National Pyjama Day 2023

Early Childhood Ireland National Annual Awards 2021

FAQ

  • What are the key dates for award applications?
Opening date19 April 2021
Closing date31 May 2021
Award Winners announced9 October 2021
  • What are the award categories for 2021?

Award Category 1 

Early Childhood Ireland Learning Story of the Year Award

Early Childhood Ireland Emergent Curriculum in Action Learning Story of the Year Award

Early Childhood Ireland Learning Story of the Year from a ‘Newcomer’ Award

Award Category 2

Early Childhood Ireland Inspired Practice Award

Award Category 3

Early Childhood Ireland Partnership with Families Innovation Award

Award Category 4

Early Childhood Ireland Leadership for Inclusion Award sponsored by LINC

Award Category 5

Transitions for Children, Early Childhood Ireland and First 5 Award, led by the Government of Ireland

Award Category 6

Early Childhood Ireland Pedagogical Leader Award sponsored by WESCO

Q: Who can apply to enter the Early Childhood Ireland National Annual Awards?

To be eligible for the following award categories services must hold a current Early Childhood Ireland provider membership throughout the full award process, from application to award being received:

Category 1 Early Childhood Ireland Learning Story of the Year Award

Category 2 Early Childhood Ireland Inspired Practice Award

Category 3 Early Childhood Ireland Partnership with Families Innovation Award

Category 6 Early Childhood Ireland Pedagogical Leader Award

Additionally:

  1. Provide early learning and care to children from birth to school-age (sessional, part-time, full-time)
  2. Tusla-registered,
  3. Deemed by Tulsa’s Early Years Inspectorate to have sufficiently met the national regulatory requirements and are not subject to Tusla enforcement action.
  4. Evidence of good practice through DES Inspection Report. (where applicable)
  5. Only services that have appointed a LINC graduate as an Inclusion Coordinator (INCO) are eligible to nominate a candidate for the Early Childhood Ireland Leadership for Inclusion Award sponsored by LINC.
  6. Only services that have not previously entered any Early Childhood Ireland Awards categories are eligible to apply for the Early Childhood Ireland Learning Story of the Year from a ‘Newcomer’.

Note: where a service submitting an entry to the awards is owned/operated by a person or organisation/franchise with more than one service, all the services/franchises must be Tusla-registered, be deemed to have sufficiently met the required national regulatory standards and should not be subject to Tusla enforcement action.

Applications will only be accepted online. The application form is the same for each of the awards. Please complete it in full and upload the supporting documents for the award you are entering.  Only fully completed applications forms will be accepted.

  • How much does it cost to enter?

It is free to enter the Early Childhood Ireland National Annual Awards 2021.

  • May I enter more than one category?

Yes. You can enter as many categories as you see fit.

  • Can I submit supporting material?

Yes! Please check application submission criteria for each award.

  • What happens after I have submitted my entries?

Internal and External Judges will review all applications against the award criteria and will mark the application accordingly.  There is a different set of criteria for each award.

The awards’ scoring system is as follows:

  • A total of 100 marks is available for each award.
  • The criteria for judging each award is divided into 4 themes. 25 marks is the maximum that can be awarded under each theme.
  • The marks for each of the 4 themes will be added to get a total.
  • In the final stage of Judging, the highest score out of a possible total of 100 wins the award.
  • A minimum of 15 marks must be scored by applicants in each of the 4 themes, and 60 is the minimum total mark that must be achieved to remain a contender.
  • Who are the Judges?
  • Can I cancel my entry?

Yes, up to 1 week after closing date and by email to awards@earlychildhoodireland.ie.

  • Can ECI cancel my entry

Yes for e.g., uncompleted applications forms, not participating in the promotion of the awards.  If a service does not meet the criteria of the judging stages during the selection process and on the day of the announcement of the winners at the Award celebrations.  (embed link to page)

  • What do the winners get?

All winning applications will be announced and presented with an award and a bursary at the Early Childhood Ireland National Annual Awards Celebrations.

Early Childhood Ireland will promote Award winners on our social media platforms and website, and in our press releases and press coverage.

Award winners can link Early Childhood Ireland posts to their social media platforms and website.

The content of the winning submissions may be included in Early Childhood Ireland research publications, online and in print, and in ECI ‘good practice’ resources etc. See consent forms for more detail.