About our School

St. Columba’s N.S. is a mainstream, co-educational, Church of Ireland school under the patronage of the Bishop of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory. The school caters for boys and girls from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. We are a five teacher school, with four mainstream class teachers and one S.E.Teacher, who is based in the school. There are two S.N.A’s and two part-time Language teachers on the staff along with  a part-time secretary and a part-time cleaner. There are 98 children in our school. We have an active Board of Management and very supportive parent body.

D.E.I.S 

We were awarded D.E.I.S Urban 2 Status in the year 2022-2023. We have been given shared access to a newly appointed Home School Liaison coordinator, Deirdre Fleming.

Under our new D.E.I.S status, we have been allocated Free School Meals for all pupils and increased funding to help provide supports for our pupils. We have been given funding to engage in Literacy and Numeracy Camps through the summer. We have also been given access to more Professional Development courses for staff members.

Our School Physical Environment

Standing on approximately one acre of grounds, our beautiful granite school was built in 1825. Our playground is suitable for use in all weather conditions. We are very fortunate to have a large tarmac and grassed playground with a side garden for our pupils to enjoy. If the weather is very wet, we use the hall as our play area. Our school garden was recently decorated by the children and has a wide variety of plants which flower throughout the year.

Resources in Our School

We use ICT to enhance pupils’ learning experiences within the school. We are very fortunate to have interactive whiteboards in all classrooms, visualisers and Chromebooks.

School Initiatives

The school is a Green school and strives to provide a healthy and green environment for the pupils to learn in every day. We are currently working toward our seventh Green Flag.

The school is an Active school and strive to promote healthy eating and exercise to pupils every day. We have an Active School’s Flag.

School Teaching and Planning

We deliver the 1999 Revised Primary Schools Curriculum using a variety of methodologies including ICT, peer supported learning, Aistear, collaborative group work, co-operative group work as well as individual and independent learning.

Our well equipped hall allows for all strands of the P.E. curriculum to be taught during the school year, while the pupils receive swimming lessons during the Winter Term in Graiguecullen Swimming Pool. Weather permitting, pupils can enjoy their PE lessons in our large playground.