Term 3 Planning Hub
Your essential checklist for the final term
Everything you need to keep on top of admin, compliance, and planning from April to June.
Key: 🟦 April 🟨 May 🟩 June — Last Update: 7th May 2026 to include Summer Programme Deadlines
🔑 Key Date: April 28th 2026 ⏰🚨
This is the primary deadline for several essential administrative actions.
By this date, you must:
- Notify your Panel Operator of any permanent or fixed-term vacancies.
- Submit Main Redeployment Panel forms for any surplus permanent/CID holding teachers.
- Submit Form SET.Cluster2026/27 for your new Special Education Teacher clusters.
- Submit Staffing Appeals forms for the May board meeting.
- Apply for Projected Enrolment Posts.
🟦 April ⚠️ Urgent
Check your mainstream staffing levels for the 2026/27 school year using the enrolment tables in Appendix A
🟦 April ⚠️ Urgent
Check if your school is entitled to Administrative Principal and/or Administrative Deputy Principal status using the enrolment thresholds in Appendix B
🟦 April ⚠️ Urgent
Review your Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation (Appendix C) to identify the number of full-time posts and any part-time hours available for clustering.
Use the SchoolPolicy.ie SET Allocations Hub for tools to make the process easier.
🟦 April 📋 Form
If you are the base school for a cluster, submit Form SET.Cluster2026/27 (Appendix D) to the Primary Allocations Section. (Note: You can combine up to 10 Principal Release hours with SET hours to form a post)
🟨 May 🟩 June 📥
Look out for the notification on the OLCS system containing the online link for Form Prim-EAL 2026/27. Published 22nd April 2026. 🔗 Link here
🟦 28th April 📧 Email
Notify Vacancies: Email your relevant Panel Operator about any impending permanent and fixed-term vacancies arising from the staffing schedule or other known reasons.
🟦 April 📋 Form
Redeploy Surplus Teachers: Return the Main Redeployment Panel Application Form (Appendix E) to the Primary Teacher Allocations Section for any surplus permanent or CID-holding teachers
🟦 April ⚠️ Urgent
Exceptional Accommodation Difficulty: You must use this form (Appendix F(a)) if your school will achieve the required pupil numbers by September 2026, but not having an additional classroom post allocated would cause an exceptional accommodation difficulty
🟨 May ⚠️ Urgent ☀️ Summer Programme
Summer Programme KEY DEADLINE
You must register for the summer programme before 15th May 2026 for both school-based and home-based provision!
🟨 May ☀️ Summer Programme
In the week commencing 25 May 2026, schools will be engaged with on an individual basis where they will receive a followup email confirming the number of pupils approved to participate in this year’s programme, along with their school’s assigned staffing allocation. This approach ensures that each school receives clear, tailored information to assist with effective planning.
🟨 May 🟩 June 📋 Form
Projected Enrolment Posts: Submit applications for Projected Enrolment Posts (Form ProjEnrPost26/27) if your projected enrolments for September 2026 meet the required criteria
🟦 April ⚠️ Urgent
October 2025 Enrolment: You must use this form (Appendix F(b)) if your school had the required pupil numbers enrolled in September or October 2025, but they were absent specifically on the census date of 30 September 2025 due to circumstances outside the school’s control
🟥 September/October
Projected Enrolment Post (Post-September 2026): You must use this form (Appendix F(c)) if your school was provisionally sanctioned for a projected enrolment post but fell short of the numbers on 30 September 2026, provided you can prove the expected pupils will be enrolled by the last day of term in December 2026
🟨 May 🟩 June
Release Reports on Aladdin
It’s not a bad idea to release the end of year reports on Aladdin if you’re using it. This gives time to teachers to get a start. Don’t forget all the teachers’ signatures!
🟨 May 🟩 June
Standardised Test Time!
Make sure you have enough standardised tests and make sure they take place in May! Think about giving over a Croke Park Hour so teachers can correct the tests and make sure to upload the results for 2nd, 4th and 6th class on the OLCS.
🟦 April
Calendar 2026/27: You should finalise your school calendar for the next school year. You can use SchoolPolicy.ie’s Calendar Generator and you can find some suggested breakdowns of the year here.
🟦 April
Staff Allocations 2026/27: The beginning of Term 3 is usually a time to start thinking about staffing allocations. This Notion template will help you make the process simple and fair.
🟦 April 🟨 May
SET Allocation Appeals: You can appeal your SET Allocation between April 13th and May 1st 2026. Find out more here.
Printable Checklist (Members only)
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