Droichead – Covid-19 Interim Arrangements for the 2020/2021 academic year

Form D - Can I send my Form D by email?

Yes, please submit your fully completed Form D by post or by email to formd@teachingcouncil.ie. Please ensure that your Form D is completed correctly, including signature(s), date(s), and school stamp. Please note that electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Form D - I cannot access the school stamp. Can my form be submitted without it?

Yes, the form will be accepted once the school details are completed and it is signed by the PST members. Please note that the Council may verify the details on the form with your school.

Form D - What is the deadline for the submission of my Form D?

The 2020/2021 Form Ds must be submitted prior to 31st July 2021.

Strand A/Strand B - Can my online teaching and learning be counted?

With the agreement of your PST/Principal, online teaching and learning can be counted towards the period of practice required for Droichead.

Strand A - How many observations are required? Will observations carried out online be accepted? Is one observation done by PST and one by NQT sufficient?

It is recommended that there would be at least two of each type of classroom observation (observations by the NQT, and observations of the NQT’s practice), and that the exact number, and the classes observed, should be based on discussions between the NQT and the PST. Where the PST(s) believe that you have engaged fully in a quality induction process, they have observed sufficient elements of your practice, and have had sufficient professional conversations, they can sign your Form D.

Strand B - How do I complete the Cluster Meetings?

All Cluster Meetings will be available online during this academic year. They are facilitated by the NIPT. You may register to complete online Cluster Meeting(s) via the NIPT’s online learning platform.

Further information in relation to Cluster Meetings is available on the NIPT website.

Strand B - Will Cluster Meeting 1 still be available in Term 2/3?

Yes, Cluster Meeting 1 will still be available online in Term 2 and 3. They are facilitated by the NIPT. You may register to complete online Cluster Meeting(s) via the NIPT’s online learning platform.

Strand B- Do I have to complete Cluster Meeting 2 before submitting my Form D?

You will not be required to attend Cluster Meeting 2 if you complete Droicheadon or before 26 February 2021. Other NQTs will be required to completer Cluster Meeting 2 and Cluster Meeting 3 as required under the policy.

Strand B - How many Cluster Meetings should I complete?

You are required to complete one Cluster Meeting per term, specific to your sector, and sequentially, for the duration of your Droichead process.

Strand B - I did not complete Cluster 1 in Term 1 as I should have, do I have to complete a Cluster Meeting Deferral Form?

Given the exceptional circumstances currently prevailing in relation to Covid 19, once you undertake and complete Cluster Meeting 1 as soon as possible, this will be accepted as fulfilling your Cluster Meeting requirement.

You do not need to submit a Cluster Meeting Deferral Form to the Teaching Council on this occasion.

PST - My PST are refusing to sign my Form D. What do I do?

Please contact the NIPT at info@teacherinduction.ie immediately for advice.

PST - One of my PST members is on leave/no longer working in the school. Can my Principal/Deputy Principal sign the form on their behalf?

Please contact the NIPT at info@teacherinduction.ie immediately for advice.

PST - I would like to complete Droichead, but my school is not trained. What can I do?

Your school should contact the NIPT to discuss the option of offering the process using the External PST model or an inter-schools model.

PST - There’s only one fully-trained PST member in my school. Can I still complete Droichead?

For this academic year 2020/2021, on an exceptional basis, additional flexibility has been introduced to support the Droichead process for both teachers and schools/PST members. Where only one fully trained PST member is available, your Principal must co-sign the form.

Absences - I have started the Droichead process in 2020/2021, but due to illness/self-isolation relating to Covid-19, I was unable to teach for a period of time. Will I have to recommence the process?

No, you will not. Your process may continue on return to the teaching post and extend to allow completion of the required elements of Strand A and Strand B.

If you are unable to return to your position, and therefore haven’t fully completed Strand A by the end of the contract/academic year, you may bank the time and complete the balance at a future date. As Strand B can be completed online it is anticipated that all NQTs have completed Strand B. Please submit your fully completed Form D for the 2020/2021 academic year, highlighting the time/elements completed up to the end of your contract/the academic year. This will allow the Council to bank the time and elements you completed. It is essential that your PST sign and date your Form D so as to verify the time/elements you have completed. You may then re-apply for Droichead in the future and complete the balance of time/outstanding elements of Strand A or Strand B.

Absences - Will the time gap arising from illness/self-isolation be considered as a break in service?

No, the time gap arising from illness/self-isolation will not be considered as a break in service.

Incomplete process - I commenced the Droichead process in 2020/2021, but due to illness/self-isolation relating to Covid-19 I was unable to complete the process by the end of my contract/academic year. Will I have to recommence the process?

No, you won’t. Please submit your fully completed Form D for the 2020/2021 academic year, highlighting the time/elements completed up to the end of the contract/academic year (As Strand B can be completed online it is anticipated that all NQTs have completed Strand B). This will allow the Council to bank the time and elements you completed. It is essential that your PST sign and date your Form D, so as to verify the time/elements you have completed. You may then re-apply for Droichead in the future and complete the balance of time/outstanding elements of Strand A or Strand B.

Incomplete process - I commenced the Droichead process in 2020/2021, but due to illness/self-isolation relating to Covid-19 I was unable to complete all of my observations, by the end of my contract/academic year (Strand A, school-based Induction). Will I have to recommence the process?

No, you won’t. Please submit your fully completed Form D for the 2020/2021 academic year, highlighting the time/elements completed up to the end of your contract/the academic year. This will allow the Council to bank that the time and elements completed. It is essential that your PST sign and date your Form D, so as to verify the time/elements you have completed. You may then to re-apply for Droichead in the future and complete the outstanding observations before submitting a new Form D detailing the completion of same. The Council will then combine both Form Ds and update your registration details.

Incomplete process - Due to illness/self-isolation relating to Covid-19, I haven’t been able to complete the Droichead process fully in 2020/2021. When I re-apply in the future, will I be required to complete the Cluster Meeting(s)/Professional Learning Activity again?

No, you won’t be required to complete them again.

Incomplete process - If I complete my Droichead process in two different schools, will the time gap between the end of my first contract and the date I start my new position be considered as a break in service?

No, the time gap between the end of the contract/academic year and the date you start a new position will not be considered as a break in service.