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DCU Changemaker Schools Network

Scoil Bhríde

Scoil Bhríde is a DEIS Band 1 school situated in an urban setting in the westside of Galway city. They are co-educational, with a diverse student population and pride themselves on the school’s welcoming, familial atmosphere and their inclusive practices.

The familial atmosphere fostered in the school encourages everyone in the school community to be open and honest in their communication with others. This applies as much to the children as to the adults. The school has an active student council which has pre and post student council meetings. There are many committees in the school including their Changemaker Committee. The school is also a School of Sanctuary has a close association with NUIG, collaborating with the Access Office, the English Department, the Early Years Education Department, and the Speech and Language Department.

They are currently completing a 3-year School of Excellence Narrative Storytelling project with a neighbouring primary school and a local creche. They are also currently collaborating with the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre helping researchers to develop an Anti-Bullying and Online Safety Programme. The school are teamed with schools from Poland, Latvia, Portugal, and Greece on our SMILE (Social, Maths, IT, Literacy, Emotional intelligence) Erasmus project creating active European Citizenship and broadening horizons and giving staff and children wider experiences.

Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals they are currently focusing on 3.

  • The desire to provide Quality Education is a constant focus for us and they endeavour to be faithful to continuous review and improvement of their teaching and learning. 
  • Their recent designation as one of Ireland’s first Sea Schools and our anticipated designation as a blue school signifies our interest in and enthusiasm for education based in, on and around Life under Water.
  • They have an active Forest School and all children in the school attend 12 weekly sessions in Bearna Woods. They also place an emphasis on education in the outdoors which encourages all classes to engage in as much out of class education as possible. Their current Erasmus SMILE (Social, Maths, IT, Literacy, Emotional Intelligence Education) Project with its emphasis on education in the outdoors in infant classes has been a great help in embedding this concept in their day-to-day practice.

 

Creativity is a key pillar in the school with the following initiatives:

  • Colour Strings which aim to foster a child centred approach to music education based on the philosophies of Kodaly.
  • Maoincheoil na Gaillimhe provide our children with free violin and cello lessons with the intention of creating a school orchestra in reciprocation for the school providing them with a premises from which to run their conservatory.
  • Free piano lessons for Ukrainian children
  • Open access to a piano in 5th class which the children use to play on and practise 
  • Creative Spaces-mud kitchen, maths courtyard, school garden, outdoor classrooms
  • Drama Club for the senior classes which produces an end of year show annually.
  • Storytelling workshops, facilitated by the Early Years Education Department UG, for all 4th, 5th and 6th class children which teaches them how to create and tell their own stories
  • Film Making classes 
  • Woodwork instruction
  • Boatmaking project
  • CMS Creativity Awards at assemblies
  • Gardening and cookery…Farm to Fork…opportunities
  • Liz’s Restaurant, which is an annual event where the sixth-class children run an in-school restaurant for which they do all the planning, cooking, catering etc.
  • A partnership with Babaro, the annual children’s theatre festival - 3 of their teachers are on the committee

Scoil Bhríde is a strong DCU Changemaker School.