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Institiúid na gComhairleoirí TreorachInstitiúid na gComhairleoirí TreorachComhdháil Bliantúil 2014Comhdháil Bliantúil 2014

Dun LaoghaireDun Laoghaire

22Márta 2014

The Guidance PlanThe Guidance Plan

Colum LaytonCigire Iarbhunoideachais

Treorach

An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna

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This workshop aims to

• Outline the current context• Explore good practice• Outline the planning process• Enable some sharing of ideas• Reassure you

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Structure of the workshop

•Introduction•The current context•Recognising good

practice•On plans and planning

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IntroductionIntroduction

• Who is this Colum Layton?• What is this workshop all

about?• Am I perfect (as a guidance

counsellor)?• What should I know?

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The School Plan

A board shall… make arrangements for the

preparation of a plan… and shall ensure that the plan is

regularly reviewed and updated.

The Education Act 1998 Section 21

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Guidelines sent to all second-level schools September 2005

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Guidelines for Second – Level Schools

on the Implications of Section 9(c)

This document is intended for use as a reference point for a school in identifying the minimum standards necessary to provide appropriate guidance for its students

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Evaluation of GuidanceEvaluation of GuidanceEvaluation of GuidanceEvaluation of Guidance

Subject InspectionSubject InspectionWhole School EvaluationWhole School Evaluation

Incidental InspectionIncidental InspectionFollow Through InspectionFollow Through Inspection

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The Guidance Inspection Report Format

• Findings• Recommendations • Learning and teaching• Subject provision and whole-school

support• Planning and preparation

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School Self-Evaluation

Looking at Our SchoolIssued to schools in 2003

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Looking at Our School

States that:• Ireland, along with other European

countries is adopting a model of quality assurance that emphasises school development planning through internal school review and self-evaluation, with support of external evaluation carried out by the Inspectorate

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Looking at Our School

Themes for Self-Evaluation

• An appropriate Guidance plan as part of the whole school plan

• Whole school support for Guidance• Balance and effective provision of Guidance

throughout the school• Full and appropriate use of available

resources• Access to appropriate professional

development

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The current contextThe current context

Morgan, M., and Hayes, C. (2011) The practice of counselling by guidance counsellors in post-primary schools. Dublin: NCGE

The current contextThe current context

•The withdrawal of the ex-quota allocation for Guidance

The current contextThe current context•Anti bullying•Wellbeing•Student support team•Junior cycle reform

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Good practice in GuidanceGood practice in Guidance

• Fully accounted use is made of the allocated hours (See PPT12/05)

• There is an awareness of trends in population, opportunities, challenges

• Planning is value driven• Guidance is perceived to be a continuous process of support

and care• There is a strong commitment to school planning• There is an awareness of the Guidance and care implications of

policies and procedures• There is a curricular framework for Guidance in the school plan• There are guidance inputs into curricular planning• Subject provision is equitable (timetabling etc.)

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Good practice in GuidanceGood practice in Guidance

• The guidance counsellor is qualified• Staff guidance functions are in keeping with

experience and qualifications • All staff have Guidance functions• Guidance roles and responsibilities are clear

and written• Proactive approach to Guidance• Au fait with career national policy and

opportunities

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Good practice in GuidanceGood practice in Guidance

• There is a counselling room, which doubles as an office with computer, broadband, phone and appropriate storage.

• Individual students have access to ICT for information gathering and decision making

• ICT is used for class work and for guidance planning

• The school has a library with a guidance information section.

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Good practice in GuidanceGood practice in Guidance• There is a balance of personal/social,

educational, vocational guidance• There is a balance of individual, small-group

and class work• There is a balance of junior cycle and senior

cycle work • The guidance counsellor provides regular inputs

into junior cycle Guidance• Overlapping elements (mainly social and

personal) of the junior cycle guidance programme are delivered in collaboration with the SPHE team

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Good practice in Good practice in GuidanceGuidance

• Guidance planning is in progress and is an essential part of whole-school planning

• The school’s guidance needs have been identified by students, parents, staff, community

• The principal and guidance counsellor are involved in the NCGE guidance planning course

• Regular meetings are held between the guidance counsellor and the co-ordinators of LCA, TY, DEIS

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Good practice in Good practice in GuidanceGuidance

• The student support/care team includes guidance counsellor, special education co-ordinator, chaplain, management and HSCL and other relevant members of staff e.g. tutors, year heads as appropriate

• The student support team has strong links to SPHE, LCA and LCVP

• The guidance counsellor is a member of the student support/care team

• The guidance counsellor is a member of the middle-management team (whether post holder or not)

• Close links have been established with coordinators, staff & students

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Good practice in GuidanceGood practice in Guidance

• There are regular, minuted meetings, of the student support/care team

• Referral systems in and from the school are structured

• School records and sensitive materials (including guidance) are well managed and secure

• Transitions are well managed• There is close and regular communication with

staff, students, parents• Links have been established with outside social,

educational, community and business institutions

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Good practice in GuidanceGood practice in Guidance

• The guidance team engages with CPD and counselling supervision provided by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors

• Tests, where used, are used by those qualified to use them

• The purpose of testing is clear• Results are interpreted ethically and in

confidence• Students are tracked having left school

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School Guidance PlanSchool Guidance Plan

• The BOM is responsible for the whole school plan

• Provision for a regular review of the Guidance plan should be built into the planning process

• The guidance counsellor should be central to the drafting of the school Guidance plan

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School Guidance PlanSchool Guidance Plan

• Based on an evaluation of students’ needs• Specifies how the needs are to be addressed• Integral part of school’s overall plan• Is developmental and sequential• Organised and implemented as a collaborative

effort.(NCGE, 2004)

Planning the School Guidance Programme NCGE (2004).Designed to assist schools with school Guidance planning

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Tail chasing

DESIGN

REVIEW

IMPLEMENT

The planning process?

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School philosophy

(Mission vision)

DESIGNREVIEW

IMPLEMENTEVALUATE

The school development planning process

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Elements of School Guidance Elements of School Guidance PlanPlan

• What does the school aim to provide? (Aims)• Who benefits? (Targets)• What outcomes are intended? (Objectives)• How can these be achieved? (Activities)• With what resources? (Resources)• How will it be known whether or not the objectives

have been achieved? (Monitoring and review)(NCGE, 2004)

Elements of School Guidance Elements of School Guidance PlanPlan

DescriptionV

SMART action planning

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By now, you shouldBy now, you should

• Know why we should plan• Know what a plan might look like• Be comfortable with your good

practice• Be reasonably reassured

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Colum Layton, Cigire Iarbhunoideachais Treorach, An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta, 1A An Meal Theas, Corcaigh. Fón: 076110 8512 Fón póca: 087 9054910 r-phost: colum_layton@education.gov.ie

Colum Layton, Post-Primary Inspector of Guidance, Department of Education and Science, 1A South Mall, Cork.Phone: 076110 8512 Mobile: 087 9054910 e-mail: colum_layton@education.gov.ie

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