Meet The Staff

Nuala

School principal Nuala is a native of Castlebar, Co Mayo but has been made to feel very welcome in Tuam since the school opened in September of 2015.

Prior to working in Tuam, she spent 8 years teaching in a large, urban DEIS school in Inchicore, Co. Dublin. She completed her B.Ed. in St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra in 2007 and went on to complete her masters, the M.Teach in literacy and parental involvement also in St. Patrick's College in 2012.

She has experience of working as class teacher, SET and HSCL and has a passion for infant education, literacy and promoting meaningful parental involvement. She has also worked as an associate with the Write to Read programme, providing teacher education on literacy best practice in the classroom.

Nuala is a world champion Irish dancer, an active member of her county Scor committee, and former secretary of her local GAA club, Breaffy in Co. Mayo.

Fiona 

Fiona joined the Tuam ETNS team in 2015 after teaching in a disadvantaged setting in Dublin for 10 years. A graduate of NUI Galway and St. Patrick's College Drumcondra, Fiona is experienced in early child hood education specialising in Maths and guided reading. She has completed the Tainiste course for Deputy Principals which explores leadership and promotes high quality teaching and learning in schools. 

Fiona leads our Professional Support Team, this group supports newly qualified teachers and new members of staff within the school.

Fiona is also an active member of Mustangs Basketball Club, this senior ladies team based in Castlebar has been very successful in the Longletrios League and Fiona is known as their sharp shooter!

Debra

Our school secretary Debra brings many years experience in the administrative sector. She is a graduate in Business Communications and Languages from Leeds Metropolitan University and she has worked extensively in the admin management sector both at home and abroad. 

Debra is the first person you will meet in our school, either face to face or on the phone and she is referred to as "the real boss" as she is key to organising the efficient day to day running of our school. She is the warm, welcoming and friendly face of Tuam ETNS and she  is also a keen volunteer in her local community and has been actively involved in her local GAA club, Comhaltas and Foroige.

Renata

Renata joined the SNA staff of Tuam ETNS in September 2018 with a level 6 qualification in Special Needs Assisting. Delighted to further her qualifications, she has since completed a level 7 in Special Education Needs and a level 7 qualification in Irish language proficiency from NUIG. This is all on top of her degree in Economics from Budapest Business School. This is no mean feat considering her native tongue is Hungarian. Renata brings kindness and empathy to the role whether she is supporting a pupil one on one or in the whole class setting.

Renata has qualified as a nurture room practitioner, a programme we are delighted to offer in the school and has a passion for creative arts.  As a mother who moved to Tuam from Hungary, she has experience of settling into a new environment and the challenges this may present. She is always ready to offer a friendly ear and helpful advice to any families who may need it.

Maeve

Maeve began her teaching career in 2009 and has gained lots of valuable experience having worked in large urban schools in London and Dublin before joining the team in Tuam ETNS in 2017. Maeve has a particular passion for helping children with diagnosed additional educational needs and as Assistant Principal is charged with organising special education and additional english in our school. She works with small groups and individual children to help support their learning both in and out of the class. She is also a founding member of our school's Nurture Room, an individualised programme to support targeted children during the school day. Maeve is also our active school coordinator and was instrumental in ensuring we achieved our first active school flag in 2021. 

Tara 

Tara is an experienced teacher who joined the ETNS team in 2019 and who lives the Educate Together ethos in her classroom as all of her pupils will attest to.  She is a passionate sportswoman and a wonderful role model for all the pupils in our school, especially the girls. She has represented her county in athletics, Gaelic and soccer and she loves to bring this energy into her teaching. She helps to coordinate and facilitate our after school sports activities and was instrumental in ensuring we secured our first Blue Flag for responsible citizenship in 2021.  She brings her love of ICT and technology into her lessons and was the power house behind developing our first school multi modal newspaper and podcast! 

Emer

Emer, a Williamstown native, joined the school in 2017 from Griffeen Valley ETNS. Prior to this, Emer attended St Patrick's College in Dublin where she achieved an honours degree in her B.Ed. She really enjoyed her time working in a large, urban Educate Together school but her passion was always to return to Galway. She has worked as both a class teacher and as part of the Special Ed team in Tuam ETNS. Emer loves teaching SESE (Geography, History and Science) and using all the wonderful resources we have in the school to support the children’s learning in these subjects. Emer was part of the team who devised our whole school plans in SESE and is famous for her preparation and organisation. She is a co-founder of the afterschool STEAM club and has also headed our Creative School Team.

Helen

Helen joined the Tuam ETNS team in 2015 when our school first opened. She has over 20 years’ experience in providing support to pupils with additional needs in a variety of educational settings and we are delighted the pupils in our school benefit from this experience. Helen has a strong interest in art and creativity in the classroom and has completed numerous courses to support this including Art Therapy in the Classroom. In our short history, many of our pupils have achieved national honours in prestigious art competitions including Credit Union and Texaco and this is in no small part thanks to the guidance Helen provides during school and in after school classes. She has also organised numerous artists to visit the school and inspire our pupils and has been a key member of the Creative Schools Team in Tuam ETNS. Helen has a keen interest in sports and cookery and is a highly sought after team member for our annual fundraising quiz!

Cheryl

Qualified in Early Childhood Care and Practice, and Special Needs Assisting, London born Cheryl has lived in Tuam for the past 15 years and joined the team in ETNS in 2017. Cheryl works as an S.N.A and is famous in our school for her compassionate ear and crafty flair, which explains why the children always want to visit her room, either for a friendly chat or to create a master piece!  Cheryl co-founded our very popular after school STEAM club where she shares her passion for all things Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths with the lucky pupils of our school and some of their wonderful creations can be viewed on our school Facebook page. Her mothering instincts and kind nature make her perfect for the role as special needs assistant. 

Grace

Prior to teaching, Grace studied Early Childhood Care and Education which placed a heavy focus on the Aistear curriculum and she worked in many early years education settings. She possesses a wealth of teaching experience in primary schools in both Ireland and London. Furthermore, Grace worked as an ASD class teacher which was an amazing experience. Consequently, the knowledge gained in this role helps her to better support pupils with additional needs in the classroom. In her spare time she studies a MSC in Psychology and will qualify in September 2025. Her learning from this course informs her practice daily. Grace has a special interest in Arts education - Music, Art, Drama and Dance. She facilitates an after school performance club and is very excited to be working on our first ever school musical.

Dave

Dave Meehan joined the teaching team in Tuam ETNS in 2018 after completing his M.Ed qualification as a mature student. In a previous life he has worked as a life guard, bank employee and even a salesman, but always had a desire to become a primary school teacher.

This passion can be seen in his interactions with pupils and parents alike. He brings energy and enthusiasm to every lesson, along with his famed sense of humour.

Dave is always the first to volunteer for school events and his sparkly gold blazer, used when he is the bingo master at our annual parent association event, is now world famous! Dave loves playing and teaching chess to the pupils, coaches our after school football team for boys and girls and is a proud dad to two beautiful children. 

Angela

Before moving West, Angela, our Donegal native worked in Dublin in a disadvantaged setting and brings extensive experience to Tuam having began her teaching career in 2004. She is a proud mother of 2 busy boys and brings her kind, caring and fun attitude into the classroom which the children love. Angela has a passion for yoga as a qualified instructor and also loves music, reading and yummy food! She has worked at all class levels and is an advocate of life long learning. She has been a founding member of our school choir in conjunction with Leo Moran, member of the Saw Doctors and the Board of Management of our school. 

Niall

Tuam ETNS were delighted to have Galway native Niall joins our teaching staff in 2020. Niall graduated from Marino Institute in 2014 with an honours B.Ed degree and since then has worked in a number of Educate Together Schools in Dublin. He is a Learn Together advisor with the national team and since moving to Tuam has provided extensive CPD to all the staff here on the Learn Together Curriculum. He is currently advising the national team as they update the syllabus.

Niall is involved in the INTO (teachers' union) as staff representative, and also as the organiser of the popular inclusive competition “Different Families, Same Love”. He is the treasurer of the INTO LGBT+ Teachers’ Group and has a passion for equality in education.

Niall loves teaching Maths and Art and obviously facilitating the Learn Together Curriculum in his class!

Theresa

Theresa, a seasoned educator, gained extensive multi-grade experience during her training at Hibernia College, including teaching practice at St. Joseph’s and serving as a substitute in Mayo and Galway. The initial five years of her teaching career were at St. Brigid’s N.S. in Kildare, where she instructed First to Sixth Class. 

In September 2012, Theresa assumed the role of teaching principal at Inishturk N.S., gaining comprehensive knowledge over two academic years, managing a diverse curriculum from 1st to 6th class. Taking a career break in September 2014, Theresa taught for three years at St. Matthew’s C of E PS in Surbiton, London, where she notably served as Outdoor Learning Co-ordinator, EYFS acting stage leader, and Religious Education Co-ordinator.

Post-London, Theresa covered maternity leave at Castlebar and Galway ETNS, bringing her extensive experience catering to diverse needs, including ASD and selective mutism, to inclusive school settings. With a Science degree, Theresa is passionate about delivering engaging science curricula and fostering outdoor learning spaces. A Clonbur Co. Galway native, she is deeply passionate about Gaelic football, completing the Award One in Gaelic Football Coaching for Youth in December 2023, and rejoining Naomh Padraig, An Fhairche, in the Mother and Others team.

Ian

As an experienced educator, Ian has a passion for holistic learning. Ian earned his PGCE (Primary) from the University of East London in 2010 and holds a Masters in Education. During his 5-year tenure in London, he showcased versatility by serving as a classroom teacher, year group leader, and Literacy Coordinator / Specialist. 

Venturing into international education, Ian embraced the vibrant culture of Hong Kong. At IB schools, he spearheaded the development of STEAM learning, as well as overseeing whole-school curriculum coordination as part of the leadership team.

As an educator, Ian is dedicated to creating stimulating cross-curricular projects, fostering a dynamic, positive and inclusive learning environment.

Outside the classroom, Ian loves adventure with a passion for the outdoors. Furthermore, he is an avid sports enthusiast, particularly passionate about soccer and fervently supporting Liverpool. 

Deborah

Deborah began her teaching career in 2007 in an inner city Dublin school, after earning an
Honours Bachelor of Education degree from St. Patrick’s College. She later ventured overseas
to explore opportunities in New Zealand and Australia. Living and working in diverse educational
environments allowed her to gain valuable insights into different teaching methodologies and
cultural nuances. Deborah’s experiences abroad fueled her love for travel and also cultivated

her passion for outdoor education, recognising nature's role in building resilience, problem-
solving skills, and self-confidence in children.

In 2021, Deborah qualified as a Forest School Leader, further enhancing her ability to integrate
nature-based learning into her teaching practices. She runs our Forest School programme
which offers unique learning experiences to children from 3rd to 6th class. Alongside her
teaching prowess, she brings a musical dimension, having played the tin whistle and clarinet.

Donna Coffey

Before embarking on a career in the teaching profession, Donna worked as a marketing professional promoting Irish food products nationally and internationally. Working with customers all across the globe afforded her the opportunity to visit many markets in Africa and Asia which ignited a passion for travel and experiencing new cultures. On her travels, she witnessed the transformative changes that education can have in people's lives and decided to return to education.

Since completing the P.M.E, Donna brings a wide range of experience and skills in understanding customer motivations into the classroom, which allows her to develop flexible and creative approaches to support the needs of the students in her classroom.

Donna also has a keen interest in environmental issues and worked with the Tuam ETNS Green Schools team in 2023/2024 to achieve the Green Flag Travel Award.

Jenny Keavey

Jenny began her teaching career in 1998 in the UK, after qualifying with honours from her teaching degree at Cambridge University.  She moved to Ireland in 2004 and has been teaching and raising her family since then. She joined Tuam Educate Together in 2022 and has worked as both a support teacher, and a class teacher. She is passionate about children’s wellbeing and is currently the Nurture teacher in the school, as well as being Senior Infant teacher. Her kindness and compassion, and the positive relationships she builds, enable all the children she works with to feel seen, listened to and cared for. She is very creative, and art, drama and music are big features in her work with children of all ages. She is very well organised, and actually enjoys planning! In her free time Jenny loves cycling and running and takes part in adventure races. She can often be found heading out the door after school ready for exercise in all weathers!

Emma Fusciardi

Emma is a dedicated and compassionate Special Needs Assistant at Tuam ETNS, where she has been an invaluable member of staff for the past three years. She is known for her kindness, excellent organisation skills, and unwavering commitment to the students she supports. Emma holds a degree in Business and IT from GMIT, as well as a Diploma in Montessori Teaching. She brings a wealth of experience from her years as a Montessori Teacher and her work as a School Completion Programme Project Worker.

Emma is passionate about promoting inclusion and supporting all learners, with a special focus on Irish Sign Language. She takes great pride in helping every child thrive. Outside of school, Emma is the proud mother of three wonderful children. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys keeping active, whether it’s exercising at the gym or exploring the great outdoors on long walks. Emma’s warmth, expertise, and dedication make her a cherished member of the Tuam ETNS community.

Laura Culhane

Laura is an integral part of the Tuam ETNS community, known for her dedication to whole-child learning and her leadership in developing mathematical teaching and literacy across the school. Since joining three years ago, her vast experience as an inclusive educator has been invaluable in supporting children with special educational needs. Laura has extensive experience working as part of multidisciplinary teams with Behavioural, Occupational, and Speech and Language Therapists, reflecting her keen interest in additional educational needs.

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She holds a Bachelor of Education from Mary Immaculate College, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma and a Masters in Leadership from NUIG. With over 10 years of experience as both a classroom teacher and a Special Education Teacher, Laura has also worked in a large Special School in Tipperary and at Ábalta Special School in Galway. Her wealth of knowledge, innovative strategies, and collaborative approach have greatly enriched Tuam ETNS.

Outside of teaching, Laura enjoys pilates, reading, and baking. She is also a qualified Speech and Drama teacher. Known for her kindness, calm demeanor, and expertise, Laura is a cherished member of the school community.