Droichead is an integrated professional induction framework for newly qualified teachers. It includes school-based and additional professional learning activities to address the needs of teachers as they begin their careers. From September 2018, all newly qualified teachers who are teaching in a school with 400 or more pupils or are employed in Special Educational Needs posts, e.g., resource teacher, can only complete their induction through the Droichead model. For schools in these categories, it is important to note that post-primary NQTs employed in the school will not be able to avail of the traditional processes of Post-Qualification Employment (PQE). Currently the only exception to this is where a post-primary NQT has a contract of less than 200 hours in a post-primary school. In this situation, they can "bank" their time towards PQE. However, if the post-primary school is not offering Droichead and the NQT has a contract of more than 200 hours, there will be no route to induction available to them in that school during that contract.
A newly qualified teacher has three years to address the Teaching Council condition of induction upon their registration. If a registered teacher is unable to complete the requirements of a registration condition within the specified period, he or she may apply to the Council for an extension. The Council will consider such requests in the context of the nature of the registration condition, the progress made to date and the work that remains to be completed. Every application for an extension is evaluated on its own merits. In the event that a school with 400 or more students does not offer Droichead in the coming school year, the NQTs can legitimately apply for and will be granted an extension for 1 year on that basis should he or she need it
