Ms Ann O'Dwyer:

I thank the Deputy for his question. The significant ingredients in a good school culture are care and respect. These two values permeate all other elements and actions. The school's patron is responsible for the characteristic spirit and core values that inform the school's culture. A good and effective school culture is discussed and known by every member of staff and is visible to students in every engagement they have with teachers and other students. No one feels belittled in a school that has a positive culture of care and respect. Everyone feels valued and that he or she has a voice that will be heard if something happens inside or outside a classroom that upsets the student's day or time at school. Everyone has a responsibility for a school's culture, but it has to come from the leadership - the patron, the board of management, the principal and the deputy principal. Everyone in the school needs to know that he or she has a responsibility to contribute.

Regarding training and support, we have done a great deal of work on our core values and characteristic spirit across every ETBI school over the past five years. We consulted every school in our sector. During that time, we put an effort into ensuring that everyone contributed to the five core values that now underpin all ETB schools. That is important.