Driving Greaghrahan NS forward. From left: Elaine Walsh, Parents Association; Geraldine Brady, chairperson of the Parents Association; Ann Kiernan, parent; Anna Marie Maguire, principal and Patrick Rudden, Board of Management.

Greaghrahan NS hopes to gain third teacher

Sean McMahon

Published: Thu 13 Feb 2020, 12:35 PM

Last updated: Thu 13 Feb 2020, 12:42 PM

A small west Cavan school is hoping to gain a new teaching position for September 2020.
Greaghrahan NS is a two-teacher school near Ballyconnell but principal Anna Marie Maguire says high standards of education at the school have boosted student numbers in recent times. It signals a reverse of the trend of declining roll-books over the past decade.
“We have a fantastic school community and the teachers, board of management and parent association have worked hard over the past couple of years organising various events to showcase the school to the local community,” said Ms Maguire.
She also said that teaching techniques such as team teaching, group project work and peer-tutoring have all changed the face of multi-class teaching.

It’s starting to pay off. The school took in 10 new junior infants last September and it is hoped to match, if not surpass that figure later this year.
Should that happen, Ms Maguire said they will secure a third teacher provided they meet the terms set down by the Department of Education.
“I feel that the small school still holds appeal for some families and they like the way the older children look out for the younger ones,” she said.
“Last year the school was lucky enough to get Clár funding to provide a soft play area. It features multi-use equipment and this has been a fantastic addition to the school. We are grateful to the parents who played a major role in organising that project. It is great for both the physical and social development of the children. We have access to great space outside and our classrooms are also spacious. There are separate areas for the different age groups to play in,” said Ms Maguire.
The school is also involved in a Peace project, a collaborative and shared education programme with Newtowngore NS.
“They are also a two-teacher school like Greaghrahan and there are 30 hours of contact time between the two schools. The Junior Room participate in Aistear activities, which is the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. The Senior Room are engaging in a STEAM project. It gives our pupils the opportunity to learn with children from another school and the teachers also get a chance to collaborate.
“We are in the second year of the programme, which runs for four years and it is very exciting development for our school,” she explained.