School of the Holy Spirit Special School
School Details
About
School of the Holy Spirit is a dedicated special school situated on Callan Road, Kilkenny, serving children aged 4‑18 from the city and surrounding areas. It provides a tailored educational experience for pupils diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and other special needs, focusing on the development of each child’s unique skills, talents and personality. The school works closely with families, treating parents as partners in education and welcoming input from external professionals to create a supportive, collaborative environment. The campus is purpose‑built and state‑of‑the‑art, offering 13 classroom units with quiet rooms and bathrooms, individual tuition rooms, sensory and Snoezelen rooms, an art and woodwork studio, a home economics suite, a library, a PE hall and a hygiene suite. Outdoor facilities include a specially designed Sensory Garden, a ball court and an autism‑specific playground. Class sizes are small – six pupils per class – with a teacher and two to three support staff, enabling highly differentiated delivery of the National Curriculum (with adaptations for individual needs) and specialised secondary programmes such as PLU, JCSP and Leaving Certificate Applied. The school’s therapeutic provision incorporates sensory integration, music therapy and structured teaching approaches, while a comprehensive School Leavers Programme prepares students for further education, training or employment, fostering community links and pathways to third‑level institutions and vocational settings.
History
School of the Holy Spirit was founded in 1976 by Bishop Birch in a single room at Seville Lodge, initially serving three students with emotional disturbance and behavioural difficulties. By the early 1990s the roll and staff had expanded, prompting a move to refurbished premises on Gaol Road in 1994. In 1996 the school introduced programmes for autistic students, including TEACCH, Structured Teaching, Picture Exchange Communication System and Sensory Integration, alongside music therapy. A new purpose‑built facility was opened on 28 August 2009 after the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Seamus Freeman in 2008, providing extensive classroom, sensory, arts, and recreational spaces. Subsequent developments added secondary education provision and a School Leavers Programme, with continued growth into the 2020s.