ETB Support
for Schools

The Psychological Support Service is available to students in DDLETB Second Level Schools, Youthreach Centres, sectors of Further Education provision, and to staff working within Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB). The Service offers short term support and provides broad psychological supports to Service users, subject to a school/centre making a request. The Service facilitates onward referral of students to other specialist agencies appropriate to their needs. The role of the Psychological Support Service encompasses specific input in the areas of research, training and ETB initiatives at a systemic level.
Staff working within the DDLETB may contact the Psychological Support Service directly for the purpose of consultation. With regard to students within the DDLETB, provision of service is prioritised by the schools and centres. In the case of young persons over 18, the involvement of parents is at the discretion of the young person. The Psychological Support Service gives precedence to responding to critical incidents that occur within the DDLETB.

Service is provided by the Psychological Support Service according to the resources available. The model adopted by the Service incorporates a multi-disciplinary, consultative, team-based approach. Interventions by the team are directed towards:

• the provision of both direct and indirect support to students as they strive to access the curriculum
• the resolution of behavioural, motivational, emotional and cognitive difficulties of individual persons, through assessment and therapeutic intervention
• preventative work with target groups
• professional support of teaching staff, in relation to students or other professional issues
• in-service training in a range of areas related to the educational context
• the professional placement of Intern or Trainee Psychologists

The service is free and confidential to staff and students of DDLETB as outlined above.

For further information please contact:

Psychological Support Service
1A Main Road
Tallaght
Dublin 24
Tel: (01) 4598446
Fax: (01) 4515016

Dublin & Dún Laoghaire Education & Training Board is a centre authorised by Cambridge Assessment English.  We run courses and exams to benefit second level teachers and EAL students from both within and outside our organisation.

For Students:

We run B1 Preliminary for Schools and B2 First for Schools in March, May and June for second level students. In 7 years, we have examined and given internationally-recognised certification to 2,625 teenagers. We are an Open Cambridge Assessment English exam centre for these 2 exams which were designed specifically to test teens’ English language skills. In our organisation, which has 30 post primary schools, we offer B1 Preliminary for Schools to students in Transition Year and B1 First for Schools for students in 6th year.

We support our post primary teachers in assessing, monitoring and recording language and literacy outcomes for EAL students by using the online interactive Cambridge English Placement Test as per National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (2011 – 2020). We submit accurate, computer-generated data on the needs of EAL students in our schools every year to the Department of Education. Likewise, this same tool helps us ensure our schools can prioritise the tracking, assessment and analysis of the achievement of students for whom English is an additional language as part of school planning. This ensures we fulfil our remit to support active inclusion and equality of access to the curriculum.

For Teachers:

We also are an Open Centre for Cambridge Assessment English Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) modules. We run training courses (leading to TKT CLIL) for second level mainstream teachers (of history, geography, science etc.) to enable teachers to deal on a practical level with the language and literacy needs of all students in their classrooms. In 2011, we won a European language Label for this initiative. To date (Jan 2018), this training has been run on 13 different school premises around County Dublin and 342 teachers have benefitted. In line with recommendations made by the Department of Education in the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2011 – 2020 (P.69), we are ensuring that serving teachers have access to CPD and guidance on meeting the learning needs of students for whom English is an Additional Language and promoting active inclusion.

We also run TKT Young Learners courses and exams for primary school teachers.

For Parents:

We run classes and host exams for parents of EAL students in our schools leading to A2 Key and B1 Preliminary in order to promote social inclusion.
For further information in relation to registering for any of the above Cambridge Assessment English exams at our exam centre, please contact:

Mary Kenny ESOL Development Officer/Centre Exams Manager at mkenny@ddletb.ie