Our School Building

In September 2005 we moved into our long awaited, beautifully designed new school. Our bright colourful school consists of eight mainstream classrooms, three learning support rooms, a computer room, staffroom, two offices, spacious foyer and large hall with adjoining kitchen.

Our Esker Autism Centre has three classrooms, a kitchen, social/dining area, a sensory room and a reading/music room.

Outdoor Play Areas

We have a large hard surface play area and grass pitch where all our pupils play and mix together at break times. This play area incorporates a fenced basketball court which is used in rotation by different classes for ball games when the pitch is unusable due to weather conditions. We have an additional fenced basketball court to the front of the school which is often used for P.E. classes and for play by pupils awaiting collection at home time.

Sensory Garden

Adjacent to and directly accessible from our Esker Centre we have a sensory garden. As well as sensory elements this garden contains a large sunken trampoline, swings, slide, climbing frame and sandpit.


Artwork In Our School

Under the one percent for Art Scheme the school commissioned Mel French to produce the beautiful sculptures in our foyer. These sculptures made using acrylic, plaster, metal and beech represent learning through language. The written word leaves a book and is transferred from child to child through listening, hearing and speaking.

Colourful wooden letters form school related words which stream out of one child’s mouth and into another child’s ear as learning flows from child to child. These words also are anagrams for other school related words painted on our foyer walls. This beautifully crafted installation further enhances our spacious, welcoming foyer and is appreciated by pupils, staff and visitors on a daily basis.

Buddies

In our foyer, we also have a beautiful painting titled “Buddies” painted by Olive Cuskelly. This painting was presented to the school on 12th December 2012. The plaque beneath it reads:

Presented by Laois / Offaly Families for Autism

In appreciation of the attitude shown by this school to our children.