Information for Teachers and Principals on School Reconfiguration

The aim of the schools reconfiguration is to create more multi-denominational primary schools in Ireland. The process helps schools to transfer patronage from denominational (Church) patrons to multi-denominational patrons, if the school community want this. A denominational school is a school with a religious patron – the vast majority of primary schools are under Catholic patronage. A multi-denominational school is a school under a non-religious patron, where children learn about all faiths and belief systems through a multi-denominational programme. Examples include Community National Schools in the ETB sector, Educate Together schools and An Foras Pátrúnachta schools).

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to seek to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith-based education.

Every school has a patron, who appoints a board of management to manage the school on their behalf. The patron determines the ethos of the school. Religious education or instruction may be provided at the school in line with the school’s ethos.

When a school changes patron, this is called a ‘transfer of patronage’. The new patron takes over responsibility for the school.

When a school transfers patronage, this can mean a change in its ethos. For example, a denominational (religious) school may become a multi-denominational school. For transfers of patronage to multi-denominational patron bodies, the school will change to a multi-denominational school. A change of ethos can take place at the same time as the transfer of patronage or can take place on a more gradual basis. For example, where each new intake of junior infants follows a multi-denominational programme, while the more senior classes continue to follow the denominational programme, until over time, all pupils are following a multi-denominational programme.

When a school transfers patronage, this can mean a change in its ethos. For example, a denominational (religious) school may become a multi-denominational school. For transfers of patronage to multi-denominational patron bodies, the school will change to a multi-denominational school. A change of ethos can take place at the same time as the transfer of patronage or can take place on a more gradual basis. For example, where each new intake of junior infants follows a multi-denominational programme, while the more senior classes continue to follow the denominational programme, until over time, all pupils are following a multi-denominational programme.

The board of management of a school is the employer of the teaching staff in denominational primary schools. Salaries are paid directly by the Department of Education and Youth.

When a school changes patronage, the school principal and teaching staff continue working in the school after the transfer of patronage has taken place and there will be no change to pay or general employment conditions.

If the incoming patron is an Education and Training Board (ETB), that ETB becomes the employer of the teachers with effect from the date of transfer. Teachers’ salaries will continue to be paid by the Department of Education and Youth.

If the incoming patron is a company limited by guarantee such as An Foras Pátrúnachta or Educate Together, the board of management remains the employer of the teaching staff. Teachers’ salaries will continue to be paid by the Department of Education and Youth.

Teaching staff currently employed in denominational (religious) schools may have a particular affinity to the ethos of their school and may not wish to continue teaching in the school under a different type of ethos.

The approach set out below is designed to facilitate those teachers in teaching in a school of their preferred patronage and ethos while managing the impact on the operation of the school which is transferring patronage and changing ethos.

When a reconfiguration is being considered, it is important for the effective operation of the procedures set out below that final decisions in relation to reconfiguration are taken at the latest by 31st December of the year preceding the reconfiguration. Reconfigurations should take place on 1st September and the school year preceding that will be regarded as year 1 of the process.

Principal

School leaders are responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including communicating the guiding vision for the school and leading its realisation in the context of the school’s characteristic spirit. Accordingly, it is essential that the principal of a school that is transferring patronage and changing ethos is committed to managing, leading and mediating change to respond to the evolving needs of the school in the context of the new patronage and ethos.

Any principal who considers that he/she is not in a position to fully commit to leading the change process in a school that is transferring patronage may opt to be voluntarily redeployed, before the transfer of patronage takes place, to a relevant school as a teacher (rather than a principal) via the relevant main panel.

A principal who wishes to be voluntarily redeployed should do so before the transfer of patronage and in line with the timeframe for redeployment included in the ‘Redeployment Arrangements at Primary Level for Surplus Permanent and CID Holding Teachers’.

A person in this position (‘personal basis allowance holder’) will be entitled to retain their principal’s allowance but will be required to undertake a leadership and management role in the receiving school. Such a role should be broadly in line with a role assigned to as an Assistant Principal I post. In the event that the former principal subsequently voluntarily leaves the receiving school he/she will forego the allowance.

A former principal redeploying in this manner will have the following effect on Post of Responsibility vacancies in his/her receiving school:

• Assistant Principal II – will prevent the filling of an Assistant Principal II post.

The above shall be set aside if the personal basis post holder was re-deployed into the school in the five -year period prior to the vacancy arising.

The option for a principal to opt for redeployment prior to the transfer of patronage taking place is made available regardless of the size of the teaching allocation in the school which is transferring patronage.

Teachers

Voluntary redeployment

Teachers, serving in the school on the date of the transfer of patronage, will be given the opportunity to opt to voluntarily request redeployment to another school via the main panel of the existing (outgoing) patron of the school.

Where necessary, there will be a phased approach to requests for redeployment, with a limit on the number of teachers who can transfer in any given year. A maximum of 33% of the teaching staff cohort, who make such requests (including the principal), will be redeployed in each of the first 3 years .

First preference will be given based on the principal first followed by the teaching staff in order of seniority. Where there are only two teaching staff in a school, this can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis taking into account local circumstances.

Applications for the main panel must be made in accordance with the arrangements set out in the relevant staffing and redeployment circular for that year.

The option for teachers to go on the relevant panel expires 2 years after the transfer of patronage has taken place.

Teachers who have requested redeployment but who remain in the school awaiting redeployment in the second and third years3 will be required to adhere to the requirements of the new patron body in relation to upholding the ethos of the school.

Teachers who initially opt for redeployment can subsequently withdraw their request and opt out of redeployment if they so wish.

In schools where a phased reconfiguration is taking place (where a transfer of patronage is taking place and the new multi-denominational ethos is introduced on a phased basis over time, for example, the multi-denominational ethos is introduced at junior infants and works its way up vertically each school year i.e. existing classes will remain under denominational ethos until they leave the school after 6th class), redeployment of teachers may be managed in accordance with the timing of the phased reconfiguration and a longer timescale for redeployment may apply.

Any teacher who is redeployed in accordance with these provisions will be entitled to retain any Posts of Responsibility allowances (i.e. Deputy Principal, API, APII allowances) that they hold at date of transfer on a personal basis (‘personal basis allowance holder’) but will be required to undertake a leadership and management role in the receiving school.

Such a role should be broadly in line with a role assigned to Assistant Principal II. In the event that a post-holder subsequently voluntarily leaves the receiving school he/she will forego the allowance.

A post holder on a personal basis will only block the appointment of teachers from the receiving school in accordance with section 17 of Circular 0044/2019 and any updated version of this circular.

Mandatory Redeployment

Where there are surplus staff in the teaching allocation of the school which is transferring patronage, the arrangements as outlined in ‘Redeployment Arrangements at Primary Level for Surplus Permanent and CID Holding Teachers’ will operate in the normal way, save for the following:

• For a period of two years from the date of patronage transfer, surplus teachers will have the opportunity to opt to be placed on either the main panel of the outgoing patron or the main panel of the new patron.