Altram

Altram promotes high quality Irish-medium early years childcare and education, and supports family involvement as a keystone in the development of an Irish language community. Altram is a Regional Advocacy and Support Group for Irish Language Early Years settings in Northern Ireland. It seeks to advance Irish language early years care and education by promoting good practice, maintaining and improving standards, by providing a wide range of specialist support and training services practitioners, committees and families. Altram plays a key role in the enhancement and development of Irish-medium education which has grown steadily since the early 1970s. Altram provides on-site front-line support and advice to practitioners and committees in relation to regulatory and statutory obligations; curriculum planning and delivery; language immersion methodology; and the development of self-reflective improvement and action planning. Altram develops and disseminates specific resources to support practitioners and committees. It also develops and delivers accredited training and qualifications. Altram advises on the transition from preschool to primary school to ensure continuity and progression for the child. It engages with parents to support them in positive quality interaction with their children, particularly in relation to the development of second language competence. It develops and disseminates specific Irish language support material to widen the use of Irish in the family home and within the community. It represents the Early Years’ Irish Immersion sector to government bodies, statutory agencies, educational, policy development and programme delivery organisations, and lobby groups. It also regularly contributes, on behalf of Early Years’ Irish Immersion sector, to statutory consultation exercises on issues of relevance to the sector.