Youth Encounter Project
Finglas West, Dublin
Key facts
- Special school
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 14 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 4 girls, 10 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 19594N the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St Paul’s Youth Encounter Project (YEP) provides an alternative, less‑formal educational setting for young people aged 10‑16 who are at risk of early school leaving due to truancy, behavioural challenges, family difficulties or potential involvement in crime. The school adopts a student‑centred approach, using an Individual Student Profiling system that combines teacher observations, in‑house assessments and standardised testing to identify each learner’s strengths, difficulties and priorities. Programme planning incorporates class teaching, learning support and paired reading, delivering a curriculum that can include the Primary Curriculum, Junior Cycle, Junior Cycle School Programme (JCSP) and Level 2 Learning Programmes, either singly or in combination, in partnership with parents. The learning environment is designed to be positive, inclusive and flexible, with a strong emphasis on social and life‑skills development and outdoor activities. Staff are trained in the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) model, and a Family Therapist is available to supervise students and families, reinforcing a caring and safe atmosphere. Housed in the former Patrician College on Deanstown Avenue, Finglas West, the premises offer dedicated spaces for classroom instruction, support work and extracurricular programmes.
History
St Paul’s YEP was established in the late 1970s to serve children at risk. It originally operated from the sacristy of St Oliver Plunkett’s Church in Rivermount Parish, later moving to the corner of Main Street and Ballygall Road in Finglas Village. Since September 2014 the school has been based in the former Patrician College on Deanstown Avenue, Finglas West, Dublin 11.
Applying to Youth Encounter Project
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.
School-published admissions links
These links come from the school's published admissions material. Check the school year shown before relying on dates or place numbers.
National term dates 2026/27
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to Youth Encounter Project. 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 Youth Encounter Project
How many pupils attend Youth Encounter Project?
Youth Encounter Project has 14 pupils enrolled, 4 girls and 10 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Youth Encounter Project a DEIS school?
No. Youth Encounter Project 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 Youth Encounter Project?
Youth Encounter Project has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.