The Primary Language Curriculum is for children of all abilities in all school contexts and comprises both Irish and English. It recognises and supports pupils’ engagement with Irish and English at different stages and rates along their language-learning journey. It builds on the language knowledge and experience that pupils bring to the school and recognises that pupils will be at various stages. Schools cater for a wide diversity of needs by providing a differentiated learning experience for pupils in an inclusive school environment for both Irish and English. This is informed by the benefits of bilingualism for all pupils, as well as the principles of inclusion that underpin the Primary Language Curriculum. All pupils should be encouraged to study Irish and achieve a level of personal proficiency that is appropriate to their own personal needs and ability.
The Progression Continua in the Primary Language Curriculum provide a framework for teachers to identify the pupil’s stage of language development and to plan interventions that support the development of language skills and competences in Irish and in English in an integrated manner, emphasising the transferability of language skills across languages. Differentiation is a way of teaching in which teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources and learning activities in line with the identified needs of an individual and/or small groups of learners to maximize the learning opportunity for each learner in the classroom. The aim of differentiation is to ensure that each pupil can engage in purposeful and meaningful learning activities and to increase their motivation and enjoyment in order to support them in engaging with increasingly challenging tasks over time tasks over time. Teachers adapt teaching activities and resources in order that they build on the pupil’s identified strengths in response to need. Teachers give consideration to the distinctive characteristics and learning styles of individual pupils. This enables pupils to make progress in their language-learning journey at a rate that is appropriate for them
The Special Education Teaching Allocation model also allows mainstream schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools based on their identified learning needs in school. The deployment and use of these resources is at the discretion of the school and is based on the availability of resources and the identified needs of its pupils.
The Department has no plans for a pilot scheme of remote learning support.
There were 1,777 new entrants with a source of “School Abroad” for the specified standards in 2019-20.
2019
New Entrant Pupil Source Standard Enrolment
(Y/N) Description Description per Return
Y Schools Abroad Second Class 443
Y Schools Abroad Third Class 452
Y Schools Abroad Fourth Class 451
Y Schools Abroad Fifth Class 431
Grand Total 1,777
