What We Do
Daily Routine
The school opens at 8:50 a.m. where students are provided with the opportunity to have a cooked breakfast and can play pool or cards. They can relax in an informal and caring atmosphere. Formal classwork begins at 10:00 a.m. when the students attend class with a pupil teacher ratio of 8:1 .
Classwork amounts to approximately two and a half hours each day. The students are then provided with cooked dinner and activities begin in the afternoon. Activities are earned on the basis of classwork, behaviour and attendance. Activities include: Swimming, Football, Gardening and Reward trips. The school closes at 2:30 p.m.
A code of conduct is in operation with a monetary merit system linked with appraisal and sanctions for work, behaviour and attendance. There are also on a monthly basis, reward trips with the purpose of behaviour re-enforcement and/ or modification.
Regular and daily attendance round ups are made by the Family Therapist in order to promote regular attendance and good communication between school and home on the matter. This is done with the school minibus.
Twice a year an Activity week is arranged on the basis of reward for effort made by students during the school year.
Behaviour Modification and Attendance Strategies
TCI
We use the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention model developed by Cornell University to manage challenging behaviour. All staff are trained and certified to help students develop new responses to challenging situations.
We follow a trauma-informed practice centred on preventing crises from occurring, de-escalating potential crises and teaching students adaptive coping skills in order to learn how to manage their own behaviour.
Attendance
House calls are carried out by our Family Therapist in order to promote regular attendance and good communication between home and school.
An attendance sub-committee is in place to determine additonal supports that may be needed to promote attendance.
Rewards
On a monthly basis there are easy days and a monthly reward trip for each class, for the purpose of promoting positive behaviour, achievement of classwork and good attendance.
School Curriculum
We take in students aged 10-16 years old and as as a result span both primary and Junior Cycle curriculums based on ability. Each student has an Individual Support Plan with educational, social, emotional and behavioural learning targets.
English
Mathematics
Home Economics
Woodwork
Wellbeing: SPHE, PE, RSE
Art and Craft
Literacy
Numeracy