St Marys NS
Athlone · Roll number 20073P
- Catholic ethos
- DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 573
- −13 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- +31%
- Up 136 from 437 in 2015/16
- 16 classes in 2015/16, 31 now; average class 26.9 → 18.5
- Over 20 years: +48% from 388 in 2005/06
- Girls and boys
- 265 / 308
- 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
573 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 | 55 | 54 | 76 | 68 | 62 | 47 | 60.3 |
| Senior Infants | 50 | 59 | 69 | 83 | 65 | 71 | 66.2 |
| 1st Class | 46 | 54 | 67 | 77 | 81 | 70 | 65.8 |
| 2nd Class | 54 | 47 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 85 | 68.3 |
| 3rd Class | 63 | 59 | 65 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 69.8 |
| 4th Class | 70 | 57 | 69 | 58 | 74 | 81 | 68.2 |
| 5th Class | 46 | 74 | 63 | 75 | 60 | 75 | 65.5 |
| 6th Class | 62 | 49 | 77 | 69 | 81 | 61 | 66.5 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
62 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 71 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 9 pupils more.
- 62Junior Infants2024/25
- 71Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
68 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 70 in 1st Class (2025/26): 2 pupils more.
- 68Junior Infants2023/24
- 65Senior Infants2024/25
- 701st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
76 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 85 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 9 pupils more.
- 76Junior Infants2022/23
- 83Senior Infants2023/24
- 811st Class2024/25
- 852nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
54 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 83 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 29 pupils more.
- 54Junior Infants2021/22
- 69Senior Infants2022/23
- 771st Class2023/24
- 842nd Class2024/25
- 833rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
55 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 81 in 4th Class (2025/26): 26 pupils more.
- 55Junior Infants2020/21
- 59Senior Infants2021/22
- 671st Class2022/23
- 742nd Class2023/24
- 793rd Class2024/25
- 814th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
50 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 75 in 5th Class (2025/26): 25 pupils more.
- 50Senior Infants2020/21
- 541st Class2021/22
- 662nd Class2022/23
- 703rd Class2023/24
- 744th Class2024/25
- 755th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
46 in 1st Class (2020/21), 61 in 6th Class (2025/26): 15 pupils more.
- 461st Class2020/21
- 472nd Class2021/22
- 653rd Class2022/23
- 584th Class2023/24
- 605th Class2024/25
- 616th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
54 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 81 in 6th Class (2024/25): 27 pupils more.
- 542nd Class2020/21
- 593rd Class2021/22
- 694th Class2022/23
- 755th Class2023/24
- 816th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
63 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 69 in 6th Class (2023/24): 6 pupils more.
- 633rd Class2020/21
- 574th Class2021/22
- 635th Class2022/23
- 696th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
70 in 4th Class (2020/21), 77 in 6th Class (2022/23): 7 pupils more.
- 704th Class2020/21
- 745th Class2021/22
- 776th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
46 in 5th Class (2020/21), 49 in 6th Class (2021/22): 3 pupils more.
- 465th Class2020/21
- 496th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +285th Class in 2021/22 (46 to 74)
- −206th Class in 2025/26 (81 to 61)
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 St Marys NS, 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
45.2teaching posts
Our estimate: about 45 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 31 mainstream classes 31
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Deputy principalDoesn't teach a class either, as larger schools and those with five or more special classes have one 1
- Special education teachers305 hours of support teaching a week 12.2
8.33 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils.
The NCSE has allocated 12 special education teachers, 2 special class teachers and 11.99 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 St Marys NS, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Marys NSThis school | – | 573 |
+31.1%
|
|
| 1 | St Peters N S SNR0.7 km · Athlone · DEIS | 0.7 km | 112 |
−5.9%
|
| 2 | S N Phoil Naofa0.8 km · Athlone · DEIS | 0.8 km | 125 |
−32.8%
|
| 3 | Athlone N S0.8 km · Athlone · Church of Ireland | 0.8 km | 56 |
−25.3%
|
| 4 | Scoil na gCeithre Maistri1.1 km · Áth Luain · Gaelscoil · DEIS | 1.1 km | 235 |
−27.0%
|
| 5 | SN Deaghan O Ceallaigh1.4 km · Athlone · Boys · DEIS | 1.4 km | 77 |
−7.2%
|
| 6 | Corr na Madadh N S2.3 km · Athlone · Multi-denominational · DEIS | 2.3 km | 306 |
+11.7%
|
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: 72 of 382 households answered (19%). The true figures are likely within 9.5 points either way.
Patron
Teaching language
Boys and girls
Children not yet at school
Their parents: 43 who intend to enrol a child here answered. The Department gives no margin of error for this group.
Patron
Teaching language
Boys and girls
The bracket shows the margin of error the Department published for this school: 9.5 points either way.
| Parents of | Multi-denominational | Through Irish | Single-sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| This school · children at school | 54% | 11% | 3% |
| This school · children not yet at school | 44% | 9% | 2% |
| 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. They describe specific areas of the school's work rather than giving an overall grade. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Ailish Mc Manus
- Phone
- 0906472321
- [email protected]
- Address
- Gracepark Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 PX01
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnoise
- School type
- Ordinary
- 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
- Westmeath County Council
- Planning area
- Athlone
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 | 573 | 265 | 308 | 47 | 71 | 70 | 85 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 61 |
| 2024/25 | 586 | 271 | 315 | 62 | 65 | 81 | 84 | 79 | 74 | 60 | 81 |
| 2023/24 | 574 | 273 | 301 | 68 | 83 | 77 | 74 | 70 | 58 | 75 | 69 |
| 2022/23 | 552 | 260 | 292 | 76 | 69 | 67 | 66 | 65 | 69 | 63 | 77 |
| 2021/22 | 453 | 207 | 246 | 54 | 59 | 54 | 47 | 59 | 57 | 74 | 49 |
| 2020/21 | 446 | 203 | 243 | 55 | 50 | 46 | 54 | 63 | 70 | 46 | 62 |
| 2019/20 | 439 | 195 | 244 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 406 | 179 | 227 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 441 | 192 | 249 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 432 | 201 | 231 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 437 | 194 | 243 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 418 | 176 | 242 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 403 | 168 | 235 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 394 | 172 | 222 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 412 | 179 | 233 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 374 | 159 | 215 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 393 | 168 | 225 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 391 | 174 | 217 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 401 | 169 | 232 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 380 | 174 | 206 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 388 | 176 | 212 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 383 | 181 | 202 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 386 | 199 | 187 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 398 | 198 | 200 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 396 | 201 | 195 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 377 | 193 | 184 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 391 | 211 | 180 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 434 | 231 | 203 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |