Abstract

Students who grow up in disadvantaged areas face more challenges and are less likely to complete their education than peers from nondisadvantaged areas. In response to this inequality, the Irish Department of Education and Skills implemented an intervention called Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) to address it. Before the introduction of DEIS in 2005, the Department of Education and Skills had initiated a pilot project in 2002 called the School Completion Programme (SCP) which aimed to improve the retention of young people at risk of early school leaving. Due to the perceived effectiveness of this intervention, it was incorporated into the DEIS scheme in 2005. This qualitative study examines the effectiveness of the School Completion Programme (SCP) in one Irish primary school situated in an area of low socioeconomic status. This paper reports findings from 13 interviews conducted with a Principal, four teachers, three SCP staff, and five parents of students accessing the programme. Findings indicate that the SCP is perceived as a valuable and effective service for the students and teachers in this school, and parents really benefit having the project workers present in the school and liaising with the community. Some potential improvements to the programme are identified and discussed.