Admissions Sept 2026

First Year Admissions 2026-27

We will begin our annual enrolment process on 1st October 2025 and we will be accepting applications until Friday 7th November 2025.

Parents or Guardians seeking to enroll their son in our Autism class, must first make a general application to enrol their son in mainstream, once offered a place, they can completed the special education needs section which includes our special class option.

Autism class applicants will need the following documentation:

Professional report(s) outlining:(all are required as prerequiste to qualifiy for enrolment in our special class)

• • Diagnosis of Autism: DSM IV/V or ICD 10/11 – this is a psychologist, psychiatrist, multidisciplinary report

AND

• • A demonstration of the understanding of complexity of the child’s overall level of need/s evidenced in the professional reports

AND

• • Given the severity or complexity of the child’s support needs, a clear professional recommendation and rationale as to what educational placement type would be most appropriate to best meet the child’s needs

AND

• • A letter from the NCSE confirming that the child is known to them and that the child has the required diagnosis and recommendation for a special class for autism

The NCSE has commenced its parental notification process for those parents seeking special classes or special school placement for their children for academic year 2026/27. This new eligibility requirement for an NCSE letter is also a prerequisite for enrolment in other types of special classes and in special schools.

• If you are a school with existing special classes, please note under section 7 of the circular that a child is only eligible for enrolment for a special class for autistic learners if all four of the identified criteria are met.

• If a child in your school or seeking to apply to your school seeks a special class placement, please direct their parent/guardian to the following useful link:
• https://ncse.ie/notify-ncse-special-class-special-school

• The NCSE will not deem a child eligible for enrolment in a special class or school without the relevant 2026/27 eligibility letter.

• Any child already within the mainstream population who requires a special class placement must also have a 2026/27 eligibility letter.

Circular 0039/2025 also indicates:

“Schools must now reflect this revised eligibility criteria for enrolment in an autism special class in their admission policies.

and must be reflected in those admission policies also.”