CRC School
The Central Remedial Clinic School is a special school catering for pupils with physical and learning disabilities in the age range 3 to 18 years. It serves the catchment area of north Dublin city and county. Its sister school, Scoil Mochua, which came under the patronage of the CRC in 1995, caters for pupils from West Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow. Both schools operate under the Education Act (1998) and the Rules for National Schools and are under the direction of their respective Boards of Management.
The school strives to ensure that the educational needs of all pupils are identified
and provided for, through the provision of the highest quality education, appropriately
matched to their individual needs and abilities.
Many of our pupils may experience a restriction in their capacity to participate in the education that is normally provided for children of their age in mainstream schools, so the particular aim and focus of this school is to provide a range of educational provision that is flexible enough to cater for the special needs of individual children at the various stages of their development. ICT is used extensively throughout the school to support teaching and learning. Within this school everyone belongs, diversity is celebrated and everyone has a valuable contribution to make to the school community.
Parents play by far the most important role in the development of their children and this is reflected in the inclusive team-based approach in the school. Parental participation in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process is highly valued by all. Close contact between staff and parents is encouraged at all times and facilitated as much as possible.
The school caters for pupils
at three levels: Pre-school, Primary and Post-Primary. At all levels there
is an integrated interdisciplinary team approach to the
pupils learning with input from physiotherapists, occupational therapists,
speech and language therapists, nursing and medical care. Teaching is conducted
at all levels in small class groups with the support of Special Needs Assistants.
Transfer to mainstream primary and post-primary schools is supported and
facilitated when appropriate.
At pre-school we aim to provide a happy and a secure environment for children aged 3 years, by developing early learning skills through social activities such as drama, music, play and games.
At Primary level the pupils will experience all the subject areas of the curriculum differentiated to meet their specific learning needs and competencies. The school adopts the vision of education and the general aims outlined by the Primary School Curriculum (1999), to nurture the child in all dimensions of his/her life: spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical.
The general aims of primary education are:
- to enable the child to live a full life as a child and to realise his or her potential as a unique individual
- to enable the child to develop as a social being through living and co-operating with others and so contribute to the good of society
- to prepare the child for further education and lifelong learning.
At Post-Primary
level a wide range of educational opportunities are offered to all students.
A 'life skills' programme, which aims to develop self-esteem,
confidence and independence underpins the focus of all senior cycle work.
A number of students sit examination in a limited number of subjects in
the Junior
Certificate Examination, while others participate in the Junior Certificate
School Programme (www.jcsp.ie). In order to gain national certification
at Junior Certificate level, students have a choice to sit certain subjects
at examination level and/or work on individual subject statements leading
to an
award of a national profile of statements. Following this students can
proceed
to Further Education
Training Award Certification, (www.fetac.ie ).
This variation in provision serves to ensure that students will choose a path where they can add to their skills and competencies in later adult life. The CRC school actively supports the transition process from school to further training and adult services.
CRC School actively participates in a number
of projects at both primary and post-primary level. The Inclusive Learning
Through 
Technology Project
(www.atireland.ie/ilg)
connects mainstream and special school students at primary and post-primary
levels, using the latest technologies, while fostering the development
of creativity and thinking skills. The Fast Friends Project provides
opportunities for our
students to work with their peers from a local mainstream post-primary
school. In addition, we are proud holders of the Green Schools Flag
(http://www.greenschoolsireland.org/) and of the Digital Schools
Award (http://www.digitalschools.ie/ )
For more information on the exciting work of our school community, please visit us at http://www.atireland.ie/crcschool/