Energy, enthusaism and good humour are rampant in the corridors and classrooms of St Thomas's Senior School in Jobstown, Tallaght, Co Dublin. More than a school, St Thomas's is the centre of that huge, west Dublin suburb, with some 1,110 pupils in total - the figure includes the junior part of the school. Its range of buildings is in constant use outside school hours for events such as the Tops of the Town talent competitions, the Golden Cobra Boxing Club and boy scouts.

A few more school figures: the senior school has 500 students, classes go from third to sixth, there are nine support classes - five designated for children with special education needs, two for the children of the Travelling community and two others for children with specific learning disability (dyslexica) and the school campus as a whole takes children from three to 13 years.

It all began as a green field in l980 when, as principal Michael Murphy explains, "the area began to be built up by Dublin Co Council. A school was decided on but we were a moveable feast, literally bussing all over the place as houses were built and occupied with people being rehoused from Ballymun and other areas."

A Kilkenny man, Murphy was one of just two original teachers - he was assistant to principal Seamus Massy. The first buildings on the present campus opened toward the end of l981, by which time St Thomas's had 25 teachers. In December of the following year the school was split into today's junior and senior sections with Massy as principal of the junior and Murphy becoming principal of the senior. "We started with nine teachers," he says now, "and today have 33."

Without a shred of false modesty, he enthuses about the high regard in which the school is held, talks about the numbers of EU and other professional visitors who come to see how things are done in Jobstown and says the school's role is to "try and change things - which is what we're doing. It's all about building the identity of Jobstown as a place to be proud of. Our school motto is Every Child is Valued and our mission statement declares that it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

Murphy is particularly proud of the school parents' room, a special pre-fab called the Jobstown Adult and Development Education Centre which is run by home school liason teacher Maire Maloney and a parents committee. "We get wonderful support from the parents and Maire is doing great work. The idea is to have parents helping out in the classroom with arts and crafts and cookery, as well as listening to and sharing reading."

Numbers of involved parents have gone on to the NUI Maynooth to take a diploma in community development and are now facilitators of the programme. Murphy acknowledges, however, that those involved are mostly mothers and that getting fathers onto the scheme is difficult.

St Thomas's senior school has close connections too with various community organisation such as the Shanty group, the Tallaght Partnership and others in the hinterland about. "It's a case of all strands of community development organisations coming together," he explains.

The school has also created what its principal calls the "totally innovative post" of teacher counsellor - it's filled by Breege Conway. "She's been a tremendous asset to us," he says, "working with disruptive pupils, pupils with problems and those suffering bereavement. As well, we've brought over from Britain a facilitator to help us develop a concept called Circle Time. It's about building pupils' self esteem and keeping what's said and done within the circle."

There are about 26 children in each class in St Thomas's, with a fairly even ratio of boys to girls. There is a computer room - the school is part of BROCOM, an internet project linked to IT2000.

The school has an "open door" policy but, in the wake of the Dunblane attack, it was felt necessary to set up an appointment system for parents who want to talk to teachers.

Out-of-school activities have included a visit to the Ark in Temple Bar, a 500-strong visitation to a performance in the Gaiety theatre and a full choir taking part in a Christmas concert in the Point Depot.

Swimming is a big interest in St Thomas's with teachers helping, at the request of the National Safety Council, to develop a schools' pack for the country's 300 national schools in which a video, book and activity cards are all aimed at helping children be "water-safe so as to diminish the number of drownings." The school is also keen on soccer, Olympic handball and hockey.

All of this is possible because of what Michael Murphy calls "a great staff, with a good balance of male and female members. They're all very generous with their time after school. They come from all over the country as well as Dublin. Some stay six or seven years but I feel very strongly that teachers should be able to move on before they burnout."

What about his case, then - a Kilkenny man with the school since it began 18 years ago? "I don't think anybody else would have me," he laughs, and is back immediately to the subject of all that's going on at St Thomas's. The school colours are the Kilkenny ones - because the principal "touches" friends for jumpers etc . . . "funding is just about adequate - we could always do with more, for the extras."

One of the senior school's most successful yearly extras is Book Week, an extravaganza which, when E&L visited, had the school really buzzing with books, reading and talk of the imagination everywhere. Healthy Eating Week is another venture. Things just keep happening in Jobstown.