The Board of Management of Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone has welcomed the “affirmations afforded to the entire school community” in the Department of Education report on the school, published this week.
The report highlighted concern about a range of issues including the style of management of the former principal, inaccurate recording of attendance, and infrequent staff meetings.
However, it also praised the quality of teaching, the active student council, and the wealth of extra-curricular activities and facilities on offer to the school’s pupils.
In its official school response to the Department of Education report, the school’s board of management said it had already implemented many of the report’s recommendations, and is “determined to engage with all school partners in the ongoing process of full implementation”.
A representative for the board of management declined to comment further when contacted yesterday.
Since the report was carried out, a new principal, Sr Margaret O’Reilly has taken over the running of the school. However the report was critical of the leadership style of the former principal, which it describes as “close control and supervision of all aspects of school life”. It recommended the development of a “more democratic and participative style of management”.
It found that the board of management was not functioning as it should. While board members were found to be “dedicated in their service to the school and committed to its future development”, members reported that they had not been consulted about a range of management issues and that they were not involved in decision-making.
“As a result the board has not yet developed a proactive leadership role nor has it been able to execute its responsibilities to guide the current management of the school and lead it into the future,” the report found.
There was also concern over the accuracy of methods of recording attendance, with documentation revealing significant absenteeism.
However, the report was also strong in its praise for the school’s broad and balanced curriculum, and the “broad range of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities... available in the school which enhances the artistic, cultural, aesthetic, sporting and social development of students”.
“Members of staff are commended for their energy and commitment in providing all of the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities available to students in the school,” stated the report.
It also found that “the quality of teaching and learning in the subjects evaluated was very good”, and that members of the student council were “capable, enthusiastic and committed to social justice and environmental concerns”.
“It was evident that teachers generally set high expectations of students and this is also reflected in analyses of student achievement in the State examinations,” the report added.
Wednesday’s Irish Independent featured some of the report’s findings, saying it “strongly criticised the running of a well known girls’ secondary school”.
Our Lady’s Bower was founded by the La Sainte Union order, and has about 700 pupils, including 130 boarders.
