In the 2023/24 school year St. Rynagh’s N.S. wishes to consider wellbeing in our school.

If we wish to consider wellbeing we need to define what is meant by wellbeing.  The Department of Education uses the World Health Organisation 2001 definition of wellbeing.  We will use the same definition.

Wellbeing is present when a person realises their potential, is resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life, takes care of their physical wellbeing and has a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to a wider community.  It is a fluid way of being and needs nurturing throughout life.  WHO 2001

Children need their home, school and community to give them a sense of wellbeing.  As they age they need to become more independent in giving themselves a sense of wellbeing.   We aim in St. Rynagh’s N.S. to help to give our pupils a sense of wellbeing and to help to develop in them an awareness of their wellbeing along with the skills to care for their wellbeing.

We will consider wellbeing in four key areas.

1. Culture and Environment.

Along with more concerns this area covers questions such as: -

Do pupils feel safe?

Are the grounds and school building well maintained and do the school grounds and timetable give the pupils enough time to eat healthily and play?

Can the pupils ask for help in school?

2. Curriculum

Along with more concerns this area covers questions such as: -

Is the curriculum differentiated where appropriate so each child can achieve worthwhile, realistic curricular goals?

Is wellbeing considered in different curricular areas?

3. Policy and Planning

Along with other concerns this covers concerns such as: -

Does the school have realistic expectations of pupils, parents and teachers in their policies?

Does the school have a child protection policy in place?

4. Relationships and Partnerships

Along with other concerns this covers questions such as: -

Do the Principal and school staff deal respectfully with pupils, teachers, parents, visitors and each other?

Does the school have good cooperative relationships with local groups, professional bodies, the Department of Education and all other partners in education?

The questions we have listed under 4 key area are not definitive.  They are samples of the concerns that each area covers.

The questionnaires and focus groups that follow will be used as information gathering to help us consider wellbeing in St. Rynagh’s.

Ireland has an internationally recognised literary tradition.   We have four Nobel Laureates for literature.  Poets and writers have spent lifetimes considering wellbeing.   We will consider their writings on wellbeing also.

We will also consider the DES Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for practice.

Analyse and Make Judgements.

Having gathered evidence we have analysed the evidence and decided which key area we judge most appropriate for our school.

The evidence does not direct us unequivocally to any key area.  The poet Patrick Kavanagh tells us that “God is in the bits and pieces of every day.”  The Great Hunger.   We will focus on Culture and Environment as Culture and Environment dictates how we approach Curriculum, Policy Planning, Relationships and Partnerships.

Statements of Effective Practice to be Considered.

• The wellbeing of the whole school community is central to the school’s ethos. Every action we take has a reaction and it is imperative that we give full consideration to our actions and policies and the consequences of these actions and policies for ourselves and others.
• The school communicates with parents. Parents have been canvased or consulted about how they find communication.   Parents are happy with Parent Teacher meetings, teacher’s notes, phone communications and online communications.  They would rather that school notices be communicated electronically.
• It is recognised by school leaders that all members of staff and the entire school community have a role in wellbeing. All members of staff were consulted in our survey.  All members of staff understand that they play an active role in promoting wellbeing and their voices are heeded by the principal.
• The relationship between academic progress and a child’s wellbeing is understood. All our staff endeavour to know the pupils so they are given challenges that are achievable by them and consequently support their wellbeing.
• There is a positive approach to discipline where issues are resolved with care, respect and consistency. Our code of behaviour supports this but we will review our code of behaviour in consequence to the publication of the Cineáltas document.  We will also factor in any relevant responses to our wellbeing questionnaires to our review.
• The school recognises that wellbeing is as important for staff as it is for children. The staff wellbeing is considered through ensuring their workload is sustainable.  We are conscious that “a strong top down specification of the way things are to be done and this trend, coupled with much greater demands for paperwork returns tend to foster feelings among teachers of being more functionaries than professionals.” (D.E.S. International Section, OECD Attracting Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers).  We look after teachers’ wellbeing through ensuring that they are not engaged in sisyphean tasks.  This requires constant vigilance.  The preparation for teaching and learning guidance is welcome in this regard.  The BOM pay for the milk, tea and coffee for staff breaks as a contribution to staff wellbeing.
• Opportunities for continuing professional development are provided to teachers to ensure they have the relevant knowledge and understanding. This we do throughout the school year.  We also allow teachers who undertake courses in their own time to take EPV days where appropriate.
• Opportunities are provided for children and parents to have an active voice in decisions relating to school improvement. This is done through focus groups, committee groups, parents’ association, BOM and informally through having an open communication policy with parents and a discursive environment in class where appropriate.  An example of parental voice this school year is the moving of notifications to parents to an electronic format.  An example of pupils voice this school year is that following the RSE lessons girls from 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes have permission to use their class toilets during yard rather than the yard toilet as they requested.
• The school building, grounds etc. are well maintained and appropriately furnished creating a welcoming, safe, warm environment. Great care is taken of the school.  We believe that if we take care of the school the pupils will be encouraged to do so also.  The yard is built and organised to allow for both sports and meaningful interactions between pupils in their own class groupings to encourage friendships.  Examples of the care taken with the building are ensuring that all classrooms are painted yellow to create a warm environment with the wall at the top of the classroom painted orange in order to naturally draw the attention of the pupils to the front of the room when necessary.  There are photographs of the pupils at play in the hall corridor to compensate for the absence of windows.  These examples are illustrative of our attention to the school environment as is the presence of panel boards.
• The indoor space displays the work, talents and accomplishments of young people. We use our notice boards in the classrooms and corridors to do this.    We also use the cabinet outside the secretary’s office.
• The school building is accessible for all children. We take care to ensure that all our pupils can be involved in all activities and can access all parts of the school.  We ensure corridors are clear of obstacles.
• School leaders and management understand the link between physical activity and wellbeing and facilitate physical activity and movement breaks within the school environment. Physical activity is not only managed through PE but also through our management of our breaks and yard.  Pupils eat during the 10 minutes allocated to roll call allowing for a longer session of physical activity on the yard.  We also organise our yard to give encouragement to physical activity.  Movement breaks are organised through our SNAs and class teachers.  Teachers take classes out for movement breaks such as library visits, 1^st class yard trails and 6^th class walks.
• Indoor and outdoor space is provided to facilitate social interaction, physical activity and quiet time. We use our SNAs to give quiet time to pupils.  Our outdoor space between yard and the garden area is organised also to facilitate social interaction, physical activity and quiet time.
• The school environment is conductive to promoting healthy eating choices. Drinking water is encouraged and rewards other than food are used to motivate children.  In 2023 we used the Primary Curriculum Framework to design a timetable that promotes healthy eating.  In 2023 we also canvased our pupils, staff and parents in relation to our healthy eating policy in order to promote healthy eating choices.

Wellbeing Statement of Effective Practice for Some and a Few.

• The school demonstrates commitment to identifying, including and providing targeted supports for children experiencing barriers and challenges to wellbeing and learning. We always consider our pupils progress emotionally, cognitively and physically.  We endeavour to ensure that pupils who struggle with resilience in dealing with the normal stresses of their life are supported and taught to be more resilient.  If necessary targets relating to resilience will be in children’s support plans and programmes of development delivered.
• Staff and pupils are welcoming and inclusive of those from different backgrounds. We are a culturally diverse school.  We have pupils who are environmentally disadvantaged alongside pupils whose home environment is very supportive of their development and wellbeing.  We have pupils with additional needs.  We have pupils in International Protection, pupils who have left Ukraine and pupils whose parents have travelled here to work in Banagher Concrete and Eliza Lodge, Nursing Home.  We consider the diverse needs of all our pupils when making decisions.   Our EAL policy is welcoming to pupils for whom English is a second or third language and is directed towards including them in learning activities.  Our behaviour policy is also welcoming and inclusive and ensures that pupils are tolerant of each other and difference.
• Our school supports teachers in attending CPD and reviews our Child Protection Risk Assessment annually. Our teachers are aware that they are mandated and are aware of signs and triggers relating to vulnerable pupils.
• The physical environment is modified to meet the needs of pupils with additional or complex needs. We have a garden which we use to meet these needs.  We try to use available spaces to target small groups requiring intervention.  These spaces vary from the P.E. Hall, learning support rooms, the wet area in a classroom, outside in the school grounds or the sensory room in the local library.  We are mindful of the spaces we have in this regard and are aware that we may need to rent another room locally if our enrolment of pupils from Ukraine increases significantly.  We will also endeavour to get as complete a profile as possible of new arrivals to our school.

Wellbeing Improvement Plan

Having completed our process of analysis and judgement we have some improvements that can be made this school year.

• Use electronic surveys to gain insights into parental opinions.
• Use focus groups and feedback from class discussions to gain insights into pupil opinions.
• Review our anti-bullying policy in light of the Cineáltas document, parental, staff and pupil opinion.
• Apply a timetable based on the Primary Curriculum Framework.
• Develop a new EAL support plan document that gathers useful information about children when they enrol.
• Maintain an understanding and awareness of wellbeing throughout the school.
• Ensure that the energy and enthusiasm of our school staff is used productively.

Putting the Plan into Action

• A member of our post holders or ISM team will host focus groups and create electronic surveys.
• Our anti-bullying policy will be reviewed in light of Cineáltas this school year.
• A timetable based on the Primary Curriculum has been devised and is in place.
• A new EAL support plan document has been devised and will be used with new pupils.
• We have a one-page document defining wellbeing and summarising how wellbeing is considered in the four key areas. This document will go on our website and all teachers can download it to keep in their file.
• We have devised a planning in St. Rynagh’s N.S. document which details how we endeavour to ensure the energy and enthusiasm of our school staff is productively used.

Evaluation

Evaluation of wellbeing is ongoing as it should be.  We will evaluate this action plan in June 2024 or September 2024.