Primary Mentoring Programme 2016/2017

CSL Vision for Mentoring
“Our vision is 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”

Our Mentoring Programme

In 2016  CSL commenced a  formal Mentoring Programme for our new school leaders. All newly appointed primary principals in the greater Leinster area are currently beginning their formal mentoring relationships with CSL trained Mentors.

Throughout the past academic year , CSL and their associates have trained 127 Mentors at primary leval and 60 Mentors at post primary level. We are delighted that this training opportunity is now being offered to principals countrywide.

We are looking for established school leaders who have at least five years experience as school principals or who are no more than two years retired to join our mentoring team. Due to the many different contexts at primary level, we are appealing to principals from special schools, reading schools, hospital schools, island schools, Gaelscoileanna, scoileanna sa Ghaeltacht, along with teaching and administrative principals from all school sizes to apply to the programme.

Acceptance of applications will be informed by geographical and school context needs. In addition, not everyone who completes the training will be engaged in formal mentoring immediately as this is dependent on the location and the school context of newly appointed principals.

What we need from you

• You will be required to attend any one set of the two training sessions laid out below as well as the Shared Learning and Celebration Day:

o    Monaghan-Oct. 25th and 26th (Session One) and February 8th and 9th (Session Two)
o    Portlaoise-November 14th and 15th (Session One)  March 7th and 8th (Session Two)
o    Kilkenny-November 29th and 30th (Session One) and  March 23rd and 24th (Session Two)
o    Ennis-December 6th and 7th (Session One) and April 4th and 5th (Session Two)
o    Shared Learning and Celebration Day May 19th (Athlone) One day event

• You will be required to to have  practice mentoring sessions in your own time throughout the year

• You need to commit to having contact with your mentee on a weekly basis via phone/ email

• You need to commit to a two hour meeting once a month for the newly appointed principal’s first year (Sept. –June)

How you can benefit?

• Quality CPD for you in 2016/2017

• An opportunity to help a fellow professional and to embed mentoring into the culture of our schools

• Engagement in a mutually beneficial professional learning experience

• Guidance from last year’s Mentors and the CSL Team in the form of clear guidelines, protocols and procedures which will assist you through this process

• Recognition of your skills, talents and experience

• Networking and increasing of professional contacts

• An opportunity to reflect on your own practice and on the work of your school

Are you interested ?
Please watch the testimonials from the Mentors of 2015/2016  on our website in the “APPLY To BE A MENTOR” section.

How do I apply ?
Please complete the application form available on the link below.

Primary Mentoring Application Form

Closing Date :  Monday October 17th (1pm)

We look forward to working with you.

Mary Nihill, Anna Mai Rooney and Máire Ni Bhróithe (The CSL Team)

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