We are delighted to announce that St. Mary’s Central School has achieved the prestigious Gold Award in the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Curious Minds Awards 2024/25.
This award recognises our school’s outstanding commitment to promoting STEM education – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – through hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences that spark curiosity and creativity in our pupils.
The Curious Minds programme, run by Science Foundation Ireland, encourages schools across the country to embed STEM learning across the curriculum. Achieving the Gold Award means our school has demonstrated excellence in five key areas:
  •  Science
  •  Technology
  •  Engineering
  •  Maths
  • A STEM Showcase
Our application, carefully documented through a detailed Log of Evidence, was highly praised by the SFI assessment panel, who commended the breadth and depth of STEM learning experiences across all class levels. They commented:
“Congratulations to everyone at St. Mary’s Central School on your award! Your submission clearly shows that there was a huge amount of STEM work done in the school this year. Really interesting bouncing bubbles experiment. Your technology activities were particularly strong – the coding classes, the circuits and the use of Chromebooks for maths activities. Everyone looks like they had a brilliant time during the planetarium visit. Keep up this fantastic work and well done on your award! It is a real credit to the learners, teachers and the community for all the work you do..”
A special word of thanks to Mrs. Daly, who spearheaded and led the entire application process. Her passion for STEM, dedication, and attention to detail played a key role in helping the school reach this fantastic milestone. We are incredibly proud of our pupils and all our staff for their enthusiasm, innovation and teamwork throughout the year. A special thanks to everyone who contributed to this fantastic achievement – another golden moment for our school!