Read more: Policies

SSE School Self-Evaluation

Overview: What is SSE?

School self-evaluation empowers our school community in St Brigid’s Girls’ NS to identify and affirm good practice, and to identify and take action on areas that merit improvement. School self-evaluation is primarily about schools taking ownership of their own development and improvement. School self-evaluation was formally introduced into the Irish school system in 2012 as a collaborative, reflective process of internal school review, focused on school improvement.

School self-evaluation is a collaborative, inclusive, reflective process of internal school review.

During school self-evaluation the principal and teachers, under the direction of the board of management and the patron and in consultation with parents and students, engage in reflective enquiry on the work of the school.

It is an evidence-based approach which involves gathering information from a range of sources and making judgements with a view to bringing about improvements in students’ learning.

Self-evaluation requires a school to address the following key questions with regards to an aspect or aspects of its work:

• How well are we doing?
• How do we know?
• How can we find out more?
• What are our strengths?
• What are our areas for improvement?
• How can we improve?

The Six-Stage approach:

The first three steps of the framework outline the investigation phase of the process. This stage can be used for scoping out and developing the improvement plan and preparing for its implementation.

The school self-evaluation process begins with the identification of an area for focus and inquiry through teachers’ own understanding and knowledge of their school context. This is followed by the gathering of evidence with regard to the area chosen. The evidence is then analysed and judgments are made regarding the school’s current strengths and areas for improvement.

The next step ensures that schools retain a record of the evaluation and describe the actions for improvement. This takes place during, or at the end of, the investigation phase. The resulting school self-evaluation report and improvement plan is shared with the school community.

The improvement plan is then put into action and is monitored and evaluated over the course of its three-year implementation until practice becomes embedded. The cycle can then begin again, focusing on either a new area which has been identified, or returning to the same area to seek further, deeper improvement.

Current Focuses St Brigid’s GNS 2025:

Assessment

• Evidence Gathered
• Analysis & Judgement
• Improvement Plan
• Plan in Action

New Primary Maths Curriculum

• Piloting Maths Talk Implemention 
• Gathering evidence May 2025

Wellbeing

•   pdf Data from Wellbeing Survey- Parents (1.05 MB)
• pdf Wellbeing Improvement Plan (91 KB)
• Snapshot reviews on target attainment 
• Review due October 2025

Homework

• pdf Data Parents Homework Survey 2023 (319 KB)
• pdf Homework Improvement Plan (93 KB)
• Data from Parents re-survey December 2023: Senior Classes / Junior Classes
• Revised Homework Improvement Plan 
• Qualitative Data from Inspectorate, PA and Assessment Improvement Plan
• Home Improvement Plan 2 

Digital Strategy

• Data SELFIE School Report 21 22
• Data SELFIE School Report 22 23
• Analysis & Judgement
• Improvement Plan

ENROLMENT FOR JUNIOR INFANTS SEPTEMBER 2026 WILL TAKE PLACE FROM MONDAY JANUARY 5TH 2026

OUR ADMISSIONS & ENROLMENT POLICY IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW AND WILL BE UPDATED PRE-ENROLMENT 

Board of Management

Primary schools have been governed by boards of management since 1975. The Education Act 1998 puts the system on a statutory basis and sets out the responsibilities of the boards. The composition of the board of management reflects an agreement between school patrons, national associations of parents, school management organisations, teacher representatives and the Minister for Education and Science. The board is appointed by the patron. In making appointments, the patron must comply with Ministerial directions about gender balance.

Functions of the board

The board’s main function is to manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and to provide an appropriate education for each student at the school. In carrying out its functions, the board must:

×         Act in accordance with Ministerial policy

×         Uphold the ethos of the school and be accountable to the patron for this. The word ethos is not used in the Education Act 1998. It is described in the Act as the “characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school”.

×         Act in accordance with the law and with any deed, charter, or similar instrument relating to the school.

×         Consult with and inform the patron of decisions and proposals

×         Publish the school’s policy on admission to and participation in the school, including its policy on expulsion and suspension of students, admission and participation by students with disabilities or with other special educational needs

×         Ensure that the school’s admissions policy respects the choices of parents and the principles of equality and that it complies with Ministerial directions, having regard to the school ethos and the constitutional rights of all concerned

×         Have regard for the principles and requirements of a democratic society and promote respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in our society

×         Have regard to the efficient use of resources (particularly the grants provided by the state), the public interest in the affairs of the school and accountability to students, parents and the community

×         Use the resources provided by the state to make reasonable provision and accommodation for students with disabilities or special needs, including, if necessary, the adaptation of buildings or provision of special equipment

How boards of management operate

The role and method of operation of boards of management of primary schools was agreed by the Department of Education and Science, the school managers, parents and teachers in 2003. The Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedures (2007) set out the principles on which it is based:

×         Governance structures for schools should respond to the diversity of school types, ownership and management structures that is the central feature of the structure of Irish education at primary level.

×         Governance structures should reflect the plurality of Irish society, including the rights and needs of minority groups.

×         The composition of boards should reflect and promote participation and partnership in the running of schools among patrons/trustees/owners/governors, parents, teachers and the wider community.

×         The composition and operation of boards of management should reflect and promote public accountability to the immediate community served by the school and to the state as the predominant source of funding for schools.

×         The recognition of the responsibility of patrons/trustees/owners/governors to maintain and promote a distinctive ethos in their schools and to ensure the practical means to discharge this responsibility.

×         Board practice should facilitate and promote commitment by parents to the affairs of the school and the functioning of an effective parents’ association.

×         The Rules also frequently refer to the need to communicate with parents and staff and the school community, for example, they state that the board “shall pursue a policy of openness and have a positive approach to sharing information with the school community”.

×         The board must have a procedure for informing parents about its activities – this could include an annual report.

Who is on the board?

The composition of the board of management for schools is:

×         Two direct nominees of the patron

×         Two parents of children enrolled in the school (one mother and one father) elected by the parents

×         The principal

×         One other teacher elected by the teaching staff

×         Two extra members agreed by the representatives of the patron, teachers and parents.

×         There are certain criteria set out for choosing the 2 community representatives on the board of management:

×         The people appointed must have a commitment to the ethos of the school. In the case of Catholic schools, they must have an understanding of and commitment to Catholic education as outlined in the Deed of Trust for Catholic Schools.

×         They must have skills that are complementary to the board’s requirements

×         They must be interested in education but normally should not be parents of students currently attending the school or teachers currently on the staff

×         The need to maintain a gender balance must be a consideration

×         The patron appoints the chairman of the board, usually the local parish priest in the case of Catholic schools.

The Rules set out in detail how the parents’ representatives are to be chosen, including the notice to be given to all parents, how replacements are chosen, etc.

In general, members of the board may not hold any interest in the school property or get paid for serving on the board. The Education Act 1998 explicitly clarifies that being on the board does not confer any property interest on a board member. Employees, other than the teacher representatives, may not be on the board.