Supporting Students with Additional Educational Needs
Our school is committed to supporting all students so they can achieve their full potential.
In September 2024, the Department of Education published Circular 0064/2024 – Meeting Student Needs and the Allocation of Support. This circular updates the previous model (Circular 0014/2017) and continues to guide how schools allocate resources to support students with Additional Educational Needs (AEN).
Under this model, our school receives a set number of additional teaching support hours each week. These hours are used to ensure that students with the greatest level of need receive the highest level of support.
Support is planned using the Continuum of Support, a framework developed by the Department of Education. This framework recognises that students’ needs can range from mild to severe, and may be short-term or long-term.
The Continuum of Support
The Continuum of Support helps us to match the right level of help to each student’s needs. It has three levels:
- Classroom Support
This is the first response for students who need a little extra help. Teachers provide extra support in the classroom through strategies such as differentiation, small group work, or targeted teaching.
- School Support
If a student needs more help, we develop a support plan. This may involve additional teaching sessions, small group interventions, or targeted programmes to meet specific learning or wellbeing needs.
- School Support Plus
For students with the most significant and complex needs, more intensive, individualised support is put in place. This may involve outside agencies and specialist assessments.
Support may be provided for students with:
- Academic, social, emotional or behavioural needs
- Physical, sensory, language or communication difficulties
- Interrupted education
Our approach is flexible and student-centred. Teachers use observations, assessments, and collaboration with parents and students to plan appropriate interventions. Progress is regularly reviewed to ensure students are receiving the right level of support.
Our goal is to create an inclusive environment where every student can thrive.
Our Approach: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
We follow the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which means we design lessons and activities to be flexible and accessible to as many students as possible from the start — not just those with identified needs.
This approach helps every student succeed by:
- Offering multiple ways to access and engage with learning
- Providing different ways for students to show what they know
- Creating a supportive environment where all students can thrive
How We Support Students
To help students succeed in our mixed-ability classes, we use a variety of supports, including:
- Differentiated Teaching – adapting lessons to suit different learning needs
- Team Teaching – two teachers working together in the classroom
- In-Class Support Teaching – targeted help during lessons
- Small Group Tuition – focused teaching for specific learning needs
- Assistive Technology – provided where recommended by professionals and approved by the NCSE
Our goal is to ensure every student feels included, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Our AEN Department Team
Our Additional Educational Needs (AEN) Department is led by a dedicated team who work together to support students across the school. This includes a Core team of Karen Murphy and Joanne Tynan and other Learning support teachers
We work closely with subject teachers across the school, ensuring that support is available in every classroom. This whole-school approach means that all staff share responsibility for inclusion and for helping students with additional needs to achieve their potential.
Together, our team is committed to:
- Creating an inclusive and supportive school environment
- Supporting students in mixed-ability classes
- Using a variety of teaching strategies and supports to meet students’ needs
- Working with parents and students to review progress and plan next steps
Together, our team is committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where every student feels supported and empowered to reach their potential.
Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Exams (RACE)
The Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme is designed to make the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams accessible for students who may otherwise be at a disadvantage.
The scheme supports students who may have difficulty accessing the exam or communicating what they know because of a:
- Physical, visual, or hearing difficulty
- Learning difficulty
- Medical, sensory, emotional, or behavioural condition
- Temporary condition (e.g. illness or injury)
RACE ensures that students can show what they know and can do, without lowering the standard of the exam or compromising its integrity.
How RACE Helps Students
The focus of RACE is on removing barriers so that students are assessed on their knowledge and skills in the same way as all other candidates. Examples of accommodations include:
- Access to a reader or scribe
- Use of a word processor or assistive technology
- Separate or smaller exam centre
- Additional time (where appropriate)
- Other supports as recommended by the State Examinations Commission (SEC)
Application Process
Since 2017, the application process has focused on the Junior Cycle. If accommodations are approved for the Junior Cycle, there is a strong likelihood they will be carried forward for the Leaving Certificate through a simple reactivation process (as long as the need still exists).
Our school:
- Carries out the required school-based assessments in early third year
- Identifies students who may be eligible
- Prepares and submits RACE applications through our AEN Department