Droichead is an integrated induction framework for newly qualified teachers (NQTs). It has been designed to reflect the importance of the induction phase on the teacher’s lifelong learning journey. It marks the point where the new teacher is formally welcomed into the profession of teaching having completed the initial teacher education phase.

Droichead includes both school-based and additional professional learning activities to meet the needs of teachers as they begin their career. It is made available in primary schools, post-primary schools, special schools and in Centres of Education in which a post-primary curricular subject(s) is being taught, where such schools or centres have been registered by the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) as participants in the Droichead process.

Once Droichead has been completed in one sector it does not have to be repeated in a second sector for registration purposes. Engagement in Droichead in a second sector is likely to be a valuable learning experience for teachers navigating the transition from one sector to another, but it is not a Council requirement

In order to fulfil the Droichead condition, a teacher is required to:

a) Complete a period of professional practice in an eligible setting

b) Engage in the Droichead process, which includes a combination of both school-based induction and additional professional learning activities

c) Have a recommendation made by (an) experienced fellow professional(s), following the Droichead process, that they are ready to move to the next phase on the continuum of teacher education.

The main objective of the Droichead process is to support the professional learning of NQTs during the induction phase, thus laying the foundations for subsequent professional growth and learning for the next phase of their career.