Principal's Welcome
I would like to welcome you to the website of St. Patrick’s N.S., which serves pupils in the parish of Slane, Co. Meath. We are a Roman Catholic primary school under the patronage of the Bishop of Meath and are are inclusive of all faiths and none.
St. Patrick’s N.S. is an innovative school which draws on the combined talents and skills of pupils, staff, parents and the local Slane community, to provide a holistic education for the pupils in our care. This includes the pupils’ academic, spiritual, moral and physical development. The full primary school curriculum is taught and pupils also participate in an extensive range of extra-curricular activities, many of which are catered for on a voluntary basis by school staff. Care is also taken to ensure that the well-being and contentment of every pupil is provided for, as indicated in the Whole School Evaluation carried out in our school in 2014. We also have a bit of craic along the way!
We are very fortunate to have an extremely supportive parent body and their representative Parents' Association and Book Rental committees. Parent nominees are also represented on the school’s Board of Management, the group of people entrusted to run the school. I hope that our website gives you a flavour and snapshot of day to day life here.
Paul O'Donnell
Principal
General Information
St. Patrick’s National School is a Catholic primary school under the patronage of the Bishop of Meath.
School Hours
9.20am – 2.00pm (Junior and Senior Infants)
9.20am – 3.00pm (1st – 6th Class)
Safety
Children are asked to enter and leave the school by the main gates or pedestrian gates. Pupils are asked to walk their bicycles while on school grounds. Dogs are not permitted on the premises but can be left at the designated poles outside the front wall of the school car park. When crossing the main street wait until Alison, our Traffic Warden, has brought all traffic to a stop before you cross. Always cross the main street where she is working.
Entry to the School
The gates open from at 9.10 a.m. each morning to cater for pupils and staff. They remain open until 9:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. both gates close and anyone wishing to enter the school after that time enters via the front door. Anyone arriving late or needing to enter the school during the school day goes to the front door and use the buzzer. All visits are by appointment only. All visitors explain their business at reception. If visitors are going to any classroom or other part of the school building they must sign their names in the visitor’s book.
Pupils Leaving School Early
Parents/guardians calling during the day to take pupils home early for any reason must report to the secretary’s office and record the reason for taking pupils out early.
Absences
If a child is absent from school for any reason, a note of explanation should be given to the class teacher on the child’s return. If a child is absent for a total of 20 days or more during the school year, the school is obliged to notify the National Education Welfare Board.
Admission
Parents should complete an application for admission form and include a birth certificate and baptismal certificate if relevant with their application. Completing an application for admission form does not entitle the child to a place in the school. Each year, the principal on behalf of the Board, sets a closing date for applications, usually in February, and once the date is reached places are offered to qualified applicants. In the event that there are more applicants than there are places, the Board will allocate the places as per the admission policy. See full policy under Policies.
Board Of Management
The board of management is responsible for the overall running of St. Patrick’s N.S. on behalf of our patron, the Bishop of Meath. Members of the board run the school on a voluntary basis in the best interest of the pupils. The term of office of the current Board is December 2023 until end of November 2027. The board members are:
- Chairperson: Rev. Fr. Richard Matthews P.P. (patron nominee)
- Treasurer: Sandra Walsh (community nominee)
- Secretary: Paul O'Donnell (principal)
- Susan Murray (community nominee)
- Annette Fitzpatrick (patron nominee)
- Ruth Collins (teacher nominee)
- Richard Carolan (parent nominee)
- Sarah Jane Lynch (parent nominee)
The board of management priorities for the school year 2024-2025 are here BoM Priorities 2024-2025
Mission Statement
St. Patrick’s N.S. is a co-educational, Catholic, primary school where we strive to promote the holistic education of every child in a warm, caring, happy and well ordered atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and catered for.
We aim to encourage each child to:
Become a responsible, caring member of society.
Develop a lifelong love of learning.
Participate in democratic decision-making at a whole school level.
Get the very best out of themselves and discover their talents by engaging in a broad and balanced range of curricular and extra-curricular experiences.
Value the principles of justice and mutual respect embracing all denominations and cultures.
Meet Our Dedicated Team
Our dedicated team of educators is the heartbeat of our kindergarten family. Our team is committed to providing a nurturing.
Mr. Paul O'Donnell
Ms. Lorna Gerrard
Mr. Gearóid O’Connor
Mrs. Ailbhe Goulding
Ms. Leah Kells
Ms. Lauren Delaney
Ms. Catherine Coyle
Grace Malone
Niamh Grehan
Liane Cahill
Sharon Carolan
Davy Hoey
Bernie Kells
Need more info?
Contact Info
