Planning area in Dublin

Dublin2–Dublin4

Schools in County Dublin in this planning area.

All planning areas in Ireland

Schools
12
of 459 in Dublin
Pupils
2,711
2% of Dublin's pupils
Since 2015/16
+52.9%
1,773 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
225.9
Dublin: 289.6
Average class size
22.37
Dublin: 22.23

Each year counts the schools in this planning area today, plus any that closed from 2023/24. Dotted lines bridge 1983/84 to 1992/93. 1974/75 is left out because that year's source file is missing five counties.

Earlier years are incomplete

The Department's files only record planning areas from 2023/24, so schools that closed or amalgamated before then aren't counted in any area. The further back you go, the more pupils are missing, and an amalgamation can look like a sudden rise. Across County Dublin, schools with no planning area had 1.5% of pupils in 2015/16, 5.3% in 2005/06 and 36.8% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

2,711

+90 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

12

6 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

225.9

208.8 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

22.37

+0.69 on 2024/25

2006/072025/26

Pupils in these schools

Junior infants, girls and boys, and Irish-medium schools over time, for the same schools as the trends above.

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 354 in 2025/26, +13 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

From 1976/77: earlier files don't split every school's pupils into girls and boys.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (1 school today). 64 pupils in 2025/26, 2.4% of the area's pupils, against 0.0% in 2015/16. Each school counts under its current classification for every year.

Growing and falling since 2015/16

Each school's change in pupils over 10 years, from 2015/16 to 2025/26. A change of 10% or more either way counts as growing or falling.

Every school's change

8 schools with figures for both years

Schools still filling their classes in 2015/16, and schools opened since, are listed separately.

3fell by 10% or more
4within 10%
1grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 2Down 10 to 25% · 1Within 10% · 4Up 10 to 25% · 1Up 25% or more · 0

Average class size in these schools went from 22.5 in 2015/16 to 21.1 in 2025/26. 1 of the 3 schools that fell by 10% or more kept or added classes. A fall in pupils can mean smaller classes rather than fewer children wanting places. Smaller classes

Sort the table below by the change column to see which schools grew or fell most.

Newer schools

4 schools still filling their classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 1,289 pupils between them. They aren’t in the figures above.

Class sizes

Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to.

Average class size
22.37
Mainstream classes
118
Classes of 30 or more
6
Schools with a class of 30+
5

Teachers

Teachers in the 12 mainstream primary schools here, 2006/07 to 2025/26. Class teachers are counted every year; all teaching posts where they're known.

How we count teachers
Class teachers in 2025/26
118
Up 60 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 92%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 180
Estimate: 118 class teachers, 8 principals and deputies, 41 special education and 13 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
112
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
1 / 3
1 school gained a class teacher, 3 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

3 special schools in Dublin2–Dublin4, and the special classes in its 12 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
183
In 3 schools, down from 190 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
12
In 7 of 12 schools. 1 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
14
In 7 schools: 2 new classes
Autism classes
12
100% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In Dublin2–Dublin4's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 1
  • 2021/22 6
  • 2022/23 7
  • 2023/24 7
  • 2024/25 7
  • 2025/26 12
  • 2026/27 14

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special schools in Dublin2–Dublin4
Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
Catherine MC Auley N SCDublin 2 · Specific learning disability 99
0.0%
11 4
Enable Ireland Sandymount SchoolDublin 4 · Physical disability 49
0.0%
8 21.25
St Declans Special SCHDublin 4 · Emotional and behavioural difficulties 35
−16.7%
6 12

Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).

What parents would prefer

1,044 households answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey for the Dublin2–Dublin4 planning area: 584 with children at its schools and 460 with children not yet at school. Each said whether they would prefer co-educational or single-sex schooling, a denominational or multi-denominational patron, and teaching through Irish or English.

Compare with other areas
Households that answered
1,044
49% of households asked
Prefer a multi-denominational patron
49% / 52%
Children at school / not yet at school
Prefer teaching through Irish
17% / 18%
Children at school / not yet at school
Prefer single-sex
17% / 20%
Children at school / not yet at school

Preferences beside what the schools offer now

Share of pupils in schools of each kind in the area, and share of parents who would prefer it

  • Pupils in such schools now
  • Parents: children at school
  • Parents: children not yet at school

Multi-denominational patron

827 pupils (31%) in 4 schools

  • Pupils in such schools now: 31%
  • Parents: children at school: 49%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 52%

Teaching through Irish

64 pupils (2%) in 1 school

  • Pupils in such schools now: 2%
  • Parents: children at school: 17%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 18%

Single-sex

789 pupils (29%) in 4 schools

  • Pupils in such schools now: 29%
  • Parents: children at school: 17%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 20%

Bars run from 0 to 100%.

Each school's parents

Parents of children at each school. Bold marks the school's set-up now.

Share of parents at each school who would prefer each
St Christopher's NSDublin 4 598 176 of 450 ±6.2 53%11%5% 51 answered
Shellybanks Educate Together National SchoolDublin 4 333 74 of 263 ±9.4 91%11%5% –
Harcourt Terrace Educate Together National SchoolDublin 2 294 76 of 234 ±9.3 89%9%0% 46 answered
Scoil MhuireDublin 4 286 93 of 237 ±8.4 51%18%31% 68 answered
Star of the SeaDublin 4 223 84 of 184 ±8.8 35%23%42% –
SN Paroiste Maitiu NfaDublin 4 212 40 of 150 ±12.6 58%7%3% –
City Quay NSDublin 2 151 38 of 112 ±12.9 37%21%11% –
St Patricks Girls NSDublin 4 143 42 of 114 ±12.3 21%21%45% –
Naomh Padraig BoysDublin 4 137 50 of 115 ±11.3 30%18%38% –
John Scottus NSDublin 6 136 34 of 112 ±13.6 82%9%9% –
Scoil Caitriona na mBraithreDublin 2 134 14 of 83 ±20.1 43%14%7% –
Gaelscoil EoinBaile Átha Cliath 4 64 27 of 55 ±15.1 74%89%0% –

Grey margins of error are 15 points or more: so few parents answered that the figures could be well off. “Too few to publish”: the Department held back the school's results, but its parents' answers still count in the area figures. Not yet at school: how many parents of children not yet at school chose the school, shown where 30 or more did. Special schools in the area are counted in the area figures above.

Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. The area figures count each household once, including parents at schools too small for their own results, so they aren't the school figures added up. About these figures

Schools

12 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

Roll number
St Christopher's NSDublin 4 20545H 598 – – 24 24.67 27 0
Shellybanks Educate Together National SchoolDublin 4 20441S 333 – – 14 22.93 32 1
Harcourt Terrace Educate Together National SchoolDublin 2 20501K 294 – – 11 24.55 30 1
Scoil MhuireDublin 4 11894I 286
−2.4%
+4.4%
11 25.45 31 2
Star of the SeaDublin 4 15995L 223
−37.7%
−28.5%
9 24.11 30 1
SN Paroiste Maitiu NfaDublin 4 18282M 212
−3.6%
+107.8%
8 26.50 32 1
City Quay NSDublin 2 11578V 151
−7.9%
+1.3%
8 18.12 22 0
St Patricks Girls NSDublin 4 15253N 143
−14.9%
+12.6%
8 17.88 23 0
Naomh Padraig BoysDublin 4 03917V 137
+11.4%
+55.7%
7 19.57 24 0
John Scottus NSDublin 6 20103V 136
−42.4%
– 7 17.86 20 0
Scoil Caitriona na mBraithreDublin 2 19896G 134
+9.8%
+83.6%
8 16.75 20 0
Gaelscoil EoinBaile Átha Cliath 4 20539M 64 – – 3 21.33 23 0