Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, is the Department of Education’s policy instrument to address educational disadvantage.

In Scoil Mhuire, our three year DEIS Plan 2022-2025 focuses on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of our pupils. It highlights the educational targets and actions we are focusing on in order to ensure that these needs are met.

There are nine key pillars in our DEIS Plan:

Literacy  Numeracy Digital Learning
Wellbeing Attendance Retention
Educational Transitions Partnerships with Parents Partnerships with Others

We are constantly reviewing and updating our DEIS plan in order to ensure that the needs of our pupils are being met effectively.

Below you will see the current areas of focus in our DEIS Plan.

Literacy
  • Prioritising the implementation of comprehension strategies using First Steps and Building Bridges of Understanding resources.
  • Focusing on specific writing topics outlined in class grade writing prompts lists during independent writing time. This will lead to more meaningful insights into pupil’s writing abilities.
Numeracy
  • The re-establishment of a focus on problem solving activities one day a week. A bank of suitable word problems for each class level has been compiled.
  • Junior & Senior Infants will continue to engage in Ready, Set, Go Maths and Maths Recovery activities.
  • All 1st & 2nd Class pupils engage in Maths Recovery activities.
  • Tables focused activities in 3rd & 4th Class to aid the move from concrete to pictorial to abstract tables learning.
  • Use IZAK9 blocks for problem solving in 3rd to 6th Class.
Digital Learning
  • Promote staff to use a range of digital technology daily by providing   training in the use of OLUS, Clicker 8, TTRocstars, iZAK9 blocks and chromebooks.
  • Increase pupil access to a range of digital technology tools daily     through the use of Bua na Cainte, Jolly Phonics, iPads, chromebooks, OLUS and Clicker 8 resources.
  • BeeBot rechargeable robots have been introduced in Junior & Senior Infants and 1st Class to foster computational thinking and problem solving.
  • Increased use of literacy and numeracy apps during iPad time. Bank of suitable apps for each class level to be used.
  • In senior classes, the OLUS education website will be used to aid lessons in coding, scratch and animation.
Wellbeing
  • Mindfulness sessions to be introduced in Junior Infants to 2nd Class, facilitated by staff members who have completed the Creative Mindfulness training course.
  • A monthly calendar of Active Flag activities will be established to promote physical health and wellbeing.
  • Mindful breathing activities to take place at each school assembly.
  • Mindful Monday and Wellbeing Wednesdays will take place throughout the school year for all class levels.
  • 2nd to 6th Class will complete the Weaving Wellbeing positive mental health programme.
Attendance
  • The Attendance Monitoring Group will convene fortnightly to analyse and monitor attendance patterns and devise and implement individualised responses to attendance concerns.
  • The importance of regular and punctual attendance will be promoted regularly at Monday fortnightly assemblies, including an attendance raffle for very good/improving attendance for the school year to date.
Retention
  • The Pupil Support Team will review on an ongoing basis the needs of the pupils to be supported and the allocation of the necessary supports to those pupils.
  • Scoil Mhuire Board of Management will engage a qualified play therapist to provide one-to-one therapeutic support for pupils assessed as being in need of such support.
Educational Transitions
  • The 5-week Headstart Programme will be implemented in May/June annually for all confirmed incoming Junior Infant pupils and their families.
  • The 4-week Next Step Programme will be implemented with all 6th Class pupils to ease their transition to post-primary school.
Partnerships with Parents
  • The HSCL Coordinator will continue to run a varied programme of personal development classes and courses for parents and carers in response to preferred areas identified.
  • The Parents Association will be actively involved in many aspects of school life such as fundraising, discussions on teaching and learning, and having an input into school policy matters.
Partnerships with Others
  • Current links with local voluntary and community groups and statutory agencies such as Clonard GAA, St John’s Volunteers, Wexford Albion FC & North End United, Wexford Gymnastics Club, Music Generation Wexford, Wexford Public Library Service, CAMHS, Tusla Education Welfare Service etc. will be maintained.
  • To apply for and be awarded the Active School Flag, in collaboration with local and national sporting organisations.