School planning area

Ennis

Name: Primary school enrolment in the Ennis planning area
Creator: Department of Education

25 primary schools and 5,327 pupils in 2025/26, in County Clare.

Pupils in 2025/26: 5,327; −72 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16: −1.4%; 5,400 pupils in 2015/16
Schools: 25; No change on 2024/25
Average class size: 22.64; Average school size: 213.1

Trends in Ennis

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 Clare, schools with no planning area had 0.6% of pupils in 2015/16, 6.1% in 2005/06 and 24.8% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

5,327

−72 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

19 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

213.1

175.1 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

22.64

−0.15 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. 587 in 2025/26, −35 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). 451 pupils in 2025/26, 8.5% of the area's pupils, against 7.5% 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

25 schools with figures for both years

10fell by 10% or more

10within 10%

5grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 7Down 10 to 25% · 3Within 10% · 10Up 10 to 25% · 2Up 25% or more · 3

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Ennis Educate Together NSEnnis, Co. Clare 93 → 144 +54.8%
2 S N Dubh RathClarecastle, Co. Clare 85 → 113 +32.9%
3 Inchicronan Central NSCrusheen, Co. Clare 119 → 158 +32.8%
4 Gael SC Mhichil ChiosogInis, Co. Clare 403 → 451 +11.9%
5 Lissycasey N SEnnis, Co. Clare 151 → 167 +10.6%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Clooney N STulla, Co. Clare 102 → 48 −52.9%
2 Toonagh N SEnnis, Co. Clare 122 → 75 −38.5%
3 Ruan Central NSEnnis, Co. Clare 110 → 75 −31.8%
4 Kilnamona N SEnnis, Co. Clare 124 → 85 −31.5%
5 Kilmaley N SEnnis, Co. Clare 127 → 88 −30.7%

Ranked by percentage change. Only schools with 50 or more pupils in 2015/16 are ranked, leaving out any still filling their classes then, because a few pupils make a big percentage in a small or new school. An amalgamation or a new school nearby can also explain a big rise or fall.

Class sizes

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

Average class size: 22.64
Mainstream classes: 229
Classes of 30 or more: 13
Schools with a class of 30+: 8

Teachers

Teachers in the 25 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: 229; Up 58 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 17%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 366; Estimate: 229 class teachers, 17 principals and deputies, 97 special education and 23 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 320; The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25: 1 / 3; 1 school gained a class teacher, 3 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

2 special schools in the Ennis planning area, and the special classes in its 25 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools

Pupils in special schools: 249; In 2 schools, up from 162 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26: 23; In 13 of 25 schools. 17 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27: 25; In 13 schools: 2 new classes
Autism classes: 19; 83% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

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

2020/21 17
2021/22 19
2022/23 21
2023/24 20
2024/25 22
2025/26 23
2026/27 25

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special schools in the Ennis planning area
Special school	Pupils	Since 2015/16	Teaching posts	SNAs
St Annes S SEnnis · Mild general learning disability	142	+40.6%	22	40.99
St Clares Special SCHEnnis · Moderate general learning disability	107	+75.4%	18	37.83

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

Schools

25 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
Bunscoil na mBraithreEnnis	16677C	643	−3.3%	24	26.29	29	0
Ennis N SEnnis	15042A	615	+9.4%	25	23.80	28	0
Gael SC Mhichil ChiosogInis	19838P	451	+11.9%	19	23.42	31	1
Barefield Mixed N SEnnis	14830U	390	+0.3%	16	24.06	28	0
Clarecastle National SchoolClarecastle	17026M	362	−4.2%	15	23.73	32	1
Scoil na Mainistreach Quin DanganQuin	20476O	330	+5.1%	13	24.46	32	4
Holy Family SNREnnis	07315N	306	−10.5%	14	20.79	24	0
S N Cnoc an EinEnnis	17583V	262	+0.8%	11	23.82	34	3
Chriost RiEnnis	19559L	226	+2.3%	12	18.33	24	0
Ballyea Mixed N SEnnis	13418J	212	+8.2%	9	23.56	31	1
Holy Family Junior SchoolEnnis	17957N	167	−12.6%	11	14.09	18	0
Lissycasey N SEnnis	18555V	167	+10.6%	7	22.14	32	1
Inchicronan Central NSCrusheen	19551S	158	+32.8%	6	26.33	30	1
Eidhneach N SInagh	14622N	150	+5.6%	6	23.00	27	0
Ennis Educate Together NSEnnis	20086B	144	+54.8%	6	22.00	24	0
S N Dubh RathClarecastle	18696Q	113	+32.9%	4	25.25	28	0
Inch N SEnnis	16186G	104	+9.5%	4	26.00	32	1
Scoil Mhuire NaisiuntaCorofin	18227E	102	−16.4%	4	25.50	28	0
Kilmaley N SEnnis	14468G	88	−30.7%	4	22.00	26	0
Kilnamona N SEnnis	13625O	85	−31.5%	4	21.25	28	0
Ruan Central NSEnnis	19442N	75	−31.8%	4	18.75	24	0
Toonagh N SEnnis	03898U	75	−38.5%	4	18.75	23	0
Clooney N STulla	15279I	48	−52.9%	3	16.00	20	0
Connolly N SEnnis	15408Q	27	−35.7%	2	13.50	15	0
S N Chathair AodhaEnnis	18541K	27	−40.0%	2	13.50	19	0