

• Support for subject inspection readiness and curriculum mapping

• Tools for integrating student voice and wellbeing into curriculum planning

Goal: Help schools navigate change with clarity and confidence.

________________________________________

🏫 6. Leadership Development

• Strategic support for principals and deputy principals in leading whole-school improvement

• Workshops on leading learning, data-informed decision-making, and staff development

• Support with Teaching Council bursary applications and research-based initiatives

Goal: Strengthen the leadership spine of every school to drive sustainable improvement.

________________________________________

📅 Delivery Format

• In-school visits and planning sessions

• Online forums and resource hubs (Padlet, Teams)

• Regional workshops and leadership networks

• One-to-one coaching and mentoring

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💬 Closing Note

The School Development Coordinator’s role is not just to deliver training—it’s to walk alongside and support school leaders, helping them turn vision into action.

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📚 What Research and Policy Say About Leading Teaching and Learning Effectively

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📚 What Research and Policy Say About Leading Teaching and Learning Effectively

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Tipperary ETB | Leadership Development 2025–2026

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🔍 Research-Informed Practice

Recent educational research highlights the importance of connecting big ideas to real classroom practice. Effective teaching is grounded in the science of learning and includes:

• Explicit Instruction as the foundation for all learners, including those with additional needs

• Cognitive Load Management to support attention, retention, and mastery

• Retrieval Practice & Feedback to strengthen memory and deepen understanding

• Structured Group Work & Inclusive Environments that promote engagement and collaboration

• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to ensure Tier 1 instruction is strong and Tier 2/3 interventions are targeted and timely

“The science of learning provides critical insights into how students learn and how instruction can be systematically designed to maximise understanding and retention.”

Schools that adopted whole-class explicit instruction saw significant gains in literacy, numeracy, and student confidence. Teachers used real-time adaptations and guided practice to ensure all students were supported before moving to independent tasks.

________________________________________

🏛️ Department of Education Reflections

Findings from Department of Education evaluations and SSE reports reinforce the following:

• Strategic Planning & Self-Evaluation are key to implementing curriculum change and responding to evolving school contexts

• Distributed Leadership empowers staff, fosters innovation, and builds collective responsibility

• Middle Leadership Roles (e.g. APs, Coordinators) are essential for embedding policy and supporting inclusive education

• High-Quality Teaching is marked by strong subject knowledge, enthusiasm, and the ability to engage students

• Digital Technology & Preparedness are increasingly central to effective learning environments

Schools, in particular, are expected to lead improvement through targeted planning in areas such as attendance, literacy, numeracy, wellbeing, and leadership. Annual reviews of action plans ensure that interventions are data-informed and responsive to student needs.

________________________________________

🎯 Leadership Implications

School leaders are encouraged to:

• Prioritise Tier 1 instruction and ensure all students receive direct teaching

• Use SSE strategically to monitor progress and refine practice

• Support middle leaders in driving curriculum and assessment improvements

• Foster Communities of Practice to share innovation and build capacity

• Ensure inclusive education is embedded across all planning and delivery

“Schools with effective practices demonstrated proactive leadership in setting strategic goals, fostering collaboration, and adapting strategies to ensure continuous improvement.”

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Title: Student Leadership in Learning – What You Can Do Tipperary ETB | 2025–2026

What Research Tells Us • Students learn best when teaching is clear, structured, and engaging • Regular review and feedback help you remember and improve • Working together builds confidence and deeper understanding • Your voice matters — schools that listen to students improve faster “When students are actively involved in their learning, they achieve more — and enjoy it more."

What the Department of Education Encourages • Student councils and Leading learners should help shape the learning experience • Your feedback helps teachers improve lessons and school planning • You play a role in wellbeing, inclusion, and school culture • Student voice is central to School Self-Evaluation (SSE)

What You Can Do

• Share ideas to make learning more inclusive and engaging

• Help gather feedback from your peers

• Support wellbeing and attendance initiatives

• Take part in SSE conversations and planning • Celebrate what’s working — and suggest improvements

Your Leadership Commitment "This year, I will help lead learning by…"

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Title: Leading Learning as a Team – What Matters Most

Tipperary ETB | 2025–2026

What Research Tells Us

• High-impact teaching includes explicit instruction, guided practice, and feedback

• Assessment should be clear, consistent, and used to improve learning

• Collaboration among teachers strengthens planning and delivery

• Inclusive classrooms benefit all learners — especially those with additional needs

“Strong teaching teams create strong learning cultures.”

________________________________________

What the Department of Education Encourages

• Subject teams should lead curriculum planning and assessment development

• Use SSE to reflect on teaching practices and student outcomes

• Share resources and strategies across departments and schools

• Support inclusive education and wellbeing through your subject lens

________________________________________

What You Can Do

• Set clear goals for teaching, learning, and assessment this term

• Use common success criteria and rubrics and feedback strategies

• Engage in peer observation or learning review

• Share resources via Padlet or cross-school forums

• Reflect regularly and adapt based on student needs

________________________________________

Team Commitment

"This term, our team will strengthen learning by…"

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

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A hybrid model works best - standardise core competencies (classroom management, wellbeing, inclusion) while offering subject-specific modules. This balanced approach ensures both school-wide coherence and specialised skill development, maximising the impact of professional development investments.

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Timed Agenda: Leading Learning in Tipperary ETB

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Timed Agenda: Leading Learning in Tipperary ETB

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Date: September 4th

Time: 12.30-1.30

Audience: SMT,

Location: Nenagh College

________________________________________

12.30 – 12.:35 AM | Welcome & Objectives

• Brief welcome and context

• Overview of workshop goals

• Link to Education Plan 2025 and ETB priorities

________________________________________

12,35-12.40– | Celebrating Our Successes

• Highlight key achievements across schools

o Assessment policy development

o Support to SMT leading teaching and learning

o MIC collaboration/ Community of Practice

o NAPD newsletter article

o Teaching Council bursary

o Creative Cluster Success

o Culture Day

o T and L Coordinators -Community of Practice/ coaching and mentoring

o Padlet resource sharing

o Support curriculum and subject department planning

• Acknowledge leadership impact

________________________________________

12.40- 12.45- Ice Breaker

12.50- 1.20

Reflection & Planning- workshop activity

• Discuss leadership intentions in school teams

• Identify CPD needs and SSE/ DEIS priorities

________________________________________

1.20- 1.30 Sharing & Closing

• Invite participants to share key takeaways

• Distribute final slide or takeaway sheet

• Outline next steps and SDSC follow-up

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Case Study Leading teaching and learning and assessment

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Strategic Role of the Principal and Deputy Principals

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Month

School Visit / Engagement

Support Focus

Actions Taken

Progress Update

September

Initial School Visit

📘 Teaching & Learning

Baseline evaluation

Goals set

October

Follow-up Meeting

🔍 Assessment

Review assessment data

Assessment strategy refined

November

Classroom Observations

🤝 Collaboration

Facilitate team meetings

Improved team dynamics

December

Mid-term Review

📘 Teaching & Learning

Feedback session

Teaching practices adjusted

January

Workshop

🤝 Collaboration

Conduct workshop

Collaboration increased

February

Peer Learning Session

🔍 Assessment

Organize peer review

Assessment accuracy improved

March

Assessment Review

🔍 Assessment

Analyze student work

Student progress tracked

April

Strategy Planning

📘 Teaching & Learning

Develop improvement plan

Plan implemented

May

Final Observations

🤝 Collaboration

Conduct final observations

Final feedback collected

June

End-of-Year Review

📘 Teaching & Learning

Summarize progress

Year-end summary completed

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Month

School Visit /Engagement

Support focus

Actions taken

Progress Update

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

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1.	Role Clarity & Leadership Charter – Define purpose, expectations, and shared vision

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1.	Role Clarity & Leadership Charter – Define purpose, expectations, and shared vision

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2. Collaborative Planning & Team Actions – Set goals, assign roles, and build momentum

3. Data Analysis & Strategic Focus – Use evidence to drive improvement

4. CPD & Coaching Activities – Build capacity through learning and mentoring

5. Impact Reflection & Reporting – Evaluate progress and share insights

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Building leadership capacity in a **Teaching and Learning Coordinator (TLC)** and their team is one of the most powerful levers for driving sustainable school improvement. 

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Building leadership capacity in a **Teaching and Learning Coordinator (TLC)** and their team is one of the most powerful levers for driving sustainable school improvement. 

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---

## 🧭 1. **Clarify the Leadership Role & Purpose**

**LAOS Link**: *Domain 1 – Leading Learning and Teaching*

**Plan 2025 Link**: *Priority – Strengthening instructional leadership*

### ✅ Actions:

- Define the TLC’s role in leading pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum development.

- Align their responsibilities with SSE priorities and DEIS targets.

- Create a leadership charter or role descriptor that includes coaching, mentoring, and CPD facilitation.

> **Example**: TLC leads a termly “Learning Review Week” where teachers share strategies aligned with SSE goals (e.g. improving formative assessment).

---

## 📚 2. **Embed Collaborative Planning & Distributed Leadership**

**LAOS Link**: *Domain 4 – Developing Leadership Capacity*

**SSE Link**: *Step 2 – Gathering evidence collaboratively*

### ✅ Actions:

- Establish a Teaching & Learning Team with AP1s, subject leads, and SENCo.

- Use co-planning sessions to develop schemes of work and assessment strategies.

- Rotate leadership of CPD sessions to build confidence and visibility.

> **Example**: TLC facilitates a cross-departmental planning session on inclusive teaching, with each member leading a breakout group.

---

## 🎯 3. **Use Data to Drive Strategic Focus**

**LAOS Link**: *Domain 3 – Leading School Development*

**DEIS Link**: *Target – Literacy/Numeracy/Retention*

### ✅ Actions:

- Train TLC and team to analyse student outcomes, attendance, and engagement data.

- Use findings to set SMART goals for teaching and learning improvements.

- Link data to SSE themes and DEIS targets.

> **Example**: TLC identifies low engagement in Junior Cycle Science and leads a targeted intervention using retrieval practice and student voice surveys.

---

## 🧠 4. **Build Capacity Through CPD & Coaching**

**LAOS Link**: *Teachers’ Individual Practice*

**Plan 2025 Link**: *Priority – Professional learning communities*

### ✅ Actions:

- Provide CPD on leadership skills: coaching, feedback, facilitation.

- Pair TLC with a mentor (e.g. Deputy Principal or SDSC) for monthly coaching.

- Encourage attendance at Teach Meets and Communities of Practice.

> **Example**: TLC co-leads a CPD session on formative assessment using real classroom examples and Padlet for resource sharing.

---

## 📣 5. **Celebrate Impact & Reflect**

**LAOS Link**: *Domain 2 – Managing the Organisation*

**SSE Link**: *Step 6 – Reporting and sharing the learning*

### ✅ Actions:

- Showcase TLC-led initiatives in staff meetings and newsletters.

- Use reflection tools to evaluate leadership impact.

- Include TLC in SSE reporting and DEIS review meetings.

> **Example**: TLC presents a short impact report on improved student feedback practices at the end-of-term leadership meeting.

---

## 📝 Summary Planning Grid

| **Focus Area** | **Action** | **LAOS/SSE Link** | **Timeline** |

|----------------|------------|-------------------|--------------|September |

| Role Clarity | Create TLC charter | LAOS Domain 1 |

| Collaboration | Launch T&L Team

| SSE Step 2 | October |

| Data Use | Analyse student outcomes | DEIS Literacy Target |

November |

| CPD | Coaching & Teach Meet | LAOS Domain 4 |

Ongoing |

| Reflection | Showcase impact | SSE Step 6 | December & May |

---

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📘 Tipperary ETB Professional Development leaders Workbook  Speptember 4th 2025

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Community in Practice In excellence images 2

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Principals  and Deputies Presenttion September 4th complete

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Working SDP committees including provision mapping, academic performance, diversity and culture, sustainability etc. active subject departments, peer observation, teach meet, spotlight, Athena, restructured Sen team, wellbeing team. 

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Working SDP committees including provision mapping, academic performance, diversity and culture, sustainability etc. active subject departments, peer observation, teach meet, spotlight, Athena, restructured Sen team, wellbeing team. 

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One Committee- around ethos

Excellence -

Care

Respect

Equality

Community

Managing Myself/Information Thinking

Gifted and Talented

Effective Communication

Spotlight - Teachers will volunteer

Academically able - spread sheet to analyse academically able across whole score- First year waiting

Anna - padlet- Sen/ gifted section

Academically able- challenge and stretch

Three separately people - build capacity - still going wiyh lead teacher

Coordinator lead others- has sole responsibility- divide work fairly between members

All given time/ not all post holders

Ramona- advisory role as SEN/ Teaching and Learning -

Bring success back to staff.-

October 21st- Senco/ Inclusion lead amalgamated - workshop/ NCCA- Siobhan- Support Planning - Targets-Sample ones- need to be translated in to classroom.

Will ask John about whole day

Parent/Student input in to plan

Jan/April

teaching and Teaching Coordinator- Support- Developing Capacity- One meeting- face to face - two online

English - Tranche One /

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More emphasis on our GAT students, use of CAT4 to highlight these students and plans in place to develop our community of practice across other subject areas by 2028 

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More emphasis on our GAT students, use of CAT4 to highlight these students and plans in place to develop our community of practice across other subject areas by 2028 

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Introduction of more team teaching across more subject areas and in particular in LCA. SEN students weekly access to maths and English teacher. Encourage engagement in OIDE and subject forums. Sharing of best practice within and outside subject departments. 

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Introduction of more team teaching across more subject areas and in particular in LCA. SEN students weekly access to maths and English teacher. Encourage engagement in OIDE and subject forums. Sharing of best practice within and outside subject departments. 

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Community of practice engagement formally and informally - EAL teachers linking informally, Erasmus etc. student voice - spotlight 

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Community of practice engagement formally and informally - EAL teachers linking informally, Erasmus etc. student voice - spotlight 

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Staff meeting newsletter if our Croke park hours reduced 

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Staff meeting newsletter if our Croke park hours reduced 

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Active teaching methodologies and learning on the move promoted through active schools committee. Outdoor classroom to be finished through sustainability committee. Focus on effective communication, sharing of SEN/EAL info through a teach meet and through VSWare, all info readily available - strategies available. Managing information and thinking - organisation 

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Active teaching methodologies and learning on the move promoted through active schools committee. Outdoor classroom to be finished through sustainability committee. Focus on effective communication, sharing of SEN/EAL info through a teach meet and through VSWare, all info readily available - strategies available. Managing information and thinking - organisation 

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We have given a middle leader (AL1) the role of TLAR Coordinator (Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Reporting).

Inclusion is promoted through our

enrolment policies and process,

our utilisation of SET and other HRs

range of subjects and programmes

more bespoke PLOs

Current Strengths:

TLAR Coordinator in place

Deputy Principal leading excellent engagement with parents and students through individual academic progress meetings

JCT coordinator liaising with JCT and our staff re Oide PLOs

Participation in TETB CoP re T&L

Aspirational Goals:

enable all staff to benefit from TLARs work and from the CoP

to enhance the school's culture of ongoing improvement

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dedicated time to subject planning upon return to school

adoption of planning templates

Encouraged and invested time and money into extensive training around inclusion of our students in our special classes and integrating into MS

Current Strengths - Excellent motivated staff, influx of new staff also bringing an array of exp into staffroom, Middle management are really beginning to thrive and take on initiative's roles and interventions, Students are excellent and community very strong and supportive of the school as seen by support for events and enrolment.

Aspirational Goals

Continue to develop and empower middle leadership and in time encourage them to bring on the next generation of school leaders among the staff.

Priorities

Teaching quality High

Learning culture medium

assessment medium

Collab and Leadership High

Student voice - surveys dig port, councils and focus groups, peer assessment,

Leadership and support

senior cycle redevelopment

dept planning facilitation

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Section 1

Annually with TLAR team

DEIS plan. Use of provision mapping

Use of pop up work shops

Teacher led in house CPD at Croke park evenings

Current strengths

Inclusive

Digital leaders

Subject provision

AEN and team teaching

Aspirational goals

All staff to be component in the use of 1to1 devices and

Support mainly needed with TLAR team so meeting them.

CPD Coordination and setting priorities for the year.

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excellent teaching & learning

Staff Presentation, subject plan, time given in school to do this on staff return days

Policy Development

SEN Provision

Meeting with Convenors

Get collaboration time each week

CPD

Encourage link with associations

Strengths

Morale is good

School wide but not whole school

Interest in developing T&L

Droichead

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Feedback from hardcopy of workbook.

What excellence looks like:

Clear evidence of T and L discussed at subject department meetings

sharing of best practice - needs to be structured

Format - Peer observation

More evidence of collaboration between all stakeholders- parents/ teachers / students

Current Strenghths

Excellent Relationships- positive and respectful

Active T and L team who feed back to staff meetings

Sharing best practice at staff meeting

Reflection on and analysis of state exams

Goals

Focus on T and L in subject department meeting

More formal approach to sharing of best practice

More uniform approach to subject department planning

more meaningful student acidities

More focused teacher collaboration and student engagement will hopefully lead to better student outcomes and attainment levels.

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Priority

Sharing effective practice- Learning review week

improve student voice

More formative assessment practice and common language used

Action Plan

Develop Peer Observation

Inform Staff

Decide on week

Create new template for subject department meetings

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Promoting a culture of improvement, collaboration, innovation, and creativity in learning teaching and assessment

Introduction to One to One Devices

Finn O'Murchu increased Team Teaching

AEN meeting

Student Support Meetings

LSP Committee

Teacher Work Shops

Fostering a commitment to inclusion

Student Voice

Learner Voice

2nd ASD Class

Planning and implementation of the curriculum

Department Meetings

SEN Meetings

AEN Meetings

Parents Assocation

Parent Support Group

Current Strengths

Culture/Inclusive Culture

Atmosphere in the school

Broad Curriculum

Willingness to reflect and improve

Broad Extra-Curricular

Broad range of co-curricular opportunities

Aspirational Goals

Improve tactical links between Departments and SET Class Teachers - Support around plan of work and uniformity of this across year groups.

Literacy/Numeracy classes for exemption students

Complete phasing in of One to One

Devices and continue supporting all teachers in their use in the classroom.

Students to take ownership and build agency around their own success.

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December 11th Professional learning Booklet 

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December 11th Professional learning Booklet 

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Excellent teaching and learning in Nenagh College is characterised by strong structures, consistent routines, and a culture that values integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement. Daily practices such as assemblies, registration, year-head check-ins, and academic monitoring ensure that students are supported and expectations are clear. Tools like Athena are used to track student progress, analyse results, set target grades, and distribute reports, enabling evidence‑based decision-making. Our SSE/ Teaching & Learning team—supported by colleagues such as Orla, Aisling Gouling, Joanne Tracey, Sheila O’Malley, and Tanya McGuire and Stephen work collaboratively to strengthen inclusive practice, digital learning, and curriculum planning. We have also begun to embed structured information systems on vsware, student support plans and team-teaching approaches that promote accountability, shared planning, and improved support for students with additional needs.

Under Circular 0005/2025, schools are required to understand their SET allocation, deploy all allocated hours to support the full range of students with additional needs, and maintain clear evidence of how these resources are used. Schools must ensure that SET hours are used exclusively for special education support, planned according to identified student needs, and documented through timetables, intervention records, and ongoing monitoring. The school is meeting these responsibilities by developing a structured deployment plan that includes small‑group literacy and numeracy interventions, team‑teaching in core subjects, targeted support for high‑incidence needs, and individualised provision for students with complex needs, while also allocating time for collaborative planning and review. By using data to identify needs, documenting all supports, and reviewing impact through SSE processes, the school  is using its allocation effectively and in line with the expectations of Circular 0005/2025.

Management would like teaching and learning in our school to reflect a fully embedded growth‑mindset culture where every student is supported holistically and is meeting or exceeding expectations. They envision a school where Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is consistently implemented across all departments, supported by strong data gathering, collaborative planning, and shared ownership of inclusive practice. Staff will be confident in applying UDL principles, team teaching will be strategically planned and reviewed, and formative assessment will be monitored systematically to ensure progression for all learners. They also aim for a school where innovation, creativity, and reflective practice are central to teaching, and where professional development is ongoing, meaningful, and directly connected to improved outcomes for students.

As a leader of teaching and learning, Orla’s role is to promote a culture of improvement, collaboration, and innovation across the school. I work to foster inclusion, equality of opportunity, and the holistic development of every pupil by supporting EAL and SEN provision, surveying students who withdraw from Irish, and ensuring that all Croke Park meetings include Teaching & Learning updates. I manage curriculum planning and implementation by ensuring that structures, expectations, and resources—School teams , folder systems, and departmental plans—are in place and consistently used. The T and L team with the support of the SMT will  lead initiatives such as UDL training, team-teaching development, and staff surveys to ensure that our practices are responsive and evidence‑based. If given further opportunities, they will continue to strengthen teacher professional development by creating collaborative spaces for planning, reflection, and shared learning, ensuring that every teacher feels supported and every student benefits from high‑quality, inclusive, and engaging teaching.

Through both internal SSE processes and external evaluations such as Feabhsú and WSE, the school has gathered valuable data and is now positioned to take targeted action on UDL, inclusion, and formative assessment.

Feabhsú is a new national approach to school improvement developed by the Department of Education Inspectorate to strengthen the connection between internal school self‑evaluation (SSE) and external evaluation. Its purpose is to create a more coherent, collaborative, and evidence‑driven improvement process across schools. Feabhsú supports schools in identifying priority areas, gathering meaningful data, and developing targeted, measurable actions that lead to real change in teaching, learning, and inclusion. By aligning internal reflection with external guidance, Feabhsú ensures that improvement is not a one‑off event but an ongoing cycle of planning, action, and review. This approach helps schools build capacity, enhance consistency, and embed sustainable practices that ultimately improve outcomes for all learners. It ensures that teaching and learning will continue to evolve in a way that supports all learners and strengthens their whole‑school culture. The T and L team plan to facilitate UDL training for staff in the form of a collaborative workshop on March 13th. They will introduce the theme of using UDL framework at the next staff meeting on Jan 21st to support the creation of an inclusive classroom where all students needs are being supported to ensure learning happens. They will ask them to focus at their next department meeting where they think they could use UDL in the classroom