Impact Story: Change Leader Corpus Christi Primary School

Impact Story: Change Leader Clare Curtin 

School: Corpus Christi Primary School Limerick

Researcher: So, what motivated the teachers and the school to be a part of the DCU Changemaker schools’ network?

I think working with other likeminded schools, you know, every school in the Changemaker network. I feel like they have nearly a unique selling point and that there's something different going on in lots of the schools and that we can all learn so much from each other around the four pillars of empathy, creativity, teamwork and leadership. There's lots of different initiatives in every school and I think when you come together and you talk to the other schools and the other change leaders and the principals of the other school you really learn so much and there's great learning for everyone, for students, teachers and all the staff and communities in Changemaker schools can learn a lot from each other so I think that’s the big motivation.

Researcher: And has it changed your teaching?

Yeah, I would say it has motivated me and it has, I have learned, as I said I’ve learnt a lot from other schools and particularly like I suppose made connections with other schools that are very similar to ourselves here you know there's Francis Street in Dublin and St Ultan’s, I think we are very, very similar in dynamic and in demographic to those schools and it definitely has motivated me to keep going and to keep developing empathy I suppose is a big part of us here, so it’s a pillar that has, it’s fundamental in the school, it permeates everything we do, yeah and I suppose you feel proud to be part of the network, it does keep you going, keeps you motivated.

Researcher: Brilliant and were there any specific challenges that you guys wanted to address when you became part of the network or wanted to develop?

I suppose you know there's lots happening here in Corpus Christi and it’s I suppose it’s to get that recognised by other partners in education as well like we’ve kind of transformed from a traditional primary school to an on-site family centred practice hub, so it goes a lot further than just education and it goes a lot further than just educating the children, there's a lot of care and supports put in place for our families and it’s for that to be recognised in the system you know by the Department of Education and by the HSE and different bodies out there, that’s a challenge and that’s something that would be brilliant to see further development.

Researcher: And how has the DCU Changemaker schools changed the school’s approach to children’s rights?

I think the focus on children’s voice and agency has been hugely successful here in Corpus Christi, I suppose it has kind of rebooted our student council up to two years ago our student council, it would have been a bit tokenistic you know whereas now the children have really taken ownership of the different projects and there's a great enthusiasm among the children involved in even the election process for the student council, there's great excitement, there's great fun, there's great energy and they absolutely love being involved in the student council and I suppose the student council is just one part of the student voice and agency, we’re really conscious that the student council is our senior end of the school, so we’re always trying to find ways to give a voice to the junior end of the school as well and it’s trying to think outside the box and I suppose like we were saying you know trying to move it from being teacher led to being child led and to give that autonomy to the children to make more decisions.

Researcher: Brilliant. And have you noticed any changes in the children since you began in the network?

The children definitely feel more empowered and they feel proud to be part of the network you know they go home and they tell their families about what they're doing and their parents are proud of them, their families, their communities are proud to be part of the network, I think it gives marginalised communities like ourselves here a real sense of purpose and it gives them a voice that they mightn’t have had before that they really feel that they are recognised and that they are valued and appreciated in society and that they can be Changemakers in their own lives that they can go further in education, that they can go further in the system and that they can overcome the challenges and the I suppose a lot of trauma, there's a lot of trauma here, they can overcome those challenges and be powerful citizens.

Researcher: And I know you alluded a little bit to this but what difference has it made to you as a teacher?

I suppose to me as a teacher, it’s kind of at the centre of what we do, it goes beyond the curriculum, it goes beyond you know the focus on literacy and numeracy, there's a lot more focus on the child as a whole and the family as a whole and that I think is hugely important especially when you’re trying to overcome challenges and become a trauma sensitive school, which we really are, I think we’ve come a long way in that here in our school and as a teacher I suppose it gives you a sense of purpose, every time you meet with the other change leaders or you talk to them, yourself, the coordinator, you talk to different people, you kind of go back with a renewed energy and a renewed sense of purpose to keep going and to keep building on the projects that you’re already working on and maybe to try something new to bring it on a little bit further, yeah, it’s empowering.

ENDS