History
St Patrick's Special School
St Patrick’s Special School, originally named St Patrick’s School for Handicapped, was founded by Dominican sisters Sr Mary Ignatius OP and Sr Mary Anastasia OP in 1944. Located near St Patrick’s Church in Grote Street, the school began its journey in a humble one-room structure attached to the clubrooms adjacent to the church. The establishment of the school was made possible through the dedication of Fr Russell, the Inspector of Schools at that time.
In 1951, the school relocated to a prefabricated building facing West Terrace. Under the leadership of Father Gleeson and Sr Mary Bernadine OP, the school aimed to create an optimal learning environment for its students. While some students faced significant challenges, many former pupils found employment opportunities in sheltered workshops or open industry settings.
In 1969, St Patrick’s moved to the Parish school buildings on Warwick Avenue, Dulwich. Monsignor Redden, Parish Priest of Dulwich, leased these buildings to the Diocese for the establishment of a school catering to children with disabilities. Led by Sr Ignatius OP, the school initially enrolled 19 students aged 8 to 14, offering three classrooms, a hall, a kitchen, and ample play areas.
The site, formerly St Peter Claver’s Primary School/Church, underwent various transformations over the years. In 1935, the hall was renovated to become St Peter Claver’s Church, leading to the vacancy of the Warwick Avenue site.
Throughout its history, St. Patrick’s has undergone several building programs, with the original structures now serving as classrooms, a school hall and specialised facilities. Since 1971, the Josephite order has played a significant role in teaching at St Patrick’s, assuming leadership in 1975.
The leadership transitioned to lay principals in July 2001, appointed by the Catholic Education Office. Principals include Anne Carolin, Francine Bickford, Craig Battams, and Cathy Sires.
The future of St Patrick's Special School
Catholic Special Schools is a newly formed entity within Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, which comprises of our two existing R-12 sites of Our Lady of La Vang, Flinders Park and St Patrick's Special School, Dulwich, with a third site to be planned in the future.