M1

1. www.pdst.ie
Setting Sail 2
Leo Hogan & Ed O’Donovan

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• Health & Safety
• Teacher Induction
• Communications
• Paperwork
• Planning
Topics

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• Creating a safe environment:
– Remember, the educational welfare of the
students takes precedence over all other
considerations
• Child Protection Policy, Anti-Bullying, Critical Inc
– Your role as Health & Safety Officer should not
be overlooked. You must have:
• H&S Policy with risk assessments for all areas
• Fire Safety Register – need for a consultant?
Health & Safety

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• Has each staff member got a copy of
– the Safety Statement/ H&S Policy?
– The Child Protection Policy?
– The Dignity in the Workplace Policy?
• Has relevant training been provided?
• Are there duties/responsibilities assigned to
staff in policies? Are they aware of these?
• Should you provide staff with First Aid
training?
Health & Safety Checks

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• Does the H&S Policy reflect the current
infrastructure? Extensions etc?
• Does it oblige you (BOM) to write an annual
report or other task?
• Location of fire hoses, fire extinguishers,
defibs, first aid kits
• Sign in/out procedures for part-time workers.
Working Alone Policy?
• Keys – have you access to all parts of the
building? Emergency etc.
Health & Safety Checks

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• See www.teacherinduction.ie (NIPT)
• What is the school policy?
• Workshops at Education Centres
• There may be trained facilitators on staff
• School mentor, possibly the DP
• Invitation to schools to participate in
Droichead for 2017/2018
• Droichead Policy updated in June 2017 – see
www.teachingcouncil.ie
Teacher Induction

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• Mobile number & Email address for every
staff member, including non-teachers
• Texting service and group email for staff,
families or using a school app
• Use of website, and other online systems
(Google apps, Office 365, Edmodo,
Schoology, Moodle, Schoolwise)
• Newsletters
• Teacher-student emails: safe system
General Communications

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• Letter to staff with a clear schedule of the
‘return to school’ process – who is required
and when?
• If timetables are incomplete, be careful
about half-days. Use ‘draft timetable’.
• If new to the school, perhaps a staff photo?
If so, let staff know in advance & include all
staff
Staff

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• Induction procedures for each year group
– Clarify roles of Class teacher, Year Head, DP & P
at induction
– What teachers are needed?
• Croke Park hours
– teachers on reduced hours
– Was the calendar and deployment of hours
ratified by BOM?
N.B:Confirmation of Attendance to Salaries DES
Staff

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• Trustee contact(s) – when/why?
– BOM Minutes, finance, reports
– Permission to alter property
– Advice
• Local principals’ network
• DES: Salaries, Allocations
• Support: NAPD, Mgt body, Trade Union,
• HSE, Garda, NEPS, TUSLA
Others

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• File for teaching staff members
– Allocations schedule for 2017/18 from DES
– Seniority lists for POR and Redeployment
– Full list of staff including those on career breaks,
secondments, job-shares, other leave
– Non-permanent staff: copies of letters,
incremental forms, yearly status, contracts from
their starting dates
– Determine CID possibilities
– Did you receive a curricular concession?
Staff Paperwork

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• Other staff (www.employmentrights.ie)
– Contract – hours, duties, rates, holidays
– H&S: inservice?
– How do you record time worked?
– Safety of workers in the building after hours:
working alone policy
– Keyholders, locking-up etc
– Contract staff: cleaners, security
Staff Paperwork

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• Learning Support and allocation of
Resource Hours – how/when?
• Information on students with special needs
– disemmination of this info to staff
• Subject levels – who takes HL? System?
• System for compiling accurate class lists for
database – must be done by mid-
September
Organisation Paperwork

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• How will students know where to go on the
first morning?
• Lockers, books, journals, jackets/uniform –
systems
• School Meals Programme?
• Introducing yourself to classes if new to
school – how, when?
• Student Council – election procedures
Students

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• First letter to parents – introduction,
opportunity to make a good impression,
ensure it’s not just about the money!
• Encourage involvement
• Parent Council
– The first meeting, parameters
– Agenda for the year, guest speaker?
– Role in School Self-Evaluation (SSE)
Parents

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• Reinforce policies on
uniform/hair/jewellery (the messy things)
• Systems for contacting the school
• Page on school website for Parents to
manage? PC slot in Newsletters?
• Online portal, Moodle, Texting Service
• Information on fees/charges for the year for
different year groups
Parents

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• Schools page in local paper? System?
• Groups that may use school facilities
• Night Classes
• TY Computer classes for retired people
• Parent/student classes or classes for
parents in Maths etc
• Requests by clubs to promote their
activities?
Community

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• Renovate, move?
• Secure filing system and record-keeping:
who has access to office and records?
• Diary – record all calls, meetings & facts
• System for students, teachers and parents
to meet you
• Work desk and a ‘meeting’ desk
Your Office

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• Vetting
• Has school literature and website been
updated to reflect your appointment?
• Alarm codes – who has them?
• Computer backups – system?
• Access codes for texting service, OLCS etc (NB.
The principal only is the approver for OLCS)
• Policies, Sept (DTR) & Oct Returns
General Admin

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• DLP – stated in BOM minutes and posted
around the school
• Designate power to suspend for up to 3
days – delegated at your 1st BOM meeting
• POR review, especially if you’ve had
retirements
• Remember all BOM agenda should include
Child Protection & Anti-Bullying Reports by
you & CP Policy reviewed annually
General Admin

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• Very important role for school and you –
familiarise yourself with the role to date,
contract, pay scale, holidays
• Mail, phone calls, visitors – procedures
• Accounts – preparation of financial reports
for BOM with finance c’ttee. Online banking
passwords; lodgements
• Interaction with other staff - role, social etc
Secretary

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• Also a VIP with a huge impact on you. You,
secretary and CT may be the only people in
the building, at times
• Familiarise yourself with the role to date,
contract, pay scale, holidays
• Security: opening & closing school,
interaction with security company, H&S
role, interaction with students
Caretaker