Press release
Call for expressions of interest for ‘School of Excellence in Creativity 2025'
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Department of Education invites expressions of interest from post-primary schools interested in partaking in a project to review, evaluate and develop creativity in their school.
Successful schools will receive the award ‘School of Excellence in Creativity 2025’. The overarching aim of the project is to support schools and school leaders to develop highly effective practices that nurture the creativity of learners. Schools will be supported to explore relevant teaching methods and practices for creativity and to review effectiveness for learning in their school by taking a school self-evaluation approach.
Minister for Education Norma Foley said:
“I very much welcome this innovative pilot initiative which provides an opportunity for schools to identify new ways to enhance the delivery of creativity to their students."
From September 2024, up to eight participating schools will be supported to explore two inter-related strands – pedagogies to support creativity, and adapting learning environments to support creativity, with participating schools in due course reporting on the impact of the initiative in their school. On completion schools will receive the award School of Excellence in Creativity 2025. The award recognises that creativity and creative thinking are core elements of learning. Support will be provided by Oide Creativity and the Inspectorate as part of the DE Creative Youth plan. The pilot programme will be iterative with a focus on co-professional learning.
Minister Foley said:
“I would encourage schools to consider this opportunity as it is aimed at supporting our education system, especially our school leaders to deliver enhanced creative learning which ultimately will help our students.”
Project schools will be able to avail of substitution for attendance by teachers at any centrally-organised seminars or conferences associated with the project.
This School of Excellence in Creativity initiative will sit alongside a number of ongoing successful initiatives led by the Department of Education in the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, including BLAST, Creative Clusters, Teacher Artist Partnerships, OIDE Creativity and Local Creative Youth Partnerships.
Interested schools should direct any queries in relation to this initiative to DOEcreativeyouth@education.gov.ie
As part of this pilot the eight participating schools will be expected to:
Engage in a professional learning network including 2 separate days’ face-to-face training with Oide Creativity
Participate in online workshops/seminars
Work with the school’s own SSE coordinator to review this project’s outcomes
Expressions of interest should be completed online at the link below. Applications will close on Friday 17 May 2024.
| Opening date for applications | 30 April 2024 |
| Closing date for applications | 17 May 2024 |
| Notification of pilot schools | Late May 2024 |
| Initial training | Late September 2024 |
| Schools commence detailed planning and project implementation | Early October 2024 |
| Initiative completion and review | Late May 2025 |
The School of Excellence in Creativity Award is a pilot initiative of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 which focuses nurturing the creativity of children and young people. It is part of the Creative Ireland programme and is led in schools by the Department of Education supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
1. School Name
2. School Roll Number: use this link to find participating schools’ Roll Number & Eircode: Schools
3. School Address & Eircode
4. School Email Address
5. School Type
6. School Context
7. School Principal’s Name
8. School Principal’s Phone Number
9. School Co-Ordinator's / School Representative's Name
10. School Co-Ordinator's / School Representative's Phone Number
11. Supporting statement referencing capacity for whole school initiatives and SSE focuses