A very warm welcome to St Catherine’s Special School. Our school is a very special place where you immediately feel the warmth, joy, and sense of belonging that defines us. I joined the St Catherine’s family in August 2025 having spent a number of wonderful years in Ballyowen Meadows Special School for Pupils with Autism and formerly Enable Ireland Sandymount School. I worked as a Course Lecturer in Special Needs Assisting at Ballyfermot College of Further Education and spent many exciting years working in the arts and media prior to moving to education.
The school community at St Catherine’s works in partnership with families to design personalised learning programmes for pupils that support both academic growth and life skills development. Here at St. Catherine’s Special School, we provide specialist instruction for students between the ages of 4 and 18 years with severe, profound and moderate learning abilities, many with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and complex needs. Our educational programmes are aimed at developing communication, independence, life skills and social skills where each student is supported to achieve his or her potential. Our aim is for each student in St. Catherine’s Special School to have a happy, safe learning environment where they are challenged and supported.
As Principal of St. Catherine’s Special School, I am excited and honoured to lead the development of our school to benefit children and their families. My ambitions are for students to achieve their potential, for families to feel supported and connected to the school, for work colleagues to feel proud of our school and be happy in it, for community members to enjoy strong collaborations and communications with the school and for all of us to value one-another. I am very appreciative of the wonderful students, families, staff and community members at our school and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our wonderful school community on this journey.
Clare Carr (GradDipSEN, HDipED, MA, BA)
Principal, St Catherine’s Special School