Miceál Moley

Miceál is the Principal of St Ita’s Special School, Drogheda, Co Louth.

St Ita’s is a school for children with Mild/High Moderate Learning Disabilities who are aged from 5 to 18 years.  The Pupils may also have ASD, Down Syndrome, Physical disabilities and a range of specific learning challenges.  The school is divided into 3 main sections, namely, Primary School, Middle School (L1LP/L2LP) and Senior School (QQI level 1,2,3).  The school has 198 pupils and presently operates on 2 sites approximately 1 km apart.

The process toward a new school has been one that is built on relationships.  The Board of Management, Department and Design team have fostered strong and positive relationships and even during the pandemic the communication always remained open and forward thinking.  The design team have created a dynamic, creative and functional design that has taken into account the needs of the end user i.e. the pupils.  The design includes rooftop play, synergies between both schools using the building and creative outdoor design that caters for the play, movement and sensory needs of our pupils.  The design also takes into account the changing ages and progress of our pupils from Primary to young adults.  COADY have led this journey and have encouraged dynamic thinking to help us achieve our goal to have a school building to meet the needs of pupils for decades to come.