Welcome to St. Anne’s National School.
St. Anne’s National School is the primary school in the town of Bailieborough, in the Parish of Killann. Our school has a catholic ethos and is under the patronage of the Bishop of Kilmore. It is a mixed vertical school with 16 mainstream classes and 6 special education classes, which cater for children with autism and mild general learning difficulties. Our school has an administrative principal and deputy principal as well as a team of 17 special needs assistants.
St. Anne’s N.S. is committed to the physical, social and emotional needs of our pupils. We encourage our pupils to be kind, respectful and tolerant.
This commitment is promoted through the provision of a wide range of sports and physical activities. All pupils are encouraged to experience and participate in a variety of curriculum based activities throughout the year. Coaching is provided in swimming and Gaelic football. We provide an Active Yard for all classes and organise lunch break games including football leagues. We take part in inter-school Cumann na mBunscol competitions, tournaments and friendly games throughout the year in a variety of sports. We greatly look forward to Quizzes, Writing, Art and Poetry competitions, especially when they are organised locally. St. Anne’s N.S. is a busy school and is proud to have achieved Active School status in 2019. Fun class activities are actively encouraged and prove popular for all pupils.
St. Anne’s N.S. consistently performs above the national average in the annual standardised assessments for English and Maths. The school has well developed early intervention strategies that provide pupils with a strong foundation for future success in literacy and numeracy including ‘Aistear’, ‘Literacy Lift Off’ and ‘Ready, Set, Go Maths’.
St. Anne’s N.S. has developed a digital technologies plan and uses digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning.
There is a long tradition of music, song and drama in St. Anne’s N.S.. Class dramas, musical performances and choir singing feature strongly in school life. All pupils from second class onwards play the recorder. Children perform during school assemblies, as well as school and parish celebrations including Confirmation, First Holy Communion and Christmas ceremonies. We especially love to perform for the community at local venues.
St. Anne’s N.S. participates in the Green Flag initiative, which strongly supports the Social and Personal Health Education curriculum. To date, the school has been awarded three green flags and is actively working on the fourth green flag project for ‘Transport’. Our school proudly holds an Eco Rangers Award from Bord Na Mona.
Critical thinking and problem solving are actively encouraged by all class teachers. Our pupils have taken part in the ESB Science Blast in the RDS and have received awards for their work in the Discover Primary Science and Maths project by Science Foundation Ireland.
We also have a vibrant Parents’ Association whose work and commitment is valued and respected. There is always an open door to new members.
The pupil’s voice provides an improved dimension to our school. The Green Schools and Active School projects, in particular, have given the children a partnership role in shaping our approach. Their contribution has led to improved conversations and outcomes.
In St. Anne’s N.S., we work in partnership with the board of management, staff, parents, pupils and the wider community in the education of each and every child. Each player in this team is strong and in the words of the inspirational Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winning captain,
”We can achieve anything when we work together.”
Paul Corcoran. M.Ed. School principal.