School planning area

Kells

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

13 primary schools and 1,781 pupils in 2025/26, in County Meath.

Pupils in 2025/26: 1,781; −36 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16: −2.9%; 1,834 pupils in 2015/16
Schools: 13; No change on 2024/25
Average class size: 22.30; Average school size: 137.0

Trends in Kells

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

1,781

−36 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

13 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

137.0

134.5 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

22.30

−0.83 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. 198 in 2025/26, −15 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). 80 pupils in 2025/26, 4.5% of the area's pupils, against 4.9% 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

13 schools with figures for both years

5fell by 10% or more

3within 10%

5grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 4Down 10 to 25% · 1Within 10% · 3Up 10 to 25% · 3Up 25% or more · 2

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: 22.30
Mainstream classes: 77
Classes of 30 or more: 2
Schools with a class of 30+: 2

Teachers

Teachers in the 13 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: 77; Up 12 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 9%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 123; Estimate: 77 class teachers, 6 principals and deputies, 29 special education and 11 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 97; The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25: 1 / 0; 1 school 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 Kells planning area, and the special classes in the 13 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: 11; In 6 of 13 schools. 2 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27: 11; In 6 schools
Autism classes: 9; 82% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

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

2020/21 2
2021/22 3
2022/23 7
2023/24 9
2024/25 10
2025/26 11
2026/27 11

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

13 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
Scoil CholmcilleKells	16722E	352	+29.4%	15	23.47	28	0
Our Lady of Mercy NSKells	12068D	313	−30.0%	13	23.15	28	0
Carnaross N SCarnaross	16991I	178	+22.8%	7	23.71	31	1
S N MuireKells	18132Q	165	+21.3%	6	25.67	29	0
S N Caitriona NaofaKells	18174J	149	+21.1%	6	24.83	28	0
S N MhuireCeannanus Mor	17213L	122	+1.7%	5	22.00	32	1
S N BhrighdeKells	17162U	111	+4.7%	5	22.20	27	0
Kilskyre Mixed N SKells	01421F	87	−26.3%	4	19.00	24	0
Drumbarragh N SKells	10801Q	83	−4.6%	4	20.75	24	0
S N Ultain NaofaAn Uaimh	17203I	80	−11.1%	4	20.00	23	0
Ballinlough N SKells	09238I	58	−40.8%	3	17.33	20	0
Kells Parochial N SKells	05062A	52	−26.8%	3	17.33	20	0
Ughtyneill N SMoynalty	12897T	31	+47.6%	2	15.50	18	0