The Department of Education issued a new staffing circular on 11 February. the following are its key provisions.
Circular 0011/2025 published 11 February 2025 outlines the staffing arrangements for primary schools in the 2025/26 school year and includes the primary staffing schedules for ordinary schools, Gaelscoileanna, Gaeltacht and DEIS Urban Band One schools.
Frequently Asked Questions on Circular 0011/2025 Staffing Arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2024/25 school year
Staffing Schedules for Schools
Staffing Schedule for 2025-2026 Appendix A – Schedule of Enrolment of Pupils Governing the Appointment and Retention of Mainstream Class Teachers in Ordinary Schools, Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht National Schools for the 2025/26 school year
The new enrolment thresholds for principals and deputy principals are set out in Appendix B of this circular.
Special Education Teacher posts
Circular 0011/2025 also includes information on the allocation of special education hours at Circular 0011/2025 Appendix C. Further information on this can be found in the separate Circular 0004/2025.
Schools with a balance of Special Education hours additional to the full posts are advised that they have a period until Thursday 29 February 2024 to enter into a cluster arrangement to achieve a full-time permanent post (25 hours) through sharing arrangements with other neighbouring schools.
Circular 0011/2025 Appendix C – SEN allocations
Form SET cluster 2025/26 (Appendix D) – Special Education Teacher Post (Shared) 2025/26
Schools can for the first time cluster Principal Release hours with Special Education Teaching hours to create a full-time post (25 hours)
Key Dates
Members should note Tuesday, 11 March 2025 as a key date for staffing arrangements in primary schools for the 2024/25 school year.
By Tuesday, 11 March 2025, teachers and schools should:
- Notify the relevant Panel Operator of any permanent or fixed-term vacancy;
- Return Main Redeployment Panel Application Form (Appendix E) for surplus permanent/CID holding teachers to the Department’s Primary Teacher Allocations Section;
- Return Form SET cluster 2025/26 (Appendix D) to the Department’s Primary Teacher Allocations Section to notify the DE of new Special Education Teacher cluster arrangements;
- Return CID Declaration Form 25 (Appendix G) in respect of all teachers awarded a CID in or before the 2024/25 school year and a Main Panel Application Form, if applicable, to the Department’s Primary Teacher Allocations Section;
- Submit completed Staffing Appeals Form Appendix F for the next meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board to the Department’s Primary Teacher Allocations Section; and
- Submit applications for Principal Release Day clusters on the application form.
Main Panel
The Main Redeployment Panels are expected to be published after Easter 2025 for schools to appoint teachers from the panels to vacancies.
The Main Redeployment Panel Application Form (Appendix E) for surplus permanent/CID holding teachers to the Department’s Primary Teacher Allocations Section; should be returned to the Department of Education by 11 March 2025.
Frequently asked questions regarding Redeployment Arrangements at Primary Level for Surplus Permanent and CID Holding Teachers can be found here.
Main Panel Update Form: This form is used to update the Department of Education where a teacher takes up a teaching position from the main panel or is deferring their panel rights.
For further information about how the Main Panel operates see here.
It is important that all schools participate in the redeployment process to ensure that teachers are redeployed as early as possible.
Staffing Appeals
The first meeting of the Staffing Appeals Board will be in March 2025. They will meet again in June and October.
Applications for the March Staffing Appeals Board should be submitted by 11 March 2025 on the correct form from Staffing Appeals Form Appendix F – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year. The categories include:
- Exceptional Accommodation Difficulties Appendix F (a) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
- Additional Enrolments in October 2024 Appendix F (b) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
- Developing Post based on Additional Enrolments after 30 September 2024 (for October Staffing Appeals Board) Appendix F (c) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
- English as an Additional Language (EAL) Teaching Posts Appendix F (d) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
- Small Schools Appendix F (e) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
- School losing 3 or more Posts Appendix F (f) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
- Alleviating some of the pressure on class sizes at infants level Appendix F (g) – Application to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for the 2025/26 School Year
Please note that appeals for EAL posts will not be considered at the March meeting.
Contracts of Indefinite Duration
For comprehensive information regarding Contracts of Indefinite Duration and the Application Process see our website here.
Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) Forms contained in Circular 0011/2025 include
- Declaration by a school for the 2025/26 school year where a teacher has acquired a CID under Part A1 or A2 of Circular 0023/2015 – Circular 0011/2025 Appendix G
- Application for department sanction for the award to a teacher, of a contract of indefinite duration (CID) in the 2024/25 school year in accordance with Circular 0023/2015 –Circular 0011/2025 Appendix H
Supports for Teaching Principals
Circular 0011/2025 retains one leadership and management day a week, secured by this union for every teaching principal. Schools with one special class will continue to have four additional release days in the 2025/26 school year. This scheme has proven to be successful in supporting teaching principals with an increased workload, while ensuring consistent access to a teacher for their class.
Principal Release hours can be clustered with Special Education Teaching Time to create full-time positions.
Applications for new Principal Release Clusters should be made to the Primary Allocations Section of the Department of Education on Principal Release Post Cluster Form 2025/26
Substitute Teacher Supply Panels
The supply panels will continue in 2025/26 school year. The current level of posts in supply panel areas will be reviewed at the end of the current school year. Base schools will be notified of supply panel allocations for next year at that time.
Page updated 11 February 2025
