Wales Study Visit 2025
We are partnering with the British Council International Education Programme Unit (funded by the Welsh Government Education Directorate) to support Welsh school teachers and local authority stakeholders to engage in a study visit to Ireland as part of the International Education Programme Wales from 10-14 February 2025. Through the Programme, administered by the British Council, the Welsh Government Education Directorate funds two overseas visits per year for Welsh educators.
These visits focus on best practices related to key Welsh Government priorities and explore educational strategies in different countries. The goal is to bring these insights back to Welsh schools, challenge current practices, and provide professional development opportunities. While education policies are often tailored to a country's specific context, previous visits have led to meaningful changes in Welsh schools, including improved strategies, teacher professional development, parental engagement, resource use, and classroom practices, resulting in better student outcomes. These visits also foster professional exchange with the host country, promoting ongoing collaboration.
This study visit will include 9 teachers from Welsh schools in disadvantaged areas or with a high percentage of Free School Meals pupils, along with key stakeholders such as Local Authority Pupil Development Grant Advisors. The programme for the visit will include visits to several English and Irish-speaking primary and secondary schools in Dundalk (including St Louis Secondary School Dundalk who we partnered with on our Creative Postcards project) and Dublin (including Scoil Chaitríona Baggot Street) along with stakeholder meetings with the Welsh Government in Ireland, the Department of Education, Trinity College Dublin Access Programme and others. The focus will be on how the Irish DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme addresses disadvantage and promotes inclusion, exploring practical approaches and a whole-school strategy for supporting pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds.
About the International Education Programme (IEP)
The International Education Programme (IEP) is a programme funded by the Welsh Government and implemented by the British Council. The programme covers nursery, primary, secondary, further and higher education. Professionals and young people alike benefit through formal and non-formal international educational opportunities.
The aims and objectives of this programme are:
- To provide individuals with knowledge and skills necessary to contribute in a global community
- To increase awareness, attitudes and response to global learning
- To increase sustained collaboration between Wales and other countries
- To improve educational levels and productive partnerships
- To increase the employability of young people in Wales
- To focus on key Welsh Government education policy priorities.
Find out more about the programme here.