Sonas Special Primary Junior School
Ardnacloghy, Cork
Key facts
- Special school
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 48 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 16 girls, 32 boys
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 20162O the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Sonas Special Primary Junior School is an early intervention primary school in Carrigaline, County Cork, around 10 miles south of Cork city. It caters for children aged 3 to 6 years with a diagnosis of Autism and Complex Needs. The school operates under the patronage of the Brothers of Charity and is under the Department of Education and Skills. Enrolment currently stands at 48 pupils. The teaching team comprises 9 primary school teachers, supported by 24 Special Needs Assistants, 15 school escorts, two secretaries and a caretaker. Each class is led by a qualified teacher working with a team of 3 Special Needs Assistants. The school day runs from 9.30am to 2pm. Teaching draws on Autism-specific methodologies including TEACCH, Sensory Regulation, movement breaks and total communication approaches such as Lamh, AAC, Social Stories, Topic boards, Hanen and Intensive Interaction. The Primary School Curriculum is delivered across the school. The school has its own bus, used for social and recreational outings, and a therapy dog named Sloane. Class groups are named after colours, including Gold, Silver, Orange, Yellow, Purple, Pink, Green and Blue.
History
Sonas was established in 2003 by the Department of Education and Science. In 2014, the NCSE asked the school to expand from 24 to 42 children, requiring three additional classes. As no space was available, a second campus opened at Heron's Wood at the end of August 2014. After operating from two campuses for 7 years, the school moved to its current purpose-built location in Carrigaline Education Campus on the Ballinrea Road in August 2021. An extra class opened in September 2023, bringing the total number of pupils to 48.
Applying to Sonas Special Primary Junior 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
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to Sonas Special Primary Junior School. 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 Sonas Special Primary Junior School
How many pupils attend Sonas Special Primary Junior School?
Sonas Special Primary Junior School has 48 pupils enrolled, 16 girls and 32 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Sonas Special Primary Junior School a DEIS school?
No. Sonas Special Primary Junior 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.