The Department of Education is pleased to announce the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters.  The deadline for receipt of online applications is 20^th April.

Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project 2026–2028. 

• 3 schools would receive €9,000
• 5 schools would receive €15,000 

In addition to financial support above each cluster will also receive: 

• A Creative Cluster Facilitator 
• Teacher Substitution to attend Workshops and Meetings
• Room hire, travel & subsistence

Applications are to be completed online using the following Link , should you need assistance, please contact your local full-time Education Support Centre (list at Appendix 1 of Guidelines document on DE website).

Any queries, please contact your local Education Support Centre or email National Arts in Education Administration This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Eligible Schools - The following schools are welcome to apply to participate in Creative Clusters:

• Schools that have not yet participated in Creative Clusters.
• Schools that have  not yet participated in Creative Schools and those who will complete Creative Schools Year 2 in the 2024/25 school year.
• Schools that will complete Creative Clusters Year 2 in the 2025/25 school year. However, they must apply as part of a cluster who have not yet participated in the initiative. In this instance, it is required that this school applies to lead a cluster of schools that are new to the initiative.
• The local Education Support Centre will have a key role in identifying and supporting a Creative Cluster for their local area.
• 42 Creative Clusters will be selected nationally - 2 per Education Support Centre. 

Creative Clusters is an initiative of the Department of Education, led by and in partnership with the 21 full-time Education Centres (Education Support Centres Ireland - ESCI) and funded through the Schools Excellence Fund.

Dual Language Application  

Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork

Date: Friday, Mar 6 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm GMT

Price: €130.00

Overview: Charting New Directions in Special Education

Welcome to the ILSA Spring Conference 2026!

We are thrilled to invite you to join us at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork on March 6, 2026 at 8:30 AM (GMT). Get ready for a day filled with insightful sessions, networking opportunities, and engaging discussions.

Don't miss this chance to connect with education experts , expand your knowledge, and be part of a vibrant special education community. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting out, there's something for everyone at our conference.

Come prepared to learn, share ideas, and have a great time. We can't wait to see you there!

See below for speakers at this Event - full itinerary will be uploaded at a later date.

Click here for further information and to purchase tickets

Active Break Every Day Challenge (2026) 

The Active Break Every Day challenge asks teachers and their classes to commit to a movement break, every day, across the 4 weeks of the challenge (January 19 – February 13). 
 
This challenge is open to ALL primary, post primary and special schools.  
Advice is given to ensure children and young people of all ages, and all abilities, can take part in this challenge. 
 
‘Croke Park Movement Breaks’  
The Active Breaks Challenge for 2026 is supported by the GAA  who, working with the Active School Flag team, have created a set of English and Irish movement break videos to support this initiative*.  
 
Each of the movement breaks is filmed at a different location around Croke Park, giving classes a behind-the-scenes look at where the team buses arrive, inside the players’ dressing rooms and the warm up areas where legends get game ready. In addition, students will learn interesting facts about Croke Park supporting the integration of physical activity with teaching and learning.  

Registering is easy and only takes one person. Once registered, you will receive a password for the Challenge Resources page which can be shared out across your staff ensuring all classes have access to the movement break videos. 
 
Find Out More HERE               
Register My School HERE  

*The movement break videos are accessible from Monday, January 19.  

We invite you to explore the Action plan here

For further information, you can contact the Irish Language Unit for English-medium Schools at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..