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Planning area in Meath

Ashbourne

Schools in County Meath in this planning area.

This planning area also covers 3 schools in Dublin. See the whole planning area

Other planning areas in Meath Navan · 19 Trim · 12 Drogheda · 9 Ratoath · 7 Kells · 13 Laytown · 4 Dunshaughlin · 7 Dunboyne · 5 Athboy · 6 Kilcock · 4 Longwood · 5 Nobber · 4 Oldcastle · 3 Ardee · 3 Maynooth · 1 Bailieborough · 3
Schools
8
of 113 in Meath
Pupils
2,269
9% of Meath's pupils
Since 2015/16
+8.2%
2,098 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
283.6
Meath: 227.1
Average class size
24.14
Meath: 23.04

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.

Earlier years are incomplete

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 County Meath, schools with no planning area had 0.1% of pupils in 2015/16, 0.3% in 2005/06 and 12.7% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

2,269

+20 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

8

4 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

283.6

82.0 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

24.14

−0.18 on 2024/25

2006/072025/26

Pupils in these schools

Junior infants, girls and boys, and Irish-medium schools over time, for the same schools as the trends above.

Area figures by year (CSV) Each school by year (CSV)

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 282 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 (1 school today). 227 pupils in 2025/26, 10.0% of the area's pupils, against 12.1% 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.

Every school's change

7 schools with figures for both years

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

3fell by 10% or more
3within 10%
1grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 1Down 10 to 25% · 2Within 10% · 3Up 10 to 25% · 1Up 25% or more · 0

Sort the table below by the change column to see which schools grew or fell most.

Newer schools

1 school still filling its classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 341 pupils. It isn’t in the figures above.

Class sizes

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

Average class size
24.14
Mainstream classes
92
Classes of 30 or more
14
Schools with a class of 30+
3

Teachers

Teachers in the 8 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
92
Up 36 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 48%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 142
Estimate: 92 class teachers, 7 principals and deputies, 35 special education and 8 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
110
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
2 / 1
2 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

0 special schools in Ashbourne, and the special classes in the 8 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
0
No special school here
Special classes in 2025/26
8
In 3 of 8 schools. 4 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
8
In 3 schools
Autism classes
8
100% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In Ashbourne's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 4
  • 2021/22 4
  • 2022/23 4
  • 2023/24 4
  • 2024/25 6
  • 2025/26 8
  • 2026/27 8

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).

Schools

8 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

Roll number
Scoil Nais DeaglainAshbourne 19486K 621
−9.5%
25 24.84 27 0
Scoil MhuireAshbourne 19768U 479
−4.4%
18 26.61 33 9
Ashbourne Community National SchoolAshbourne 20546J 341 – 14 22.64 29 0
Kilbride National SchoolClonee 16825O 310
−5.2%
13 22.92 26 0
Gaelscoil na CilleAshbourne 19779C 227
−10.3%
9 25.22 31 4
S N Padraig NaofaGarristown 17629T 137
+14.2%
6 20.83 30 1
S N Mhuire NaofaTara 17964K 81
−36.7%
4 20.25 24 0
S N Naomh CianainAshbourne 17029S 73
−12.0%
3 24.33 28 0