The objective of the schools and community support strategy is to work with the schools and wider community to promote children’s social and emotional wellbeing and their learning opportunities and environments, through their families and their educators. Working in partnership with the community and schools, this strategy is implemented through various programmes with the aim of strengthening children’s relationships with the significant adults in all areas of their lives.
Strategy 4 of the Let’s Grow Together!, Pro-social Behaviour and Self-regulation, involves the implementation of a suite of Incredible Years (IY) programmes through a whole-community approach to training parents and school’s staff in the Let’s Grow Together! catchment area. The strategy is co-ordinated by the Le Cheile School Completion Programme (SCP). The main objective of the strategy is to support the embedding of IY skills locally to reach a wider community of parents, teachers and practitioners.
As part of the strategy, the following programmes are delivered:
The IY Basic Parenting Programme is available to all parents and caregivers, with children aged three to seven years of age, residing in the Let’s Grow Together! catchment area and registered with the Let’s Grow Together! Programme. Participation in the programme aims to develop parent competencies further, particularly in positive communication, for example using praise instead of criticism, limit-setting, as well as problem-solving and anger management.
IY Teacher Classroom Management Programme
The IY Teacher Classroom Management Programme is a prevention programme to strengthen teacher classroom management strategies and promote children’s pro-social behaviour and school readiness. The programme has been shown in control group studies to reduce classroom aggression and non-cooperation, and promote peer interaction, school readiness and enjoyment with school activities. Local Principals, teachers, SCP and Let’s Grow Together! Team members are trained to “train the trainer” level to support the ongoing implementation of the TCM in school settings.
IY Whole Classroom DINA programme
The Classroom Dinosaur Curriculum is used by teachers as a prevention programme for an entire classroom of students. The curriculum is delivered 2-3 times a week by teachers in the classroom in 20-30 minute circle time lessons, followed by small group practice activities and promotion of skills throughout the school day. The programme includes letters for teachers to send home with suggested activities parents can do with their children to reinforce the classroom learning and promote parent involvement in classroom learning.
A number of afterschool and small groups run by schools have come to IY informed.
