Sharing from the Start

Programme 2014 - 2020 Ireland - United Kingdom (PEACE IV)

Date of latest update: 2024-03-22

Description

Description (EN):

Sharing from the Start (SfS) is an evidence-based approach in delivering Shared Education (SE) aimed at improving educational outcomes and cross community cohesion. The Early Years, Fermanagh Trust and National Childhood Network partnership demonstrates a high degree of expertise on SE, a strong experience in successfully delivering EU-funded education projects and a 20-year history of collaboration in the field of education and cross border socio-economic initiatives. The project aims to bring about positive attitudinal and behavioural change among children, parents, pre-school teachers and the wider community. This will be achieved through the implementation of an evidence-based approach to purposeful, direct and sustained curriculum-based contact between children of different religious backgrounds. The main activities of the project include: Developing a regional advisory group comprised of key stakeholders in NI and ROI. Developing 4 sub-regional school/community partnerships. Engaging 99 pre-schools (67 in NI and 32 in ROI): (that have not yet participated in SE). Developing shared education pre-school Clusters (2-3 schools). 9,914 pre-school pupils will participate in shared education classrooms by December 2021. Training of 157 pre-school teachers on a shared basis. Supporting 99 Boards of Governors to develop and implement a SE policy. Involving 1,100 parents in workshops and activities. By increasing the number of children taking part in SE, strengthening diversity at school and improving community relations, SfS will contribute to achieve the objectives highlighted in the NI Draft programme for Government 2016-2021 and in the ROI May 2016 Programme for a Partnership Government. Research shows that children develop prejudices from an early age, which further highlights the need for SE to improve community relations. Research and experience show there is demand for SE among pre schools. This application presents the preferred option for these reasons: a strong and experienced partnership, value for money, excellent and effective evidence-based programme design, and strong community involvement. Early Years will be responsible for the financial management, with the assistance of a Project Management Group. Publicity will be achieved at each stage of the programme through media work, website, social media and newsletters. Qualitative monitoring will be carried out by project specialists using a baseline and yearly academic questionnaires. Pre-schools will be supported to carry out self-evaluation. Data collected will be reviewed on a monthly basis and an external evaluation will be conducted. Training of teachers and involvement of the community and parents will ensure that they continue to be drivers for SE long after funding ends. Monitoring and evaluation evidence will be used to advocate for continued support to SE.

Achievements (EN):

The Sharing from the Start project involved early years settings throughout Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland forming cross-community and/or cross-border partnerships. The children took part in joint curricular classes to improve their educational outcomes and promote good relations. Funding was being used to enable pre-schools to take part in shared education projects improving educational outcomes and cross-community cohesion, inclusion and diversity. The project was led by Early Years, in collaboration with the National Childhood Network and the Fermanagh Trust. Research has shown that children develop prejudices from an early age, which further highlights the need for shared education to improve community relations. The Sharing from the Start project placed a strong emphasis on developing and deepening reconciliation between divided communities, increase tolerance and respect and increase social cohesion. Key Outputs: 99 schools involved in shared education. 57 teachers trained with the capacity to facilitate shared education. 9,914 participants in shared education classrooms. Speaking at the project launch Siobhan Fitzpatrick, former Chief Executive Officer, Early Years said All the research shows that helping children understand the importance of enjoying good relations with friends from different communities is critical to building stronger, better communities both now and into the future. We are very excited about the Sharing from the Start Project. We believe it will contribute significantly to the Shared Education agenda and our objective of making sharing a reality for all preschool children in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland. Eileen Owens, leader at Loughinisland Playgroup commented: Through Sharing from The Start we have been able to have these exciting opportunities for the children where they have learned so much and had lots of fun along the way. Judy McSherry leader at Crossgar Pre-school added: It’s great for the children to make so many new friends and by working together we are able to do so much more and learn from each other. We are so encouraged as well by the support of parents and the wider community. Quote from a parent: This is a very worthwhile project. Teaching children from a young age that we are all different, but we are all the same. Even though they don’t realise now, the learning will kick in as they grow and develop.

Website: https://www.seupb.eu/piv-overview

Expected Results (EN): 1.1: The percentage of schools in the last academic year that have been involved in shared education with another school.

Thematic information

Education and training Community integration and common identity

Specific Objective: The provision of direct, sustained, curriculum based contact between pupils and teachers from all backgrounds through collaboration between schools from different sectors in order to promote good relations and enhance children's skills and attitude to contribute to cohesive society

Thematic Objective: (09) promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination, by:

Investment Priority: (09f) promoting social and economic stability in the regions concerned, notably by actions to promote cohesion between communities (ETC-PC)

Partners (2)

Lead Partner: Early Years - The Organisation for Young Children

Address: Wildflower Way, Apollo Road, BT12 6TA Belfast, United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Website: www.early-years.org

Total budget: EUR 3 705 424.98

Fermanagh Trust

Name: Fermanagh Trust

Address: Broadmeadow, BT74 7HR Enniskillen, United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Website: www.fermanaghtrust.org

Total budget: EUR 550 582.33

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Partners and Projects info

Early Years - The Organisation for Young Children

Sharing from the Start

Partners and Projects info

Fermanagh Trust

Sharing from the Start

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Sharing from the Start

Project acronym: Sharing from the Start

Project start date: 2016-07-01

Project end date: 2022-03-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 4 256 007.31

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 617 606.21

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, .

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 Ireland - United Kingdom (PEACE IV)

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2023-09-12

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

96 / 96 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

190 / 235 (80.85%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Part of the data was retrieved by Interact from the programme´s website on the 2023-09-11. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (https://www.seupb.eu/piv-overview), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-11-17, 2023-02-01 and 2024-03-20.

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Sharing from the Start

Description

Thematic information

Partners (2)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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