Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 804: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of whole school evaluations carried out in schools in County Tipperary each year since 2000; the main issues of concern identified in same; the actions taken by her Department to remedy these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11020/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Whole-school evaluation, WSE, was introduced in the school year 2003-04 as a new model of inspection designed to monitor and assess the quality and effectiveness of educational provision in schools and centres for education. The evaluation procedure covers five main areas of a school's work: quality of school management; quality of school planning; quality of curriculum provision; quality of learning and teaching; and quality of support for students. A whole-school evaluation involves meetings of the inspection team with the board of management, the parents' association, and the teaching staff. During the evaluation phase, inspectors visit classrooms, observe teaching and learning, and conduct interviews with the principal and the in-school management team to gather information about the work of the school.

WSE contributes to school improvement through identifying, evaluating, affirming and supporting good practice in schools. The findings and recommendations of a WSE are presented both orally and in a written report for the school community. While the recommendations contained in inspection reports generally relate to the five areas evaluated under the WSE procedure, the issues identified are individual to each school and take account of school context factors. Where areas of concern are identified, the board and the school are advised on the steps that should be taken to remedy matters.

The inspectorate has published a guide to whole school evaluation for primary and post-primary schools and these guides are available on the Department's website. As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently put in place arrangements for the publication of school inspection reports that arise from the general inspection programme for schools. The new provision in regard to public access to certain types of inspection reports, including WSE reports, applies to inspections commenced after 6 February 2006.

The Deputy's question relates to WSE reports on schools in County Tipperary completed since 2000. I can confirm that since the introduction of WSE in 2003-04, 11 such evaluations have been conducted in County Tipperary; three in 2004 and eight in 2005. All of these evaluations have been in primary schools. There are six WSE inspections currently in process in primary schools and four WSE inspections currently in process in post-primary schools in County Tipperary. The regulations do not allow for publication of reports of any inspections conducted prior to 6 February 2006.