Thomond Community College International Links:
Thomond Community College has many years of experience working with schools, students and staff from other countries in various projects, visits and exchanges. These include many school tours and student exchanges to France, Spain, Brazil and the USA. Both students and staff have thoroughly enjoyed these programmes and have gained immensely from the eye-opening experience and exposure to international cultures, languages and life-styles as well as an insight into the educational experiences of students in a foreign country. For some of our students, these trips and exchanges were their first opportunity to travel overseas and meet with people in another country. Several members of staff have previously been involved with an exchange programme with a school in Finland, which has also helped shape our own practices here at home.
In 2023 we had a visit from a representative group from the OECD who visited the school to look at our existing practices and meet with staff, parents and students. This visit was a great opportunity to discuss with those from other EU countries about how systems operate within a school to enhance the teaching and learning experience of all.
In September 2024 we hosted a delegation of six teachers from St. Eskil’s Gymnasium, a secondary school on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. This was a fantastic experience and the sharing of ideas, knowledge and experiences was of immense value. The exchange of ideas has given us much food for thought in our ongoing process of self-evaluation.
As a multicultural school, with over 27 different cultures represented at our annual Multi-Cultural Day, we celebrate the diversity amongst our school community, allowing all of our students the opportunity to educate themselves further on the lives and experiences of other cultures, races and nationalities. In recent years we have enrolled over 50 students from the Ukraine who have added greatly to our school community in bringing new ideas and practices to our school. Inclusion and acceptance are core principles of our school community and we embrace the diversity that exists in Thomond Community College.
The ERASMUS+ programme is a European Union initiative aimed at promoting education, training, youth, and sport across Europe. For Irish post-primary schools, it provides opportunities for students and teachers to engage in international exchanges, training, and collaborative projects. The programme supports mobility activities, such as student exchanges and teacher professional development, enabling participants to experience different cultures and educational systems.
For schools, ERASMUS+ offers several key benefits. It enhances the learning experience by exposing students to diverse perspectives and fostering a global mindset. This helps students develop key skills such as adaptability, intercultural communication, and language proficiency. Teachers benefit from ERASMUS+ through professional development opportunities, such as attending training courses or participating in job-shadowing experiences abroad, which improves their teaching practices and boosts their career development.
Furthermore, the programme encourages the development of innovative teaching methods and curricular ideas through collaboration with schools from other European countries. By engaging in international partnerships, schools can broaden their educational networks and create lasting connections. Ultimately, ERASMUS+ helps Irish post-primary schools foster a more inclusive, diverse, and forward-thinking educational environment.
Thomond Community College ERASMUS+ journey thus far:
Our ERASMUS+ journey began in late September when a dedicated team was formed to explore opportunities the programme offers. In October, the team worked collaboratively to submit an application for ERASMUS+ accreditation, marking a significant first step toward international collaboration. This application process required the team to identify five key objectives as part of their Erasmus Plan. These objectives focused on areas of Inclusion, Retention, Progression, Digitalisation and Collaboration.
By January, the school received the much-anticipated accreditation, officially recognizing it as an ERASMUS+ partner. Building on this success, the team moved forward with plans for student and staff mobility, submitting an application for ERASMUS+ funding in February. This process will open doors to new learning experiences, professional development, and international partnerships for our school community.
How Thomond Community College will benefit from participating in the ERASMUS+ programme:
In line with the five objectives mentioned above, the school will benefit in several ways from participation in the Erasmus+ programme.
Firstly, we will learn new strategies that support the inclusion of students from minority and multi-cultural backgrounds so that they feel a greater sense of belonging to our school community. We would like to see more students from these groups involved in decision making processes within the school, including the Student Assembly as well a more active participation in school-based activities, school tours abroad and student exchange programmes.
Secondly, we hope that retention figures for all groups will improve from their involvement in the Erasmus+ programme. As above, these include students from minority and multi-cultural backgrounds. We will have an opportunity to share ideas and strategies with other schools, in other European countries, and collaborate to create different initiatives that work on greater student attendance and retention.
Our third objective will help us to increase the percentage of students progressing to further and higher education as well as seeing an uptake of the number students starting apprenticeships and traineeships.
The fourth objective will allow us as a school to interact with partner organisations and agencies throughout Europe to ascertain what is best practice in terms of digitalisation and how to improve the use of digital tools in the classroom, as acknowledged in the Digital Education Action Plan 2021 – 2027 (EU).
Finally, we will engage in a process of collaboration with professionals in other schools and countries across Europe, to share ideas, good practices and experiences, that would be of benefit to our context in the field of teaching and learning.