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Special Educational Needs

The Good Shepherd National School is a mainstream school with additional classes for children with Special Educational Needs. These classes are:

  • 1 MGLD Class for children with Mild General Learning Difficulties
  • 2 Language Classes (Junior & Senior) for children with Developmental Language Disorders
  • 1 ASD Unit for pre-school children on the Autistic Spectrum.
We offer placements in these small classes, subject to our SEN admissions policy. As well as providing a differentiated curriculum, we work to enhance the children’s social and emotional development. They are encouraged to uncover their talents and learn many important life skills (swimming, cookery, healthy living).

The school is very inclusive and children with SEN integrate with Mainstream Classes where possible (e.g. for PE, music, art lessons). School trips and various other educational projects are catered for all children.

Children attending the Language Classes receive Speech and Language Therapy as part of their school day. Depending on the children’s needs, teachers also liaise with psychologists, Occupational Therapists (OTs), Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and other relevant professionals.

Our Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) facilitate playground games and encourage social interaction among ALL children at break times.The school is well-equipped with a variety of specialised multisensory resources, including our very popular Sensory Room!

Transport to and from school is provided by the Department of Education and Skills for all children attending these classes.

While the length of time children spend in these classes can vary depending on individual needs, every effort is made to facilitate the transition to the next phase of their education.

For further inquiries, please e-mail: principal@goodshepherd.ie or phone: 01 298 9475