IPPN

Published: 31 August 2016

• To help school leaders setup a support group(s) by organising a meeting in a local venue and sending out an invitation via the local county mailing list e.g. waterford@ippn.ie or through the Support Office by mailing Jennifer.mccarthy@ippn.ie
• At the meeting: 

1.  Introduce yourself to the group and discuss the advantages of being a part of a support group
2. Attendance sheet – ensure everyone fills in their details e.g. name, email, mobile – this is for group use only and is not submitted to any organisation or agency.
3. Discuss positive items that are taking place in their school community
4. Discuss their issues/concerns – this is the start of the peer to peer support and advice
5. Nominate one member who will co-ordinate the next meeting using the contact details on the attendance sheet

The most commonly shared characteristics of successful Local Principals’ Support Groups are:

• • One member co-ordinates (usually by text) the date and venue of the next meeting
• Meetings take place on a regular basis e.g. second Thursday of the month
• There are no external speakers
• There are no minutes or reports
• There is no formal written agenda; at the end of each meeting one topic may be chosen as the focus of discussion for the next meeting. Following discussion on main topic, principals discuss other current issues
• Meetings are generally held immediately after school or by night
• Groups are usually small – normally 8 to 12 members
• A high degree of confidentiality, discretion and trust prevails
• A regular social dimension is recommended– end of term meal etc
• Frequent sharing of resources, ideas and strategies takes place.
• Identify NAP’s at local level and ensure that they are encouraged to attend Support Group meetings. This may involve arrangements to accompany a NAP to their first meeting.