IPPN

Published: 01 July 2020

Yesterday was the final day of the most challenging and difficult school term any of us will have faced, whether we are an experienced school leader or somebody newly appointed to a leadership position. The challenges you have met and overcome in providing continuity of learning for your pupils, channels of communication for their parents and reassurance for your staff have been ground-breaking. When the story of Covid-19 is finally told, the role played by school leaders and staff in the fight against the dreaded virus will be rightly lauded and commended.

While many of you are already in the throes of organising Summer Provision and summer camps, school renovations, appointments and other issues at this time, it is important to emphasise once again the importance of taking a proper break from school, so that you are ready to embrace the challenges that the return to school will invariably bring. People travelling by aeroplane are better served by a well-rested pilot than one who is tired and stressed. So it will be when we return to school in late August/ early September.

The school return this year will be like no other and will present new challenges, regardless of what type of school you lead. To support and reassure you as a school leader, I will outline below what IPPN can offer you by way of support - what is already in place, what is currently being worked on and how we will communicate with you over the next two months.

Working together
IPPN has worked very closely with CPSMA, who are acting on behalf of all management bodies, and INTO in advising the Department of Education and Skills on the many issues facing schools as we reopen school buildings for both Summer Provision and for the new school year. We will continue to work together in this capacity, seeking to get clarity around all recommendations, and offering practical solutions to school leaders and Boards of Management. We are all as one in highlighting the particular pressures on school leaders at the moment and are emphasising the pressures expected in August / September, with recommendations on how leaders can be best supported.

IPPN Resources
IPPN has already provided a range of resources through our website, creating a pathway to reopening school buildings for September. Click here to access the Live Resource Bundle (login details will be required)

The following is the situation regarding resources on the IPPN website as regards re-opening of the schools following the Summer Break:

1. The Live Resource Bundle linked above, which contains:
    a. School Response Plan
    b. DES Templates - Return to Work Form, Contact Tracing Log and Covid-19 Risk
2. By next Monday, this Resource Bundle will also include:
    a. Health and Safety Risk Assessment (IPPN-commissioned)
    b. DES Draft Checklists for re-opening of schools
    c. IPPN Roadmap and Guidance for the implementation of the Response Plan, Risk Assessments and Checklists.

Work is currently underway on aspects of re-opening schools other than Health and Safety e.g. teaching and learning after a prolonged period of remote learning, SEN, SET and shared teachers, curricular issues etc.

Cúram
IPPN has joined forces with INTO members and ESCI (Education Support Centres Ireland) to form a working group called ‘Cúram’ which is looking at further ways to support school leaders and this work will feed into the other work currently underway.

All resources will be uploaded to the same place on the website so you won't miss anything. The information on the IPPN website will correspond with advice on INTO and management bodies’ websites.

Summer communications
While we normally keep texts and emails to members to an absolute minimum during school holidays, this Summer is clearly different for everyone. Therefore, throughout July and August, we will keep in touch - by email and SMS - to notify members of key updates.

Home-Based Summer Provision
To facilitate teachers or SNAs wishing to make themselves available for Summer Provision, or parents seeking teachers or SNAs to work with their child on the programme, we have developed a dedicated Summer Provision Noticeboard, which is available free of charge through EducationPosts.ie. Please feel free to tell any teacher, SNA or parent about this service. Click here to access the Noticeboard

Supports and Services
IPPN supports and services will continue over the summer period, including those aspects that would normally be shut down in late July/early August, such as the networking mailing list and email communications, so that school leaders are fully supported all through this unusual Summer. The mailing list is for peer-to-peer support only. No other emails will be let through by the moderator in order to keep it free for key information.

If you wish to contact the IPPN Support Office, call 1890 21 22 23 or email info@ippn.ie. Office hours are from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

As an organisation, IPPN is hugely aware of the stress and pressures many school leaders are feeling at the end of this school year. We are determined to ensure that we help alleviate several of those pressures by providing you with as many of the resources, policy and guidance documents, checklists and template letters as we can. We strongly urge you to avail of our supports and to make sure you build a decent break into your summer and recharge the batteries for the school year ahead.

After the heroic work you have all carried out, over the past 4 months especially, it’s the very least you deserve!

Beir bua

Damian White
IPPN President