IPPN

Published: 16 September 2024

In this week's E-scéal

• Planning Prompts
• DE Circulars
• Sectoral Updates
• DE Survey on Free School Books Scheme
• IPPN City/County Network Meetings 2024
• IPPN Principals’ Conference 2024 – Seminars
• Teaching Council Consultation on Registration Regulations
• IPPN Submission - Budget 2025
• SNA Workforce Development Plan - Focus groups for teachers
• EducationPosts.ie Recruitment Portal Testimonials
• Did you know?

Planning Prompts
Every week of the school year brings its own tasks and demands on your time and energy, but none more so than during the month of September. This month sets the pattern of your daily schedule for the rest of the year.
Setting aside time each day to have lunch needs to be a priority. Looking after your own wellbeing is a means to model good behaviour and practises.
Click here to view

DE Circulars
No new circulars so far this week

In case you missed the first two E-scéals of the school year:

29 August – All the circulars from late June to end August
5 September

Sectoral Updates
See also key deadlines listed in Planning Prompts

Teaching Council - Droichead Temporary Measure
To assist with teacher supply, Droichead applications will be accepted in the 24/25 academic year where a primary NQT is employed; under the Supply Panel provision, or on a Principal Release Time Post. See further information. 

NCSE
The NCSE professional development for teachers and school leaders is now open for registrations. To explore the seminars on offer each month or to register for a 2024/2025 seminar, visit https://tinyurl.com/5n7eyn4f

HSE - Supporting Information for Staff - School Immunisation Programme 2024-2025 Academic year

Department of Education Inspectorate reports on education for young people with special educational needs in mainstream schools / Tuairiscíonn Cigireacht na Roinne Oideachais ar oideachas le haghaidh leanaí agus daoine óga a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu i scoileanna príomhshrutha

DE Survey on Free School Books Scheme

As you will be aware, the Social Inclusion Unit of the DE has contacted schools seeking input, via a survey, on the implementation of the Free Primary Schoolbooks scheme.
IPPN welcomes this review process, as it will inform the DE in terms of how the scheme is resourced, supported and implemented in future years. IPPN put forward additional questions for inclusion in the survey to more fully understand the experience of implementing the scheme in schools. An Income & Expenditure form about the scheme’s implementation will issue to schools in due course. Stakeholders are to have sight of the form and will have an opportunity to provide feedback before it issues. Any updates will be included in future E-scéalta.
IPPN encourages school leaders to complete the DE survey. IPPN will also survey of members and will share the data with DE, as was done last year.

IPPN City/County Network Meetings 2024
Supporting each other at local level
The IPPN leadership team is looking forward to meeting more principals and deputy principals at the City/County Network meetings across the country over the next few weeks. Next week’s meetings are in the following venues, all at 4pm:

Tuesday 17th Sep

• Tralee Education Centre, Kerry
• Hotel Kilmore, Cavan

Wednesday 18th Sep

• Wexford Education Centre
  Galway Education Centre

Thursday 19th Sep

• Kilkenny Education Centre
  Clare Education Centre

Feel free to attend the meeting that suits you best.
Click here to see the full autumn meeting schedule & agenda
Register here

IPPN Principals’ Conference 2024 – Seminars
There are 8 weeks to go to Conference 2024 and more than 600 principals have already registered. Book your place soon to ensure you get your preferred seminar choices, which include:

• Using the PIEW model to lead teaching & learning
• PrincipalMeet
• Gifted learners
• Trauma-informed schools
• Unleashing the capacity of your ISM team
• Dignity and Respect at Work
• Leading the revised maths curriculum
• Developing collegiality and professional dialogue
• Leading inclusion - disadvantage
• Restorative Practice.

Note: some seminars only run once. See registration pages for details.
Click here to register for the event

Teaching Council Consultation on Registration Regulations
The Teaching Council has launched a public consultation, to include a proportionality assessment on proposed new registration regulations, which will revoke and replace existing registration regulations. These proposed registration regulations introduce some new requirements regarding access to the profession of teaching, in the context of registration and renewal of registration. The consultation is now open for submissions. The closing date is 27 September 2024.

IPPN Submission - Budget 2025
The focus of IPPN’s budget submission this year is on the sustainability of school leadership and the funding that will have the greatest impact on school leaders’ capacity to lead and manage schools.
The four key priorities for Budget 2025 are:

1. Make leadership ‘doable’, through role clarity, increased time and capacity for sharing leadership and enhanced governance structures
2. Adequately resource Special Education Needs provision
3. Support DEIS schools through the implementation of a DEIS+ band at primary school level
4. Increase grant funding to meet schools’ needs.

Click here to read the submission

SNA Workforce Development Plan - Focus Groups for Teachers
The DE is hosting face-to-face Focus Groups for teachers in relation to the SNA Workforce Development Plan. They will be held twice a day (morning and afternoon) in each of the following Education Centres during September:

• Galway
• Kilkenny
• Cork
• Dublin-West
• Carrick-On-Shannon
• Navan.

One person from each school is invited to attend. Substitute cover is provided to facilitate attendance. To register for a focus group, click here.

EducationPosts.ie Recruitment Portal

More than 400 schools have used the online recruitment portal to advertise vacancies. Feedback from principals, chairpersons and independent assessors has been excellent.

See here a short video explaining how to use the portal step-by-step.

Feedback from Principal, Co. Cork
‘I want to extend my thanks to IPPN for the development of the new Recruitment portal through Education Posts. At such a busy time of the year, it seriously reduced the time I spent on the recruitment process.

Everything was already in place for Principals online & with a few clicks, the advert went up and after 2 weeks the applicants were visible. The interview panel working with me were also very impressed with the portal.

As a teaching Principal, anything that helps to reduce our workload is very welcome & this came at a perfect time! I strongly advise any Principal, who has not availed of this recruitment portal, to use it going forward.’

Did you know?
Oide Technology in Education CPD - AI for Schools!
One-hour course introduces key things school leaders and all teachers need to know about AI

Oide Leadership - Comhar Programme
The programme, designed to support collaboration, enhance professional development, and strengthen leadership skills, is now accepting applications from Assistant Principals in Primary and Post Primary Schools. Apply at http://oide.ie/leadership

HSA - New Farm Safety Digital Resource

The National Parents Council is seeking nominations for Board members
NPC is seeking nominations for positions on its Board. Parents of a child that will be in a primary or post primary school in the school year 2024-2025 who would like to be involved in NPC and its governance are invited to complete a brief questionnaire.

NPC Information Sessions for Parents: Transition from Pre-school to Primary School
They will run from Monday 16th to Friday 20th September
Click here for details and to register