Our Lady of Mercy NS
Kells · Roll number 12068D
- Catholic ethos
- Not DEIS
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 313
- −13 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −30%
- Down 134 from 447 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 157 / 156
- 50% girls
Pupils since 1974
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26. 1983/84 is left out because its source file is incomplete, and no files exist for 1984/85 to 1992/93. Known data issues
Pupils by class
Published for each class from 2020/21.
This year, 2025/26
313 pupils across 8 classes
Every class, every year
Darker cells have more pupils. A group of pupils moves down one class and right one year.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Infants | 71 | 86 | 69 | 84 | 83 | 74 | 77.8 |
| Senior Infants | 89 | 73 | 86 | 72 | 85 | 82 | 81.2 |
| 1st Class | 96 | 89 | 80 | 85 | 70 | 85 | 84.2 |
| 2nd Class | 77 | 94 | 93 | 80 | 86 | 72 | 83.7 |
| 3rd Class | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0.0 |
| 4th Class | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0.0 |
| 5th Class | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0.0 |
| 6th Class | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0.0 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
83 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 82 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 1 pupil fewer.
- 83Junior Infants2024/25
- 82Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
84 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 85 in 1st Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 84Junior Infants2023/24
- 85Senior Infants2024/25
- 851st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
69 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 72 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 3 pupils more.
- 69Junior Infants2022/23
- 72Senior Infants2023/24
- 701st Class2024/25
- 722nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
86 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 0 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 86 pupils fewer.
- 86Junior Infants2021/22
- 86Senior Infants2022/23
- 851st Class2023/24
- 862nd Class2024/25
- 03rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
71 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 0 in 4th Class (2025/26): 71 pupils fewer.
- 71Junior Infants2020/21
- 73Senior Infants2021/22
- 801st Class2022/23
- 802nd Class2023/24
- 04th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
89 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 0 in 5th Class (2025/26): 89 pupils fewer.
- 89Senior Infants2020/21
- 891st Class2021/22
- 932nd Class2022/23
- 05th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
96 in 1st Class (2020/21), 0 in 6th Class (2025/26): 96 pupils fewer.
- 961st Class2020/21
- 942nd Class2021/22
- 06th Class2025/26
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +172nd Class in 2021/22 (77 to 94)
- −17Junior Infants in 2022/23 (86 to 69)
Class sizes
Mainstream class groups, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
Why these won't match pupils by class
Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to. So these figures won't match the pupils-by-class figures exactly.
In 2025/26. Choose a figure to chart it.
Class sizes over time
Average class size, 2006/07 to 2025/26
Teachers
Who teaches at Our Lady of Mercy NS, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
How we count teachers
Class teachers come from the Department of Education's class sizes: one for each mainstream class. Special education and special class teachers are the posts the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates. We add a principal who doesn't teach a class where the Department's rules give the school one. These are posts, not people: part of a post can be a teacher shared with another school. Up to 2015/16 the Department counted every teacher itself. Known data issues
In 2025/26
21.1teaching posts
Our estimate: about 21 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 13 mainstream classes 13
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers127.5 hours of support teaching a week 5.1
- Special class teachersFor 2 autism classes 2
7.99 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 12 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 5 special education teachers, 2 special class teachers and 7.99 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2006/07
Teachers each school year, by role
To 2015/16: the Department of Education's count of every teacher. From 2019/20: our estimate, from class sizes and the NCSE's allocations. Dashed boxes: no special education figures were published for those years, so only class teachers and the principal are shown. Known data issues
Sources: Department of Education class sizes and teacher counts; NCSE school allocations and special classes (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby schools
The 6 primary schools closest to Our Lady of Mercy NS, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of Mercy NSThis school | – | 313 |
−30.0%
|
|
| 1 | Scoil Cholmcille0.1 km · Kells | 0.1 km | 352 |
+29.4%
|
| 2 | Kells Parochial N S0.1 km · Kells · Church of Ireland | 0.1 km | 52 |
−26.8%
|
| 3 | S N Muire4.5 km · Kells | 4.5 km | 165 |
+21.3%
|
| 4 | S N Bhrighde4.6 km · Kells | 4.6 km | 111 |
+4.7%
|
| 5 | Drumbarragh N S4.7 km · Kells | 4.7 km | 83 |
−4.6%
|
| 6 | S N Caitriona Naofa5.3 km · Kells · Gaeltacht | 5.3 km | 149 |
+21.1%
|
About this school
Inspection reports open on gov.ie, under the name the school had when it was inspected. They describe specific areas of the school's work rather than giving an overall grade. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Sinéad Cannon
- Phone
- 0469240446
- [email protected]
- Address
- Jim Brunnock Road, Kells, Co. Meath, A82 X571
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Meath
- School type
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- School level
- Junior
- DEIS
- Not DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Meath County Council
- Planning area
- Kells
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. If a detail was left blank in 2025/26, we show it from an earlier year, so some details may be older than the pupil numbers. Known data issues
Data by year
43 school years from 1974/75 to 2025/26. Class figures start in 2020/21.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys | JI | SI | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 313 | 157 | 156 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024/25 | 326 | 160 | 166 | 83 | 85 | 70 | 86 | – | – | – | – |
| 2023/24 | 322 | 150 | 172 | 84 | 72 | 85 | 80 | – | – | – | – |
| 2022/23 | 328 | 156 | 172 | 69 | 86 | 80 | 93 | – | – | – | – |
| 2021/22 | 342 | 171 | 171 | 86 | 73 | 89 | 94 | – | – | – | – |
| 2020/21 | 333 | 156 | 177 | 71 | 89 | 96 | 77 | – | – | – | – |
| 2019/20 | 323 | 145 | 178 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 414 | 325 | 89 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 409 | 321 | 88 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 430 | 335 | 95 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 447 | 349 | 98 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 455 | 347 | 108 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 434 | 343 | 91 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 439 | 337 | 102 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 446 | 352 | 94 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 413 | 335 | 78 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 432 | 340 | 92 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 449 | 343 | 106 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 419 | 327 | 92 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 403 | 324 | 79 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 401 | 321 | 80 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 421 | 328 | 93 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 418 | 329 | 89 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 412 | 326 | 86 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 414 | 325 | 89 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 398 | 320 | 78 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 402 | 326 | 76 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 404 | 339 | 65 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1997/98 | 421 | 356 | 65 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996/97 | 426 | 351 | 75 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995/96 | 449 | 370 | 79 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1994/95 | 489 | 401 | 88 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1993/94 | 527 | 425 | 102 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1983/84 | 583 | 470 | 113 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982/83 | 586 | 468 | 118 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1981/82 | 586 | 468 | 118 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980/81 | 591 | 461 | 130 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979/80 | 564 | 441 | 123 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978/79 | 556 | – | 112 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1977/78 | 627 | 439 | 188 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1976/77 | 644 | 443 | 201 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1975/76 | 623 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1974/75 | 594 | 421 | 173 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |