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In March 2023, a new framework for the primary curriculum was introduced, outlining the purpose, structure, and content for both primary and special schools. This redeveloped curriculum is guided by a vision and set of principles that focus on seven interconnected "Key Competencies," each with its own set of attributes. The framework places emphasis on playful learning, integration, teacher agency, effective assessment, and high-quality teaching and learning. It also promotes inclusive education and celebrates diversity, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to thrive in a supportive and engaging environment. We welcome this development as it encourages the growth of independent thinkers and lifelong learners, empowering students to take ownership of their learning and develop critical skills for the future.

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If you have concerns about bullying, we ask that you contact the class teacher first. They are the primary point of contact and will work with you to try to resolve the issue. If additional support is needed, the teacher will guide you through the next steps to ensure your child's safety and wellbeing.

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Website design and hosting by www.SchoolsWebsites.ie

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Tullyallen National School is situated in Mellifont parish in Co. Louth. We hope that our website will enable families and friends to access information about our school.

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Healthy Eating Policy Tullyallen National Schoo.pdf

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Uniforms should be worn at all times, except on P.E. days or as directed by the class teacher.

Girls - white (Preferable)/grey shirt, maroon tie, maroon jumper/cardigan, grey skirt/pinafore/trousers, black/grey shoes.·

Boys - white(Preferable)/grey shirt, maroon jumper, grey trousers, black/grey shoes.

P.E uniform - maroon tracksuit top with school crest, white(Preferable)/grey polo shirt, plain grey tracksuit bottoms, suitable footwear.

Summer Uniform - (optional) A lighter Summer Uniform with grey shorts (to the knee) with a plain light white(Preferable)/grey polo/T shirt can be worn when appropriate.

LEGGINGS ARE NOT PART OF THE SCHOOL UNIFORM!

Any exceptions to these rules must be sought in writing and may only be enacted with prior approval of the principal.

Junior/Senior Infants and AS pupils may wear school tracksuit throughout the week.

Only stud earrings are allowed for safety reasons.

Any child with long hair must tie it back. This is a concentration and safety matter. Having hair tied back can help with head lice which are often transferred in schools. It is important that when you get a note about head lice that you act all parents of children in that class act upon it. It is especially important that everyone checks and deals with the head lice situation together. Please ask the chemist for the recommended product.

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PARENTS OR VISITORS HAVE NO PERMISSION TO GO DIRECTLY TO ANY CLASSROOM AT ANYTIME OF THE DAY. ALL PARENTS AND VISITORS MUST ENTER THE SCHOOL BUILDING VIA THE MAIN ENTRANCE AND REPORT TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE.

Scheduled Meetings: all visitors must report to the school office where the secretary will notify the relevant staff member of your presence.

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Before School Drop Off and Collection

School starts at 8.50am and Finishes at 1.30pm, (Junior & Senior Infants), 2.30pm (1st - 6th).

Children go straight into their classrooms.

Our school operates a DROP AND GO (morning)/ COLLECT AND GO (afternoon) policy. There is a walkway at the side of the school specifically designed to allow children to walk safely to the backyard and frontyard of the school. It is important for everyone’s safety that children or parents do not go through the staff car park.

If someone different is collecting your child please notify the class teacher by emailing the office info@tullyallenns.ie where the message will be delivered. Never collect another child without their parent’s permission and advanced notification. Please try and send an email to the office in the morning instead of calling the school.

Children who come late must be sent to their class via the main entrance.

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Launch of the Primary Curriculum Framework

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Launch of the Primary Curriculum Framework

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School Calendar Overview 2025/2026

Pupils return to school on Thursday 28th August 2025

Term 1

Term 1 Half Day Staff Training Day Closing at 12 noon on Monday 29th September 2025

Halloween Mid Term Monday 27th October 2025 to Friday 31st October 2025 inclusive.

Christmas Holidays

Closing at 12 noon Friday 19th December 2025.

Re-open on Monday 5th January 2026.

Term 2

Term 2 Half Day Staff Training Day Closing at 12 noon on Wednesday 28th January 2026

St. Brigid’s Day Bank Holiday- Full Day Closure Monday 2nd February 2026

February Mid Term Thursday 19th & Friday 20th February 2026 inclusive

St. Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday- Full Day Closure Monday 16th & Tuesday 17th March 2026

Easter Holidays

Closing at 12 noon Friday 27th March 2026

Re-open on Monday 13th April 2026.

Term 3

May Bank Holiday Closing Monday 4th May 2026

Term 3 Staff Training Day Closing at 12 noon on Monday 11th May 2026

June Bank Holiday Closing Monday 1st June 2026

Summer Holidays  closing at 12 noon on Tuesday 23rd June 2026 for the Summer.

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Ms. Eileen Pike (Principal)
Ms. Sinéad Uí Ghibne (Deputy Principal)

Tullyallen National School, Tullyallen, Drogheda, Co. Louth, A92 AE81

Phone: 041-983 3478

Email address: info@tullyallenns.ie

Website: www.tullyallenns.ie

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The Let’s Get Regulated resource for Parents contains  fantastic information on Sensory Motor Circuits.

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The Let’s Get Regulated resource for Parents contains  fantastic information on Sensory Motor Circuits.

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Transitions can be particularly challenging for all pupils. Good planning and support for transition help to ensure the successful transfer of pupils from early childcare and pre-school to primary school. Effective transition support and planning can enhance the educational experience of the child and help reduce potential anxiety.

Look at these tasks with your child over the Summer before they start school and discuss all they things they can do to help themselves.

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The Education (Welfare) Act obliges schools to report to TESS in Tusla of children that have missed in excess of 20 school days.  This is regardless of the reason for absence. This is a legal requirement. Schools, Tusla or DE cannot control it.

If a child is unwell they should stay at home and we understand that some children are more prone to illnesses especially in their first year in school. However, we ask you to inform the class teacher as to the reason for your child’s absence on their return to school. We are obliged to state absence reasons when making out attendance reports each term  The Aladdin app has forms that can be filled and sent from your phone or you can simply write a note.

If a pupil has missed 15 days the school will inform you via Aladdin.

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Each school day 60,000 Irish primary and post-primary students miss school

Tusla Education Support Service or tess is launching its first national, School Attendance Drive 'Every School Day Counts' to promote regular school attendance. Each school day approximately 60,000 students miss school in Ireland. tess is running an attendance drive throughout the month of November, when attendance traditionally dips, to encourage and promote the importance of regular school attendance with children, young people, parents and schools. In addition tess believes that attendance is everyone's business and encourages the wider community to come on board and endeavour to make 'Every School Day Count' this November and throughout the school year.

Over 1700 schools right across the country have already signed up to the drive and will be running attendance initiatives in their schools throughout the month.

During the launch, the service will also be unveiling its new name and logo as part of its brand refresh project, to highlight the integrated supports available through its three service strands - Educational Welfare Service; Home School Community Liaison Scheme; and School Completion Programme. The three services work with children, young people, parents, schools and community family support services to improve attendance, participation and retention.

Addressing over 350 attendees, including government representatives, education professionals, children and young people, Bernard Gloster, Chief Executive of Tusla said, "Research has shown again and again that regular school attendance is vital in helping children get the best possible start in life. It lays the foundation for developing good social skills, building relationships and achieving success later in life. Children who attend school regularly are more likely to stay in school and achieve better educational outcomes."

Noel Kelly, Director of Tusla Education Support Service, added, "Access to education is a child's right. We know that investing in education is the most effective way of offsetting the impact of poverty and helps create a level playing field, which gives children from disadvantaged backgrounds a better chance to reach their potential.

Equal access to educational opportunities has the power to pull families and communities out of the cycle of poverty which in turn can help generations to come. The focus of our work in tess is to give additional support to the most marginalised 8% of children and young people in our education system who are most likely to leave school early without any qualifications."

Speaking about the rebrand, Noel said: "I'm also delighted to be here today to reveal our new name and logo. The overall aim of the process is to educate the public on the services we provide to ensure that anyone in need of support, can access the right service, at the right time. Over 150 children, young people, parents, schools and staff were engaged in this brand refresh process, to ensure the new name and look resonated with its users and reflected the supportive services it provides."

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Tusla Educational Support Service launch first national, School Attendance Drive 'Every School Day Counts'Tusla - Child and Family Agency

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Each school day 60,000 Irish primary and post-primary students miss school Tusla Education Support Service or tess is launching its first national, School Attendance Drive 'Every School Day Counts' to promote regular school attendance. Each school day approximately 60,000 students miss school in Ireland.

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We use the Jolly Phonics and Letters and Sounds approaches to learn to read and write.

The letter sounds are taught in the Letters and Sounds order. Phase 2 introduces most of the single letter sounds. These are:

Set 1: s, a, t, p
Set 2: i, n, m, d
Set 3: g, o, c, k
Set 4: ck, e, u, r
Set 5: h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss

Learning the letter sounds in groups as above, rather than alphabetically, enables children to begin building words as early as possible.

More information about the words that can be made using these letters can be found on jollylearning.co.uk

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The new edition of our Read and See books were reviewed in the April issue of Teach Primary magazine.

We are very grateful to Mike Mike Davies for this very positive review, and we are glad it was noted just how carefully we choose each word to amplify the their effectiveness in getting young children to learn reading and writing skills.
Read the full product review here
🇬🇧 Buy from UK Shop: Pack 1 Pack 2

🇺🇸 Buy from US shop: Pack 1 Pack 2

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Welcome to Jolly Learning - Raising Standards Around The World

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Discover our 7-year Jolly Phonics and Grammar programme, as well as Jolly Music., Jolly Futures and Jolly Phonics Extra.

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The board's main function is to manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and to provide an appropriate education for each student at the school.

In carrying out its functions, the board must

-Act in accordance with Ministerial policy

-Uphold the ethos of the school and be accountable to the patron for this. The word ethos is not used in the Education Act 1998. It is described in the Act as the 'characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school'.

-Act in accordance with the law and with any deed, charter, or similar instrument relating to the school.

-Consult with and inform the patron of decisions and proposals

-Publish the school's policy on admission to and participation in the school, including its policy on expulsion and suspension of students, admission and participation by students with disabilities or with other special educational needs

-Ensure that the school's admissions policy respects the choices of parents and the principles of equality and that it complies with Ministerial directions, having regard to the school ethos and the constitutional rights of all concerned

-Have regard for the principles and requirements of a democratic society and promote respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages, and ways of life in our society

-Have regard to the efficient use of resources (particularly the grants provided by the State), the public interest in the affairs of the school, and accountability to students, parents, and the community

-Use the resources provided by the State to make reasonable provisions and accommodation for students with disabilities or special needs, including, if necessary, the adaptation of buildings or provision of special equipment

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The school is administered by a Board of Management under the chairmanship of Fr. Sean Dooley. The staffing, planning and maintenance of the school is the responsibility of the Board. The Board of Management consists of a committee of eight:

Two Patron’s Nominees

Two Parent Nominees

School Principal and another teacher

Two other Community members, proposed by the above nominees.

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Catholic Schedule for Primary Schools and Inclusive Practices

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Catholic Schedule for Primary Schools and Inclusive Practices

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In Tullyallen N.S. , we believe in the holistic education of the child - intellectual, moral, physical, aesthetic, social and spiritual education, including a living relationship with God and with other people. As teachers, we prepare children for further education and would like to see all our pupils grow up to live full, happy and productive lives as adults in society.

Our school aims to create a learning environment where every child is encouraged and enabled to develop to their full and unique potential, and to the fullest possible extent.

The pupils in our school are expected to give of their best and to achieve high standards of work and behaviour.

Through co-operation and a mutual partnership between school and home we can help each pupil live a full and happy life as a child, and at the same time support them in acquiring the skills which will help them as they move towards adulthood.

The school models and promotes a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Catholic school provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and tradition of the Roman Catholic Church and promotes the formation of the pupils in the Catholic Faith.

Tullyallen N.S. is an inclusive school, with a warm welcoming atmosphere of acceptance which is evident throughout the learning environment and the social interactions of all in our school community.

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In school, we’ll be using triangular pencils to help the children get used to the tripod grip.

The ‘tripod’ type of pencil hold makes it easier for children to write. They need to learn that:

The pencil goes between the thumb and the first finger.

The next finger stops the pencil from falling down ( or is where the pencil rests).

The last two fingers are not needed and should be tucked underneath.

·         We use the phrase ‘froggy legs’ to remind the pupils of correct pencil grip.

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The developmental stages of pencil grip, don't push your child to the tripod grip before they are ready. The most important thing you can do for your child is offer plenty of opportunities for fine motor activities. Do lots of colouring activities using different tools, including different-sized pencils and crayons. Little crayon bits encourage the pincer grip as they offer less space to wrap their hand around. You can make them yourself by melting old pieces of crayons in small moulds in the oven and allowing them to set in the new shape. However, once your child starts school it is important that you support your child by reinforcing the correct pencil grip at home during homework and play.

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Aladdin will be the primary means of communication for the school.

Our school has successfully rolled out the Aladdin Schools Connect App to parents/guardians of children in our classes which is of benefit to all parties. Aladdin Schools uses state-of-the art security to safeguard information entered by the school and data is stored and processed in strict compliance with Irish and European data protection laws. We are currently using the following features:

Noticeboard facility

Push notifications

Epayments and Money Collections

School report card

Permissions - Permissions lists are a feature in Aladdin Connect which allow schools to create and manage permissions lists for classes and various groups.

Parent Teacher Meeting Scheduler -We will use this feature to organise and schedule parent teacher meetings in November. This will make it easier for parents to select their preferred time from the time-slots available.

We hope that you find Aladdin Connect to be convenient, helpful and user-friendly. Should you have any queries, please get in touch with the school directly - by email to info@tullyallenns.ie with Aladdin Connect in the subject line, immediately. As with all new projects and approaches, there may be some challenges to ‘iron out’ in the early stages. Please bear with us as we do our best to ensure that the system is rolled out as smoothly as possible.

By default, both parents will have access to view their child’s contact information (including phone, address, email).

Shortly after the commencement of the new school year, you will receive an email/text message containing your registration link. There will be one link per parent which will allow the parent to access information for all their children in the school from one user account.
Please do not forward this email or share this link as this is a unique registration code for each parent for your child/children in this school. During registration, you will choose a password that will be used in conjunction with your email address to securely access the Aladdin Connect going forward. Once you are registered, you will be prompted to download the App.
The main advantage of using the App is to receive immediate alerts for app messages sent by the school.

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Aladdin Schools - The software behind great schools

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See how much time you could save The demos on this page will take you through the main features of the Aladdin Schools software service. To see how Aladdin can dramatically reduce your daily workload, click on one of the screens above.Try before you buy A personal guided tour is the best way to discover how easy it is to simplify your school administration with Aladdin.

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There is no parking at the school.  No parking is permitted at the front of the school. This is a DROP and GO zone only.

There is ample parking in the Glen Emmets' Carpark which is a 1min walk from the school. This is linked to the school via a pathway which ensures safety for all. There is strictly no parking in the zone at the side of the school. We need access for the School Bus for pupils in our Autism Classes and those travelling to school by bus.

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Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment

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Part 1: Child Safeguarding Statement & Risk Assessment 

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DLP - Eileen Mary Pike - Principal
DDLP - Aimee Wickham

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A warm welcome to Tullyallen N.S.

We hope you have an enjoyable experience. We look forward to getting to know you.
Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions, we are always happy to help.

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NEPS A guide for children and young people

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NEPS A guide for children and young people

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A NCSE document to aid supporting pupils with Additional Needs transition to school

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Mo Scéal: Moving from Preschool to Primary

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Mo Scéal: Moving from Preschool to Primary

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Learning Irish at Home

In school, your child is learning Irish as part of the Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile. The four tip sheets below have been developed to help parents support their children as they learn Irish. Each tip sheet describes a range of activities which parents can do with children at home 'as Gaeilge'. These materials are designed to be fun and engaging for both parents and children.

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As a parent, you play a key role in your child's education. The NCCA has developed a number of resources to help you to support your child's learning in primary…

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Preparing Young Children for Primary School

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Preparing Young Children for Primary School

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ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder Term used here: Autism
DCD: Developmental Coordination Disorder Sometimes known as Dyspraxia
DVD: Developmental Visual Dyspraxia
EBD/SEBD: Emotional Behavioural Difficulties/Severe Emotional Behavioural Difficulties
MGLD:  Mild General Learning Difficulty
NBSS: National Behaviour Support Service.  Now part of NCSE
NCSE: National Council for Special Education
NEPS: National Educational Psychology Service
NIPT: National Induction Programme for Teachers
OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
ODD:  Oppositional Defiance Disorder
OT: Occupational Therapy
PDST: Professional Development Support for Teachers
SENO: Special Educational Needs Organiser
SESS: Special Education Support Service Now part of NCSE
SLT: Speech & Language Therapy

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Language is very important to us, and we use some terms and avoid other terms. Few things below to keep in mind as much as possible. We're all learning around language, it's not something to worry about if you use different terms, but we hope this helps.
Autism Class (we do not use the term unit)
Additional Needs (we do not use the term special needs except where the title is Special Education Teacher (SET) used by the Department of Education.

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In line with our Healthy Eating Policy, children are not allowed to bring 'goodies' to school to celebrate birthdays.

Their special day will be celebrated in other ways such as singing 'Happy Birthday'.

We also do not allow birthday party invitations to be given out in school or on the school grounds, to avoid causing upset to those not invited, or to avoid putting pressure on families.

Please adhere to this rule at all times, and no exceptions will be made.

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Primary education consists of an eight year cycle. The primary curriculum aims to provide a broad learning experience and encourages a rich variety of approaches to teaching and learning that cater for the different needs of individual children. The primary curriculum is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life—spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical. Some aspects of the primary curriculum are under review.

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Activities to develop communication skills at home

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Activities to develop communication skills at home

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Developing Language During Everyday Routines 

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Developing Language During Everyday Routines 

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Stages of development

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Fine and Gross Motor Skills for the Home

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Fine and Gross Motor Skills for the Home

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Occupational Therapy Skills for  Starting School

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Occupational Therapy Skills for  Starting School

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Gross and Fine Motor Skills tips for those transitioning to school.