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Planning area in Westmeath

Athlone

Schools in County Westmeath in this planning area.

This planning area also covers 10 schools in Roscommon. See the whole planning area

Other planning areas in Westmeath Mullingar · 22 Killucan · 6 Moate · 8 Castlepollard · 7 Rochfordbridge · 4 Kilbeggan · 5 Athboy · 3 Ballymahon · 3 Ferbane · 1 Granard · 2
Schools
12
of 73 in Westmeath
Pupils
2,691
24% of Westmeath's pupils
Since 2015/16
+5.4%
2,554 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
224.2
Westmeath: 152.3
Average class size
21.38
Westmeath: 21.98

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 Westmeath, schools with no planning area had 0.0% of pupils in 2015/16, 3.1% in 2005/06 and 23.6% in 1976/77. Known data issues

Pupils

2,691

−23 on 2024/25

1976/772025/26

Schools

12

10 in 1976/77

1976/772025/26

Average pupils per school

224.2

157.0 in 1976/77

1976/772025/26

Average class size

21.38

−0.48 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. 316 in 2025/26, +13 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

Each school year.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (1 school today). 235 pupils in 2025/26, 8.7% of the area's pupils, against 12.6% 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

12 schools with figures for both years

3fell by 10% or more
4within 10%
5grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 3Down 10 to 25% · 0Within 10% · 4Up 10 to 25% · 2Up 25% or more · 3

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

Class sizes

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

Average class size
21.38
Mainstream classes
123
Classes of 30 or more
8
Schools with a class of 30+
4

Teachers

Teachers in the 12 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
123
Up 36 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 23%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 197
Estimate: 123 class teachers, 10 principals and deputies, 53 special education and 11 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
161
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

1 special school in Athlone, and the special classes in its 12 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
58
In 1 school, up from 38 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
11
In 6 of 12 schools. 5 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
14
In 7 schools: 3 new classes, 1 school with its first
Autism classes
8
73% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

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

  • 2020/21 5
  • 2021/22 7
  • 2022/23 8
  • 2023/24 8
  • 2024/25 9
  • 2025/26 11
  • 2026/27 14

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
St Hildas SP SCHAthlone · Mild general learning disability 58
+52.6%
11 28

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

Schools

12 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

Roll number
St Marys NSAthlone 20073P 573
+31.1%
31 18.48 23 0
S N an CusanN37td88 18864L 413
+3.5%
16 25.06 29 0
Corr na Madadh N SAthlone 17903N 306
+11.7%
13 23.54 29 0
Naomh Clar N SAthlone 18505G 293
+12.7%
12 23.83 34 2
Scoil na gCeithre MaistriÁth Luain 19948W 235
−27.0%
9 25.33 37 2
SC CiarainAthlone 17708P 227
+37.6%
9 25.22 32 1
Cluain Buinne N SAthlone 17102C 164
+40.2%
6 27.33 36 3
S N Phoil NaofaAthlone 18405C 125
−32.8%
7 16.14 20 0
St Peters N S SNRAthlone 07722D 112
−5.9%
7 14.29 18 0
Ard na gCraith NSWalderstown 18764H 110
−6.0%
5 19.80 25 0
SN Deaghan O CeallaighAthlone 16639R 77
−7.2%
5 15.40 19 0
Athlone N SAthlone 16092U 56
−25.3%
3 18.67 19 0