Central Remedial Clinic
CLONTARF, Dublin
Key facts
- Special school
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 78 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 25 girls, 53 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 18317F the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) School is a special national school that provides a holistic, interdisciplinary education for children and young people with multiple disabilities, where physical impairment is the primary need. The curriculum is designed to develop pupils academically, socially, physically, emotionally and spiritually, and it is delivered alongside extensive therapeutic support including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and nursing care. Assistive technology is integrated throughout the learning environment to enable access to the curriculum and promote independence. The school’s facilities have been purpose‑built for accessibility and sensory development. Recent extensions include three specially adapted post‑primary classrooms, specialist rooms for independent‑living skills, art, craft, science and music, and a multi‑sensory room. All school buses are wheelchair‑accessible, and the campus is fully compliant with accessibility standards, ensuring safe and inclusive participation for pupils with complex medical needs. A strong community ethos underpins daily life at CRC, with collaboration between staff, families, the wider CRC Clinic services and external partners such as the Department of Education & Science. This collaborative approach ensures that each pupil receives personalised support and the opportunity to achieve their full potential in a nurturing environment.
History
The Central Remedial Clinic was founded in 1951 by Lady Valerie Goulding and Miss Kathleen O'Rourke to provide physiotherapy for victims of the Dublin polio epidemic, initially operating from a two‑room flat in Pembroke Street. In October 1956 a special national school was established under the Department of Education with one teacher and fourteen pupils. Throughout the 1960s the school expanded its catchment to north Dublin, admitted children with cerebral palsy and spina bifida, and moved to its present Clontarf location, increasing staff to three teachers. The 1980s saw the historic sanctioning of on‑site psychologists, speech and occupational therapists, and a nursing unit, recognising the need for an interdisciplinary approach. Between 2000 and 2003 a wheelchair‑accessible school transport system was introduced, and in 2005 a major extension added adapted classrooms, specialist rooms for independent living, art, craft, science, music and a multi‑sensory room.
Applying to Central Remedial Clinic
For a September 2027 place, a school's formal admissions process cannot begin before 1 October 2026. The school sets its own opening and closing dates in its annual admission notice.
National term dates 2026/27
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to Central Remedial Clinic. Individual schools set their own discretionary closure days, confirm exact dates with the school.
- October Mid-Term Break: Mon 26 Oct – Fri 30 Oct 2026
- Christmas Holidays: Wed 23 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027
- February Mid-Term Break: Thu 18 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (post-primary schools: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027)
- Easter Holidays: Mon 22 Mar – Sun 4 Apr 2027
Primary schools close for the last two days of the February mid-term week and may use discretionary days to take the full week, so their break can be shorter than post-primary schools'.
Frequently asked questions about Central Remedial Clinic
How many pupils attend Central Remedial Clinic?
Central Remedial Clinic has 78 pupils enrolled, 25 girls and 53 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Central Remedial Clinic a DEIS school?
No. Central Remedial Clinic is not part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme of additional supports for schools serving communities at risk of educational disadvantage. Not holding DEIS status says nothing about how good a school is, only about the profile of the community it serves.
What is the ethos of Central Remedial Clinic?
Central Remedial Clinic has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.