Project aimed helping schools work together on innovative ideas expanded

A project aimed at encouraging schools to work together in developing innovative ideas is being expanded by the Department of Education.

The Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton confirmed the expansion of the School Excellence Fund which has already seen schools work in clusters on projects ranging from developing drones to building weather stations to using robots to boost computational thinking.

As part of the project’s expansion, more schools will shortly be invited to apply to form new clusters to work over the next two years.

There will be scope for up to 42 clusters nationwide in the initial phase with each cluster containing between a minimum of three and a maximum of six schools. Priority will be given to applicant clusters containing at least one Deis school.

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The Minister also announced that further funding is being made available to extend a coaching service currently available to school principals, to the deputy and assistant principals on their leadership teams.

Deis schools will be prioritised for the extension of the service to incorporate team coaching for the principal and their leadership team, with up to four sessions being offered to 100 Deis schools in the first instance.

"We have set the goal to be the best in Europe by 2026. Realising this goal involves delivering on ambitious targets in areas such as literacy and numeracy, embedding digital technologies in teaching and learning, breaking down cycles of educational disadvantage and supporting children with special educational needs," Mr Bruton said.

He added that school leaders would be “pivotal to delivering in these areas” and he said the Government was “committed to investing to support and empower them to do so.”

He stressed that the new measures were "in addition to the other supports recently introduced through the Centre for School Leadership including mentoring, a new postgraduate diploma in school leadership and the additional 3,000 middle management posts in schools."