School Completion

The School Completion Programme was set up in DEIS schools to help children to participate in their education fully at all levels of primary and secondary school.

The three strands that SCP focus on are participation, attendance and retention. In primary schools the main goal of SCP is to help children to feel like they belong in their school community and enhance their participation in all areas of school life, as improved attendance will naturally follow from this.

Children are referred to the programme for a myriad of reasons that can impede their participation and/or attendance, some of which include: socio-economic disadvantage, past or present trauma, emotional and/or behavioural challenges/difficulties, weak social skills, low self-esteem, social anxiety and anxiety about transitions (such as pre-school to Junior Infants or 6th class to 1st year) and any other reason that may be impeding their participation in day to day school life. SCP will work with children one to one, in small groups or as part of their whole class such as the 6th class transition programme. SCP also run summer programmes in July to maintain positive links between school and home for the referred children.

When a child feels like they belong in the school community and overcome any difficulties or challenges they may be facing in or out of school, it allows them to attend to their education. Once a child is enabled to attend to their education, their participation in all aspects of school life improves and as a result their attendance also increases. If a child has good rates of participation and attendance they are more likely to complete their senior cycle exams in secondary school. A child can be referred to the programme by personnel in the school, by a parent or guardian or by other adults that may be working with the child outside of the school environment.

Kirsten O Neill – SCP, St. Patrick’s B.N.S.