It is very important to us here in Scoil Naomh Pádraig that every child feels a strong sense of belonging and self-worth. Our aim is that all of our pupils feel included as much as possible and that their own unique talents and abilities are recognised and encouraged. We strive to ensure that children with additional needs are enabled to thrive in his/her environment.
All of our staff support our children with additional needs. This support varies according to the specific needs of the pupil. Support sometimes takes place in the classroom setting and at other times in a smaller setting. In this case, we have an assigned team of teachers who work alongside class teachers to provide individualised support to pupils. These teachers support pupils who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL), they support literacy and numeracy and also pupils with other additional educational needs (AEN). Children are assigned to these teachers on the basis of ongoing assessments in the school, combined in some cases with assessments from educational psychologists and other professionals/outside agencies.
It is important that upon acceptance of a place in the school, a parent/guardian inform us of any additional needs that their child may have. It is especially important that parents/guardians, on enrolling your child in the school, inform us as early as possible if their child has been referred to any outside agency (speech therapist, psychologist, occupational therapist, early childhood services etc.). This enables us, in collaboration with parents/guardians and within available resources, to meet your child’s needs and to support their transition.
If a parent/guardian feels that their child is experiencing difficulty in any area in school, they are encouraged to discuss their concerns with their child’s teacher. Following such discussions, the matter may be discussed with the teacher(s) in the Support Team and, when necessary, the Principal. Any decision to allocate extra resources or to commission extra reports will be made in consultation with the parents, the Class Teacher and members of the Support Team.
We also have an Autism Special Class (called Fireflies) which supports some of our autistic children. (Note that children must have a psychologist’s diagnosis of ASD DSM-V/ICD-10 and a recommendation from a psychologist to be enrolled in an autism class.) This smaller setting allows for tailored support to be given to the pupils who are enrolled in the class while integration with their mainstream class is encouraged as much as possible too.