57 inspection reports published on Department's website

A total of 57 school inspection-reports were published28 January, 2010 on the Department of Education and Science website. New inspection reports on the web today include

• 9 whole-school evaluations (WSE) at primary level 4 whole-school evaluations at post-primary level including 12 subject inspections and 3 programme evaluations 27 stand-alone subject inspections
• 2 stand-alone programme evaluations

Since 6th February 2006, school inspection reports such as WSE and subject Inspections are published on the Department of Education and Science's website at regular intervals throughout the school year.

There are now 3423 school-inspection reports on the website, representative of 1533 schools or centres for education.

Whole-school evaluation reports comment on the school's management, planning and management of resources; the effectiveness of teaching and learning; its arrangements for student assessment, supports for students, provision for minority groups and home-school links. Depending on the size of the school, an inspector or team of inspectors visit the school for a period of time to evaluate management and planning; teaching and learning and supports for pupils. Following this evaluation phase of WSE, inspectors discuss the findings and recommendations with school management and members of the teaching staff. This is followed by factual verification of the report and a timescale is also built into the process for the school to respond to the WSE report.

At the end of this process the WSE report and school response (if the school has made a response) are published simultaneously on the Department's website.

Subject-inspection reports evaluate the teaching and learning of specific subjects in second-level schools.

A number of subjects can be inspected as part of a WSE or a school can have a stand-alone subject inspection. 57 subject-inspection reports are published today including subject inspections of Art, Mathematics,Gaeilge, English, German, Geography, Home Economics,Guidance, Music, Physical Education, Science, Science and Biology, Science and Physics, Special Education Needs, SPHE and CSPE.

All inspection reports, including those published 28 January, 2010 are accessible via the link below.
http://www.education.ie/insreports/school_inspection_report_listing.htm