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Saibhriú: A Strategic Initiative for Exceptionally Able and Gifted Learners

Saibhriú: A Strategic Initiative for Exceptionally Able and Gifted Learners

Saibhriú represents a strategic collaboration between primary and post-primary schools designed to establish effective partnerships that support exceptionally able and gifted learners. Through this initiative, we facilitate the identification and dissemination of staff expertise and evidence-based collaborative teaching methodologies across our network.

Programme Structure

Each community of practice comprises nominated lead teachers from four schools within the Cork Education Support Centre catchment area. Operating as professional learning networks, these communities will engage in sustained collaboration throughout the academic year, commencing March 2025 and concluding March 2026.

Strategic Objectives

Under the guidance of an academic advisor and in partnership with Department of Education and youth, our communities of practice pursue clearly defined objectives centred on enhancing educational provision for exceptionally able and gifted learners. Themes are strategically selected based on identified needs and priorities, and may include:

  • Supporting effective practices in identifying exceptionally able and gifted learners
  • Supporting the exceptionally able and gifted learner with the transition from primary to post-primary school
  • Supporting learners with double/ triple exceptionality
  • Supporting teachers to provide exceptionally able and gifted learners with high quality and challenging learning experiences within the mainstream classroom
  • Supporting exceptionally able and gifted learners in immersive education contexts / Gaeltacht schools / Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí
  • Supporting exceptionally able and gifted learners in discrete subject areas where there are traditionally fewer supports available for enrichment
  • Supporting exceptionally able and gifted learners in their social interactions within the mainstream class setting and within the school

Programme Funding

The Saibhriú initiative is funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund. The Department of Education provides a grant to each participating school to support resource acquisition and programme implementation.

Supplementary funding enables teacher participation in professional development activities, including inter-cluster networking sessions. While the majority of academic advisor engagements will occur through online platforms to maximise accessibility, the programme includes strategic face-to-face sessions, culminating in a system-wide shared learning symposium for all participating schools.

Cork Education Support Centre receives designated funding from the Department of Education and Youth to coordinate and deliver the Saibhriú initiative at regional level. Dr Niamh Stack from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick serves as academic advisor to our four participating Cork schools. Dr Stack has commended our schools for their exemplary commitment to developing sustainable, long-term strategies for supporting gifted education.

The four Cork Schools are the following:

Terence MacSwiney Community College, Cork

Gaelscoil Mhachan, Cork

Nagle Community College, Cork

St. Mary's on the Hill N.S., Cork