For more information on this area of the Partnership's work, click on the picture below to send an e-mail to Colma Nic Lughadha, Education Programme Manager.

Colma Nic Lughadha
Education Programme Manager

This article was first published on March 4th, 2008.

Belfast to Ballymun – Partners In Education

A delegation of 18 people from Belfast including school principals, full service school co-ordinators and officials from the Northern Ireland Department of Education visited Ballymun on Tuesday, 19th February 2008. The visit was hosted by Ballymun Partnership. The purpose of the study visit was to showcase innovative programmes in Ballymun schools and develop learning relationships between North and South schools.

Belfast Study visit participants	Belfast Study Visit participants and Trinity Comprehensive School staff

The study visit demonstrated how Ballymun schools integrate with community groups and services, parents and health services in providing quality educational experiences for Ballymun children. Ballymun Partnership organised the itinerary for the day which included

• a presentation on the work of Ballymun School Principals Network, one of the few networks of its kind in Ireland
• visits to exciting projects in local schools and an after-school project
• opportunities for Belfast delegates to meet with Ballymun practitioners and to share information on good practice and inventive programmes operating daily in Ballymun schools in co-operation with community based services.

Early Childhood Education personnel network and share information	youngballymun CEO makes a presentation to study visit participants

Delegates from Belfast are involved in Northern Ireland’s Extended Schools Programme which seeks to use the school as a community resource by providing an extended range of activities for children including childcare and by building and promoting partnerships and collaborative networks. The rationale being that strong communities, with enhanced ‘social capital’, will support the learning of their children and that educated young people will become productive citizens.

Ballymun Partnership welcomed the visit made by Belfast delegates to Ballymun and the opportunity to highlight the many positive educational programmes benefiting people from Ballymun.

Click here for details of the Study Visit Programme >>