St Hildas SP SCH
Athlone · Roll number 19261J
- Special school
- Mild general learning disability
- Catholic ethos
- Not DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 58
- No change on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- +53%
- Up 20 from 38 in 2015/16
- Over 20 years: +190% from 20 in 2005/06
- Girls and boys
- 14 / 44
- 24% girls
The Department of Education publishes only the number of pupils, girls and boys in each special school, not pupils by class, so this page has no class or class size figures. Pupils in special schools can be aged 4 to 18. All special schools
Pupils since 1993
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26. Until 2010/11 the Department listed special schools with mainstream schools; from 2011/12 they have their own list. Pupils on 30 September each year. Known data issues
Teachers
Teaching posts and special needs assistants (SNAs) at St Hildas SP SCH, 2018/19 to 2025/26.
Where these figures come from
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates each special school its teaching posts and SNAs, and these are its figures as published each year. They're posts, not people: part of a post can be a teacher shared with another school. The NCSE published no figures for special schools for 2020/21 and 2021/22. From 2026/27 it lists a principal and deputy who don't teach a class separately; earlier files don't say how they're counted. Known data issues
In 2025/26
11teaching posts
The NCSE's allocation: about 5.3 pupils per teaching post.
- Teaching postsTeachers for the school's classes, allocated by the NCSE 11
28 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils.
The NCSE has allocated 12 teaching posts and 1 exceptional post, a principal and a deputy principal who don't teach a class, and 32 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2018/19
Teaching posts each school year. Point at a bar for its SNAs.
Dashed boxes: the NCSE published no figures for special schools for those years. Known data issues
Source: NCSE special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby
The special schools closest to St Hildas SP SCH, and the mainstream schools within 10 km that have special classes, measured in a straight line.
Nearest special schools
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Hildas SP SCHThis school | – | 58 |
+52.6%
|
|
| 1 | St. Teresa's Special School20.5 km · Ballinalsoe, Co. Galway · Severe or profound general learning disability | 20.5 km | 47 |
+213.3%
|
| 2 | Offaly School of Special Education33.5 km · Tullamore, Co. Offaly · Severe or profound general learning disability | 33.5 km | 42 |
+121.1%
|
| 3 | St Christophers S S35.3 km · Longford · Moderate general learning disability | 35.3 km | 49 |
+81.5%
|
| 4 | Sacred Heart School40.2 km · Mullingar, Co. Westmeath · Moderate general learning disability | 40.2 km | 46 |
+170.6%
|
| 5 | Saplings Special School40.3 km · Mullingar, Co. Westmeath · Autism | 40.3 km | 36 | – |
Special classes within 10 km13 classes in 7 mainstream schools in 2025/26, from the NCSE
| Number on map | School | Distance | Classes | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | St Marys NS0.2 km · 2 autism classesFirst special classes open in 2026/27 | 0.2 km | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Scoil na gCeithre Maistri0.9 km · An autism classA new class in 2026/27 | 0.9 km | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | St Peters N S SNR0.9 km · An autism class and a mild general learning disability class | 0.9 km | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | S N Phoil Naofa1.0 km · 2 early intervention classes | 1.0 km | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | S N an Cusan2.4 km · 2 autism classes | 2.4 km | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | S N Cnoc an Samhraidh4.1 km · 3 autism classes | 4.1 km | 3 | 3 |
| 12 | S N Cluain na Cille6.0 km · 2 autism classesFirst special classes open in 2026/27 | 6.0 km | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Ballybay National School6.7 km · An autism class | 6.7 km | 1 | 1 |
What parents would prefer
In the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey (November–December 2025), parents said whether they would prefer this school to be co-educational or single-sex, to have a denominational or multi-denominational patron, and to teach through Irish or English. These are preferences, not applications or enrolments.
Children at this school
Their parents: 16 of 52 households answered (31%). The true figures are likely within 19 points either way.
Patron
Teaching language
Boys and girls
Children not yet at school
Fewer than 30 parents of children not yet at school chose this school, so the Department didn't publish their answers.
The bracket shows the margin of error the Department published for this school: 19 points either way.
| Parents of | Multi-denominational | Through Irish | Single-sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| This school · children at school | 50% | 0% | 12% |
| Athlone planning area · children at school | 37% | 15% | 4% |
| Athlone planning area · children not yet at school | 38% | 21% | 5% |
| Ireland · children at school | 44% | 20% | 5% |
| Ireland · children not yet at school | 47% | 26% | 6% |
Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. Planning-area and Ireland figures also count parents at schools where too few answered for the school to get its own results. About these figures
About this school
Inspection reports open on gov.ie, under the name the school had when it was inspected. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Pia Hughes
- Phone
- 0906470163
- [email protected]
- Address
- Grace Park Road, Athlone, Co Westmeath, N37 YR62
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- NCSE designation
- Mild general learning disability
- Patron
- St Hilda's Services
- School type
- Special school
- DEIS
- Not DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Westmeath County Council
- Planning area
- Athlone
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. The designation is the need the NCSE lists the school as set up for; many special schools now take pupils with a wider range of needs. Known data issues
Data by year
33 school years from 1993/94 to 2025/26.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 58 | 14 | 44 |
| 2024/25 | 58 | 12 | 46 |
| 2023/24 | 51 | 12 | 39 |
| 2022/23 | 49 | 16 | 33 |
| 2021/22 | 45 | 13 | 32 |
| 2020/21 | 44 | 14 | 30 |
| 2019/20 | 44 | 12 | 32 |
| 2018/19 | 43 | 11 | 32 |
| 2017/18 | 43 | 13 | 30 |
| 2016/17 | 40 | 13 | 27 |
| 2015/16 | 38 | 12 | 26 |
| 2014/15 | 33 | 14 | 19 |
| 2013/14 | 32 | 16 | 16 |
| 2012/13 | 33 | 16 | 17 |
| 2011/12 | 31 | 14 | 17 |
| 2010/11 | 27 | 10 | 17 |
| 2009/10 | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| 2008/09 | 25 | 8 | 17 |
| 2007/08 | 24 | 9 | 15 |
| 2006/07 | 22 | 9 | 13 |
| 2005/06 | 20 | 8 | 12 |
| 2004/05 | 19 | 7 | 12 |
| 2003/04 | 19 | 4 | 15 |
| 2002/03 | 22 | 4 | 18 |
| 2001/02 | 22 | 4 | 18 |
| 2000/01 | 25 | 5 | 20 |
| 1999/00 | 24 | 4 | 20 |
| 1998/99 | 25 | 5 | 20 |
| 1997/98 | 29 | 5 | 24 |
| 1996/97 | 26 | 7 | 19 |
| 1995/96 | 27 | 8 | 19 |
| 1994/95 | 34 | 10 | 24 |
| 1993/94 | 39 | 13 | 26 |