The Conference began with Luke Monahan, National Co-ordinator outlining the work of IAPCE over the previous ten years. Recognising that this was the tenth Anniversary of the Association, he talked about the various conferences and publications and courses that IAPCE had organised over the ten years. In particular he recognised the contribution of Sr. Una Collins as the person who had the initial inspiration to organise a committee who prepared for the launch of IAPCE in April 1996. And mention was made of the members of the IAPCE Executive over the years and their contribution and generosity was recognised. He then went on to introduce the work of the conference. 

Implementing the Task Force 

Ned Prendergast, the development Officer of IAPCE introduced the first keynote speaker Dr. Maeve Martin, also an Executive Member of IAPCE. She was speaking as the Chair of the task Force on Student Behaviour. IAPCE was fortunate to be the first major educational group to deal with the recently published Report. Maeve began by exploring the terms of reference of the Task Force. She then went on to talk about the composition of the Task Force, recognising the number of classroom teachers and the principals and many others involved in education directly and from a variety of perspectives that made up the Task Force. She outlined the way in which the Task Force worked and the main findings of the Task Force. In particular she pointed out that there were in fact 700 school discipline landscapes across the nation that it was a minority of students who caused a lot of the difficulties in schools, but that minority seems to be on the increase. Many schools feel disempowered, she maintained in their capacity to deal satisfactorily with the difficulties. But in her view and in that of the Task Force it was important to keep a perspective on the issues of student discipline. She continued to explore with conference the types of disruption that were met by teachers in schools. Moving from the non-stop talking and the ignoring of teacher, to threats on the teacher, to apathy and to acting out behaviour and also very serious behaviour.  

She discussed then with conference the features of schools that cope:

 • A culture and ethos that is respectful and pastoral
 • Schools that are listening
 • Communicates its vision and values 
 • A code of behaviour is implemented fairly
 • Good structures are in place
 • Leadership is hands on and visible in the fabric of the school 
 • Students are empowered 
 • Parents are supportive 
 • The curriculum is presented in an attractive way

Considerable time was given to the recommendations that were being put forward by the Task Force for schools.

 Recommendations For Schools: 
• Policies implemented to ensure a whole school approach to preventing and dealing with issues 
• Curriculum sensitively chosen 
• Quality of leadership and competence of staff 
• Time for Care Team to function • Interagency collaboration 
• Consideration of a Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for the school community 
• Good transfer programmes from primary to secondary • Empowerment of Students – Student Councils

 Recommendations for Department of Education and Science: 
• Implementation of the report’s Recs 
• Revisit the legislation 
• Update the circulars 
• Expand the provision of off-site provision ie Youthreach and Youthreach Encounter Projects 
• Examine the other out-of-school provision 
• Set up a Behaviour Support Team 
• Establish Behaviour support Classrooms • Expand NEPS 
• Develop a discipline survey instrument 
• Reduce class size 

Recommendations for others: 
• Parental involvement that is meaningful and supportive 
• Teacher Education and CPD providers to ensure that teachers are 
  adequately prepared for the realities that they face in today’s classrooms 
• Dissemination of good practice 

All of the information from the Task Force is available on line at www.education.gov.ie

 UK Perspective

Following coffee, Dr. John Visser from the University of Birmingham was then introduced by Anne Potts. He sought to outline the experience of the United Kingdom. Dr. Visser started by discussing what he saw as the problems around student behaviour. Issues around gender, age and numbers, economic status and ethinicity were highlighted. He recognised issues around violence and defiance and sexualised behaviours. Obviously there are major incidents which may not be frequent but the certainly loom large in perception. He went on to discuss what he called the seven ages of teaching and how issues impact at different ages. He discussed what he termed verities discovered. 

Among them were:
• The belief that behaviour can change 
• That prevention beats intervention 
• Instructional reactions 
• Transparency in communications 
• Empathy not sympathy 
• Boundaries and challenges 
• Positive relationships 
• Humour 

He went on to explore each of those verities in some detail. Copies of his presentation are available from a.k.Edwards@bham.co.uk ask for the Irish Association of Pastoral Care in Education presentation.

 St. John's Centre

 Following lunch, a panel of speakers was then introduced by Luke Monahan. The aim of the panel was to access best practice for participants and also to allow participants engage with the panel of the morning as well as the afternoon speakers. Sr. Antoinette Keelan of the St. Johns Centre in Glasnevin introduced the centre and its work. This Centre was set up by the Holy Faith and De La Salle congregations in 1999. The centre was based on two successful projects in Liverpool and Birmingham for students Catholic Schools in both cities in danger of being excluded from their schools because of behaviour problems.

 The aim of the centre is to: 
• Target students at risk 
• To support students with their parents and their schools 
   so that they may remain in the school and benefit from what is being offered 
• To give the students a time out period from school while offering an opportunity to see themselves differently 
• To provide a safe environment for students 
• To look at the issues, which are causing them problems
  at schools and help them face the reality of their own misbehaviours 
• To provide extensive in-depth counselling 
• To consult with, and advise, the school in preparation for the return of the student to mainstream school 
• To follow up with support for the student in the school after the return of the student to his or her school Antoinette went on to explore what it was that makes St. Johns different.

 In that she discussed: 
• The code of conduct 
• That they were interested in opportunity not punishment 
• That the students remain as students that they were provided with a confidential and safe place 
• That no labels would be put upon them 
• That ongoing support would be provided 
• They even looked at issues such as diet 
• Underlying that the importance of the students choice to come to the centre

St. Peter's College

 Following time for discussion by participants the conference then went on to listen to Eamon Gaffney, principal of St. Peter’s College in Dunboyne who looked at the structures that have been established in the school in relation to student behaviour. He began by giving us a profile of his second year showing that a high proportion of his students were well behaved. That acceptable behaviour was given by most. That about 10% of the cohort of his second year were referred for further intervention regularly.

 He talked through the key approaches that were used:
• Dialogue 
• Empowering the tutor 
• Avoiding what he called the formula approach 
• Looking at a creative approach to dealing with issues 
• A low reliance on suspension 
• Finding a response that fitted the crime or the issue 

Some strong features he felt were in the structure in the school were: 
• Team teaching • A name was given to the class 
• A very strong anti-bullying environment 
• Planned meetings of staff 
• Every opportunity was used to praise 
• A morning assembly for the whole school 
• Importance of the whole school development committee 
• Extra curricular programme He outlined what he saw as the key outcomes of the approach that they follow in the school. 
• Issues of discipline are not brought to staff meetings 
• Visitors constantly remark on the relationship between teachers and students 
• Emphasis is on teaching and learning and not on discipline

 School Completion Programme 

The final speaker of the panel section of the conference was Aidan Savage, National Co-ordinator of the School Completion Programme, He discussed the overall objective of the programme as it aims to have a significant positive impact on the levels of young peoples retention in first and second level schools. Currently he said the School Completion Programme is offered in 82 clusters, encomising 304 primary schools and 112 post primary schools. Supports are offered during school hours to support young people targeted by the programme, such as learning support. Also there is after-school support such as breakfast and homework clubs an also out of school supports are offered to young people who have left the school system before the statutory age. Having outlined some of the statistics of retention rates Aidan went on to discuss the impact of the programme on student behaviour. He maintained that there is a close relationship between emotional behavioural difficulties and risk of early school leaving. The majority of the programme supports focus on improving the academic attainment and the social personal development of the targeted young people. This focus positively impacts on challenging behaviour demonstrated by some of the people targeted by the School Completion Programmes. 

He was very keen to emphasise the importance of preventative measures, such as: 
• Incentives and rewards 
• Mentoring programmes 
• Social and personal development 
• Anger management 
• Creating a courteous ambiance within the school 
• Restorative practises 
• Always emphasise the importance of knowing the child 
• Positive behaviour plans • Individual educational plans 
• Ongoing staff training around crisis intervention. 
• Whole school approach. 
• Strong co-operation between the care team 

Following the panel presentations, further time was given for the participants to discuss among themselves the issues raised and also to raise questions with the panel. The final speaker was Seamus O’Brien of the Centre for Education Services, Marino Institute, who already is involved in providing a range of training and in-service supports and resources to schools. He outlined some of the issues and some of the areas that he provides provision, elsewhere noted in this newsletter. The conference ended on time at 3.59pm (!) and some time was given to complete a review the work of IAPCE and assistance in helping it plan its future, details of which are also included in this newsletter.