School Survey Results

As part of the Department of Education and Youth’s future planning, all parents in Talbot SNS were asked to complete a survey. See below for our school’s results.

Parents, Please Read: Findings from ‘The Voice of Talbot’s Parents, 2026’

Hi everyone, and a massive thanks to all who filled in the online survey sent at the end of May to all parents.

Here are the findings from it, including possible courses of action. They have all been shared with the In-School-Leadership-and-Management Team, and with all teachers and SNAs. They have already made an impact in the conversations around the school. They will be shared again at the Aug or Sept staff meetings.

Below is a Summary of Findings / Possible Courses of Action

Satisfaction: Parents are overall pretty satisfied with the school (4.21 out of 5.00 rating).
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​Connection With Parents: Parents feel welcome, feel connected, are interested in more opportunities to participate in school activities, but event times aren’t convenient for about 3 in 10 (they are convenient for 5 in 10).
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Help for Parents: Parents want teachers to provide a range of help (in a question where they could tick what they wanted, if anything):
  1. Ideas of clubs/groups/activities in the area open to your child to join in 72%
  2. Resources/Suggestions for Maths 40%
  3. Resources/Suggestions for Art/Music/Drama 33%
  4. Resources/Suggestions for Irish 28%
  5. Resources/Suggestions for PE and Wellbeing (& behaviours and emotions) 26%
  6. Resources/Suggestions to help my child with their reading 23%

Bullying:

Children feel safe, 100%, in the eyes of their parents
However, there is bullying in the school: 1 in 4 say yes, 1 in 4 unsure. And 1 in 3 children has witnessed bullying going on in the school.
The school is well rated for being committed to dealing with bullying behaviour and its prevention: a rating of 4.05/5.00
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What Subject Areas Do Parents Want The School To Give More Time To:
Diverse views here, when given the seven subject-areas, but the general feeling is more time to Maths/Coding/Science, more time to English, and more time to Wellbeing, as being the top chosen areas.  This contrasts with the students’ views in three focus groups at the end of the year, representing all students, which put more time for ‘Religion & Praying’ as their number one priority and more time for Maths and English at the bottom. All three groups had also wanted more “SPHE & PE” and more “History and Geography”. 
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Homework is generally going well, generally the right amount, the right difficulty, and it’s slightly more enjoyable (2.60/5.00) than it is stressful (2.47/5.00). 1 in 6, however, find homework too easy, and nearly 3 in 10 find there’s too little. This suggests there’s scope for some teachers to regularly check if they can improve / adapt how they are differentiating the homework.
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As for Digital Tools, 56% are unsure of the use of them actually helping their child learn. 5 in 10 say their child is learning important digital skills, 4 in 10 are unsure.
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Parents were given 4 ideas of things the school could maybe do more of, and the parents agreed with all four ideas.
  1. They want the school to “do a little more with phone safety for my child and all the children” (86% agree or strongly agree).
  2. They want the school to “do a little more with road safety to and from the school” (76% agree or strongly agree).
  3. They’d like the school to “do a little more for children with exercising” (71% agree or strongly agree).
  4. And they’d like the school to “give all the children a hat (selected by the students) to keep them safe in the sun” (3:1 in favour)
If you’ve any questions about this, or anything to add, please just ask. Once more, a massive thank you for using your voice, working in partnership with teachers and SNAs, and being part of the process of setting the direction the school is going in.

Visual Art’s Display Winners 2026

A huge thank you to all of the wonderful young artists in our school who contributed their artwork to this year’s display. The standard of Artwork made the exhibition truly special, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you.

Keep expressing yourselves through art, exploring new ideas, and sharing your unique talents with the world. We can’t wait to see what you create next! 🎨✨

 

The Voice of Talbot’s Parents, May 2026

Hello everyone,

Please take a few minutes now to give us your thoughts and ideas on our school. Just click here and begin our survey of parents. We’d hugely appreciate it.

We’ll take on board all that you say, and we’ll put a summary of all the responses up on this website. Working with you, one step at a time, we hope to make Talbot better for your child. Last year your answers helped shape our bullying-prevention work, our new school vision, and safety around the school.

This year questions include ones on bullying, supports you’d like, subjects you’d like us to teach more of, digital tools, homework, child safety, and more.

Please do it now, and if not now, then make a few minutes later today to do it. The survey will close on Friday at 6pm, but please do it before then to ensure we get to hear your voice and not just the voices of others.

 

 

Grandparents Day 2026

On Thursday 21st May Talbot SNS held our annual grandparents event.

Held across two sittings to accommodate all the special guests, the day was filled with chat, music, and plenty of nice moments!

Our school choir lead by Mr O’Donnell opened each sitting, Ms Bradley introduced our talented Irish dancers and some pupils read grandparents readings and poems.

Many thanks to the efforts of our Parents’ Association, who served teas, coffees, and pastries throughout. Their hard work and hospitality were greatly appreciated by all.

We are so grateful to everyone who helped make Grandparents Day such a success, and especially to the grandparents of Talbot who joined us.

Joey Byrne, Home School Community Liaison

Microsoft DreamSpace trip

Our 5th class Talbot Dream Space ambassadors recently attended a graduation event held in the Microsoft Dublin offices. During the day they got to code, use Minecraft for Education and use the staff rest and games facilities in the campus and were finally presented with certificates for all their hard work in school. Thanks to Ms Jones for organising the programme for our talented pupils.

Developed in partnership with the Microsoft Dream Space teams in Dublin and Belfast, the Dream Space Ambassador Programme empowers students to pursue their passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths), build confidence, and develop essential skills in creativity, communication, and collaboration.

The student participants gain the relevant tools to support, mentor, and train their peers, families, and even teachers, while enhancing their tech literacy skills for the future.

Dream Space Ambassadors become Dream Space Specialists through online training sessions faciliated by Ms Jones, taking on a leadership role within our school and community. As part of the programme, students in Talbot:

  • Demonstrated STEM activities.
  • Lead small group sessions or peer training.
  • Supported their classmates and educators in learning new skills.
  • Acted as STEM role models within the school and community.

Well done to all involved!

Past Pupil Stephen Quinn visits Talbot!

We were delighted to welcome back former pupil and now retired professional footballer Stephen Quinn who recently visited Talbot.

Steo has numerous family either working in (Jenny – SNA) Talbot or nieces and nephews currently enrolled (Kendal / Archie / Harry / Alliej), to name but a few.

He shared great insights into dedication, resilience, and teamwork, encouraging our pupils to pursue their goals with discipline and confidence.

His journey from our Bawnogue classrooms to the English professional game motivated pupils, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in attendance and inspiring our school community.

Stephen played professional football for over 20 years in the Premier League and other leagues, and represented our country at full international level, winning 18 caps.

Thanks for calling Stephen & family. 

 

 

5th Class Planting Trees

Mr Connolly’s class helped the environment and Talbot by planting young tree saplings this week.
The aim is to make a natural fence of hedging between our play area/field and our re-wilded area to promote biodiversity in our school!