LITTLE Angels Special School in Letterkenny is on track to become the first primary school in Donegal to come under the patronage of the Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).
Donegal ETB currently provides full-time educational services in 15 post-primary schools across the county and its islands. However, there are currently no primary schools under its patronage.
As a result, Little Angels will become both the first special school and the first primary school to be transferred under the ETB’s patronage in Donegal.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Chief Executive of Donegal ETB Anne McHugh said they are “absolutely delighted to be taking on the school.”
Across the country, a number of special schools are being moved under the patronage of ETBs, Ms McHugh explained.
These schools are known as Community Special Schools and fall under the banner of the ETB’s Community National Schools.
The move is part of a school reconfiguration process led by the Department of Education. The process allows existing schools to transfer their patronage to a different patron and aims to meet the growing demand for greater diversity in school types.
There has been extensive liaison between the ETB and Little Angels since the transfer was announced. This has included a number of meetings, including one which took place yesterday afternoon. The ETB has also written to all staff members and parents.
The transition has been widely welcomed and hailed as a positive step forward.
Donegal ETB Chief Executive Anne McHugh.
Ms McHugh said the response from all stakeholders, including staff, students and parents, has been extremely positive.
“People are delighted and looking forward to working with us and being an ETB school,” she said.
The Donegal ETB has developed a strong reputation for providing inclusive, innovative, high-quality education that meets the needs of the entire community.
“So we are a good fit,” said Ms McHugh.
For staff and students, almost every aspect of everyday school life will remain the same.
However, the Little Angels will now be underpinned by the ETB’s core values of excellence in education, care, equality, community and respect.
Ms McHugh explained that the transfer process is currently still in the “early stages”.
There is a checklist covering governance, finance, human resources, ICT and other areas that must be worked through.
However, she said they are hopeful the transfer could be completed by the start of the new school year.
