DES approved
‘ABLE4Teachers How and Why Relationships Matter in Schools’ summer course
‘ABLE4Teachers – How and Why Relationships Matter In Schools’ is one of our core Relationships inPractice training courses. DES approved, it is available for teachers, SNAs, principals, Home School Liaison Officers and School Completion Coordinators to support positive relationships in schools.
This course recognises that a multi-disciplinary team approach makes a difference to the learning experience for children and families. It is those relationships in practice that build capacity for learning and engagement.
Our ABLE4Teachers summer course has traditionally run over five consecutive days during the summer break. It supports the ‘Indicators for Success’ in the DES Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework.
ABLE4 Teachers aims to:
- Contribute to an understanding of why quality relationships matter in our school lives.
- Demonstrate how a good relationship can impact on learning for the long term benefit of children’s growth and development.
- Share with participants evidence-informed insight, knowledge and resources about relationships in practice in schools.
- Support and upskill teachers in managing their time and boundaries during difficult interactions without feeling overwhelmed or feeling the need to ‘fix’ things for people.
- Support teachers to think about and gain skills needed to build rapport and to nurture positive and empowering interactions by developing their interpersonal skills like reflective and active listening and empathy.
- Support teachers to build positive relationships by communicating with compassion and sensitivity for themselves and others in their school environment.
ABLE4 Teachers is delivered by two of our licenced trainers. Using a wide range of training techniques that include role-play, group work and experiential learning, this training will elevate your confidence as a teacher.
We also have a series of Croke Park Hours ABLE4Teachers workshops available.
What ABLE4Teachers will give you
- A framework for you to follow
- A process to guide and support you via a brief intervention model to foster relationships and well-being in your school community
- Insight into the factors that help build good quality relationships, and the impact of family relationships, and particularly conflict, on children’s health and well-being
- Knowledge to empower you to anticipate, recognise and respond to signals of relationship distress in parents and children
- Skills to help you to engage in a sensitive way and to create a safe space for parents, pupils, colleagues and others to share their worries and concerns
- Confidence to impart knowledge and insights that will help you to empower your pupils to relate better both in the classroom and in their wider circles
- A strategy to enhance personal and school performance
- Tools and resources to reduce stress, build resilience and protect your own wellbeing, time and boundaries
How our training helps you and your school
Our training course will give you the knowledge, insight and resources to:
- Understand the impact of positive relationships on health and wellbeing and on children’s ability to learn
- Manage conflict in school and understand the impact of conflict on children’s and adults’ health and well-being
- Recognise and use opportunities to engage with colleagues and parents, especially at times of change, challenge and/or upheaval
- Improve your ability to interact with colleagues, parents and pupils in a sensitive and appropriate manner by building relationship capability
- Learn about the factors that contribute to the creation of a safe and secure school environment where the concerns and contributions of parents, children and teachers are taken into account
- Realise the value and impact of active and reflective listening
- Understand the impact of family relationships, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), early brain development, conflict and toxic stress have on children’s health, well-being and behaviours
- Facilitate reflection and action on learnings from a school self-evaluation perspective
- Develop skills and tools for the advancement of SPHE through a focus on the child’s relationship with self, others and the world
- Enhance your personal and professional development, performance and wellbeing
- Reduce your stress levels from feeling overwhelmed or needing to “fix it”
- Raise self-awareness into attitudes and perspectives which may influence interactions with parents, children and other members of the school community
- Build positive relationships, well-being and job satisfaction
” This was a fantastic summer course. I am delighted with my newfound knowledge. I am inspired and confident to adopt the ABLE approach.”
What ABLE4Teachers will give you
- A framework for you to follow
- A process to guide and support you via a brief intervention model to foster relationships and well-being in your school community
- Insight into the factors that help build good quality relationships, and the impact of family relationships, and particularly conflict, on children’s health and well-being
- Knowledge to empower you to anticipate, recognise and respond to signals of relationship distress in parents and children
- Skills to help you to engage in a sensitive way and to create a safe space for parents, pupils, colleagues and others to share their worries and concerns
- Confidence to impart knowledge and insights that will help you to empower your pupils to relate better both in the classroom and in their wider circles
- A strategy to enhance personal and school performance
- Tools and resources to reduce stress, build resilience and protect your own wellbeing, time and boundaries
Learning aims for ABLE4Teachers
Learning aims for ABLE4Teachers - How and Why Relationships Matter in Schools




Evaluated training
We monitor all of our training via qualitative and quantitative feedback in line with best practice.
Our 2019 evaluations show that:
100% of the participants reported that they would recommend our ABLE4Teachers Summer Course to a colleague
97% said they would listen to people and help them to come up with their own solutions rather than try to ‘fix things’ for them
92% felt more confident in responding appropriately to parents and/or colleagues who turned to them for support
The likelihood of teachers offering parents time to talk about their worries or concerns was 94% post training.