School planning area

Clara

4 primary schools and 652 pupils in 2025/26, in County Offaly.

Pupils in 2025/26
652
−22 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16
−10.2%
726 pupils in 2015/16
Schools
4
No change on 2024/25
Average class size
21.03
Average school size: 163.0

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 Offaly, schools with no planning area had 0.0% of pupils in 2015/16, 5.1% in 2005/06 and 14.6% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

652

−22 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

4

4 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

163.0

186.2 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

21.03

−0.04 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.

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 56 in 2025/26, −20 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

No school in this area teaches all subjects through Irish.

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

4 schools with figures for both years

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

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
21.03
Mainstream classes
29
Classes of 30 or more
1
Schools with a class of 30+
1

Teachers

Teachers in the 4 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
29
Up 3 since 2006/07, while pupils fell 0%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 59
Estimate: 29 class teachers, 4 principals and deputies, 19 special education and 7 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
48
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
0 / 1
0 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 the Clara planning area, and the special classes in the 4 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
7
In 3 of 4 schools. 7 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
7
In 3 schools
Autism classes
7
100% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In the Clara planning area's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 7
  • 2021/22 7
  • 2022/23 7
  • 2023/24 7
  • 2024/25 7
  • 2025/26 7
  • 2026/27 7

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

4 schools, largest first. A dash in the change column means the school had no pupils recorded in that year, usually because it opened later or took a new roll number after an amalgamation.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

Roll number
S N Phroinsiais NaofaClara 18406E 186
−19.8%
8 21.00 27 0
Clara Convent N SClara 13118U 180
−4.3%
9 18.67 22 0
S N MhanachainMoate 17540D 176
−5.9%
7 25.14 32 1
St Ciarans Mixed N SBallycumber 16435B 110
−7.6%
5 19.60 25 0