School planning area

Gweedore

8 primary schools and 643 pupils in 2025/26, in County Donegal.

Pupils in 2025/26
643
−6 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16
−6.3%
686 pupils in 2015/16
Schools
8
No change on 2024/25
Average class size
19.50
Average school size: 80.4

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 Donegal, schools with no planning area had 0.3% of pupils in 2015/16, 2.1% in 2005/06 and 24.2% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

643

−6 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

8

8 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

80.4

125.8 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

19.50

−0.19 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. 82 in 2025/26, −3 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 (8 schools today). 643 pupils in 2025/26, 100.0% of the area's pupils, against 100.0% 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

8 schools with figures for both years

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

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
19.50
Mainstream classes
32
Classes of 30 or more
1
Schools with a class of 30+
1

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
32
No change since 2006/07, while pupils fell 10%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 50
Estimate: 32 class teachers, 1 principals and deputies, 13 special education and 4 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
42
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
0 / 0
0 schools gained a class teacher, 0 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 Gweedore planning area, 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
4
In 2 of 8 schools. 3 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
4
In 2 schools
Autism classes
2
50% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

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

  • 2020/21 3
  • 2021/22 3
  • 2022/23 3
  • 2023/24 3
  • 2024/25 4
  • 2025/26 4
  • 2026/27 4

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. 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 AdhamhnainLeitir Ceanainn 17503U 131
−6.4%
6 21.83 27 0
SN ChonaillBun Beag 18219F 107
+52.9%
5 18.40 29 0
Scoil PhadraigLeitir Ceanainn 17018N 103
+15.7%
4 25.75 32 1
Scoil Mhuire B&CLeitir Ceanainn 14502D 97
−32.6%
5 19.40 24 0
S N DhubhthaighLeitir Ceanainn 19343L 91
0.0%
5 18.20 21 0
S N Olibhear PluinceidAnagaire 18007N 61
−26.5%
3 20.33 22 0
Scoil BhrighdeLeitir Ceanainn 17822N 28
+12.0%
2 14.00 15 0
S N Loch an IubhairLeitir Ceanainn 16829W 25
−43.2%
2 10.50 13 0