Updates 2019
Graduate and post-graduate places available in 2019/20 for special education teaching.
Circular 0004/2019 - Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Special Education Teachers, 2019/2020
Circular 0005/2019 - Graduate Certificate in the Education of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for teachers working with Pupils with ASD in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Special Education Teachers in mainstream Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 2019/2020
Review of Special Education Teacher supports where there are Exceptional Circumstances or Needs arising in a school
NCSE Guidelines 04/2017 sets out the procedures for schools in seeking a review of their Special Education Teacher allocation and the utilisation of their allocation, on the grounds that very exceptional circumstances have arisen in the school. The criteria for a review are set out in the Guidelines below.
Click here to view the Guidelines for requesting a Review of Special Education Teaching Supports.
Click here to download the Application Form for Primary Schools
Click here to download the Application Form for Post-Primary Schools
Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is pleased to announce the publication of the report of its Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant.
The Review report, along with other publications relating to the Review, can be found at: http://ncse.ie/comprehensive-r
Toolkit to Support the Special Education Teacher Allocation Model
The NCSE Support Service has prepared a downloadable toolkit (in word format) to support the implementation of the new model. To download and for more information and useful resources go to the Resources section for Primary and Post Primary schools.
Guidelines for Schools - Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools
The following documents are to provide guidance to schools on the use, organisation and deployment of additional teaching resources for pupils with special educational needs. This guidance is provided in the context of a revised model for allocating special education teaching resources which is being introduced by the Department of Education and Skills (the Department) in September 2017.
- Guidelines for Primary Schools - Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs
- Guidelines for Post-Primary Schools - Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs
Special Education Teaching Allocation Circulars - Primary and Post-Primary
Circular 0013/2017 and 0014/2017 have been distributed to mainstream Primary and Post-Primary schools to advise schools of the revised allocation process for Special Education Teachers from the 2017/18 school year. The circulars are available at the following links:
New Model for Allocating Special Education Teaching Resources to Schools
January 18th, 2017 - The Minister for Education and Skills, Mr. Richard Bruton T.D., announced that a new model for allocating special education teaching resources to mainstream primary and post primary schools will be introduced from September 2017.
- The Minister's press release is available here
- The review of the pilot project for the new model for allocating teaching resources to mainstream schools to support pupils with special educational needs is available here
- The NCSE press release is available here
NCSE Support Service Primary Language Curriculum CPD
NCSE Support Service is continuing its professional development programme for the Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile.
Whole-school professional development for The Primary Language Curriculum will be provided to special schools by the NCSE Support Service during the school year 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.
For further information click here
NCSE - Teacher CPD Database for Inclusion and Special Educational Needs
This database is an online reference tool designed to provide practical support to teachers looking for continuous professional development opportunities in the area of inclusion and special educational needs. It brings together in one place an extensive range of information relating to CPD options, delivered by a variety of different providers.
To this end, the database does not seek to replace information from individual providers, but rather acts as an initial source of general information and a ‘signposting’ mechanism for further information.