Welcome to the PDST Forbairt site.

Forbairt is a year long supportive programme for a school leadership team, comprising of the principal, deputy principal and one other school leader*. It is constructed on an action learning model and is designed to support school leaders to develop their own leadership capacity, the leadership capacity of others and explore leadership in their own school context.

Between September and October mid-term break, the programme will consist of

an introductory session (online after school September 19th or 20th) for school leadership teams (an online, after school, facilitated event for all three members of staff ),

one leadership development session (full day (face to face), sub-cover provided** October 3rd or 10th)

one Action Learning Community (ALC) Meeting (online after school) for all three leaders (P, DP and nominated AP/TL). 24th, 25th, 26th or 27th October

The first residential is scheduled to take place on December 6th and 7th. Overnight accommodation and travel expenses will be provided for all three members of the school team. Sub cover is also provided. **

In addition to this, school teams are clustered together with other schools based on school context i.e. small schools, rural schools, DEIS schools, special schools etc., supported by a PDST facilitator. The ALC meeting provides a safe environment to ask questions, seek answers, gain support and develop thinking. In this way, schools are exposed to perspectives and insights into how other schools achieve different solutions towards enhancing leadership, teaching and learning.

A Leadership Development project (LDP) is a key component of the Forbairt programme and provides a framework for school leaders to plan for and enhance teaching and learning in their school. Throughout the programme, scaffolded support is provided by a PDST facilitator in relation to the LDP which is unique to each school’s current and emerging Leadership Development priorities. This incrementally forms the content of the LDP for a showcase event in Forbairt 8.

The Forbairt programme provides a unique professional development opportunity for the Principal, Deputy Principal and a Teacher Leader to work together as a senior leadership team.

*Smaller school settings are accommodated by the inclusion of a teacher leader who may not have a formal leadership/assistant principal role in the school.

**Substitute cover will be provided for members of staff with teaching duties.