About Our School

St. Laurence O’ Toole’s Specialist Second Level School works with young boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years. The school has capacity for 20 students. There are four classes. Each class has 5 students, a teacher, and an SNA. A youth worker looks after the pastoral needs of the students. Our bean an tí prepares breakfast and lunch for all our young people and creates a warm and inviting space for everyone. Our caretaker looks after our school building. The principal works with parents and students. She also liaises with all the external agencies involved with the school and with the greater school community. In our school we welcome young people who find it difficult to learn in bigger classroom settings. All our students work at their own individual level. Each student has an individual Learning Plan, a Crisis Management Plan and an individual behavioural plan.

The school participates in the new Junior Cycle and students work towards achieving success in Junior Cycle Examinations,

The school participates in the Junior Certificate School Programme.

(JCSP)

Mission Statement

School Ethos

St. Laurence O’ Toole’s Specialist Second Level School recognises the right of every young person to an education where he or she may reach their full potential. The school recognises the uniqueness of each young person and fully understands that each young person may develop and grow in diverse ways. Therefore, this school takes a holistic approach to education, endeavouring to meet the varying needs of our students in an individualistic, child-centred manner.

School Aims

• To offer each young person an opportunity to develop his of her capabilities so that they may participate fully in the society to which they belong.
• To nurture a sense of personal identity and promote the self-esteem of each young person, enabling them to become well rounded happy young people with a true sense of self-worth.
• To promote equality in the development of the educational potential of all our young students regardless of any disadvantage they might have experienced in their lives.
• To develop the knowledge and skills of each student, thus enabling them to think and act constructively.
• To foster and develop the creativity of each young person.
• To promote the physical and emotional well-being of each young person,
• To encourage tolerance and acceptance for diversity in each young person.
• To encourage respect in each young person’s dealings with other students, staff members and society in general.
• To encourage the students to make good choices in their lives.

Objectives

• To assess the varying needs of each student so that an individually tailored educational plan can be developed for that young person which takes account of the way that each individual student learns best.
• To observe the behaviours of each individual student so that an Individual Behavioural Plan and a Crisis Management Plan may be developed for each student.
• Through gaining extensive knowledge and understanding of each individual student, create real opportunities for each young person to experience success, thus developing self-esteem.
• To use all experience and training available to each staff member that will assist in creating a happy and safe environment in which positive learning may take place for each student.
• To provide programmes such as S.P.H.E and P.E., which will develop the life skills of each young person, helping them to make better choices for themselves so that they may live long, happy, and healthy lives.