Summer Course 26LC 07 017 - Promoting Wellbeing and Inclusive Education Through the Principles and Practices of NCSE Relate

Using the relate programme as a framework this course aims to:

1.     Promote staff wellbeing by applying sustainable self-care and reflective practices.

2.     Embed relational and restorative approaches that prioritise connection, communication, and repair.

3.     Apply knowledge of regulation and neurodevelopment to support behaviour, engagement, and learning.

4.     Amplify student voice and rights-based practice within classroom and whole-school settings.

5.     Create supportive learning environments that enhance socio-emotional development.

6.     Integrate play, sensory strategies, and emotional literacy into everyday teaching and learning.

7.     Strengthen partnerships with families to promote shared responsibility for wellbeing.

8.     Implement a whole-school wellbeing approach aligned with the SSE process and the Teaching Council of Ireland Cosán framework.

Engagement with this course will:

·        Strengthen teachers’ wellbeing, relational skills, and understanding of regulation using strategies from the Relate framework and relevant psychological theories and practices.

·        Develop practical approaches to support student voice, inclusive environments, sensory regulation, and restorative practices.

·        Enhances classroom environments, student engagement, and responsiveness to behaviour as a form of communication.

·        Promote preventative strategies and a shared professional language to ensure consistency in teaching, learning, and assessment.

·        Align learning with the SSE process and the Cosán framework to support sustainable whole-school improvement and reflective professional growth.

·        It will deepen understanding of regulation, neurodevelopment, and behaviour as communication to better support diverse learners.

·        It will support the adaptation of the classroom environment to meet sensory and socio-emotional needs.

·        It will promote the use of play-based, sensory, and restorative approaches to enhance engagement.

·        It will strengthen student voice and rights-based practice to increase participation and belonging.

·        It will encourage preventative and differentiated supports across a continuum of needs.

·        It will enhance responsive, inclusive teaching methodologies that improve access, engagement, and learning outcomes for all students.    

A.

·        Morning mindfulness and circle time – grounding participants and fostering the idea of reflective practice.

·        Ice-breakers and creative activities – hands-on, experiential tasks to explore ideas and build relational skills.

·        Collaborative discussions and think-pair-share – sharing perspectives to deepen understanding and encourage collective learning.

·        Gallery walks and displays – visual reflection of learning and peer feedback

·        Case studies and scenarios – applying theory to practical classroom situations.

·        Sensory and play-based activities – experiential learning linked to inclusive pedagogy.

·        Problem-solving exercises and action planning - integrating strategies into real school contexts.

·        Closing with reflection circles and tasks - consolidating learning and promoting reflective practice aligned with Cosán and SSE.

B.

(Closely linked to A)

·        Daily mindfulness and closing circles for personal and group reflection.

·        Think-pair-share and collaborative discussions to share insights and experiences.

·        Gallery walks and displays to review and reflect on creative work.

·        Case studies and problem-solving activities to evaluate strategies in practice.

·        Linking learning to classroom and whole-school contexts to connect theory with teaching, learning, and assessment improvements.

·      Identifying areas for improvement in the school’s wellbeing and SPHE policies through reflection on current teaching, learning, and assessment practices.

·      Linking course learning to school priorities, ensuring strategies from the course and relate framework address real classroom and whole-school needs.

·      Planning and implementing targeted actions based on insights from Relate practices, wellbeing, and inclusive pedagogy.

·      Monitoring and reviewing impact collaboratively, using evidence to refine approaches and embed effective practices.

·      Promoting a culture of continuous improvement, aligning with Cosán and whole-school development goals.