What IPPN does

IPPN (Irish Primary Principals' Network) is an independent, not-for-profit voluntary association founded in 2000 and registered in Ireland as both a company (CRO No. 410096) and a registered charity (Charity No. 20063634, CHY 17221). Its purpose is to provide networking, advocacy and professional support services to over 6,000 primary school principals and deputy principals across Ireland, organised into 31 City/County Networks that feed into a National Council governance structure.

The organisation operates a portfolio of member-facing products: annual conferences (Principals' Conference & Education Expo in Killarney, Deputy Principals' Conference), the Ciall Ceannaithe DEY-approved online leadership course, City/County Network meetings, mailing-list peer support ([email protected], [email protected]), template policies, the Leading for Impact podcast, and the Be Well, Lead Well burnout-prevention digital series. It also owns EducationPosts.ie — Ireland's longest-established education recruitment site generating 18 million annual page impressions and 17,000 job postings per year — and publishes the Leadership+ journal, a wall calendar distributed to 3,200 schools, and the E-scéal weekly e-bulletin. Commercial monetisation runs through membership fees (€250–€290 per principal/deputy annually), the Education Expo, advertising in print and digital channels, and the Online School Suppliers Catalogue.

Revenue is generated primarily through subscription membership fees (with Board of Management reimbursement authorised under Department of Education Circular 14/02) and a diversified set of commercial activities including advertising, event sponsorship and the recruitment platform. IPPN is governed by a Board of Directors and National Council, with a Support Office of 14+ staff led by CEO Pádraig Clerkin and based in Glanmire, Co Cork. The organisation conducts evidence-based policy advocacy through its Sustainable Leadership Project and represents Irish primary school leaders internationally on the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) and the European School Heads Association (ESHA).

Name

IPPN

Legal name

Irish Primary Principals' Network

Website

https://ippn.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IPPN is a not-for-profit professional association serving over 6,000 primary school principals and deputy principals across Ireland, providing membership services, professional development, conferences, advocacy, and the EducationPosts.ie recruitment platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & Cabinet Administration (EDADAKAA)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Primary education leadership
• School leadership network
• Education professional development
• Education advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cork

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from primary school principals and deputy principals. Administrative Principal & Deputy Principal – €290; Teaching Principal & Deputy Principal – €250. Membership fee is a valid expense payable by Board of Management per Circular 14/02.
2. Commercial Advertising: Multiple commercial revenue streams including Education Expo exhibition opportunities, print advertising (Leadership+ journal), digital advertising (EducationPosts.ie website with 18 million page impressions annually, E-scéal weekly bulletin), school suppliers catalogue listings, and wall calendar advertising (3,200 calendars distributed annually).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IPPN is a not-for-profit professional membership association that supports primary school principals and deputy principals in Ireland through annual conferences, professional development courses, peer-support networks, advocacy, and commercial platforms. Members access a suite of services including the Ciall Ceannaithe online course, the Annual Principals' Conference & Education Expo, the Deputy Principals' Conference, City/County Network meetings, publications (Leadership+ magazine, Wall Calendar, School Suppliers Catalogue), digital content (Leading for Impact podcast, Be Well Lead Well series), and job advertising via EducationPosts.ie. The organization also represents members to government and education stakeholders through evidence-based advocacy and the Sustainable Leadership Project.

Product overview

IPPN (Irish Primary Principals' Network) is a professional network offering a unified portfolio of membership-based services for primary school leaders in Ireland. The core offering includes professional development programs (Ciall Ceannaithe course, Stepping into Leadership Programme), annual conferences (Principals' Conference & Education Expo, Deputy Principals' Conference), local networking (City/County Network Meetings), and member support services (Leadership Support Service, mailing lists, notice board). Supporting products include publications (Leadership+ magazine, IPPN Wall Calendar, School Suppliers Catalogue), digital content (Leading for Impact Podcast, Be Well, Lead Well Digital Series), and commercial advertising platforms (EducationPosts.ie job board, E-scéal newsletter). The organization also conducts advocacy through its Sustainable Leadership Project and publishes strategic research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EducationPosts.ie: Ireland's longest established and most widely used website dedicated to education recruitment, operated by IPPN. Features over 17,000 job postings per year and 18 million page impressions annually.
• Leadership+
• E-scéal
• Ciall Ceannaithe
• Be Well, Lead Well
• Leading for Impact

Products and services

• IPPN Membership Annual professional membership for primary school principals and deputy principals, providing access to leadership support services, template policies, the weekly E-scéal newsletter, mailing lists, professional development programs, and exclusive advertising/commercial opportunities. Two pricing tiers: Administrative Principal & Deputy Principal at €290/year and Teaching Principal & Deputy Principal at €250/year.
• Ciall Ceannaithe Course DEY-approved online professional development course consisting of five modules guiding school leaders through their leadership roles, including moderated discussion forums and assignments. Targeted at newly appointed principals, deputy principals, aspiring leaders, and experienced principals seeking to reflect on their practice; provides EPV days for teachers.
• IPPN Annual Principals' Conference & Education Expo Ireland's largest trade event for schools, held annually in November at the Gleneagle Hotel & Arena, Killarney. The conference combines professional development seminars with the Education Expo trade exhibition, featuring over 100 companies and 1,000 principals across two days. Commercial opportunities include trade stands, sponsorship, and merchandise branding.
• Deputy Principals' Conference Annual conference specifically designed for deputy principals, focused on learning and classroom resources, software, and special education resources, held in February at Johnstown Estate, Co Meath. Includes commercial opportunities for relevant suppliers.
• City/County Network Meetings Local networking meetings held across 31 City/County Networks nationwide to share key updates, address pressing issues facing school leaders, and provide essential support. Also serve as pathway to National Council opportunities. Each network elects three representatives to the National Council.
• Leadership+ Magazine Professional journal published 5 times per school year and distributed to primary school leaders and associate members. Provides a consistent advertising and series sponsorship channel for education suppliers.
• IPPN Wall Calendar High-quality A1 wall calendar pre-populated with key dates and information for the school year, distributed to all 3,200 member schools each September. Offered with advertising and sponsorship opportunities for education suppliers.
• School Suppliers Catalogue Online directory of quality school suppliers available to IPPN members through the member portal, providing company profiles, contact details, and direct links. Distributed as both printed publication and e-publication, with paid listing and branding opportunities for suppliers.
• Leading for Impact Podcast Podcast series exploring the practice of primary school leadership, challenges and opportunities, with insights from expert voices in education and beyond. Produced by Dustpod.io and available on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms.
• Be Well, Lead Well Burnout Prevention Digital Series 9-step digital wellness series developed by accredited psychotherapist Sinéad Kennedy, exclusively for IPPN members. Focuses on preventing burnout by recognizing signs and symptoms of stress, with practical tips and downloadable resources.
• EducationPosts.ie Job Board Ireland's longest established education recruitment website, owned and operated by IPPN, featuring over 17,000 job postings per year, over 18 million page impressions, and over 500,000 unique users annually. Provides paid advertising for schools and substitute recruitment services (Sub Seeker).
• E-scéal Weekly Bulletin Weekly e-bulletin sent to IPPN members every Thursday containing information on circulars, FAQs, latest news updates, and sectoral information. Includes exclusive advertising opportunities with one advertiser per E-scéal per week.
• Leadership Support Service Support service providing advice, guidance, and assistance to school leaders, accessible via phone (1800 21 22 23) and email ([email protected]) through a Professional Advice panel.
• Stepping into Leadership Programme Bespoke support program for newly-appointed or acting school leaders, providing tailored guidance during transition into school leadership roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sustainable Leadership Project has driven policy changes including piloting of Administrative Executive roles in primary schools to reduce administrative burden on leaders.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EducationPosts.iecoreOthersIPPN owns and operates EducationPosts.ie – Ireland's longest established and most widely used website dedicated to education recruitment. The platform reaches 500,000+ unique users annually with 17,000 job postings and 18 million page impressions per year.
• International Confederation of Principals (ICP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPPN is represented internationally on the Board and Committees of the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) for international collaboration on principal professional standards and practices.
• European School Heads Association (ESHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPPN is represented internationally on the Board and Committees of ESHA. IPPN will host the ESHA Biennial Conference in November 2027, showcasing what is possible when school leaders collaborate across Europe.
• Primary Education Forum (PEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPPN participates in the Primary Education Forum and its sub-committees to progress key challenges facing primary education and school leadership in Ireland.
• Summer Oide Leadership Steering CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPPN participates in the Summer Oide Leadership Steering Committee for professional development of school leaders.
• OideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPPN has made submissions to Oide on its Strategic Plan and Phase 1 of the Small Schools Clustering Project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO): Ireland's largest teachers' union representing primary teachers. Comparable due to same geographic focus on Irish primary education and overlapping member base (INTO represents primary teachers broadly; IPPN focuses on the principals and deputy principals subset who lead schools).
• National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP): USA professional association serving elementary and middle-level principals. Provides the same core functions as IPPN: advocacy, professional development, networking, and resources specifically for K-8 school leaders - a direct structural analogue in a different market.
• Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA): Australian professional association for primary school principals. Directly comparable to IPPN as a national body representing primary school leaders with similar advocacy, professional development, and member support functions, including policy advocacy at federal and state levels.
• National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT): UK professional association and union for head teachers across primary and secondary schools. Highly comparable to IPPN as a membership-based professional body providing advocacy, professional development, and networking services to school leaders - the closest structural and functional equivalent outside Ireland.
• Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI): Irish union representing teachers in second-level, further education, and adult education. Comparable to IPPN as another Irish education-sector membership organization operating in the same regulatory environment, though serving different member segments (secondary vs primary leadership).
• Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL): UK professional association for school and college leaders. Provides advocacy, professional development, and member services to educational leaders, similar in mission to IPPN though broader in scope (covering secondary and post-16 leadership in addition to primary).
• NZEI Te Weu Roopu: New Zealand union and professional association for educators in primary and early childhood education. Comparable to IPPN in mission and primary education focus, though broader membership scope than just school leaders - includes teachers as well as principals.

Others

• European School Heads Association (ESHA): European association of school heads and educational leaders. IPPN is a partner and Board member; ESHA represents the broader European level where IPPN engages internationally, particularly via the upcoming ESHA Biennial Conference IPPN is hosting in November 2027.
• International Confederation of Principals (ICP): Global confederation for school principal associations. IPPN is represented on ICP's Board and Committees; ICP serves as the international umbrella under which national associations like IPPN collaborate on cross-border principal leadership issues.

Regional players

• Education Authority Northern Ireland: Government body overseeing education in Northern Ireland. Related as the regional counterpart to Ireland's Department of Education, with implications for IPPN members serving in border regions and shared island education policy initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IPPNIreland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IPPNIreland
• Facebookfacebook.com/IPPNIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ippn
• Instagraminstagram.com/ippn_ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IPPN