The Primary School Principals Support network provides all school leaders with a continuum of high quality personal and professional development, support, advice and guidance in order to maximise the learning outcomes of every child. 

Primary Principal Support Network Meetings are held at various times throughout the year. Please forward an attendance sheet to the Education Centre following your meeting. We will need a minimum of 10 attendees to fund room hire in a hotel.  Please fill in the following Google Form if you would like to join a Support Network near you.

PRIMARY PRINCIPAL SUPPORT NETWORK DATABASE  https://forms.gle/jhiHDuq54eKPd9838

On Monday nights at 7pm we have a Leadership Hour where we have  different Leadership CPD events on each week to further support our Primary School Principals. Register at ecwexford.ie to attend any of these events.

Bunclody Group - Convenor - Carolyn Good

Carlow Group - Convenor - Annette Fitzpatrick

Enniscorthy Group - Convenor - Taragh Nolan

Gorey Group -Convenor - Niall Madden

New Ross Group - Convenor - Brian Flood

Wexford Group -Convenor - Nicola Roche

If you are a Principal and you would like to join one of these support network groups please fill in the following Primary Principal Support Network database.

https://forms.gle/jhiHDuq54eKPd9838

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Mentoring 

Mentoring is described as 'a process designed to support and encourage professionals to manage their own learning, maximise their potential, develop their skills and improve their performance. (Mentoring Matters, Scotland). The Centre for School Leadership provides a formal mentoring support for all newly-appointed primary and post-primary principals for their first year in the role. The CSL vision of mentoring is that of a community of school leaders, who feel supported and valued as professionals, and who work in schools where mentoring is part of the culture of the organisation.

The Matching ProcessCSL uses a mentor database for matching mentors and mentees. The team looks at the experience and expertise of the mentor, their context and geographical location to match them with a newly appointed principal.  The principals apply for access to a CSL mentor through the Misneach application process.

The Mentoring RelationshipAfter the initial meeting between mentor and mentee, CSL recommends that there is a two-hour meeting scheduled per month. At the initial meeting, the times and venues for future meetings are planned. A short fortnightly contact is optional. These meetings are usually face to face engagements apart from those involved in long distance relationships. Meetings are also subject to the requirements of public health guidelines. At the end of the academic year, CSL provides the names of those on the mentoring programme to NAPD/IPPN so that they may organise Group Mentoring for principals in their second year of principalship. Data Protection procedures are adhered to in this process.

In order to access a CSL Mentor, a newly-appointed principal can register for the Misneach Programme and CSL will contact the newly-appointed principal in relation to arranging a Mentor.

What is Misneach?

Misneach is a two year personal and professional development programme for Newly Appointed Principals (NAPs) developed by the Professional Development Service for Teachers. 

The word ‘Misneach’ derives from the Irish word for courage, spirit and fortitude. The Misneach programme seeks to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and qualities of beginning school leaders, empowering them to respond effectively to the realities of managing and leading in the Irish school context.

Misneach helps NAPs develop the confidence to translate principle into practice and in developing this confidence, the notions of ‘being challenged’ and of ‘becoming challenging’ are promoted. Through working collaboratively and engaging with the language of leadership, the NAPs develop a map for their professional lives.

During the Misneach programme you will have numerous opportunities, both formally and informally, to share experiences, build collegiality and network with other participants who, like you are in their early stages of their career as a school leader.

This sharing of learning and experiences with your peers, facilitated and supported by the team of experienced principals, is invaluable and will be of great personal and professional support to you as you transition into your new role.

The Misneach Vision

Misneach (meaning “courage”) sets out to support you, the newly appointed principal, in coming to an understanding of the many and varied aspects of your new role as school leader. 

The vision for Misneach is derived from the five core principles (see graphic below) of school leadership as identified by Irish school principals. 

To access the Misneach supports for Newly Appointed Principals, please click here

ForBairt

Forbairt is a Leadership Development programme for a school leadership team, comprising of the principal, deputy principal  and another teacher leader. Forbairt is constructed on an action learning model and is designed to support school leaders to explore leadership in their own context.

A teacher leader is any teacher who is engaged with leadership (formally or informally) in your school. They may have a formal leadership role in the school as an Assistant Principal but this is not essential. Schools that do not have a third member of staff are equally eligible to apply for the programme.

The programme is based on an Action Learning process which enables professionals to learn and develop through engaging and reflecting on their experience in the company of peers as they seek to address real-life problems in their own organisations. It generates learning from human interactions arising from solution-focused approaches to real-time, real-world work challenges. Over the course of the year participants come together for a number of  two-day residentials, one-day courses and a number of Action Learning Community small-group meetings (ALCs). Supports are provided throughout the year as participants undertake, reflect on and gain feedback on the implementation of a Leadership Development Project (LDP) 

Why access Coaching?The Department of Education, IPPN, NAPD and the Centre for School Leadership recognise how challenging school leadership is in today’s world and know that there are constant demands in this job.Senior School Leaders can avail of this confidential, one to one service to address challenges which they face, difficulties they might be experiencing or goals that they might wish to achieve.

How Coaching can benefit you?

 To access CSL Mentoring for Newly Appointed Principals, please click here cslireland.ie

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