Gemma Maher failed her Leaving Cert once but found her way to teaching through Colraine and Glasgow University. Now she's principal of Rathcoole Educate Together National School, which opened in September 2020 without having any building keys until the night before.

Gemma champions genuine inclusion through relationships, every staff member knows every child's name, story, and family. The autism class is integral to school life, not isolated in a separate wing. As a parent of an autistic son thriving in mainstream education, she understands how crucial skilled SNAs are, calling them the "golden ticket" to inclusion.

Teachers will learn practical approaches to building inclusive school culture, supporting diverse needs through relationships rather than separation, and why Gemma advocates loudly that the teaching principal role for new schools is "unsustainable, unmanageable, and unfair".

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

•  Relationships and how staff knowing kids, families and each other enables inclusion
•  Opening a school during COVID without keys night before
• How September 30 numbers penalise growth unfairly
• SNAs are golden ticket to inclusion
•  SIMS project is excellent but needs funding and training

GUEST DETAILS

Gemma Maher is the founding principal of Rathcoole Educate Together National School in West Dublin, which opened in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

After starting at Catherine McAuley dyslexia school, she spent 14 years at St. Catherine's working in specialist classes and becoming AP2 and Acting Deputy under principals April Cronan and Karen Jordan, where she participated in the SIMS (School Inclusion Model) project that influences her current practice. 

MORE INFORMATION

IPPN is the officially-recognised, professional network for leaders of Irish primary schools. It is an independent, not-for-profit, voluntary association, with a local, regional and national presence.

It provides practical resources, professional learning, and peer support to strengthen leadership capacity and sustainability. IPPN also advocates on behalf of school leaders, ensuring their perspectives influence education policy and practice. 

Learn more about IPPN and our work at ippn.ie

Our podcast is produced by dustpod.io

QUOTES

•  It's a different role you're stepping into. Give yourself time to get the skills that you need to do the job. - Gemma Maher
•  I don't think any school should be opened with a teaching principal. It is unsustainable, unmanageable and unfair. - Gemma Maher
•  Every child gets greeted by the staff in the morning by name because we know everybody's name.  - Gemma Maher
•  I think at the crux of everything we do is relationships. The heart of our school is that my staff know my kids, my staff know my families, my staff know each other.   - Gemma Maher
•  SNAs are fundamental to inclusion. Having access to SNAs and applying for SNAs and training of SNAs, they are the golden ticket to inclusion.  - Gemma Maher

KEYWORDS

#inclusiveEducation #teachingPrincipal #developingSchools #educateTogether #SNAprofessionalisation