School patron in Laois

Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin

Schools in County Laois under this patron.

Other patrons in Laois Bishop of Ossory · 13 Educate Together · 1 An Foras Pátrúnachta · 1 Bishop of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory COI · 3 Bishop of Meath & Kildare COI · 2 Archbishop of Dublin · 1 Bishop of Limerick, Killaloe & Ardfert COI · 1 Joint patronage between Bishop of Killaloe and the Bishop of Limerick, Killaloe & Ardfert COI · 1

Schools: 40; of 63 in Laois
Pupils: 8,027; 74% of Laois's pupils
Average school size: 200.7; Laois: 171.7
Average class size: 21.72; Laois: 21.65

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

37 schools with figures for both years

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

16fell by 10% or more

12within 10%

9grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 9Down 10 to 25% · 7Within 10% · 12Up 10 to 25% · 5Up 25% or more · 4

Average class size in these schools went from 25.1 in 2015/16 to 21.4 in 2025/26. 11 of the 16 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

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Tobar an LeinnAbbeyleix, Co. Laois 108 → 167 +54.6%
2 Barr na Sruthan N SMountmellick, Co. Laois 64 → 91 +42.2%
3 St Fintans N SMountrath, Co. Laois 79 → 108 +36.7%
4 Scoil PhadraigPortarlington, Co. Laois 393 → 521 +32.6%
5 St Coleman's National SchoolStradbally, Co. Laois 255 → 318 +24.7%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Presentation Primary SchoolPortarlington, Co. Laois 723 → 496 −31.4%
2 Mountmellick Boys N SMountmellick, Co. Laois 272 → 187 −31.2%
3 Scoil Mhuire Naofa CastlecuffeClonaslee, Co. Laois 77 → 53 −31.2%
4 S N Fionntan NaofaPortlaoise, Co. Laois 85 → 60 −29.4%
5 Scoil MhuireAbbeyleix, Co. Laois 378 → 269 −28.8%

Ranked by percentage change. Only schools with 50 or more pupils in 2015/16 are ranked, leaving out any still filling their classes then, because a few pupils make a big percentage in a small or new school. An amalgamation, a new school nearby or smaller classes can also explain a big rise or fall.

Newer schools

3 schools still filling their classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 1,420 pupils between them. They aren’t in the figures above.

Holy Family Senior SchoolPortlaoise · figures start 2016/17 644
Holy Family Junior SchoolPortlaoise · figures start 2016/17 599
Ballyroan Primary SchoolBallyroan · figures start 2016/17 177

Class sizes

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

Average class size: 21.72
Mainstream classes: 356
Classes of 30 or more: 9
Schools with a class of 30+: 7

Teachers

Teachers in the 40 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: 356; Up 159 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 58%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 583; Estimate: 356 class teachers, 28 principals and deputies, 150 special education and 49 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 394; The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25: 2 / 3; 2 schools gained a class teacher, 3 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

What parents would prefer

2,175 of the 5,842 households with children at the 38 schools here answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey, November–December 2025. 2 more schools had too few answers for their own results. These are preferences, not applications.

About these figures

The Department's own results: Interactive map Summary report with county figures (PDF)

Prefer a multi-denominational patron: 33%; Parents of children at school · Ireland 44%
Prefer teaching through Irish: 14%; Parents of children at school · Ireland 20%
Prefer single-sex: 7%; Parents of children at school · Ireland 5%

1 school where half or more of parents would prefer a multi-denominational patron
4 schools where a quarter or more would prefer teaching through Irish
5 of 5 single-sex schools where most parents would prefer co-educational

Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. Figures here add up the parents at each school with its own results.

Schools

40 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

	Roll number
Scoil Bhride NSPortlaoise	19747M	727	−3.8%	+57.7%	36	19.86	23	0
Holy Family Senior SchoolPortlaoise	20480F	644	–	–	27	23.41	26	0
Holy Family Junior SchoolPortlaoise	20270R	599	–	–	25	23.40	26	0
Scoil PhadraigPortarlington	17827A	521	+32.6%	+172.8%	23	21.87	26	0
Presentation Primary SchoolPortarlington	15556I	496	−31.4%	+27.5%	21	22.48	29	0
Scoil Chomhgain NaofaCarlow	17617M	380	+9.5%	+75.9%	16	23.12	27	0
S N Naomh EoinKillenard	18641O	374	−7.0%	+11.6%	16	23.38	28	0
St Coleman's National SchoolStradbally	20353V	318	+24.7%	–	13	23.54	30	1
Scoil MhuireAbbeyleix	19750B	269	−28.8%	−12.4%	11	22.27	31	1
St Josephs Girls N.S.Mountmellick	07183W	230	−7.6%	−7.3%	12	19.17	26	0
Scoil PadraigBallylinan	17064U	218	−20.1%	+17.2%	9	23.56	30	1
Fraoch Mor N SLaois	18150S	212	−6.6%	+64.3%	8	26.50	31	1
Raithin an Uisce N SStradbally	17604D	211	−9.4%	+81.9%	8	25.62	31	1
S N Baile FinnPortlaoise	15537E	208	−8.4%	+55.2%	9	22.44	27	0
Emo Mixed N SPortlaoise	13643Q	207	−2.8%	+54.5%	8	24.38	27	0
Na Carraige N SMountmellick	18206T	204	−8.1%	+145.8%	8	24.75	28	0
Rath Mixed N SPortlaoise	13741Q	194	−6.7%	+88.3%	8	22.75	24	0
Mhuire Fatima N SPortlaoise	18368W	193	+21.4%	+132.5%	8	22.62	26	0
Mountmellick Boys N SMountmellick	16070K	187	−31.2%	−25.8%	11	15.91	24	0
Ballyroan Primary SchoolBallyroan	20485P	177	–	–	7	24.43	29	0
Tobar an LeinnAbbeyleix	16667W	167	+54.6%	+92.0%	6	25.83	32	3
Scoil BhrideClonaslee	20118L	127	+16.5%	+0.8%	6	21.17	27	0
Ballyadams N SVia ATHY	16617H	111	−21.8%	−7.5%	4	24.75	26	0
St Fintans N SMountrath	07636K	108	+36.7%	−6.1%	5	19.20	22	0
Scoil Abbain CillinMaganey	17557U	99	+4.2%	+39.4%	5	19.80	31	1
Ballinakill Mixed N SPortlaoise	00895W	98	+18.1%	0.0%	4	24.50	29	0
Scoil BhrideMountrath	13343E	95	−7.8%	−16.7%	5	19.00	23	0
Barr na Sruthan N SMountmellick	18294T	91	+42.2%	+145.9%	4	19.75	24	0
Naomh Padraig N SRosenallis	18513F	86	−22.5%	−7.5%	4	20.00	22	0
Rosenallis N SRosenallis	17493U	75	−19.4%	+10.3%	4	15.75	23	0
Scoil Naomh AbbanCrettyard	17555Q	73	+21.7%	+19.7%	3	22.33	23	0
S N Fionntan NaofaPortlaoise	17489G	60	−29.4%	−1.6%	3	18.00	26	0
S N MolaiseAbbeyleix	17695J	58	−21.6%	+1.8%	3	19.33	23	0
Scoil Mhuire Naofa CastlecuffeClonaslee	17883K	53	−31.2%	−11.7%	3	15.67	18	0
Ardlios N SBallickmoyler	18532J	50	−26.5%	−3.8%	3	14.67	21	0
Trummera N SMaighean Rátha	15446B	34	−15.0%	+6.2%	2	17.00	19	0
Scoil an Chroi Ro Naofavia Athy	18014K	29	−19.4%	+16.0%	2	14.50	17	0
Scoil Mhuire MuigheoCrettyard	17271C	22	−43.6%	−26.7%	2	11.00	13	0
Bhride N SCarlow	18265M	13	−31.6%	−35.0%	2	6.50	8	0
Scoil MhuireAthy	17441B	9	−57.1%	−72.7%	2	4.50	5	0