Cork Education Support Centre

🌟 Concern Primary Debating Finalists 2026 🌟

We are delighted to introduce the first of our finalists for this year’s Concern Primary Debating Final taking place on Tuesday 26th May — 🎉 Clonpriest NS 🎉

Clonpriest NS have impressed throughout the competition with their confidence, teamwork, and excellent debating skills. Their hard work and dedication have earned them a well-deserved place in the final.

They will face Conna NS in what promises to be a fantastic day of debating.

Best of luck to all the students and teachers involved as preparations continue for the big day! 👏

✨ Webinar for SNAs & School Staff ✨

The Role of an SNA in Supporting Students with Transition to a New Class or School.

Moving to a new class or school can be exciting — but for many students, especially those with additional needs, it can also bring anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional overwhelm.

Join Magdalena Landziak for this practical and engaging webinar designed for SNAs, teachers and education staff to learn how to support students through successful school transitions after summer. 🌟

During this session, you will learn how to:

✅ Understand why transitions can be challenging for neurodivergent students
✅ Use effective supports such as social stories, visual schedules, and transition packs
✅ Help students build emotional resilience and reduce anxiety
✅ Collaborate successfully with families and professionals
✅ Create a personalised “This Is Me” booklet to support transitions

Whether students are moving to a new classroom, meeting a new teacher, or starting in a completely new school, this webinar will provide supportive, practical strategies to help make the transition smoother and more positive for everyone involved.

📚 Perfect for SNAs, teachers, SET teachers, school staff and anyone supporting children with additional needs.

🔗 Book your place here: https://www.cesc.ie/sna-courses/4036-26-9110-the-role-of-an-sna-in-supporting-students-with-transition-to-a-new-class-or-school.html

📢 New Date Added Due to Demand! 📢

WIAT–III–T Training (In-Person)

Join us for this highly practical, hands-on training session delivered by Dr Pauline Cogan, Chartered Psychologist and expert in literacy development.

This in-person course provides training in administering one of the most reliable literacy assessments available to both Primary and Post-Primary teachers — the same assessment used by psychologists.

✔️ What’s included:

Score booklet (Record Form) for all attendees
Lunch provided

✔️ What you’ll learn:
Participants will be guided through essential skills, including:
• Determining an examinee’s age
• Identifying start and discontinue points
• Accurately scoring tasks
• Calculating standard and percentile scores
• Conducting a running record
• Knowing when and how to regress to earlier material
• Identifying literacy weaknesses to inform intervention

📌 If you have access to a full WIAT-III-T test kit, please bring it along.

👩‍🏫 About the Trainer:
Dr Pauline Cogan, PhD, is a Chartered Psychologist with extensive experience across teaching, research, and clinical practice in Europe. A native of Dungarvan, she trained as a primary teacher before completing an MSc in Neurolinguistics and a PhD at Trinity College Dublin. Her work focuses on language, learning difficulties, and brain injury rehabilitation. She is also the developer of TEST2r, an early literacy screening tool, and contributes to national and international educational inclusion initiatives.

📍 Location: Cork Education Support Centre (Face-to-Face)

🔗 Book your place now:
https://www.cesc.ie/cpd-courses/primary-courses/4027-26-8334-aut-wiat-iii-t-training.html

Spaces are limited — early booking is advised!

📣 Summer Courses 2026 – Now Open for Booking! ☀️📚

Looking to make the most of your summer and earn EPV days? The Cork Education Support Centre is delighted to offer a fantastic range of Summer Courses 2026 designed to support and inspire teachers across all levels.

✨ What to expect:
✔️ EPV-approved courses
✔️ Engaging, practical and relevant topics
✔️ Opportunities to enhance your teaching practice
✔️ Connect with fellow educators

Whether you're interested in curriculum development, wellbeing or innovative teaching strategies, there’s something for everyone this summer.

👉 Browse all courses and secure your place here:
https://www.cesc.ie/cpd-courses/search-result.html?category_id=7&layout=table

Spaces are limited – don’t miss out!

Great to welcome Dr Pauline Cogan to Cork Education Support Centre today for an engaging and highly practical WIAT-III training session.

Teachers explored the administration and scoring of one of the most reliable literacy assessments available to educators, gaining valuable hands-on experience in assessment, interpretation, and identifying targeted interventions to support learners.

A sincere thank you to Pauline for sharing her expertise and wealth of experience in literacy development, assessment, and educational inclusion.

☕ Comhrá & Coffee: Starting a Coaching-Informed Community of Practice in Your School

Have you ever considered creating a space where teachers can come together to share ideas, tackle challenges, and learn from one another—across schools?

Join us for this engaging 2-hour online session exploring:
✨ A coaching approach to professional learning and conversations
✨ How to build and sustain a community of practice
✨ The story behind Comhrá & Coffee—a simple, effective model that fosters collaboration and connection

Originally supported by the Teaching Council’s Féilte bursary, this initiative shows how powerful change can happen with minimal resources—and how you can bring it to life in your own school context.

👩‍🏫 Who should attend?
School leaders and teachers from primary, post-primary, and special schools.

🎤 Facilitator:
Coran Swayne – Administrative Deputy Principal at East Cork Community Special School, lecturer in Educational Leadership & Coaching at University College Cork, and PhD researcher in coaching cultures in education.

💻 Format: Online

👉 Register here:
https://www.cesc.ie/cpd-courses/primary-courses/3981-26-8821-spr-comhra-coffee-starting-a-coaching-informed-community-of-practice-in-your-school.html

Let’s build meaningful professional connections—one conversation (and coffee!) at a time ☕

☀️ Mayo Online Summer Courses – Bookings Now Open!

Looking to learn something new this summer from the comfort of your home? Mayo Online Summer Courses are now available to book!

Whether you want to upskill, explore a new interest, or make the most of your summer break, there’s something for everyone.

📚 Flexible online learning
💻 Study at your own pace
🌍 Accessible from anywhere

👉 Secure your place today: https://elearning.mayoeducationcentre.ie/

🌱 Supporting Emotional Regulation in Children 🌱

Emotional regulation is a vital life skill that helps children manage their feelings, build resilience, and reach their full potential—both in school and beyond.

Join us for this insightful and practical talk designed especially for primary and post-primary teachers, where you will:
✨ Develop a deeper understanding of emotional regulation and how it evolves in children
✨ Explore the causes and impact of emotional dysregulation
✨ Learn a simple and effective 4-step approach to support children’s emotional well-being

👩‍🏫 About the Speaker
Fiona Forman (M.Sc Applied Positive Psychology), co-author of Weaving Well-Being, brings a wealth of experience as an educator and well-being expert. With a passion for helping young people thrive, Fiona combines research-backed insights with real-world teaching experience to deliver practical, meaningful strategies.

📚 Author of:

Welcome to Well-Being
Wired for Well-Being
Tools to Thrive
Braver Than You Believe: A Parent’s Guide to Building Children’s Resilience

💡 Whether you're looking to better support your students or enhance your own understanding of well-being, this session will equip you with tools you can use immediately.

🔗 Book your place here:
https://www.cesc.ie/cpd-courses/primary-courses/3974-26-8807-spr-supporting-emotional-regulation-in-children.html

📢 Webinar: Taking Boys Seriously – Lessons from Research

How can we better support boys and young men to thrive in education—especially those facing socio-economic disadvantage?

Join us for an insightful webinar exploring the Taking Boys Seriously (TBS) research project from Ulster University. This long-running, participatory study sheds light on how poverty, educational approaches, and social constructions of masculinity can intersect to create compounded disadvantage for adolescent boys.

🔍 What you’ll learn:

Key findings from longitudinal research involving thousands of participants
The 10 Principles of Relational Education.
Practical strategies to influence teaching practice, policy, and community interventions.
How to create supportive, empowering learning environments for boys and young men.

🎤 Presenter: Susan Morgan
Principal Investigator of the TBS project and academic at Ulster University, Susan brings deep expertise in addressing educational inequality and developing. impactful, research-driven solutions.

👉 Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/OjVvJZUrQWejGtYUioDJrQ

A fantastic day at the Learning School Project event in Portlaoise yesterday, celebrating innovation, collaboration and the incredible work taking place in schools across the country.

Well done to all the schools involved from everyone at Cork Education Support Centre.

Pictured are Vicki Hennessy and Brian Trought from Christian Brothers College with Helen Hallissey, along with Conor Owens and David Bowen from Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig.