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Heritage Council in Schools

Heritage in schools scheme 2024

The Heritage in Schools Scheme provides a panel of Heritage Specialists who visit primary schools (in-person or virtually) to help children and their teachers learn about and appreciate their local heritage. The Scheme supports the stated aims and objectives of the Social, Scientific and Environmental Education (SESE) curriculum and provides an additional educational tool and resource for teachers.

Aims of the Heritage in Schools Scheme

  • To generate greater awareness, respect, interest and appreciation of our heritage among primary school children (4-12 year olds) by encouraging both teachers and pupils to engage with their local heritage in a hands-on, interactive and meaningful way, through place-based learning.
  • To encourage learning in the outdoor classroom in order to address the increasing decline in time spent outdoors by Irish children.

An in-person visit from a Heritage in Schools Specialist might be to your school grounds or to a local heritage site. Visits are hands-on and interactive and take place in the outdoor classroom where possible. The Specialist will tailor the visit to your requirements and a full or half day visit may be structured so that the Specialist works with different groups of children throughout the visit. Group sizes are limited to 30 children.

Visit our Heritage Specialist directory to see what topics are offered.

Virtual visits

Our virtual Heritage in Schools programme enables schools to engage with our Specialists remotely when restrictions may limit the opportunity for face to face visits or when geographic locations prevent the Specialist visiting the school in person.

A virtual visit offers a mix of pre-recorded and live interactive sessions for children and teachers and includes the following elements:

  • Pre-recorded video (10-15 mins for junior classes and 20 mins (max) for senior classes). The video had scheduled pauses and prompts for teacher to allow opportunity for in-class discussion.
  • Teacher’s notes for each recording as well as activities and worksheets to be completed during or after the session.
  • A real-time virtual interactive session with the children and teacher (40-60 mins) delivered over Zoom. This is a follow-up to the pre-recorded session and activities. These sessions are interactive; have an activity in the middle to break up screen time and allow for teacher’s input.

Visit our Heritage Specialist directory to see what topics are offered.

  • To generate greater awareness, respect, interest and appreciation of our heritage among primary school children (4-12 year olds) by encouraging both teachers and pupils to engage with their local heritage in a hands-on, interactive and meaningful way, through place-based learning.
  • To encourage learning in the outdoor classroom in order to address the increasing decline in time spent outdoors by Irish children.

The Heritage in Schools Scheme is open for bookings for the period September - December 2022.  Bookings for 2023 will be accepted from JanuaryHeritage in Schools JPEG

Further information:

Please direct any questions you might have to Maria Walsh:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: 086 083 4685 (between 10am and 3pm, Monday-Friday)