'Making progress': Innovative school model aids Limerick families

A PRIMARY school in Moyross is demonstrating how education can act as a gateway to wider family and community support.

Corpus Christi Primary School’s Sky is the Limit programme embeds counselling, therapy and family support services within the school environment, allowing pupils and parents to access help that would otherwise be difficult to navigate. The programme connects the school with a dedicated Child and Family Centre to provide various services.

Adrian Power, Family Support Coordinator for Moyross Education Programme, explained the philosophy behind the initiative: “It was very hard for kids to engage with the curriculum when they had so many issues coming in the door.”

“An essential component of the program is not just providing therapeutic supports and wellbeing supports for the kids, but it was also to provide that for the families as well.”

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Mr Power said he thinks this is a model that could be replicated nationwide, especially in communities that have been “historically disadvantaged.”

“The onus is on elected representatives as well as the executive of local authorities... to really support these communities when they are making progress.”

The Sky is the Limit programme is an awardee of the Rethink Ireland Scaling Education Fund 2022-2025. “I support funding streams like Rethink Ireland and we have other funding streams as well that unfortunately are coming to an end like ESIF funding,” added Mr Power.