Shanganamore National School
School Details
Location
About
Shanganamore National School is a small, five‑teacher primary school serving the Barrowhouse area and surrounding townlands in County Laois. The school operates under the motto *Fás agus Foghlaim* (“Growing and Learning”) and adopts a child‑centred, holistic approach to education. Classrooms are organised as mixed‑age groups, allowing flexible teaching that meets the varied needs of pupils. In addition to the mainstream teaching team, the school provides dedicated resource and learning‑support staff, overseen by a community‑representative Board of Management. The present school building was constructed in 1999 and incorporates modern facilities that support a broad curriculum. Emphasis is placed on physical and emotional well‑being, with the school holding the Health Promoting Schools flag and other recognitions such as the Active Flag, Amber Flag, Green Schools Flag and Discover Primary Science award. A wide range of extracurricular activities are offered, including Gaelic games, rugby, drama productions, film projects and participation in scientific competitions. Since September 2021 the school has also welcomed an ASD class, An Ghairdín Beo, promoting inclusive education for all learners.
History
The school originally operated from a building within the adjacent church grounds, now used as the local community hall. It began as a one‑teacher, later two‑teacher, institution before expanding to its current five‑teacher mainstream staff and two resource/support teachers. The purpose‑built school building was erected in 1999 and officially opened in May of that year, marking a significant development in the school’s facilities and capacity.