School planning area
Waterford
30 primary schools and 7,676 pupils in 2025/26, in Counties Kilkenny and Waterford.
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 7,676
- −27 on 2024/25
- Since 2015/16
- +0.5%
- 7,641 pupils in 2015/16
- Schools
- 30
- No change on 2024/25
- Average class size
- 21.83
- Average school size: 255.9
By county
This planning area crosses county lines. Select a county to see its part of the area.
Trends in Waterford
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.
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 Counties Kilkenny and Waterford, schools with no planning area had 2.5% of pupils in 2015/16, 6.5% in 2005/06 and 38.4% in 1975/76. Known data issues
Pupils
7,676
−27 on 2024/25
Schools
30
16 in 1975/76
Average pupils per school
255.9
256.2 in 1975/76
Average class size
21.83
−0.56 on 2024/25
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. 860 in 2025/26, +8 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 (2 schools today). 432 pupils in 2025/26, 5.6% of the area's pupils, against 5.9% 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.
29 schools with figures for both years
Schools still filling their classes in 2015/16, and schools opened since, are listed separately.
Average class size in these schools went from 25.7 in 2015/16 to 21.8 in 2025/26. 6 of the 8 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 Waterford Educate Together NSCarrickphierish Road, Co. Waterford 227 → 386 +70.0%
- 2 Mount Sion CBS N SWaterford, Co. Waterford 295 → 360 +22.0%
- 3 St Pauls B N SWaterford, Co. Waterford 221 → 267 +20.8%
- 4 St Saviours NSWaterford, Co. Waterford 280 → 330 +17.9%
- 5 Presentation Primary SchoolWaterford, Co. Waterford 411 → 446 +8.5%
Fallen most
Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26
- 1 S N Seamus NaofaGlenmore, Co. Kilkenny 126 → 91 −27.8%
- 2 An Teaghlaigh Naofa Girls Junior National SchoolWaterford, Co. Waterford 302 → 234 −22.5%
- 3 Christ Church N SWaterford, Co. Waterford 139 → 114 −18.0%
- 4 St Stephens N SWaterford, Co. Waterford 425 → 363 −14.6%
- 5 Our Lady of Good Counsel GNSFerrybank, Co. Waterford 217 → 187 −13.8%
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
1 school still filling its classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 196 pupils. It isn’t in the figures above.
- Réalt na Mara National SchoolDunmore East · figures start 2021/22 196
Class sizes
Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to.
- Average class size
- 21.83
- Mainstream classes
- 344
- Classes of 30 or more
- 14
- Schools with a class of 30+
- 6
Teachers
Teachers in the 30 mainstream primary schools here, 2006/07 to 2025/26. Class teachers are counted every year; all teaching posts where they're known.
- Class teachers in 2025/26
- 344
- Up 87 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 15%
- Teaching posts in 2025/26
- about 539
- Estimate: 344 class teachers, 27 principals and deputies, 132 special education and 36 special class teachers
- Teachers in 2015/16
- 430
- The Department's last count of every teacher
- Since 2024/25
- 5 / 1
- 5 schools gained a class teacher, 1 lost one
Class teachers since 2006/07
One for each mainstream class, every school year
Special schools and special classes
3 special schools in the Waterford planning area, and the special classes in its 30 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.
- Pupils in special schools
- 208
- In 3 schools, up from 170 in 2015/16
- Special classes in 2025/26
- 29
- In 15 of 30 schools. 13 in 2020/21
- Allocated for 2026/27
- 33
- In 15 schools: 4 new classes
- Autism classes
- 26
- 90% of special classes
Special classes since 2020/21
In the Waterford planning area's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists
- 2020/21 13
- 2021/22 15
- 2022/23 15
- 2023/24 17
- 2024/25 20
- 2025/26 29
- 2026/27 33
2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.
| Special school | Pupils | Since 2015/16 | Teaching posts | SNAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Martins Special SCHWaterford · Moderate general learning disability | 100 |
+42.9%
|
16 | 46.75 |
| St Josephs Special SCHWaterford · Mild general learning disability | 96 |
+7.9%
|
13.6 | 23.41 |
| Jonah Special SchoolSlieverue · Autism | 12 | – | 2 | 7 |
Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).
What parents would prefer
2,800 households answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey for the Waterford planning area: 1,882 with children at its schools and 918 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.
- Households that answered
- 2,800
- 39% of households asked
- Prefer a multi-denominational patron
- 49% / 51%
- Children at school / not yet at school
- Prefer teaching through Irish
- 13% / 20%
- Children at school / not yet at school
- Prefer single-sex
- 15% / 17%
- 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
386 pupils (5%) in 1 school
Teaching through Irish
432 pupils (6%) in 2 schools
Single-sex
3,692 pupils (48%) in 11 schools
Bars run from 0 to 100%.
Each school's parents
Parents of children at each school. Bold marks the school's set-up now.
| S N Naomh MhuireWaterford | 641 | 219 of 451 | ±5.5 | 47% | 9% | 2% | 32 answered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S N Ursula NaofaWaterford | 620 | 120 of 521 | ±7.4 | 45% | 10% | 39% | – |
| Presentation Primary SchoolWaterford | 446 | 111 of 371 | ±7.7 | 42% | 9% | 43% | 76 answered |
| S N DeaglanWaterford | 396 | 103 of 330 | ±8 | 50% | 7% | 34% | – |
| Waterford Educate Together NSCarrickphierish Road | 386 | 149 of 297 | ±6.7 | 87% | 7% | 1% | 65 answered |
| St Stephens N SWaterford | 363 | 71 of 309 | ±9.6 | 52% | 4% | 32% | – |
| Mount Sion CBS N SWaterford | 360 | 116 of 320 | ±7.5 | 40% | 10% | 38% | 50 answered |
| Scoil Lorcain BNSWaterford | 345 | 57 of 284 | ±10.6 | 40% | 5% | 37% | – |
| St Saviours NSWaterford | 330 | 70 of 217 | ±9.6 | 30% | 14% | 4% | – |
| Our Lady of Mercy Senior P.S.Waterford | 292 | 79 of 278 | ±9.1 | 34% | 5% | 46% | – |
| St Pauls B N SWaterford | 267 | 51 of 221 | ±11.2 | 53% | 8% | 6% | – |
| S N Baile an BhuitléirighButlerstown | 242 | 68 of 155 | ±9.8 | 47% | 10% | 0% | – |
| Scoil Naomh Eoin le DiaWaterford | 237 | 78 of 184 | ±9.2 | 44% | 8% | 32% | – |
| Waterpark N SWaterford | 235 | 69 of 182 | ±9.7 | 45% | 4% | 1% | 52 answered |
| An Teaghlaigh Naofa Girls Junior National SchoolWaterford | 234 | 70 of 209 | ±9.6 | 53% | 6% | 46% | – |
| Gaelscoil na nDeisePort Láirge | 225 | 61 of 162 | ±10.3 | 49% | 92% | 5% | – |
| S N Muire an Port MorWaterford | 212 | 65 of 170 | ±10 | 32% | 8% | 25% | – |
| Slieverue Mixed N SSlieverue | 208 | 57 of 142 | ±10.6 | 42% | 11% | 4% | – |
| Gaelscoil Phort LairgePort Láirge | 207 | 48 of 154 | ±11.6 | 48% | 94% | 0% | 47 answered |
| S N Naomh Padraighvia Waterford | 202 | 87 of 154 | ±8.7 | 45% | 13% | 1% | – |
| Réalt na Mara National SchoolDunmore East | 196 | 58 of 143 | ±10.6 | 59% | 17% | 3% | – |
| S N Faiche LiagFaithlegg | 196 | 42 of 135 | ±12.3 | 52% | 12% | 0% | – |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel GNSFerrybank | 187 | 46 of 153 | ±11.8 | 43% | 13% | 17% | – |
| St. Senan's National SchoolVia Waterford | 176 | 57 of 119 | ±10.6 | 39% | 16% | 4% | – |
| Christ Church N SWaterford | 114 | 40 of 83 | ±12.6 | 42% | 5% | 0% | – |
| Newtown Junior SchoolWaterford City | 112 | 32 of 83 | ±14 | 72% | 12% | 3% | 33 answered |
| Passage East N SPassage East | 101 | 31 of 73 | ±14.2 | 48% | 6% | 0% | – |
| S N Seamus NaofaGlenmore | 91 | 21 of 56 | ±16.9 | 52% | 0% | 0% | – |
| Ringville National Schoolvia Waterford | 35 | 9 of 20 | ±24 | 33% | 11% | 0% | – |
| Colmcille Mixed N SMullinavat | 20 | Too few to publish | – | – | – | – | – |
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
30 schools, largest first. A dash in the change column means the school had no pupils recorded in that year, usually because it opened later or took a new roll number after an amalgamation.
Select a column heading to sort
| Roll number | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S N Naomh MhuireWaterford | 17351A | Waterford | 641 |
−5.3%
−6.6%
+23.0%
|
+23.0%
|
24 | 26.21 | 29 | 0 |
| S N Ursula NaofaWaterford | 12535I | Waterford | 620 |
−5.9%
−11.8%
+28.1%
|
+28.1%
|
26 | 23.38 | 26 | 0 |
| Presentation Primary SchoolWaterford | 19955T | Waterford | 446 |
+7.7%
+8.5%
−2.8%
|
−2.8%
|
24 | 18.04 | 22 | 0 |
| S N DeaglanWaterford | 16976M | Waterford | 396 |
−5.7%
−9.2%
−16.6%
|
−16.6%
|
16 | 24.75 | 29 | 0 |
| Waterford Educate Together NSCarrickphierish Road | 20160K | Waterford | 386 |
+12.5%
+70.0%
– |
– | 16 | 23.38 | 26 | 0 |
| St Stephens N SWaterford | 15046I | Waterford | 363 |
−9.7%
−14.6%
−11.9%
|
−11.9%
|
18 | 19.83 | 25 | 0 |
| Mount Sion CBS N SWaterford | 19947U | Waterford | 360 |
+5.3%
+22.0%
+7.1%
|
+7.1%
|
16 | 21.38 | 23 | 0 |
| Scoil Lorcain BNSWaterford | 18462O | Waterford | 345 |
+3.3%
−5.0%
+13.1%
|
+13.1%
|
16 | 20.06 | 23 | 0 |
| St Saviours NSWaterford | 19511G | Waterford | 330 |
+7.8%
+17.9%
+1.2%
|
+1.2%
|
16 | 19.88 | 24 | 0 |
| Our Lady of Mercy Senior P.S.Waterford | 18689T | Waterford | 292 |
−5.8%
−3.9%
+4.3%
|
+4.3%
|
14 | 20.71 | 24 | 0 |
| St Pauls B N SWaterford | 20219R | Waterford | 267 |
+27.1%
+20.8%
−1.5%
|
−1.5%
|
16 | 15.94 | 20 | 0 |
| S N Baile an BhuitléirighButlerstown | 14679T | Waterford | 242 |
−3.2%
−4.3%
+27.4%
|
+27.4%
|
10 | 23.60 | 31 | 1 |
| Scoil Naomh Eoin le DiaWaterford | 18793O | Waterford | 237 |
−10.2%
−10.9%
−19.9%
|
−19.9%
|
9 | 26.33 | 31 | 3 |
| Waterpark N SWaterford | 20143K | Waterford | 235 |
+1.3%
−0.4%
– |
– | 10 | 23.50 | 30 | 5 |
| An Teaghlaigh Naofa Girls Junior National SchoolWaterford | 18509O | Waterford | 234 |
−15.5%
−22.5%
−18.8%
|
−18.8%
|
14 | 16.50 | 20 | 0 |
| Gaelscoil na nDeisePort Láirge | 20050D | Waterford | 225 |
−6.2%
−3.0%
+35.5%
|
+35.5%
|
10 | 21.30 | 29 | 0 |
| S N Muire an Port MorWaterford | 18235D | Waterford | 212 |
+2.4%
−1.4%
+35.0%
|
+35.0%
|
9 | 23.56 | 29 | 0 |
| Slieverue Mixed N SSlieverue | 12476S | Kilkenny | 208 |
−8.0%
−4.6%
+3.0%
|
+3.0%
|
9 | 23.11 | 30 | 2 |
| Gaelscoil Phort LairgePort Láirge | 19853L | Waterford | 207 |
+1.0%
−5.5%
+21.8%
|
+21.8%
|
8 | 25.88 | 30 | 1 |
| S N Naomh Padraighvia Waterford | 16875G | Kilkenny | 202 |
+0.5%
+3.1%
+143.4%
|
+143.4%
|
8 | 25.25 | 28 | 0 |
| Réalt na Mara National SchoolDunmore East | 20556M | Waterford | 196 | ––– | – | 8 | 24.50 | 28 | 0 |
| S N Faiche LiagFaithlegg | 18380M | Waterford | 196 |
−2.5%
−3.4%
+59.3%
|
+59.3%
|
8 | 24.50 | 28 | 0 |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel GNSFerrybank | 12007G | Waterford | 187 |
−9.2%
−13.8%
+12.7%
|
+12.7%
|
8 | 23.38 | 27 | 0 |
| St. Senan's National SchoolVia Waterford | 20443W | Kilkenny | 176 |
+12.1%
−9.3%
– |
– | 7 | 25.14 | 31 | 2 |
| Christ Church N SWaterford | 18681D | Waterford | 114 |
−9.5%
−18.0%
+1.8%
|
+1.8%
|
5 | 22.80 | 26 | 0 |
| Newtown Junior SchoolWaterford City | 20261Q | Waterford | 112 |
−7.4%
−8.2%
– |
– | 6 | 18.67 | 29 | 0 |
| Passage East N SPassage East | 14989L | Waterford | 101 |
+26.2%
+3.1%
+32.9%
|
+32.9%
|
4 | 22.25 | 27 | 0 |
| S N Seamus NaofaGlenmore | 18158L | Kilkenny | 91 |
−4.2%
−27.8%
−28.9%
|
−28.9%
|
4 | 20.00 | 24 | 0 |
| Ringville National Schoolvia Waterford | 06621P | Kilkenny | 35 |
−25.5%
−20.5%
−40.7%
|
−40.7%
|
3 | 11.67 | 16 | 0 |
| Colmcille Mixed N SMullinavat | 17911M | Kilkenny | 20 |
−23.1%
+100.0%
−33.3%
|
−33.3%
|
2 | 10.00 | 12 | 0 |
No schools match that filter.