Cluster Arrangements
- Published: 23 October 2014
The release of additional resource hours has prompted a number of frequent queries to the support office. These include:
The NCSE has approved additional resource hours for my school, but I am unable to form a cluster. What should I do?
Schools should complete and return the Resource Application Form 2014/2015 if:
- the school is unable to create a full-time resource base post that is allocated to either their school or a neighbouring school or
- the school has contacted at least 5 of the nearest base schools and they have no available surplus capacity.
A school can make a joint application for a full-time, fixed-term resource post for the 2014/2015 school year, provided that a base school in the neighbouring area does not have available surplus capacity.
Click here for application form for part-time resource teaching posts 2014/15
Click here to view FAQs - Part-time teaching posts to cover NCSE-approved resource hours for the 2014/15 school year
My school is in a cluster arrangement and we have now been sanctioned additional resource hours. What should we do?
A school can only break a cluster with the agreement of all schools involved – the chairperson of the other schools would have to sign off on releasing them. The new hours will either have to be clustered elsewhere or provided to them by a school locally that has a surplus. If no other schools locally have surplus hours then the school can apply to the DES for part-time hours.
Is it permitted to ‘bank’ additional resource hours?
If a school is granted part-time hours then these are then put on the OLCS system. If, for example, a school is granted an extra 5 hours per week, the DES will work out the number of weeks left e.g. there may be 30 weeks left to the end of June. The amount of hours that the school will have ’banked’ on the OLCS system will be 150 hours. Every time there is an entry on the OLCS system for these hours, the number of hours is subtracted from the 150. The DES is not in favour of the hours being kept to use as one large group of, say, 6 weeks. The hours are intended to be used weekly if possible. There will be flexibility allowed, however the hours cannot be carried forward to another year.
