Greystones Educate Together National School has 18 mainstream classes from Junior Infants to 6th Class, and 6 Special Classes, designated for children with Autism. We are guided and supported by our Board of Management, and the Educate Together ethos underpins all of our practices and procedures.
We are very fortunate to have a wonderfully collaborative and highly skilled team of teachers here, who work in level teams to plan, resource and deliver the very best educational experiences for our pupils. You will get to know our Infant Team very well! It is important for Junior and Senior Infant teachers to work closely together, as this makes up the first learning band of Primary School, laying the foundations for all of the teaching and learning which will follow throughout your child’s educational journey.
We are in inclusive school, and we pride ourselves in providing equal opportunity to all of our pupils. Our children in our two special classes are also members of their integrating mainstream classes. These children are present for many of the daily lessons, play times and other activities throughout the school day, along with their peers from their mainstream class.
We also provide many opportunities for the peers of children in our Special Classes to partake in ‘Reverse Integration’ to our Special Setting, which means that children in the mainstream setting can partake in lessons and activities with their classmate from the Special Class, in that child’s Special Class Setting. This is a child-centred and highly supported model of inclusion, and we have observed wonderful results in terms of social development for all and in developing a sense of ‘togetherness’ and understanding between all of our pupils.
In every mainstream class, there will be a diverse range of learning abilities and needs, and we ensure that each child is taught to their own unique ability, ensuring excellence in the quality of their learning experiences. Some of our pupils in our mainstream classes may currently have, or may develop, additional needs as they move through the school, and this is where our SENCO and Special Education Team (SET) come in.
NCSE (2011) described inclusion as a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of learners. It involves removing barriers so that each learner will be enabled to achieve the maximum benefit from his/her schooling.
Schools with strong inclusive cultures are characterised by:
- A positive ethos and learning environment whereby all pupils, including those with special educational needs, feel welcome and experience a sense of community and belonging
- An emphasis on promoting pupils’ participation and active engagement in their learning and in the life of the school
- A commitment to developing pupils’ academic, social, emotional and independent living skills
- A focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes for all pupils
Inclusive Education Framework