County Donegal Education Support Centre - Week 40 Newsletter (28/09/26 to 04/10/2026)

Week 40 2026 - Weekly Event Newsletter

(28/09/26 to 04/10/26)

‍Dear Principal/Teacher,

Included below is a summary of all CPD events for the upcoming week beginning 28th September 2026 aswell as some other highlights in September and October 2026 and beyond.

You can also review all of these CPD events in either the Primary or Post Primary courses section of the centre website.

Here is a summary of some other great events/initiatives your school may be interested in:

• NCSE Events - Details of any upcoming NCSE Teacher Professional Training can be found here.
• Oide Events - Details of any upcoming Oide Teacher Professional Training and how to register can be found here.

News Feature of the Week

Developing Critical Thinking Skills Workshop (PeacePlus Aspire) - Primary + Post Primary

We are delighted to be able to host a Developing Critical Thinking Workshop with thanks to PeacePlus Aspire. This workshop will be led by Kevin McArevey, Principal Holy Cross Boys School, Belfast and will; 

• Promote philosophical enquiry as a tool for developing critical thinking, empathy, and dialogue among children.
• Introduce and explore the methods described in Think Think Respond (TTR).
• Provide practical training and teaching resources for educators.
• Create a network of educators and practitioners using philosophy in schools.
• Celebrate the impact of philosophical thinking on wellbeing, classroom culture, and personal growth.

“We’re not teaching children what to think — we’re empowering them to dare to think for themselves.” Kevin McArevey

This session is open to Primary and Post Primary teaching staff and sub cover is also available. They will also run through some of the other programmes and resources currently available to primary schools. 

This information session will be running on Friday 25th September 2026 from 10:30am to 11:30am. Please click here or on the flyer below to register.

Latest Surveys

• Dyscalculia Research Survey - Dyscalculia Network are working alongside University College London (UCL) on a new questionnaire/study for education staff (from all around the world) about supporting children with dyscalculia. This survey takes about 20 minutes to complete and explores teachers' awareness, training, and confidence in relation to dyscalculia. The findings of this study will be used to inform professional development priorities, and school-level support. To access the survey, please Click Here.
• Women in Learning & Leadership (WILL Network) - The WILL network would like to capture the experiences of future and current female leaders in education. This is the first time that research with this focus and scale has been done in the Irish context. A report will be published with the research findings. This will be shared with WILL members and possibly to relevant national and international audiences. It is intended that the results will be shared with the aim of informing systemic support for educational leadership development and career progression across the sectors. It will take you approx. 20 minutes to complete, click here.