Active School Flag
What is an Active School?
An Active School is a school that strives to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community.
What is the Active School Flag?
The Active School Flag (ASF) initiative is a Department of Education initiative supported by Healthy Ireland and administered through Mayo Education Centre. It is a non-competitive process that is open to primary and post primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. It encourages all members of the school community, with the support of local and national agencies, to work together to promote physical activity.
How to Become an Active School
Step 1 - Investigate the ASF Process
Find out as much about the ASF process as possible by talking with other schools and looking up the ASF website www.activeschoolflag.ie. ASF presentations are given during September/October throughout the education centres network. Schools wishing to apply for the ASF are advised to attend.
Once your school has decided that it wishes to work towards the ASF it must REGISTER to access the online application form
Step 2 - Self-Evaluation
Schools begin the ASF process by completing a process of self-evaluation across 3 main areas: Physical Education, Physical Activity, Partnerships.
Schools must respond to a number of prompt questions which will help them to identify their strengths and areas requiring further development.
Based on these findings schools must then plan and implement improvements across each of the review areas. The improvements must relate to the findings of the self-evaluation and result in tangible benefits for the school community.
SUCCESS CRITERIA are listed for each of the review areas.
* Many schools working towards the ASF also choose Physical Education as the third subject for the School Self-Evaluation Process
Active School Week
Active School Week (2016) runs April 25th – 29th. Schools wishing to achieve the ASF must have completed at least one Active School Week (ASW) programme and commit to having it as part of their annual school calendar.
Step 3 – Accreditation
Once schools have completed the application process and are in a position to confirm that they are meeting all of the stated success criteria then they SUBMIT their application form for screening.
Detailed feedback will be given to schools that are not approved for an accreditation visit to help them to reach the required standards.
Schools that successfully pass through the screening process will be assigned an ASF accreditation visit. The purpose of the 2 hour visit is to verify that the improvements listed on the application form have been put in place and that the school is meeting the ASF success criteria. The accreditor will wish to meet and affirm the efforts of everyone that contributed to the process and leave the school with suggestions about future development.
Once awarded the ASF remains valid for a period of 3 years after which schools will be invited to re-apply.
