The School of the Divine Child opened in Grattan Street in 1959 to meet the educational needs of children with Cerebral Palsy. In 1966, a site was purchased at Lavanagh House Ballintemple. The Department of Education provided a grant and the newly built school opened in Lavanagh in 1971.

The School of the Divine Child has always had an involvement with the development of information technology since its first participation in a pilot project on the use of Computer in Schools in 1984. Later projects included Eagle Eyes Camera Mouse project led by Boston College (USA) and supported by the Special Education Support Service (Ireland). In recent years we have developed a partnership with Safe Care Technologies and consult with them regularly on communication and assistive technologies for living. In music we use SoundBeam, Magic Flute, Garage Band and other technologies. Staff receive training through Safe Care technologies and through Enable Ireland’s service.

Community is an important part of our School life and classes and individual pupils can be seen involved in projects in Ballintemple village and nearby Ardfoyle and Pairc Ui Chaoimh. We foster close links with many mainstream schools at primary and second level. We are active participants in the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival and work closely with students attending University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology. Past school projects have involved partnerships through Comenius and cooperation North funding.

Horticulture, Home Economics, Music, Lego and Construction projects play an important part in our curriculum. The school offers both a primary and second level curriculum which is differentiated to suit students’ individual learning styles and abilities. Aistear and Numicon are taught at primary level. At second level we offer Junior Certificate, Junior Certificate Schools Programme, and JCT (Junior Cycle) courses at levels 1 and 2.

Music Partners can be seen here

Read about Mary O’Hanlon and her contribution to our school.