St Teresa’s Special School New Classrooms Open

Two new classrooms have opened at St Teresa’s Special School which is dedicated to the education of children with moderate, severe and profound special needs and or autism.
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The school started with 11 students a decade ago and now has 36 children enrolled this year and caters to a wide catchment area across Galway, Roscommon, Offaly and Westmeath. The new classrooms are catering for 12 very thrilled pupils with all their new space and light!

Senator Aisling Dolan stated: “This is a great day for children, parents and staff of St Teresa’s Special School. Children now have the space they need to develop and with additional supports to help manage complex needs. St Teresa’s is a phenomenal place for children with an incredible staff and advocates.”
Permissions and Planning was sought by the Directors of B.A.C.D in order to ease the plight of the school.  Site works commenced on the 10th of January on the lawn just opposite their current classroom suites on the groundfloor of the Enterprise Centre, within 10 weeks the Builders had left the site and handover was complete .

Principal Anita O’Reilly stated: “We have the keys and the classrooms are open. Children and staff are delighted and there will be a lot of interest in our newest classrooms. I have engaged with Department for years to show why this was such an important project for our school. We have parents who travel long distances across Galway and Roscommon to come to our school. Now we have the classrooms for access to excellent teaching and healthcare teams and to give children everything they deserve.”
A new four acre site has also been secured by the Department of Education through the HSE for St Teresa’s Special School on the existing HSE grounds at Parkmore Creagh. The new school will include a new 8 classrooms.

“This is a crucial investment from the Department of Education and the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) who supported the school in receiving funding for these classrooms and toilets,” said Senator Dolan.