Curriculum

Details
Last Updated on Thursday, 12 October 2023 10:13

St Anne's School is a Special School for children from ages 4-18 and as such has a range of both Primary and Post Primary Classes. Students attending St Anne's transition from Primary to Post Primary where they will engage in a 3 Year Junior Cycle followed by a 2 year Senior Cycle Programme. Further information on the programmes and curricula offered at each stage are outlined below.

Primary Classes

The Primary School Curriculum celebrates the uniqueness of the child as it is expressed in each chlid's personality, intelligence and potential for development. It is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life - spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical.

The broad aims of education for students with special educational needs reflect those that are relevent to all students and include:

  • Enabling the student to live a full life and to realise his or her potential as a unique individual through access to an appropriate broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Enabling the student to function as independently as possible in society through the provision of such educational supports as are necessary to realise that potential.
  • Enabling the student to continue learning in adult life.

Content

The curriculum offered in St. Anne's is taken from the NCCA Primary Curriculum and as appropriate the adaped NCCA Guidelines for Teachers of Children with Moderate General Learning Disabilities and/or Guidelines for Teachers of Children with Severe/Profound General Learning Disabilities and includes:

  • Communication and Language - Prinary Language Curriculum
  • Maths
  • Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) - History
  • SESE - Geography
  • SESE - Science
  • Visual Arts
  • Music
  • Drama
  • Physical Education
  • Social,Personal and Health Education (SPHE icluding Stay Safe  & RSE)

Post Primary Classes

As a special school St. Anne's is considered by the Department of Education and Skills to be a National School following under the primary model of service. Prior to the launch of Junior Cycle Level 1 & 2, St. Anne’s identified the absolute need for a different type of educational provision for our 12 - 18 year old students which builds onto but goes beyond the Primary Curriculum.  We registered as a FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) Centre in 2007. FETAC is now called Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

In St .Anne’s each student is provided with an education appropriate to suit their needs and each member of staff strives to stay aware of current educational issues and research. The curriculum is delivered in a positive and encouraging way and programmes are tailored to meet the individual and diverse needs of each student. Therefore we have a wide range of curriculum to offer including QQI and Junior Cycle levels 1 & 2.

Junior Cycle Levels 1 and 2

September 2017 saw the successful launch of the Junior Cycle Level 2 (L2LP) Curriculum for our post primary aged students.

The Junior Cycle level 1 (L1LP) programme was officially launched by Richard Bruton TD on 24th May 2018. 

2020 saw our first group of students from St. Anne’s to successfully complete the L2LP programme.

Senior Cycle QQI –Level 1

We are currently validated to offer level 1 and intend to extend our scope to include a level 2 programme.

St. Anne’s validated programme is called “Creative Learning” . This programme includes the following components:

  • Craft
  • Visual Art
  • Music
  • Drama
  • Data Handling
  • Non-Verbal Communications

Each component is worth 5 credits, and in order to achieve a major award students must complete four components. A major award needs 20 credits for certification. Students will then be awarded Level 1 certificate in General Learning. This will then place them on the NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications). They can also achieve minor awards for each component completed.

 

We continue to offer both QQI & Junior cycle programmes depending on what best suits the needs of our students and the length of time they have left in St. Anne’s.