Education Schemes

Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Questions (492)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

492. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of pilot schemes currently underway in education; the nature of these schemes; and the locations where they are underway. [47893/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Education

There are currently 18 active pilot schemes currently underway and the information requested by the Deputy is provided below in tabular form:

Pilot Scheme	Nature of scheme	Location
Active School Flag Post Primary Pilot Scheme	Active School Flag (ASF) is an initiative of the Department of Education, supported by Healthy Ireland and administered through Mayo Education Centre. The aim of the programme is to get more schools, more active, more often. ASF is awarded to schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community.Currently, 46 post primary schools are working nationwide with the ASF team and University of Limerick to co-design a new ASF Post Primary (ASFPP) process.	Schools involved in pilot are located around Ireland.
Partnership Schools Ireland (PSI)	A joint initiative involving the Irish Primary Principals Network and the National Parents Council The work of a “Partnership School” is driven by an Action Team for Partnerships (ATP). Each school forms an ATP of approx. 8-16 people. The ATP consists of the Principal, other school staff, students, parents, and members of the wider community, and should be representative of the school community.	Primary and established in 2016.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)	Method of teaching a subject through a second language – Irish and Foreign Language strands. Year 3 – 2023/24. CLIL Irish CLIL Foreign Languages Irish – ELC, Primary and Post Primary levels. Foreign Languages – CPD for teachers model, followed by roll-out of Transition Year module by those teachers. 23/24 CPD scheme to be advertised in December 2023.	Countrywide.Irish: 29 ELC Settings; 65 Primary Schools;12 Post Primary Schools Countrywide.MFL: 20 Post Primary teachers in 2022/23.
Supporting Traveller and Roma (STAR) in education	Pilot project aimed at improving attendance, participation and retention among Traveller and Roma young people in education	Galway, Cork, Dublin, Wexford
City Connects	Provides a systemic approach to building a network of supports for children at risk of educational disadvantage.	Dublin- 10 North East Inner City primary schools
P-TECH	Educational initiative which combines post-primary school with elements of third-level education and workplace experience	Dublin- 5 North East Inner City post-primary schools
Teacher Sharing Scheme Pilot	Introduction of a teacher sharing scheme pilot, supporting schools to collaborate to provide high priority subjects, and to enhance the teaching hours available for those teachers employed on less than full hours.	Open to all post-primary schools, across the State.
Implementation Review Phase of Qualifications Advisory Board	Pilot of Review of Higher Education Qualifications for the Early Learning and Care Sector, to verify their continued adherence to the Professional Awards Criteria and Guidelines for the sector	A selection of Higher Education Institutions
Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot (CPS-P)	The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot will see the establishment of a programme of counselling and wellbeing/ mental health supports in a number of primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year. The Department of Education secured additional funding in Budget 2024 to continue the pilot for an additional year, until June 2025. Strand 1 provides one-to-one counselling support to a small number of children in primary schools in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. Strand 2 will see the establishment of Education Wellbeing and Mental Health Teams to support schools under the direction and supervision of NEPS. The focus of the support under Strand 2 is on strengthening whole-school preventative approaches. The Department of Education has partnered with Cork Education and Training as a strategic partner in this pilot.	Strand 1 is being piloted in Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. Strand 2 is being piloted in cluster areas in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16.
Towards Inclusion Pilot Programme	The overarching purpose of the programme is to provide for collaboration between mainstream and special schools in teaching, learning and assessment practices.	Across 12 locations nationally
Comprehensive Employment Strategy Pilot Programme	The aim of the Pilot is to support the young people in the participating schools to have available post-school avenues toward reaching their full potential.	Dublin and Galway
WALK Pilot Programme	The aim of the Pilot is to support school leavers with special educational needs to transition to mainstream further education, training, and employment.	Dublin, Dundalk, Drogheda, Cork, Mullingar and Cavan
National Nursing Programme Pilot for Children with Complex Healthcare Needs	The pilot nursing scheme will, for eligible students, extend the Paediatric Home Care Package (PHCP) from their home into the school setting. This will allow an agency nurse attend school with the student for an agreed number of hours per week, and travel to and from school with them, if necessary.	Nationwide
The School Inclusion Model (SIM) provides a systematic approach to building the capacity of school communities to meet the needs of students. The SIM model comprises two main sources of additional support for schools: a team of in-school therapists and enhanced support from NEPS.	SIM In-School Therapists work in partnership with teachers and schools with a view to creating inclusive school environments, designed to improve educational outcomes for all students.In addition to the work of the In-School Therapists, SIM has allowed for the provision of an enhanced service from the National Educational Psychological service (NEPS) to the SIM pilot schools.	HSE CHO Area 7: Kildare/West Wicklow, Dublin West, Dublin South City, Dublin South West
Small Schools Action Research Project	The project is aimed at supporting small rural schools by encouraging a number of small schools to cluster together in local groups, enabling them to collaborate and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions.	The project consists of six clusters of small schools (East and West Galway, Donegal, Waterford, Wicklow and Kerry), consisting of 3/4/5 schools per cluster.
Voluntary Redeployment	The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. Permanent teachers employed in specified regions each year are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.	Nationwide
Reconfiguration structured engagement process	The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local communities, has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools. in March 2022, the Minister for Education announced that arrangements were being put in place in a number of towns and areas of cities that had no multi-denominational primary schools to identify potential schools and to engage with the school authorities, staff and the school community with a view to identifying demand for a transfer of patronage. The engagement at local level across the pilot areas was largely concluded at the end of Q1 2023. Two schools, Cornamaddy National School in Athlone and St. Enda’s Primary School in Whitefriar Street, Dublin 8, have transferred from Catholic patronage to the local Education and Training Board, becoming multi-denominational community national schools. The Department is hopeful that there will be a number of other transfers of patronage and change of ethos to multi-denominational in the short term. The review, by the Department, of the engagement process with the school communities in these pilot areas is underway to consider the learnings going forward. It is intended that the review will be finalised and published in Q4 2023. It is envisaged that it will include a framework for delivering on the Government commitment for increasing multi-denominational provision.	Parts of the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick, and also the Arklow, Athlone, Dundalk and Youghal areas.
Special School Pilot Programme	This programme developed for special schools has been designed to ensure supports are targeted to enhance the availability of a school-based Summer programme for pupils in special schools. These targeted measures include a higher level of capitation, additional grant funding, faster pay times for staff working on the programme and systems to reduce the administrative burden associated with leading and managing a school-based programme.	Available to all special schools recognised under Section 10(3) of the Education Act 1998.