Irish children's physical activity (PA) levels are below national guidelines. Schools are an ideal setting to promote PA but it remains challenging. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a step-back approach to Project Spraoi (PS); a facilitator (Energizer) led school-based PA intervention. Each Energizer in year one had 2 contact days per…

Background: Key Word Signing (KWS) is one system that can be used to support the communication needs of children with Down syndrome (DS) who attend mainstream school. The success of KWS in schools is mediated by staff experiences and perceptions of KWS. The current study is one of the first to explore KWS use in mainstream schools. Aims: To…

Environmental Education (EE) remains marginalised in Irish primary schools despite its formal inclusion in the curriculum. This study investigates the barriers to EE integration and explores how Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-based Science Festival events can support teachers and students in overcoming these challenges. Survey and interview…

In order for initiatives targeting physical activity in the school community to be effectively implemented, they need to 'make sense' from the school's perspective. That is, teachers need to see their value and feel confident that implementation will result in change. Teachers also need to feel competent in doing what's required of them to…

Purpose: School-based programmes face a variety of personal, environmental and organisational challenges to implementation. Stakeholders can provide crucial contextual information to improve implementation. The purpose of this paper is to explore teachers' perspectives on implementation through a bottom-up participatory process.…

Collaborative practice is integral to effective inclusion. Within schools, teacher collaboration can foster communities of practice through a series of professional relationships that enhance the educational experience and learning outcomes of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). In Ireland, Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) and Resource…

Objective: This paper reports on the use of child participatory approaches to evaluate the implementation and impact of the "Zippy's Friends" emotional wellbeing programme on children in disadvantaged primary schools in Ireland. Design: As part of the overall evaluation study, which comprised a clustered randomised controlled trial,…

In the Irish education system, there is little continuity between the primary and secondary education systems. The transfer between these systems is particularly problematic in the area of science. In order to alleviate some of these problems, as well as to enhance the cognitive development of students, the Cognitive Acceleration through Science…

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act in Ireland advocated the development of individual education plans (IEPs). However, this section of the Act has never been fully implemented and there is no obligation upon schools to develop IEPs. Research conducted across the country by Richard Rose and Yu Zhao of the University of…

Purpose: This paper seeks to report on the evaluation of Zippy's Friends, an international emotional wellbeing programme, for primary school children in disadvantaged schools in Ireland. The paper aims to present case studies of the profile and ethos of two specific schools participating in the programme, their links with the local community, the…