Scoil Bhride
Rathdowney · Roll number 20071L
- Catholic ethos
- DEIS
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 244
- +4 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- +19%
- Up 39 from 205 in 2015/16
- 7 classes in 2015/16, 10 now; average class 29.3 → 23.2
- Over 20 years: +8% from 225 in 2005/06
- Girls and boys
- 113 / 131
- 46% girls
Pupils since 1998
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26.
Pupils by class
Published for each class from 2020/21.
This year, 2025/26
244 pupils across 8 classes
Every class, every year
Darker cells have more pupils. A group of pupils moves down one class and right one year.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Infants | 21 | 19 | 33 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 25.3 |
| Senior Infants | 19 | 23 | 17 | 31 | 28 | 34 | 25.3 |
| 1st Class | 21 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 36 | 32 | 25.3 |
| 2nd Class | 23 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 39 | 25.2 |
| 3rd Class | 27 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 27 | 24.3 |
| 4th Class | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 24.5 |
| 5th Class | 38 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 28.7 |
| 6th Class | 28 | 38 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29.3 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
28 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 34 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 6 pupils more.
- 28Junior Infants2024/25
- 34Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
23 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 32 in 1st Class (2025/26): 9 pupils more.
- 23Junior Infants2023/24
- 28Senior Infants2024/25
- 321st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
33 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 39 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 6 pupils more.
- 33Junior Infants2022/23
- 31Senior Infants2023/24
- 361st Class2024/25
- 392nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
19 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 27 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 8 pupils more.
- 19Junior Infants2021/22
- 17Senior Infants2022/23
- 201st Class2023/24
- 262nd Class2024/25
- 273rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
21 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 27 in 4th Class (2025/26): 6 pupils more.
- 21Junior Infants2020/21
- 23Senior Infants2021/22
- 221st Class2022/23
- 222nd Class2023/24
- 273rd Class2024/25
- 274th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
19 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 29 in 5th Class (2025/26): 10 pupils more.
- 19Senior Infants2020/21
- 211st Class2021/22
- 222nd Class2022/23
- 213rd Class2023/24
- 274th Class2024/25
- 295th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
21 in 1st Class (2020/21), 28 in 6th Class (2025/26): 7 pupils more.
- 211st Class2020/21
- 192nd Class2021/22
- 213rd Class2022/23
- 224th Class2023/24
- 295th Class2024/25
- 286th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
23 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 27 in 6th Class (2024/25): 4 pupils more.
- 232nd Class2020/21
- 233rd Class2021/22
- 234th Class2022/23
- 245th Class2023/24
- 276th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
27 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 29 in 6th Class (2023/24): 2 pupils more.
- 273rd Class2020/21
- 244th Class2021/22
- 265th Class2022/23
- 296th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
24 in 4th Class (2020/21), 26 in 6th Class (2022/23): 2 pupils more.
- 244th Class2020/21
- 265th Class2021/22
- 266th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
38 in 5th Class (2020/21), 38 in 6th Class (2021/22): no change.
- 385th Class2020/21
- 386th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +161st Class in 2024/25 (20 to 36)
- −125th Class in 2021/22 (38 to 26)
Class sizes
Mainstream class groups, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
Why these won't match pupils by class
Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to. So these figures won't match the pupils-by-class figures exactly.
In 2025/26. Choose a figure to chart it.
Class sizes over time
Average class size, 2006/07 to 2025/26
Teachers
Who teaches at Scoil Bhride, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
How we count teachers
Class teachers come from the Department of Education's class sizes: one for each mainstream class. Special education and special class teachers are the posts the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates. We add a principal who doesn't teach a class where the Department's rules give the school one. These are posts, not people: part of a post can be a teacher shared with another school. Up to 2015/16 the Department counted every teacher itself. Known data issues
In 2025/26
18teaching posts
Our estimate: about 18 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 10 mainstream classes 10
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers125 hours of support teaching a week 5
- Special class teachersFor 2 autism classes 2
6.41 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 12 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 5 special education teachers, 2 special class teachers and 6.75 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2006/07
Teachers each school year, by role
To 2015/16: the Department of Education's count of every teacher. From 2019/20: our estimate, from class sizes and the NCSE's allocations. Dashed boxes: no special education figures were published for those years, so only class teachers and the principal are shown. Known data issues
Sources: Department of Education class sizes and teacher counts; NCSE school allocations and special classes (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby schools
The 6 primary schools closest to Scoil Bhride, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil BhrideThis school | – | 244 |
+19.0%
|
|
| 1 | Kiladooley Mixed N S5.2 km · Borris-in-Ossory | 5.2 km | 132 |
+26.9%
|
| 2 | S N Naomh Colmcille5.2 km · Portlaoise | 5.2 km | 71 |
+7.6%
|
| 3 | Cloch an Tsionnaigh N S6.8 km · Abbeyleix | 6.8 km | 64 |
−39.6%
|
| 4 | S N Mhichil Naofa7.4 km · Galmoy (via Thurles) | 7.4 km | 62 |
0.0%
|
| 5 | Scoil Tíghearnach Naofa9.0 km · Rathdowney | 9.0 km | 108 |
−9.2%
|
| 6 | Scoil Mhichil Naofa9.4 km · Johnstown · DEIS | 9.4 km | 14 |
−51.7%
|
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: 76 of 175 households answered (43%). The true figures are likely within 9.3 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: 9.3 points either way.
| Parents of | Multi-denominational | Through Irish | Single-sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| This school · children at school | 45% | 12% | 4% |
| Rathdowney planning area · children at school | 44% | 14% | 2% |
| Rathdowney planning area · children not yet at school | 39% | 21% | 2% |
| 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. They describe specific areas of the school's work rather than giving an overall grade. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Padraig Kiely
- Phone
- 050546546
- [email protected]
- Address
- Rathdowney, Co. Laois, R32 H773
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Ossory
- School type
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- School level
- All Through
- DEIS
- DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Laois County Council
- Planning area
- Rathdowney
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. If a detail was left blank in 2025/26, we show it from an earlier year, so some details may be older than the pupil numbers. Known data issues
Data by year
28 school years from 1998/99 to 2025/26. Class figures start in 2020/21.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys | JI | SI | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 244 | 113 | 131 | 28 | 34 | 32 | 39 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 28 |
| 2024/25 | 240 | 116 | 124 | 28 | 28 | 36 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 27 |
| 2023/24 | 198 | 107 | 91 | 23 | 31 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 29 |
| 2022/23 | 190 | 97 | 93 | 33 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 26 |
| 2021/22 | 193 | 109 | 84 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 38 |
| 2020/21 | 201 | 102 | 99 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 27 | 24 | 38 | 28 |
| 2019/20 | 202 | 106 | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 198 | 100 | 98 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 196 | 99 | 97 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 198 | 94 | 104 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 205 | 96 | 109 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 204 | 98 | 106 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 199 | 91 | 108 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 190 | 93 | 97 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 183 | 88 | 95 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 199 | 96 | 103 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 215 | 104 | 111 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 240 | 115 | 125 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 231 | 120 | 111 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 223 | 119 | 104 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 225 | 120 | 105 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 215 | 111 | 104 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 206 | 106 | 100 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 194 | 98 | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 194 | 99 | 95 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 200 | 107 | 93 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 199 | 99 | 100 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 191 | 90 | 101 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |