A total of 82 school inspection-reports were published today (9 June, 2011) on the Department of Education and Skills' website.
New inspection reports on the web today comprise:
18 whole-school evaluations (WSEs) at primary level
4 whole-school evaluation (WSEs) at post-primary level, including 14 subject inspections
36 stand-alone subject inspections
1 programme evaluation within WSE
5 stand-alone programme evaluations
4 evaluations of Centres for Education
Since 6th February 2006, school inspection reports such as WSE and subject inspections are published on the Department of Education and Skills' website at regular intervals throughout the school year.
There are now 4,643 school-inspection reports on the website, representative of 1,868 schools and centres for education.
WSE reports comment on the school's management, planning and management of resources, the effectiveness of teaching and learning, its arrangements for student assessment, supports for students, provision for minority groups and home-school links.
Depending on the size of the school, an inspector or team of inspectors visit the school for a period of time to evaluate management and planning; teaching and learning and supports for pupils.
Following this evaluation phase of WSE, inspectors discuss the findings and recommendations with school management and members of the teaching staff.
This is followed by factual verification of the report and a timescale is also built into the process for the school to respond to the WSE report. At the end of this process the WSE report including an appendix with the school’s response (if the school has made a response) is published on the Department's website.
Subject inspection reports evaluate the teaching and learning of specific subjects in second-level schools.
A number of subjects are inspected as part of a WSE or a school can have a stand-alone subject inspection. 50 subject-inspection reports are published today including subject inspections of Art, Mathematics, Gaeilge, English, French, History, Geography, Guidance, Science, Biology, Physics, Metalwork and Engineering, Technical Graphics, Design and Communication Graphics, Music, CPSE, Special Educational Needs, and SPHE.
All inspection reports, including those published today (9th June, 2011) are accessible via the link below.
http://www.education.ie/insreports/des_school_inspection_reports_june_2011.htm