School Staff

Staff Roles and Qualifications

The Board of Management of Jonah Special School complies with all recruitment procedures for staff as outlined by the Department of Education and Skills. All personnel employed by the school or engaged on by the school in placements are fully Garda Vetted. References for all personnel are checked in advance of any position being offered by the school. Comprehensive in-house training is offered to all staff of Jonah Special School.

Principal

Caitríona is our Principal and she:

• is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including guidance and direction of the teachers and other staff of the school, and is accountable to the Board of Management
• provides leadership to the teachers and other staff and the students of the school,
• is responsible, together with the board, parents of students and the teachers, for the creation in the school of an environment which is supportive of learning among the students and which promotes the professional development of the teachers,
• encourages the involvement of parents of students in the school in the education of those students and in the achievement of the objectives of the school

Clinical Director

Niamh McEvoy is our Clinical Director and Behaviour Analyst and is engaged on a consultative basis to oversee the implementation of clinical supports for our students. She works collaboratively with the principal and class teachers to provide training and support in evidence based practice. The Clinical Director also provides in-house support and training to all staff in the implementation of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

Teaching Staff

Carol Deane, Clare Kelly Duffy and Claire Smith are our class teachers.  Carol, Clare & Claire are fully recognized with the Teaching Council and qualified to teach in a Special School Setting. The Class Teacher is responsible for the co-ordination of each students Individual Education Plan in addition to planning and preparation for group activities in line with the National Curriculum. The Class Teacher is Responsible for the health safety and welfare of all students in his/her class and works collaboratively with our Clinical Director or members of each child’s clinical support team to support the child’s education and development.

Special Needs Assistants

All SNAs at Jonah Special School receive extensive in-house training as part of their training and induction. Their role is to ensure the students personal care needs are being met while also providing additional support to enable the child to participate to their fullest potential in educational activities. SNA’s provide additional individual instruction under the guidance of the class teacher and collect academic and behavioural data to assist the class teacher and Clinical Director in assessing and monitoring each child’s progress.

Bus Escorts

The role of the bus escort is to safely supervise the students availing of school transport on their journey to and from school. Each escort receives in house training as part of their induction to the school. Additional training required to meet the needs of any individual child on a bus route is offered if the need arises.

Caretaker

The school has a part-time caretaker.

Additional Services/Clinical Supports

The school has no direct connection with any individual clinical support service for additional services such as Occupational Therapy, Psychology or Speech and Language Therapy, we do however work closely with any clinical provider each child is assigned to and facilitate visits and multidisciplinary meetings with the class teacher where possible.