ACCS REMINDER: Invitation to Community & Comprehensive School leaders to engage in an ACCS Research Seminar – ‘Looking Back and Looking Forward’, 19th & 20th October.

‘What lies in the future for the community and comprehensive school sector?’

This important piece of research will focus on the Community and Comprehensive School sector as it exists today in the post primary education system in Ireland. The research seeks to explore if there are defining factors in these schools which sets them apart from the other two school types in the system: the Voluntary Secondary school and the Education and Training Board school. It will consider whether the lived reality for the stakeholders in the different school types is very different?

The research will be conducted over a number of phases during this academic year 2023/24. We plan to garner the opinions of the school leadership team in this first phase and invite you to attend any one of the workshops – see details, dates, and venues below. Other phases of the research will include the Board of Management and the Trustees who establish our schools.

Your voice as a community school or comprehensive school leader is crucial in charting the future of C & C schools in Ireland. In phase one, we are inviting all principals and deputy principals in our schools to have your voices heard and to have your opinions recorded in this important research. The opportunity will provide space and time for us to explore the values which guide us in our work every day leading school communities and will explore our vision for the C & C sector and its place in an education system which is relevant and fit for purpose in modern Irish society.  

We recognise how busy schools are, however, we hope that you will recognise the importance of this work and make every effort to attend and share your valuable opinions and ideas with us so that the research will be as rich and informed as possible.

Venues, Dates and Times

  •  Thursday 19th October 2023, 10am-12.30pm – Radisson Blu Hotel, Co. Limerick

  • Friday 20th October 2023, 10am-12.30pm – Radisson Blu Hotel, Co. Sligo

Agenda:

10.00am – 10.20am: Registration and refreshments

10.20am – 10.40am: Opening – ‘Looking back at The Pace Setters’

10.45am – 12.15pm: Round table - small group focused discussion led by Prof. Tom Collins

12.15pm – 12.30pm: Conclusion – ‘Mapping the way forward’

12.30pm – 1.30 pm - Lunch

Registration:

Principals and Deputy Principals, please register by logging on to the ACCS Online School Portal.

To access the school portal log on to https://www.accscloud.net or through the home page of  www.accs.ie. You will require your Username (last 4 digits of the main school phone number), password and a maths captcha to login. If you require assistance with this process or your password, please call ACCS Head Office staff on 01 460 1150.

We look forward to meeting you and to engaging in these important conversations with you.

Kindest regards,

Áine O’Sullivan, Assistant General Secretary, ACCS

Áine O Sullivan