Droichead: The induction process for teachers
Droichead is the induction process for:
- Newly qualified teachers (NQTs)
- Teachers who have not previously completed induction
It runs within each academic year, and you are required to complete all elements of the process within that timeframe.
A key part of the process is to engage with your experienced colleagues and reflect on the professional conversations that take place in your professional learning and practice.
To complete Droichead you must complete school-based induction (Strand A) and additional professional learning activities (Strand B). The Oide Droichead Induction Division supports the induction of Newly Qualified Teachers by facilitating the additional professional learning activities and by mentoring and supporting the Professional Support Team (PST).
Teachers registered under Route 1 – Primary or Route 4 – Other on a job-share or part-time contract of not less than 12.5 hours for the duration of the academic year must apply for Droichead by 30 September 2026. These teachers will be required to remain on the process until the end of the academic year.
Settings in which Droichead can take place
A primary teacher should complete Droichead a mainstream primary setting.
However, NQTs can complete the Droichead process in one of the following roles listed below.
a) A special class teacher in a mainstream school.
b) A teacher in a special school.
c) A full-time Special Education Teacher/Teaching in a mainstream school (SET).
In the above cases, the period of employment must involve teaching the same cohort of pupils (save for exceptional absences).
Important:
- You must be in paid employment in a permanent, temporary or substitute capacity, and
- You must teach all areas of the primary school curriculum, including Irish, to a mainstream class of pupils (single or multi-grade) for the entire school day.
- You must meet the minimum duration requirements of teaching a minimum block of 60 consecutive school days.
- For information about job-sharing or part-time contracts, please read the Procedures and Criteria for Droichead 2026/2027.
- You can complete Droichead if you are on a supply panel, or a principal release time post. Please read the Procedures and Criteria for Droichead 2026/2027.
How long is Droichead?
You must complete a minimum block of 60 consecutive school days in an eligible setting from the date you applied for Droichead.
All elements of the Droichead process must be completed within this time frame.
This is a minimum period of practice.
We recommend that you use any extra time to remain on Droichead until the end of your contract or the academic year to take full advantage of the support, guidance and advice provided.
Teachers registered under Route 1 – Primary or Route 4 – Other on a job-share or part-time contract of not less than 12.5 hours for the duration of the academic year must apply for Droichead by 30 September 2026. These teachers will be required to remain on the process until the end of the academic year.
Before you apply
Before you apply for Droichead you must:
- Confirm that you are in an eligible setting and meet the minimum duration for the process.
- Confirm that your school is willing to facilitate you through the process by providing a Professional Support Team (PST) to work collaboratively to support and mentor you. You must have a minimum of two PST members before you can start Droichead.
- Read the Procedures and Criteria for Droichead to ensure you are fully informed of the Droichead process and what is required of you to complete it.
How to apply for and complete Droichead
There are three parts to Droichead:
- Apply via your My Registration account.
- Engage in school-based induction (Strand A) and additional professional learning activities (Strand B).
- Complete the online Droichead Form D and submit the signed joint declaration.
Apply via your My Registration account
- Log in to your My Registration account.
- Select “My Registration” then “My Conditions” and the “View Details” option on your Droichead condition.
After you apply
After you apply for Droichead, you will receive an email acknowledging that we received your application. When you have been accepted onto Droichead, you will receive a confirmation email.
The confirmation email will provide links to important information and documentation. It gives approval and includes your start date.
Engage in Droichead process
After you have received your email confirmation you can begin the Droichead process by completing strand A and strand B elements.
Strand A: School-Based Induction
We recommend that you read the Droichead Policy which provides details about school-based induction. As part of the school-based induction you will be supported by your school and Professional Support Team (PST).
Strand A involves:
- Engaging with your school, principal and PST.
- Conversations with more experienced colleagues, and reflection on the professional conversations.
- Observations are a key feature of Droichead.
- Using portfolio-based learning (Taisce) to reflect on your professional learning and practice.
AND
Strand B: Additional Professional Learning Activities
The Oide Induction Division provide the additional professional learning activities for Droichead.
The first step is to create an account with Oide.
Then you must complete:
- An online webinar.
- Attend a general cluster meeting.
- Attend a focused cluster meeting.
- Complete at least one other Professional Learning Activity chosen in consultation with your PST.
How to complete Droichead
When you and your PST have concluded the Droichead process (both school based and additional professional learning activities) you must complete and submit the Form D and signed joint declaration via your My Registration account.
The Form D will only be available to you in your My Registration account after you have completed the Oide online webinar, general and focused cluster meeting. If you cannot see your Form D in your My Registration log into your Oide account and check that you completed all additional professional learning activities.
Before starting your online Droichead Form D application, we recommend that you read and these instructions as you may need to revisit them at a later stage.
You must complete the Form D in the order that it appears, before you download the Joint Declaration. Some parts of the form will be pre-populated with information that you provided when you applied for Droichead.
When submitting your application, you must upload all pages of the Joint Declaration and not just the last signed page.
After submitting the Form D the PST members will receive a notification.
When the Form D has been fully complete and signed by your Professional Support Team, the condition of Droichead will be removed and your registration and certificate of registration will be updated.
Important:
The Teaching Council has the right to verify all documentation received. Completed Form D’s are verified on a regular basis with Professional Support Team members.
The Teaching Council takes the falsification of documents very seriously. Falsifying documents constitutes misconduct and may result in disciplinary action by the Teaching Council.