Ceannaireacht/Leadership
Ceannaireacht don tsíorfheabhsú
Ó bunaíodh i 1991 é, d’fhás agus d’fhorbair Coláiste Feirste as cuimse. Tháinig méadú suntasach ar líon na ndaltaí, líon na foirne, ar an tsoláthar curaclaim, ar acmhainní agus áiseanna. Sa lá atá inniu ann, tá an scoil suite i gcroílár na Ceathrún Gaeltachta i mBéal Feirste, go fisiciúil agus go meonach. Tá foireann mhór ardcháilithe de 53 mhúinteoirí ann agus 650 dalta ag teacht ó 11 bhunscoil i mórcheantar Bhéal Feirste. Le 5 bliana anuas tá Coláiste Feirste, de réir tagarmharcála torthaí scrúduithe leis na scoileanna Béarla, ar na scoileanna is rathúla sa tuaisceart.
Leantar den tsíorfhorbairt seo i rith an ama. Fuair muid £11.9 milliún ón Roinn Oideachais chun ceap nua spórt agus ceap eile teagaisc a thógáil, obair atá críochnaithe anois. Cuirfidh an tionscadal caipitil seo arís leis na deiseanna oideachasúla is féidir linn a thairiscint do dhéagóirí na Gaelscolaíochta.
Is iomaí dúshlán agus roinnt fadhbanna ar an aistear seo. Sháraigh muid iad mar gheall ar ár gcreidbheáil phaiseanta i mbuntáistí an Ghaeloideachais agus mar gheall ar chaighdeán na ceannasaíochta i bpobal na scoile – ó thuismitheoirí agus daltaí, ó mhúinteoirí agus gobarnóirí scoile. Chuir Coláiste Feirste infheistíocht mhór isteach go háirithe i gceannaireacht sinsearach scoile a ghlacann cur chuige nuálach leis an oideachas, a fhorbraíonn oideolaíocht lánGhaeilge agus a thugann faoi thosaíochtaí straitéiseacha soiléire a chuirfidh feabhsú ar eispearas agus ar thorthaí oideachasúla na ndaltaí – próiseas síorfheabhsaithe, ó théarma go téarma, ó bhlian go bliain. Dhearbhaigh cigireacht le déanaí ar an scoil an t-ardchumas ceannaireachta i gColáiste Feirste.
Cinnteoidh an cumas ceannaireachta seo go leanfaidh Coláiste Feirste den tsíordhul chun cinn go ceann na mblianta seo chugainn le freastal go héifeacht ar riachtanais agus uaillmhianta éagsúla ár ndaoine óga.
Leadership for constant improvement
Since its establishment in 1991 Coláiste Feirste has expanded and developed at an amazing rate. Its pupil numbers, teaching staff, curriculum offer, resources and facilities have all grown and blossomed. Today the school is situated at the heart of Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter both physically and conceptually. There is a large complement of 53 highly qualified and enthusiastic teachers and 650 pupils drawn from the 11 bunscoil in the greater Belfast area. For the past 5 years Coláiste Feirste, when its exam results are benchmarked against the English-medium sector, has been in the top 5% in the north.
This constant development continues. Having acquired the former Beechmount Leisure Centre site and secured a funding package of £11.9 million from the Department of Education, work has now been completed on new sports and teaching facilities. This capital investment will extend further the range of opportunities Coláiste Feirste offers to Gaelscoil teenagers.
There have been many challenges and a few set-backs along the way. These have been overcome by the passionate belief in the benefits of Irish-medium education and by the quality of leadership within the school community – from parents and pupils to teachers and school governors. In particular Coláiste Feirste has invested heavily in senior leadership capacity in the school which takes an innovate approach to education, develops Irish-medium pedagogy and focuses on clear strategic priorities which will improve the educational experience and outcomes for pupils – a process of constant improvement, term by term, year by year. The recent inspection of the school confirmed the high quality of leadership capacity in the school.
This leadership capacity will ensure that Coláiste Feirste continues to move forward in the coming years to meet varied needs and aspirations of our young people.
