Athlone Education Centre

Athlone Education Centre (Athlone ECS), located on Moydrum Road in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, is one of Ireland’s regional education support centres, providing professional development and support services to teachers, school leaders, and education staff. Since 1997, the Centre has operated under the national Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) network.

The centre serves schools and educational professionals across Westmeath, Roscommon, Longford, Offaly, and surrounding areas.

Courses and Professional Development

Athlone ECS delivers a wide range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses aimed at various roles within the education sector. These include:

• Primary and Post-Primary CPD
  Courses in this category focus on subject-specific content, curriculum changes, assessment practices, and classroom strategies.
• Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Training
  Training programmes for SNAs aim to build reflective practice, communication strategies, and inclusive support techniques.
• Digital & STEAM-Focused Learning
  Some courses incorporate technology and STEAM approaches (e.g., coding, robotics, educational tools like LEGO Education or Bee Bots) to support classroom innovation.
• Summer Courses
  DES-approved summer courses are offered on topics such as digital integration, wellbeing, inclusive teaching, and school leadership. These are typically open to primary teachers for EPV day entitlement.
• Wellbeing and School Support
  Workshops covering teacher wellbeing, stress management, resilience, and mental health awareness are also part of the CPD offering.

Courses are typically delivered online, in-person, or through blended learning formats, depending on the topic and demand.

Facilities

Athlone Education Centre provides several on-site resources to support its training and educational programmes:

• Training and meeting rooms: Suitable for small and mid-sized groups
• IT suite: Used for courses requiring digital tools or software
• Educational resource library: Materials available for reference and support
• Parking: On-site parking is available for course participants
• Catering (by arrangement): Available for longer events or bookings
• Facilities may also be booked by external education-related groups or school clusters.

Location and Accessibility

The Centre is located just outside Athlone town centre, and is accessible via:

Bus: Local services stop near Moydrum Road
Train: Athlone Train Station serves major routes, with the centre reachable by taxi from the station
Car: Easily accessible by regional road networks, with free parking on-site

Programmes and Initiatives

In addition to CPD, Athlone ECS supports a number of collaborative initiatives in schools, often in partnership with other education bodies. These include:

Creative Clusters: Facilitating school-led innovation through project-based collaboration
Ficheall (Chess in Schools): A programme encouraging the use of chess in primary schools as a tool for social and cognitive development
The Centre also contributes to national consultations, policy engagement, and the rollout of Department of Education initiatives.

Contact Details

Address: Moydrum Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 HO43
Phone: +353 90 6420400
Email: [email protected]