Who is this template for?
This template is designed for the entire school community in Ireland involved in self-evaluation and improvement. It is ideal for Principals, Deputy Principals, Assistant Principals, Teachers, and Special Education Teachers (SETs). It also provides essential oversight for members of the Board of Management and Patron Bodies responsible for governance and accountability.
Why use this template?
This framework empowers your school to build a truly inclusive environment by translating national policy into practical, measurable actions. It provides a clear and consistent method for evaluating your provision for children with special educational needs.
- Ensures Alignment with National Standards: Structure your school's self-evaluation directly against the Department of Education's official framework. This ensures your internal review process is robust, consistent with external expectations, and prepares you for inspection.
- Provides a Clear Framework for Inclusion: The template breaks down the complex concept of inclusion into two distinct sections: the whole-school system (Section 1) and the tiered continuum of support (Section 2). This helps schools to methodically evaluate both their culture and their practical interventions.
- Offers a Visual Overview of Strengths and Gaps: The iAbacus format provides an immediate, at-a-glance view of which indicators are "Developed" and which are still "Developing." This makes it easy to identify priorities and communicate them clearly to the Board of Management and staff.
- Connects Culture to Practice: It helps school leaders see the direct link between foundational elements like "Inclusive School Culture" and "Wellbeing" and the effectiveness of classroom and individual student supports, fostering a holistic approach to improvement.
- Supports Evidence-Informed Planning: By evaluating against specific indicators like "Evidence-Informed Practice and Outcomes," the template prompts a move beyond anecdotal accounts to a more rigorous, data-informed approach for your School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and School Improvement Plan (SIP).
- Fosters Meaningful Collaboration: The structure encourages a whole-school conversation, bringing together the perspectives of leadership, class teachers, and special education teachers to build a shared understanding of needs and a collective commitment to action.
How does it work?
This template follows the standard, intuitive iAbacus process of judgement, verification with criteria, evidence gathering, and analysis of helping and hindering factors to create a targeted action plan.
The evaluation is structured across two key sections:
Section 1: The Whole-School System
- Inclusive Education System
- Inclusive School Culture
- A Collaborative Approach
- Wellbeing
- Engagement and Participation
- Child Centred and Needs Based
- Evidence-Informed Practice and Outcomes
- Governance and Accountability
Section 2: The Continuum of Support
- Classroom Support - All
- School Support - Some
- School Support Plus - Few
Gaining Strategic Insight
This template is perfectly suited for strategic oversight. A Principal can gain a holistic view of the school's inclusive practices by asking different teams—such as the In-School Management team, the Special Education Teacher (SET) team, and a group of mainstream class teachers—to each complete a separate evaluation. By using the iAbacus 'Overlay' feature, the Principal can instantly compare these perspectives. This might reveal that while leadership feels the "Inclusive Education System" is 'Developed', teachers feel that "A Collaborative Approach" is still 'Developing' in practice. This comparison provides invaluable, nuanced insight for the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process and helps create a more accurate and collaborative School Improvement Plan.
Clear, Professional Reporting
With one click, you can generate a professional, visually compelling PDF report from this evaluation. The primary audience is the school's Board of Management, as it serves as the key summary document for the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process. The report provides a clear, evidence-based overview of the school's performance against the national indicators and is a crucial document to provide to a Department of Education Inspector to demonstrate a robust and reflective self-evaluation process.
References / Source Material
How to Get Started
New to iAbacus? Discover how this template can support your improvement strategy. Book a personalised demo or start a free trial to explore the full platform. Visit www.iabacus.com to learn more.
Already a subscriber? You can find this template in the template library within your iAbacus account. Simply log in, create a new abacus, and select it from the list to get started.
