aboutus
Our School
Our dedicated team is passionate about empowering every student to reach their full
potential. We provide ongoing in-house professional development to staff, always striving to
improve student outcomes. With a high staff-to-student ratio, we create personalised student
plans that cater to each student's unique needs. Our small class sizes foster meaningful
group interactions in a supportive, close-knit environment. At ABACAS, teamwork and
collaboration are at the heart of everything we do, and we take great pride in the strong,
supportive culture that defines our school community.
Meet Our Staff
Laura Kelly
Principal
Ursula Cassidy
Deputy Principal
Trish Carolan
Behaviour Analyst
The Team
We have a truly unique team who are committed to empowering students to reach their full potential. We provide regular in-house training to all our staff and are constantly striving to improve the lives of their students. We have a high staff to student ratio which enables us to provide individualised programmes tailored to the students' needs. Our small classroom sizes are also the ideal setting for encouraging group interaction in a supportive, intimate environment. ABACAS prides itself on the level of collaboration that occurs between every staff member on our team. The supportive culture and teamwork present in the school is a huge source of pride to our whole school community.
Professional Supervision
Today at ABACAS twelve of our staff are fully qualified behaviour analysts, representing 25% of the total staff. Additionally, a large number of our staff are enrolled on or have completed masters level courses in Applied Behaviour Analysis. As part of the requirements to sit the associated board certified exams these staff must engage in regular professional supervision. They attend individual supervision with our school Behaviour Analyst twice per month and a monthly group supervision is also offered, covering various relevant topics. This level of support for our staff ensures we can continue to attract highly qualified and dedicated people to work in our school.
Internship and Work Experience Opportunities
For the past 10 years ABACAS has developed strong links with multiple universities and offered quality professional internships to college students from several courses. Each year we are thrilled to host college students from Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, National University of Ireland Galway, Technical University Dublin and Queens University Belfast. Our interns are studying Psychology, Early Childhood Education, Applied Behaviour Analysis, Autism studies and more. By opening our doors to college students we have enriched our school community with their expertise and commitment.
Board of Management
Made up of teacher, parent and community representatives, the main function of the BOM is to manage the school for the benefit of the students and to provide an appropriate education for each student at the school. The board is accountable to the Department of Education and Skills. The school principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school and is accountable to the board. The Board carry out their duties with the best interests of the school at heart. The board have regular meetings throughout the year where they develop and review plans for the school.
The composition of the Board of Management for Abacas Kilbarrack is:
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BOM Secretary/Principal – Laura Kelly
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Chairperson – John Dennehy
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Parent Representative – Deirdre Jambou
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Parent Representative – Niall Mahon
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Community Representative – Michael Keane
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Community Representative – Brian Doyle
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Teacher Representative – Ursula Cassidy
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Patron Representative – Fr. Finbar Neylan
If you need to contact a member of the Board of Management, please do so through the Chairperson at chairperson@abacaskilbarrack.info.