At Le Chéile we recognise the importance, in terms of school improvement, of ongoing reflection, review and development. This culture of Self Evaluation is well embedded and we draw on a range of both quantitative and qualitative data to measure success and to signpost our next steps for improvement. We use a range of data collection methods, both formal and informal. These include: Teacher, Student and Parent Surveys, lesson observations, subject department meetings, interviews with teachers, feedback from Subject Inspection Reports and Exam data.
We have aligned our School Improvement Plan and our Digital Learning Plan to allow a symbiosis between both and to further enshrine technology as an integral part of our school improvement journey.
We have aligned our School Improvement Plan and our Digital Learning Plan to allow a symbiosis between both and to further enshrine technology as an integral part of our school improvement journey.

Our teachers and students have had many opportunities to showcase how we use technology in a dynamic and creative way. We welcome many visitors to our school on both a formal and informal basis and have been invited by the PDST in Technology to record best practice video across a wide range of subject areas as well as pieces on the promotion of technology in a leadership role.
Most recently through a ‘showcase’ classroom our students and teachers have shared their everyday experiences of teaching and learning with technology to a wider audience.
Our students have showcased the power of technology in developing collaborative practice, critical thinking skills and in giving life to creative ideas through successes in Reel Life Science, Young Scientist, the EPA Story of Your Stuff competition and the Fresh Film Competition.
Whilst not formal measures of success these celebrations highlight a digital technology story which others are eager to hear about and replicate, one which is deeply embedded across all aspects of school life and which we are immensely proud of.
To date we have only two cohorts of graduating students and progression to third level has been strong. Feedback from our past pupils indicate a preparedness for the demands of college in terms of self directed learning which they attribute to their experiences and the personalised and independent approach to learning which was nurtured throughout their time in school.
Most recently through a ‘showcase’ classroom our students and teachers have shared their everyday experiences of teaching and learning with technology to a wider audience.
Our students have showcased the power of technology in developing collaborative practice, critical thinking skills and in giving life to creative ideas through successes in Reel Life Science, Young Scientist, the EPA Story of Your Stuff competition and the Fresh Film Competition.
Whilst not formal measures of success these celebrations highlight a digital technology story which others are eager to hear about and replicate, one which is deeply embedded across all aspects of school life and which we are immensely proud of.
To date we have only two cohorts of graduating students and progression to third level has been strong. Feedback from our past pupils indicate a preparedness for the demands of college in terms of self directed learning which they attribute to their experiences and the personalised and independent approach to learning which was nurtured throughout their time in school.
Reel Life Science - The Anatomy of Movement
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Fresh Film - Zoo-m Meeting
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Qualitative Data - Feedback from the Inspectorate
At Le Chéile Secondary School we constantly review and refine our practices to ensure that we are offering the best possible learning experience for our students. We learn from and with each other and engage with the wider education community as a source of inspiration and a resource for new learning.
We welcome the feedback from subject inspections, sharing their observations with the school community, allowing all subject teams to benefit from these insights. It is particularly pleasing that the innovative use of technology has been highlighted as a strength of the school across all of our subject evaluations.
What the Inspectors say…
Le Chéile is a one-to-one device school. Senior management’s support for the successful integration of e-learning to support and enhance teaching and learning is to be commended.
Students do not have textbooks in JC and are solely reliant on teacher-created curricular content. This requires considerable work by teachers and it is commendable that subject teams share resources and plan collaboratively to achieve this.
Effective examples noted in lessons included the display of student responses to questions, use of video clips, and the online platform to share homework and reflect on progress.
Students’ used tablet devices effectively in lessons to research, share learning, and record materials provided by the teacher.
A whole-school learning environment, including spaces such as the learning plaza, which supports creativity and collaboration is evident throughout’’. Whole School Evaluation 2019
‘’All lessons were very well prepared. A range of teacher-generated supplementary materials, including ICT, was used creatively and effectively in most lessons. Students used tablet devices to collaborate, and share ideas and learning through a range of digital platforms. This was most effective where students had the opportunity to apply their shared learning, and to use collated ideas to inform further activities’’ SPHE Subject Inspection 2018
“The effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) to engage students and support their learning was observed frequently during the evaluation” English Subject Inspection 2018
We welcome the feedback from subject inspections, sharing their observations with the school community, allowing all subject teams to benefit from these insights. It is particularly pleasing that the innovative use of technology has been highlighted as a strength of the school across all of our subject evaluations.
What the Inspectors say…
Le Chéile is a one-to-one device school. Senior management’s support for the successful integration of e-learning to support and enhance teaching and learning is to be commended.
Students do not have textbooks in JC and are solely reliant on teacher-created curricular content. This requires considerable work by teachers and it is commendable that subject teams share resources and plan collaboratively to achieve this.
Effective examples noted in lessons included the display of student responses to questions, use of video clips, and the online platform to share homework and reflect on progress.
Students’ used tablet devices effectively in lessons to research, share learning, and record materials provided by the teacher.
A whole-school learning environment, including spaces such as the learning plaza, which supports creativity and collaboration is evident throughout’’. Whole School Evaluation 2019
‘’All lessons were very well prepared. A range of teacher-generated supplementary materials, including ICT, was used creatively and effectively in most lessons. Students used tablet devices to collaborate, and share ideas and learning through a range of digital platforms. This was most effective where students had the opportunity to apply their shared learning, and to use collated ideas to inform further activities’’ SPHE Subject Inspection 2018
“The effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) to engage students and support their learning was observed frequently during the evaluation” English Subject Inspection 2018
Quantitative Data - Feedback from Parents & Teachers
Feedback from our students, parents and teachers is gathered on a regular basis as part of our School Self Evaluation Cycle. We recognise the importance of each stakeholder's voice in informing our targets for improvement and our continuous professional development cycle.
The way in which we deploy iPads to our New Intake students and the format of our iPad Information Evening have been revised in light of feedback from parents and data gathered through a research project on Parent Engagement by two of our teachers as part of a Middle Leadership Training programme.
The way in which we deploy iPads to our New Intake students and the format of our iPad Information Evening have been revised in light of feedback from parents and data gathered through a research project on Parent Engagement by two of our teachers as part of a Middle Leadership Training programme.
Building Capacity
As a developing school our student numbers continue to grow year on year and with that our teacher numbers. We have grown from a staff of eight in 2014 to a staff of 75 in 2020. In the last three years we have welcomed just under 30 new teachers to Le Chéile. These teachers, when surveyed reported significant improvements in their ICT competency levels since joining Le Chéile and attribute this to immersion in the use of technology, informal CPD, collaboration with colleagues and formal CPD.
Feedback from Parents
Input from parents on an annual basis indicates that they recognise the potential of technology in supporting their child's learning. We use our Open Evenings and Parent Information evenings as an opportunity to message and reinforce our rationale and vision for the use of technology as a tool for learning. Below is some feedback from our most recent survey:
1. Since beginning to use an iPad for learning I feel my child's performance in school has improved.
Strongly Agree / Agree - 80.15%
Disagree - 15.85%
Strongly Disagree - 4%
2. Do you feel your child now asks, or is able to ask, more questions to teachers and/or other students about their work with the use of the iPad?
Strongly Agree / Agree - 73.68%
Disagree - 0%
Strongly Disagree - 0%
Unsure - 26.32%
3. In your opinion, has being able to use the iPad changed your child's attitude positively towards school?
Greatly - 45.11%
Somewhat - 42.11%
Not at all - 12.79%
4. Do you think your child receives more timely and valuable feedback on assignments from teachers because of the iPad?
Yes - 68.63%
No - 5.26%
Unsure - 26.11%
1. Since beginning to use an iPad for learning I feel my child's performance in school has improved.
Strongly Agree / Agree - 80.15%
Disagree - 15.85%
Strongly Disagree - 4%
2. Do you feel your child now asks, or is able to ask, more questions to teachers and/or other students about their work with the use of the iPad?
Strongly Agree / Agree - 73.68%
Disagree - 0%
Strongly Disagree - 0%
Unsure - 26.32%
3. In your opinion, has being able to use the iPad changed your child's attitude positively towards school?
Greatly - 45.11%
Somewhat - 42.11%
Not at all - 12.79%
4. Do you think your child receives more timely and valuable feedback on assignments from teachers because of the iPad?
Yes - 68.63%
No - 5.26%
Unsure - 26.11%