Bridging the Gap

Welcome to Bridging the Gap

Bridging the Gap aims to establish Cork City as a centre of excellence for educational inclusion and equality, by working in partnership with schools and their communities to achieve their educational goals.  It is an integral part of the university’s community mission. Bridging the Gap reflects best practice in social and educational inclusion measures, as identified nationally and internationally. 

Forty-seven schools and centres in Cork City are participating in Bridging the Gap. The project team consists of Project Director, Professor Áine Hyland, Project Manager, Dr. Tracey Connolly and Project Consultant, Cynthia Deane. Staff from a number of university departments work closely with Bridging the Gap by providing their expertise and support.

Bridging the Gap is organised into five interlinked project strands, resourced and supported by the university:

§         Professional development for teachers

§         Research into educational disadvantage and inclusion

§         Networking among practitioners in schools and university

§         Dissemination of project at national level

§         School-based initiatives

From the outset, Bridging the Gap has been characterised by a number of important distinguishing features, which are considered to have contributed to its successful outcomes to date. 

In particular, participants and other observers have identified the following as key success factors:

§         the role of the university as a central driving force

§         the focus on a whole-school approach to setting goals and monitoring outcomes

§         flexible and strategic targeting of resources in a way that produces sustainable impact in schools

§         the synergy and complementarity that is achieved between Bridging the Gap and other initiatives in schools and communities.

Bridging the Gap

School of Education, UCC, Cork

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