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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧑‍🏫 Teachers’ feeling of self-efficacy with respect to engagement declines over time, especially in DEIS schools in cohort A after the pandemic. ⬇️ 18/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🏫 School profile (i.e., gender profile, DEIS status) is associated with differences in principal wellbeing. Principals in DEIS schools report higher stress and burnout, and lower self-efficacy, worsening over time. ⬇️ 17/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

❤️ The importance of early intervention, wraparound care, and positive expectations come through in the longitudinal case studies of children and their families. ⬇️ 16/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

👍 The kind of school children attend (i.e., DEIS/gender) does not make a difference to wellbeing. Wellbeing is positively associated with a sense of belonging, positive teacher expectations, & feeling respected, & negatively associated with being bullied & being a 2nd-generation immigrant. ⬇️ 15/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧑‍🏫 Children in primary schools report very high levels of teacher support for their learning. This is especially the case for girls and lower-attaining children in DEIS schools. ⬇️ 14/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

✏️ Classrooms with engaged children and high teacher expectations are associated with reading and mathematics attainment. ⬇️ 13/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

😷 Disruptions to primary school during the pandemic most negatively impacted on the reading and mathematics attainment of younger children, especially children from poorer families, children in DEIS schools, and first-generation immigrant children. ⬇️ 12/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧮 Immigrant background influences mathematics attainment. Children of second-generation immigrant background achieve the highest mathematics scores on average by 6th class. ⬇️ 11/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧮 The gender profile of a school influences mathematics attainment. Girls in all-girls' schools achieve higher scores in mathematics on average than do girls in co-ed schools. ⬇️ 10/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧮 Mathematics attainment is also influenced by gender in the early years of primary school, with boys scoring higher on average than girls. However, gender differences in mathematics attainment equalise by 6th class and are no longer statistically significant. ⬇️ 9/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧮 Again, this is reflected in the clustering of poorer children in DEIS schools, and corresponding differences in mathematics attainment by the DEIS profile of schools. ⬇️ 8/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧮 Similar patterns arose in relation to children’s mathematics attainment, with children from poorer families scoring lower on average than their peers from more well-off families. ⬇️ 7/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

📖 Children from non-immigrant backgrounds achieve higher reading attainment scores on average, though these differences are largely equalised by 6th class and are no longer statistically significant. ⬇️ 6/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

📖 Gender also influences children’s reading attainment, with girls scoring higher on average than boys, though differences in reading attainment are marginal by 6th class. ⬇️ 5/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

📖 This is reflected in the clustering of poorer children in DEIS schools, and corresponding differences in reading attainment by the DEIS profile of schools. ⬇️ 4/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

📖 Children's reading attainment in primary school is associated with levels of family poverty and wealth, with attainment gaps widening over time. ⬇️ 3/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

‼️ Primary school matters. School plays a central role in children’s lives, shaping not only their learning but also their wellbeing, relationships, and sense of identity. ⬇️ 2/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🚨 Today, we launch Report 10 from the #CSLstudy, ‘Primary School Matters: Everyday Living and Learning in Children’s School Lives’ 🔗 Download the report from our website at: cslstudy.ie/downloads/CS... 🧵 Read about some of the key findings below – ⬇️ 1/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Our research team met with the Early Childhood and Primary Team from the @NCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to discuss the existing evidence the study has created over the last seven years. We are delighted that CSL contributes to inform policy that centers the voices of children.

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

✨Children in 1st Year were asked about the advice they would offer to children who are preparing for the transition. The overwhelming theme was one of encouragement, emphasising that the transition to post-primary school was not as bad as they worried it would be. ⬇️ 17/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

👉 Both 1st Year children and their parents found 6th Class preparations, open days, and mentoring from senior students at post-primary level helpful for the transition. ⬇️ 16/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

📃Interviews with teachers confirmed that school transition programmes, for example, external visits by post primary school representatives, as well as handovers between primary and post-primary schools were key support measures. ⬇️ 15/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

📝 Overall, parents felt that tests are not stressful for their 1st Year children, with over half agreeing the testing climate in their new post-primary schools is healthy. However, one third were uncertain. ⬇️ 14/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

⭐ Children reported high rating to the following aspects of their school lives in 1st Year which aligned with their perceptions in 6th Class: - the level of academic support provided by their new post-primary teachers; and - their own academic self-concept. ⬇️ 13/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Interviews with children about their experiences in 1st Year confirmed their happiness and satisfaction with the transfer, in spite of an initial period of unsettlement. Of note is their appreciation of new opportunities, growing independence and maturity. ⬇️ 12/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

💭Children in 1st Year were more likely to agree that their voice is heard, as compared to 6th Class. They reported higher levels of being allowed to make decisions, having their ideas used to change things, and feeling listened to in their 1st Year. ⬇️11/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

While children’s sense of belonging at school is likely in a delicate state of flux as they transition to a new school; results show that children had an increased feeling of belonging during their first term of 1st Year (80%) as compared to 6th Class (48%). ⬇️ 10/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

When asked about the links between their school work and their future career, there was an increase in how relevant children felt their current learning was. Those in 1st Year rated the relevance of what they are learning in class higher than they did in 6th Class. ⬇️ 9/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

📚About 4 in 5 children planned to attend university or college, and their plans to attend (or not) remained stable across the transition. 85% of children responded the same in 1st Year as they did in 6th Class when asked whether they plan on attending Higher Education. ⬇️ 8/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

🏫The study followed the transition of children into 1st Year, and explored their experiences during the first term. Over half of the children believed that primary school prepared them well for the transition with regard to the subjects’ content and coherence. ⬇️ 7/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

🏡Similarly, parents highlighted their sense of positivity about the transition of their children to post-primary school, believing they are ready to do so. Concerns around social adjustments and organisational capabilities were prioritised over academic concerns. ⬇️ 6/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

😌 Teachers expect that approximately 70% of children will settle in, academically and socially, in post-primary school, and adjust to new routines. An even larger proportion (80%) were expected to settle in well with regard to their relationship with their new teachers. ⬇️ 5/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

🤩 When asked about their expectations of post-primary school, 84% of children in 6th Class were excited about having more freedom, and 82% were excited about having access to new equipment for sports and learning. ⬇️ 4/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

📊 Almost half (43%) of children in 6th Class reported they usually or always like many things about the school and almost half of the children in 6th Class (48%) feel that they belong in school. ⬇️ 3/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

🚨 Today, we launch Report 9 from the #CSLstudy, ‘Experiences of the Transition to Post-Primary Schooling’ 🔗 Download the report from our website at: cslstudy.ie/downloads/CS... 🧵 Read about some of the key findings below – ⬇️ 1/18

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

💬 Other teachers and principals noted prejudice within society towards Travellers in general, difficulties in building trust between educators and Traveller parents, and the need to recognise the cultural background of Travellers in building such trust. ⬇️ 18/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

💬 Some noted concerns about school attendance and the retention of Traveller children in education. They identified the learning strengths of Traveller children, but also noted the challenges in breaking a cycle of early school leaving. ⬇️ 17/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

📊 Traveller children report higher levels of being bullied than any other ethnic group across both Cohort A and Cohort B. With respect to agreeing they bullied others once a week or more, Traveller children are more likely than other groups to agree. ⬇️ 15/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

📣 Across both cohorts, there are no differences in the views of Traveller children and their peers of other ethnic backgrounds on having a voice and being listened to in school. ⬇️ 14/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

👍 There are no differences in Traveller children’s feelings of friendship, support, and care when compared to their white Irish/majority ethnic peers. ⬇️ 13/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

👍 In general, Traveller children report higher levels of wellbeing than their peers. Traveller children are less likely to feel anxious than their peers of other ethnic backgrounds. ⬇️ 12/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

📝 Traveller children are more likely than their peers to say that they like it when the teacher works with them on their own. They are less likely than their peers to say they like working in pairs. ⬇️ 11/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

➕ A similar pattern is evident in relation to Traveller children’s mathematics ability group placement. ⬇️ 10/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

📖 There is no major difference in Traveller children's membership of reading ability groups in the earlier years of primary school. As Traveller children progress through primary school they are more likely than any other ethnic group to be in the lowest reading ability group. ⬇️ 9/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

🏀🎨🌍 Traveller children in 6th class are most interested in PE, Art, and SESE. ⬇️ 8/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

🎓 When asked about their own intentions, 25% of Traveller children in 6th class report that they are likely to attend college/university. ⬇️ 7/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

🎓 This perception is reinforced as children progress through primary school, with teachers of 6th class children reporting that 20% of Traveller children are likely to attend higher education. ⬇️ 6/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

🎓 Teachers of 2nd class children report that Traveller children are less likely to attend higher education (57%) than those of white Irish ethnicity (67%). ⬇️ 5/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

👍 For children in Cohort B, Traveller children report liking school equally to slightly more than children from white Irish/other minority ethnic backgrounds. ⬇️ 4/19

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Children's School Lives @cslstudyucd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

📝 Traveller children are highly engaged and confident in their learning in the earlier years of primary school (Cohort A), with no difference between Traveller children and white Irish/other minority ethnic background children in perceptions of doing well in classwork. ⬇️ 3/19

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