Scoil an Chroí Naofa – Leading Change

All at Scoil an Chroí Naofa believe strongly in promoting student well-being to enable each child to reach their full potential in all aspects of their educational life.
They have a highly committed and dedicated staff who are constantly looking at new ways to enhance education for all children. As part of this, they are very grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in the Erasmus+ Programme. This is a European Union initiative which funds schools across the EU to learn and share best practices when it comes to education.
Over the previous few months, nine staff members have travelled to Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, and Finland to learn about new approaches for improving the way in which children learn. The school decided to focus on the areas of inclusion, well-being, and trauma-informed teaching as the core focus, and chose courses that supported this theme. During their time in these countries, the staff learned about educational strategies and approaches that have been adopted by host countries to improve well-being for children.
The staff members also educated fellow participants from a host of European countries in effective methodologies that are directly implemented and used in the classroom to promote a positive school climate.
As a direct result of funding from the EU, through the Erasmus+ Programme, they are proud to have set up one of Co. Galway’s first school-based nurture rooms. It is a welcoming, nurturing environment that focuses on mindfulness and well-being for the pupils, promoting a sense of self-worth and improving self-esteem for the school children. This has been led and developed by Ms A Gilligan, who has overseen the development and resourcing of this project within the school.
The Erasmus+ participants have returned from their travels full of enthusiasm, increased knowledge, and with effective practices to further enhance educational practices within the school. They have made it their mission to share the ideas learned with the whole staff – ideas which are implemented in the day-to-day life of Scoil an Chroí Naofa.
The Board of Management and staff are very grateful to the enthusiastic participants who gave of their time and shared their experiences to benefit the school community. They all look forward to further opportunities as a result of the Erasmus+ Programme.