School planning area

Sligo

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

13 primary schools and 3,218 pupils in 2025/26, in County Sligo.

Pupils in 2025/26: 3,218; +18 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16: +8.7%; 2,961 pupils in 2015/16
Schools: 13; No change on 2024/25
Average class size: 22.13; Average school size: 247.5

Trends in Sligo

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 Sligo, schools with no planning area had 2.7% of pupils in 2015/16, 6.0% in 2005/06 and 45.3% in 1976/77. Known data issues

Pupils

3,218

+18 on 2024/25

1976/772025/26

Schools

5 in 1976/77

1976/772025/26

Average pupils per school

247.5

262.6 in 1976/77

1976/772025/26

Average class size

22.13

−0.40 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. 381 in 2025/26, +18 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

Each school year.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (1 school today). 208 pupils in 2025/26, 6.5% of the area's pupils, against 8.3% 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

2fell by 10% or more

5within 10%

6grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 0Down 10 to 25% · 2Within 10% · 5Up 10 to 25% · 4Up 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: 22.13
Mainstream classes: 142
Classes of 30 or more: 9
Schools with a class of 30+: 6

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: 142; Up 31 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 15%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 219; Estimate: 142 class teachers, 11 principals and deputies, 53 special education and 13 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 172; 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

2 special schools in the Sligo planning area, and the special classes in its 13 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools

Pupils in special schools: 136; In 2 schools, up from 81 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26: 13; In 7 of 13 schools. 10 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27: 14; In 7 schools: 1 new class
Autism classes: 10; 77% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

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

2020/21 10
2021/22 10
2022/23 10
2023/24 10
2024/25 11
2025/26 13
2026/27 14

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special schools in the Sligo planning area
Special school	Pupils	Since 2015/16	Teaching posts	SNAs
St. Cecilia's SchoolSligo · Moderate general learning disability	93	+126.8%	17	41
St Josephs Special SCHSligo · Mild general learning disability	43	+7.5%	7	11

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
Our Lady of Mercy N SSligo	19985F	449	+8.7%	24	17.96	22	0
S N UrsulaSligo	18979F	439	+8.7%	18	24.06	29	0
Carraroe N SCarraroe	14636B	389	+21.6%	16	24.31	28	0
Scoil Eoin NaofaSligo	19974A	289	+11.2%	15	17.80	25	0
Scoil AsicusStrandhill	15004P	252	+6.3%	10	25.20	30	2
Ransboro New CentralKnocknahur	19635B	247	+7.9%	10	23.50	32	2
Carbury National SchoolSligo	19495L	210	−10.3%	8	26.25	30	1
Gaelscoil Chnoc na ReSligeach	20044I	208	−15.8%	8	26.00	30	1
St Edwards N SSligo	17277O	207	+11.9%	11	18.27	21	0
St Patricks NSSligo	19942K	182	−0.5%	7	26.00	32	2
St Brendans NSSligo	19826I	177	+47.5%	7	23.57	31	1
S N Realt na MaraSligo	17641J	117	+11.4%	5	23.40	29	0
Sligo Project SchoolSligo	19910U	52	+116.7%	3	17.33	18	0