School of the Holy Spirit Special School
Kilkenny
Key facts
- Special school
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 83 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 25 girls, 58 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 19523N the Department of Education reference for this 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.
Applying to School of the Holy Spirit Special School
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
View School of the Holy Spirit Special School's own calendar (2026/2027 school year)
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to School of the Holy Spirit Special School. The school publishes its own calendar, linked above, and that is the authoritative source for its reopening date and discretionary closure days.
- 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 School of the Holy Spirit Special School
How many pupils attend School of the Holy Spirit Special School?
School of the Holy Spirit Special School has 83 pupils enrolled, 25 girls and 58 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is School of the Holy Spirit Special School a DEIS school?
No. School of the Holy Spirit Special School 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 School of the Holy Spirit Special School?
School of the Holy Spirit Special School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.