Active

Primary

Tue May 12 2026

Wed May 27 2026

Thu Aug 27 2026

Permanent

Mainstream

Vertical

Co-Educational

Catholic

DEIS 1

28

388

Yes

Introduction
The Board of Management of St Joseph’s Mercy Primary School, under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Meath, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the permanent position of Administrative Principal Teacher, commencing on 27th August 2026.
St Joseph’s Mercy Primary School is a Catholic, inclusive and child-centred DEIS 1 primary school for girls and boys from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. We are proud of our strong Catholic and Mercy ethos and of our pupil enrolment which is rich in diversity.
A deep sense of community, care and collaboration characterises our daily life in St Joseph’s Mercy Primary School.

The current teaching staff comprises an Administrative Principal, 20 mainstream Class Teachers, 7 SETs, 3 SNAs, a full-time HSCL Co-ordinator, a full-time School Secretary and a full-time Caretaker.

We seek a Principal who will lead a dedicated and collaborative staff and who will work closely with the Board of Management, parents, the wider school community and external agencies to ensure the continued development and success of the school.

The appointment process will be governed by the terms of Department of Education Circular 0044/2019, Chapter 4. The roles and responsibilities of the post relate to the four domains of Leadership and Management set out in the Circular:
1. Leading Learning and Teaching
2. Managing the Organisation
3. Leading School Development
4. Developing Leadership Capacity

The successful candidate should demonstrate:
• a commitment to upholding the Catholic and Mercy ethos, values and traditions of the school, and to fostering the positive, collaborative and supportive learning environment that currently exists within the school community.
• proven leadership, organisational and administrative experience within a school setting including policy development, strategic planning and school self-evaluation.
• a strong understanding of the Primary Curriculum and of high quality learning and teaching in a DEIS 1 context.
• experience in the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative school-based initiatives.
• in-depth knowledge and experience of special educational and EAL needs along with a commitment to inclusion and diversity.
• excellent people management and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with staff, pupils, parents, Board of Management, other schools, wider community and external agencies.
• the capacity to empower staff and promote distributed leadership and professional learning within the school.
• evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to school leadership.

Eligibility Criteria
Fully registered with the Teaching Council (Route 1 – Primary).
Minimum of 5 years recognised teaching experience, two of which must be in a recognised primary school within the Republic of Ireland.

The appointment will be subject but not limited to:
• satisfactory references
• occupational health pre-employment medical screening
• documentary evidence of teaching qualification
• documentary evidence of full Teaching Council registration
• Garda Vetting and Occupational Health Screening approval