Special educational needs (SEN) at St Brendan’s
Support for every child
St Brendan’s is an inclusive school where every child belongs. We take the time to get to know every child in our care and we support their needs as fully as we can.
Some children race ahead, some need extra help with reading or maths and some learn in a different way. Whatever your child needs, we will get to know them and support them.
- Every child knownWe know every child well, so we can spot needs early and respond quickly.
- An experienced SEN teamMany years of combined experience, including a qualified Guidance Counsellor and Psychotherapist.
- A Sensory Room and a Nurture RoomCalm, supportive spaces, open to every pupil.
- An Autism Class from September 2027Granted to the school, with a dedicated teacher and SNAs.
What is SEN?
Every child’s profile is unique
SEN stands for Special Educational Needs. It describes children who need additional support, or a different approach to teaching and learning, so they can access the curriculum and take part fully in school life. For some children this support is short term and for others it continues throughout their primary school years.
Our team has supported children with a wide range of needs, including these.
A formal diagnosis is not needed for your child to receive support. We take the time to really get to know each child and we respond to the needs we see in school, not only to what is written in a report.
- DyslexiaSpecific difficulties with reading, spelling and processing written language
- DysgraphiaDifficulties with handwriting and written expression
- Dyspraxia (DCD)Difficulties with coordination, motor planning and organisation
- ADHDDifficulties with attention, concentration and impulse control
- Autism (ASD)Differences in social communication, interaction and sensory experience
- Sensory processing needsHeightened or reduced sensitivity to sound, touch, light or movement
- Auditory processing needsDifficulties processing and retaining spoken information
- Speech, language and communication needs
- Kinaesthetic learnersChildren who learn best through movement and hands-on experience
- Social, emotional and wellbeing needsIncluding anxiety
Knowing the whole child
An experienced team that knows every child
Our Special Education Team brings many years of combined experience. It includes a qualified Guidance Counsellor and Psychotherapist with further training in Mindfulness and Positive Psychology, so we support children’s emotional wellbeing alongside their learning.
We have 174 pupils, with four special education teachers and five special needs assistants. The team works closely with class teachers, Special Needs Assistants and parents and liaises regularly with outside professionals, so that the support each child gets is consistent and suits them:
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Educational Psychologists, including NEPS
- Occupational Therapists and Play Therapists
- Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT) and CAMHS
- Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) from the NCSE
In a small school we know every child personally, including what they are good at and what they love. We use that to help them grow in confidence. For example:
- Building the confidence to perform or speak at a school assembly
- Researching and presenting a project about their own learning difference, such as dyslexia or autism
- Bringing a much-loved pet into school. We have welcomed bunnies, dogs, insects and even a few chickens!
- Using a special interest, from dinosaurs to football, trains or Minecraft, to motivate reading, writing and maths
- Meaningful responsibilities: the garden, the wildlife pond, class helper, or tour guide on Open Days
- Showcasing a hobby or talent, or performing with the choir, Rockshinny or the ukulele group
- Older pupils buddying younger ones, through paired reading, our Wednesday Welly Walks and shared activities in Maths Week and Science Week
- Celebrating every achievement, big or small
The Continuum of Support
Support matched to each child
We follow the Department of Education’s Continuum of Support, the national framework that matches the level of support to each child’s needs. It is flexible. Children move between levels as their needs change and many only need extra help for a short time.
- School Support Plus: support for a fewThe most intensive level, for children with more significant or complex needs. It may include one-to-one teaching, individualised programmes, input from outside professionals and an individual Student Support Plan.
- School Support: support for someExtra, targeted help from our SEN team, in small groups or in class, in literacy, numeracy, social skills or emotional regulation. Progress is tracked and support reviewed regularly.
- Classroom Support: support for allQuality, inclusive teaching for every child, with differentiated work, visual supports, movement breaks and flexible seating. Teachers monitor progress closely and work with parents on any early concerns.
Working in partnership with parents. Parents are partners at every level. For children receiving School Support Plus we meet parents twice a year to discuss progress and agree targets and each Student Support Plan is drawn up together. Where appropriate, children join these meetings too. We believe children should have a voice in their own learning, so we involve them in discussing and setting their targets and goals for the year ahead. You are welcome to contact us at any time of the year.
How we identify needs
We use a broad range of assessment to build a full picture of how each child learns:
- Drumcondra standardised literacy and numeracy tests, every year from First to Sixth Class
- Non-Reading Intelligence Tests (NRIT) in First Class and again in Fourth Class
- Diagnostic and informal assessments: reading records, phonics and spelling checks, numeracy checklists
- Ongoing teacher observation, in class, on the yard and across school activities
- Samples of children’s work over time, parent input and the voice of the child
Results are never considered in isolation. Teachers’ professional judgement, observations and parents’ insights carry equal weight. Each year the SEN team analyses this information across the whole school, so support goes where it is most needed.
Our approach
How we support children
Open any of these to read more.
Literacy and numeracy support
Additional, targeted teaching to strengthen literacy and numeracy, through small group teaching, one-to-one support, in-class support and team teaching. Children build skills and confidence while staying connected to their class.
Alongside this, we use well-established targeted interventions, delivered individually or in small groups:
- Toe by Toe: a highly structured, multisensory phonics-based reading programme, used as a targeted literacy intervention
- Plus 1 and Power of 2: structured, one-to-one numeracy programmes that build core number skills and mental maths through short, daily practice
Individualised support
- Emotional regulation using the Zones of Regulation programme
- Wellbeing programmes, including Weaving Well-Being and A Lust for Life
- Social skills: communication, turn-taking and cooperation
- Help with forming and keeping friendships, in class and at yard time
- Occupational Therapy programmes for fine motor skills, handwriting, coordination and sensory needs
- Visual schedules, timetables and communication boards
- Social stories that prepare children for new situations and changes in routine
Technology in SEN: digital learning and assistive technology
Technology helps a lot of children with additional needs. Used well, it makes learning easier to access and helps children work more independently. We use:
- Typing programmes, which build keyboard skills step by step
- Nessy Reading and Spelling, a structured, multisensory programme that is especially effective for children with dyslexia
- Reading Eggs, which develops phonics, reading and comprehension through interactive lessons
- Online levelled readers, giving children books matched to their reading level
Why we use technology. Children enjoy it and they get instant feedback, which builds confidence. Each child can work at their own pace, so every child gets to succeed. It also helps us track progress and builds the digital skills they will need in secondary school.
Assistive technology. Many of our pupils have been approved for assistive technology under the Department of Education’s Assistive Technology Scheme and we work hard to build it into everyday schoolwork. This is one reason we run a typing group. Typing is an essential skill for all children and especially valuable for children who use assistive technology, or who have dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyspraxia.
Movement breaks and regulation breaks
This year we introduced movement breaks across the whole school, with short, regular bursts of activity in every class, including GoNoodle and The Daily Mile. They help children concentrate, regulate their energy and emotions, return to learning calm and ready and build coordination. Because everyone moves together, no child is ever singled out.
Some children need more, so we also offer structured regulation breaks: a circuit of targeted exercises built around the question “How is your engine running?” Children learn to tell whether their engine is running too fast, too slow or just right and over time learn to manage their own regulation.
Flexible seating and classroom supports
Wobble cushions, Zuma rocking chairs and slanted writing boards are offered wherever they help a child feel comfortable, settled and ready to learn.
Our Sensory Room and Nurture Room
Calm, supportive spaces where children can regulate, take a break, talk through their feelings or receive quiet one-to-one support. Every child can benefit from a calm space at times and these rooms are there for everyone.
Friendship, belonging and Buddy Club
Our Buddy Club runs on Mondays and Wednesdays with Ms Halpin and Ms Deering, for children who find yard time overwhelming or find it hard to join in. In a calm setting, children build friendships, confidence and social skills at their own pace. We also offer clubs for every interest, from Chess, Book, Doodle, Gardening, Buddy and Running clubs to Choir, Rockshinny, ukulele, GAA, soccer and Playball. See all our clubs.
Many pathways to learning
- Gardening and learning in our outdoor classroom and wildlife pond
- Positions of responsibility and special jobs around the school
- Movement, music and practical, hands-on learning
- Mindfulness practices that support calm and focus
- Small, quiet learning spaces for children who need them
Exemption from Irish
For some children, the study of Irish may present significant challenges. Where appropriate and in line with Department of Education guidelines, we can advise parents on exemption from the study of Irish and support them through the application.
New for September 2027
Our new Autism Class
We are delighted that St Brendan’s has been granted an Autism Class (also known as an ASD class or special class), which we hope to open in September 2027. It will let us support even more children in our community.
It will offer a smaller, structured and supportive setting for autistic children who benefit from a more specialised environment, staffed by a dedicated teacher and Special Needs Assistants. Our Autism Class will be very much part of the St Brendan’s family. We believe all our pupils benefit from learning alongside one another.
- A low pupil-to-staff ratio, for highly individualised teaching
- A calm, predictable environment with visual supports and clear routines
- A curriculum adapted to each child, focused on communication, social skills, independence and wellbeing
- Access to our Sensory Room and Nurture Room
- Inclusion in mainstream classes and whole-school life as appropriate for each child: assemblies, events, yard time and class activities
How places are allocated. Places are allocated in line with the school’s Admissions Policy. A child will normally need a professional report confirming a diagnosis of autism and recommending a special class placement. We are always happy to talk parents through the process.
From preschool to secondary
Transitions
We put a lot of care into the moves into, through and out of primary school. A well-planned move makes a big difference to a child.
Questions we get asked
Does my child need a diagnosis to get support at St Brendan's?
No. A formal diagnosis is not needed for a child to receive support. The school takes the time to really get to know each child and responds to the needs it sees in school, not only to what is written in a report.
What is the Continuum of Support?
It is the Department of Education's national framework for matching support to each child's needs. Classroom Support is quality, inclusive teaching for all children. School Support is extra, targeted help from the SEN team for some children. School Support Plus is the most intensive level, for a few children with more significant needs. Children move between levels as their needs change.
Is there an Autism Class at St Brendan's?
St Brendan's has been granted an Autism Class, which the school hopes to open in September 2027. Places are allocated in line with the school's Admissions Policy and a child will normally need a professional report confirming a diagnosis of autism and recommending a special class placement.
Does the school have a Sensory Room?
Yes. The school has a Sensory Room and a new Nurture Room, calm and supportive spaces available to all pupils.
Can my child be exempt from Irish?
Where appropriate and in line with Department of Education guidelines, the school can advise parents on exemption from the study of Irish and support them through the application.
Can I talk to someone about my child's needs before enrolling?
Yes. Call the office on 01 849 0394 or email secretary@loughshinnyns.ie to talk to the SEN team or to visit the Sensory Room, Nurture Room and outdoor classroom.