Sacred Heart Primary School Roscrea

PartnershipParticipationProgress

At Sacred Heart Roscrea, we are exceptionally proud of all our students and strive to create an environment where each child can thrive. Our in–house universal design for learning is developed to help every pupil reach their academic potential, become responsible citizens, while contributing to local and global communities, appreciating and respecting cultural, racial and religious differences. Our child centered, differentiated curriculum encourages each student to reach their full potential. It is holistic in its approach, an approach which is rooted in kindness, as encapsulated in “Bí Cinnealta.” We believe that kindness is fundamental to personal and academic growth, fostering a supportive and inclusive school culture.

A holistic education

Our curriculum provides diverse opportunities for students to engage in sporting, musical, artistic, and spiritual activities. We promote active participation in classroom activities, school-wide practices such as weekly assemblies, and community and national events. Through these experiences, we aim to nurture confident, compassionate young people who are well-prepared for the future.

Our Achievements

At Sacred Heart Primary School, we take immense pride in our numerous achievements. Our school boasts six Green Flags, five Blue Stars, an Amber Flag, and awards for STEM excellence. We have also participated in the international networking project Comenius, now known as Erasmus+.

Our activities

Our students are actively involved in a variety of sports, both within the school and in local clubs and parishes around Roscrea. We encourage participation in art competitions, spelling bees and quizzes. We have an active school choir and we have hosted our own musical.

Our Library

We cherish our library, generously donated by the Butler Family in memory of their daughter Aisling, a past pupil of our school. As a DEIS school, we are committed to delivering equality of opportunity, fostering a love of reading to created educated, critical thinkers is the basis for this.

Our Families

We are part of the School Completion, Copping On, and Home School Community Liaison services. We support our families to ensure a positive school experience for all. We promote good attendance, healthy eating, and community activity.

Our Ethos

We are part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart schools with whom we regularly collaborate and network. We embrace Sophie’s Gift and celebrate all the goals of Sacred Heart Education – Faith, Intellect, Character, Social Awareness and Community.

Our Outreach

Partnership, Participation and Progress. Through these pillars we work with various agencies and advocacy groups both local and global. Our work with them helps us to educate ourselves and improve our lives and the lives of others.

Our Commitment

At Sacred Heart Roscrea, we are committed to ensuring that every child leaves our school as a confident, kind, and capable individual, ready to make a positive impact on the world. We educate hearts and minds in the tradition of Sacred Heart education, embracing the vision of Medeleine Sophie Barat. Our ethos of Faith, Intellect, Community, Character and Social Awareness provide a framework for all that we do. Love is our mission. Read on to find out how our dedicated teachers and additional needs assistants engage with the curriculum and various initiatives, guided by our ethos to educate and encourage all our pupils.

Green School

  • At Sacred Heart Primary School, we are deeply committed to sustainable living. We proudly hold six Green Flags, awarded for our conservation efforts in Litter and Waste, Energy, Water, Travel, Biodiversity, and Global Citizenship Litter and Waste. Respect for our environment and natural resources is a priority for our entire school community.
  • Our approach is built on Partnership, Participation, and Progress, recognizing that we are both local and global citizens in an ever-changing world. As part of our ethos studies, we are familiarizing ourselves with the Global Goals set by the United Nations, aiming to improve the Earth’s environment and the lives of everyone who shares it. We are for people and planet; we are for Global Goals.
  • Our green journey began in 2005 with our first Green Flag and continued with our latest in 2022, now spanning 20 years of dedication to environmental awareness and action. Despite the challenges of creating and maintaining a clean, thriving planet which can sustain all life we remain committed to the environment because our future depends on it. There is no planet b.
  • Our senior classes have learned about the World’s Largest Lesson, watching clips from Malala introducing the lesson here and an introduction from Emma Watson and Sir Ken Robinson here. We hope you take the time to watch them too.
  • Did you know that Pope Francis was an environmentalist? In his encyclical, Laudato Si’ “On Care For Our Common Home,” he urged us to address the environmental crisis, stating that we have made a “pile of filth” out of the Earth. He called on us to “heed the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.” This message aligns with our ethos as a Catholic and Sacred Heart School, driving our commitment to sustainability and being a Green School.

Blue Star

  • The Blue Star Flag is a symbol of the school’s participation in the Blue Star Programme, an initiative that aims to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the European Union among primary school children. The program, which is co-funded by the EU and the Irish government, encourages pupils to learn about European cultures, languages, history, and institutions. The initiative has been successfully ongoing in the school for a number of years now.
  • Throughout the academic year, students at Sacred Heart Roscrea engage in a variety of activities and projects centred around the EU. These included research projects especially in art, history and geography as well as learning Spanish as part of the languages initiative. The pupils also engage in the study of democracy and engage in the democratic process by electing their own school council which represents the student body and facilitates the student voice in the running of our school. The culmination of their hard work and dedication was the raising of the Blue Star Flag, signifying their commitment to being informed and active European citizens.
  • Throughout the years we have had the pleasure of welcoming several Members of the European Parliament to our school to speak to the pupils about the institutions of the European Union and how they work. The visitors have always been impressed with the depth of knowledge our pupils have and the challenging questions they ask our elected representatives. In 2024 Cynthia Ní Mhurchú came to raise our eight Blue Star Flag, the latest MEP to do so. This was a great honour for our school.

Amber Flag

Our school has successfully engaged in the Amber Flag programme and has been awarded three Amber Flags. These awards are a testament to Sacred Heart Roscrea’s efforts in promoting mental health and well-being within the school community. This initiative, spearheaded by Pieta House, aims to create healthy, inclusive environments that support the mental well-being of students and staff alike. Wellbeing is not only a cornerstone of the curriculum but also a long established approach to school life. The Amber Flag now flies proudly alongside the Green Schools Flag and Blue Star Flag all representing the school’s holistic approach to education.

Our modus operandi are Partnership, Participation and Progress. Through these pillars we reach out to and work with various agencies and advocacy groups in our local and national community. Our work with them helps us to educate ourselves and improve our lives and the lives of others. Our participation in initiatives such as Green Schools, Blue Star and Amber Flag enables us to enhance our universal design for learning to foster intellect, social awareness, character, community and faith. A bolstered awareness of the importance of active citizenship in creating a better future for ourselves and others is our approach to shaping hearts and minds. We are for people and planet, we create firm roots and strong branches.  

Our Admissions Policy for the academic year 2026/2027 –

“Be humble, be simple

and bring joy to others ”

Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat