Sue Anne McKiernan
Shared Education: Leading a Primary Partnership
Embedded Files
St. Columba’s Primary School partnered with Kilrea Primary School
St. Columba’s P.S. and Kilrea P.S. are both small, rural schools located half a mile from each other in the village of Kilrea. They have been partnered for the past 15 years, previously through projects such as CRED. This partnership has taken part in a variety of Shared Education projects and initiatives such as Play Based Learning, WAU, Salmon Project, Pushkin, Music, Art, History, Sport and places a strong focus on community connections.
Staff, pupils and the wider community have benefitted from a range of teaching and learning experiences through this collaboration. All children in both schools participate in shared activity throughout the year ensuring maximum impact. As a partnership they continually evaluate the needs of both school communities when planning for the future with the help of their joint Board of Governors and pupil voice.
Sue Anne is the Shared Education Coordinator in St. Columba’s P.S. and has been for over 10 years. Sue Anne is jointly responsible, with the Coordinator in Kilrea Primary, for the planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of Shared Education. She works closely with both school principals. Sue Anne is a driving force for Shared Education within her partnership and can see the many benefits that it can have on the young people but also the school and wider community as a whole.
Key learning When considering ways to develop your Shared Education Partnership
Key learning When considering ways to develop your Shared Education Partnership
Involve the pupil voice and feedback when shaping Shared Education Programmes
Make connections with the wider community to improve the effectiveness of the partnership
Importance of providing children with opportunities to show respect, good community relations in schools and ensuring reconciliation aims are developed throughout joint activity
Questions to consider when developing a Shared Education Partnership
Questions to consider when developing a Shared Education Partnership
What areas of the Curriculum are you exploring within Shared Education? Can these be expanded or embedded into normal school practice? Have children had a say in these?
Has the partnership informed the parents and the wider community of ongoing activity and events? How can this be done effortlessly yet effectively?
Are Boards of Governors and School Leaders incorporating Shared Education within the School Development Plans?
Is Pupil Voice visible within the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Shared Education? If not, how can this be incorporated into future planning?
Further resources
Further resources
A Pupil Pathway: A Resource for Teachers to Support Shared Education
Developing Shared Education: A Framework for School Partnerships
Joint Practice Development: A Menu for Schools, Partnerships & Clusters
Learning Leaders: A Strategy for teacher professional learning
Google Sites
Report abuse