Saint Augustine’s School
Saint Augustine’s is a school catering for children aged 8-18 years who have special educational needs, described as mild general learning disabilities.
Often our students’ basic skills in reading, writing and maths are delayed. The school, comprising 16 well equipped classrooms and 4 purpose built vocational training units, also provides residential facilities for a small number of students, from Monday to Friday.
The school has approximately 160 students in the primary, post-primary and Vocational Development departments.
Class Groups
We offer a full-time placement in small classes (no more than twelve students per class).
As well as a full academic curriculum, we offer a range of activities designed to enhance the individual’s whole development e.g. swimming, outdoor recreation, personal development programmes etc.
Academic Programmes
- Junior Certificate
- Junior Cycle level 2
- Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) level 3
- Junior Certificate Schools Programme (JCSP)
- Home Economics
- Art and Ceramics
- Music
- Sport e.g. swimming, athletics, basketball, soccer
- Religion including preparation for the sacraments
Facilities
- Extensive modern computer suite
- Large gymnasium
- Ceramics workshop
- Library
- Study room
- Oratory
- Domestic science rooms
- Outdoor facility for Basketball, Tennis and Football
- Swimming pool
Whole School Discipline
The school places importance on the need for students to behave in a mature and responsible manner. The Discipline for Learning (D.F.L.) Scheme makes students aware of our high expectations. In turn, students are rewarded for meeting these expectations.
Annual Reviews
Review meetings are held at the start of each academic year where staff discuss the student’s needs and review progress.
Teachers, instructors, psychologists, speech and language therapist and other relevant staff (child care staff/ work experience co-ordinator) attend these review meetings.
Students are encouraged to contribute to this process.
The student’s progress, and his/her Individual Education Plan are discussed with parents/guardians on Parents Day (which happens within a month of review meetings).
Individual Education Plans
At Saint Augustine’s we recognise that all students are individuals with individual gifts, strengths, and needs. This is why every student in Saint Augustine’s has an Individual Education Plan.
This is a written plan which documents the student’s goals and targets for the coming year, and the strategies which will be used to enable the student to achieve these goals. Individual Education Plans may cover such areas as behaviour, independent living skills, reading, maths, work experience and language skills.
Parents are invited to put forward their own suggestions and to consider ways in which they can support the student’s development.
Educator Support Team
The Educator Support Team initiative was implemented in September 2008.
The EST is any relevant group of people who meet to discuss the needs of a particular student. The EST group shares ideas, plans and co-ordinates interventions in an attempt to cater for the student’s individual needs. The EST can also offer support to a teacher in their efforts to meet the targets set out in a student’s Individual Education Plan. An IEP is prepared and the student’s responses to the interventions are monitored. Review meetings are scheduled for the weeks that follow to determine the student’s progress and develop new strategies to support them.
Keeping parents informed of the support being offered to their child is key to the whole process working. Liaison between home and school ensures that every student receives the level of support necessary for his or her success.
Three staff on campus act as co-ordinators for the EST and liaise with one another, receive referrals and arrange meetings.
Further information on EST:
