Gilson National School
Oldcastle · Roll number 12488C
- Catholic ethos
- DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 222
- −5 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −22%
- Down 61 from 283 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 106 / 116
- 48% 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
222 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 | 28 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 20 | 27 | 27.0 |
| Senior Infants | 29 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 21 | 27.8 |
| 1st Class | 31 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 29.2 |
| 2nd Class | 30 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29.7 |
| 3rd Class | 34 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 30.2 |
| 4th Class | 41 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 31.5 |
| 5th Class | 30 | 41 | 35 | 28 | 36 | 26 | 32.7 |
| 6th Class | 35 | 30 | 43 | 37 | 28 | 35 | 34.7 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
20 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 21 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 20Junior Infants2024/25
- 21Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
30 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 27 in 1st Class (2025/26): 3 pupils fewer.
- 30Junior Infants2023/24
- 29Senior Infants2024/25
- 271st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
31 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 30 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 1 pupil fewer.
- 31Junior Infants2022/23
- 31Senior Infants2023/24
- 301st Class2024/25
- 302nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
26 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 28 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 2 pupils more.
- 26Junior Infants2021/22
- 31Senior Infants2022/23
- 311st Class2023/24
- 292nd Class2024/25
- 283rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
28 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 28 in 4th Class (2025/26): no change.
- 28Junior Infants2020/21
- 26Senior Infants2021/22
- 271st Class2022/23
- 282nd Class2023/24
- 283rd Class2024/25
- 284th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
29 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 26 in 5th Class (2025/26): 3 pupils fewer.
- 29Senior Infants2020/21
- 291st Class2021/22
- 292nd Class2022/23
- 313rd Class2023/24
- 274th Class2024/25
- 265th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
31 in 1st Class (2020/21), 35 in 6th Class (2025/26): 4 pupils more.
- 311st Class2020/21
- 322nd Class2021/22
- 303rd Class2022/23
- 314th Class2023/24
- 365th Class2024/25
- 356th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
30 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 28 in 6th Class (2024/25): 2 pupils fewer.
- 302nd Class2020/21
- 303rd Class2021/22
- 294th Class2022/23
- 285th Class2023/24
- 286th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
34 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 37 in 6th Class (2023/24): 3 pupils more.
- 343rd Class2020/21
- 334th Class2021/22
- 355th Class2022/23
- 376th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
41 in 4th Class (2020/21), 43 in 6th Class (2022/23): 2 pupils more.
- 414th Class2020/21
- 415th Class2021/22
- 436th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
30 in 5th Class (2020/21), 30 in 6th Class (2021/22): no change.
- 305th Class2020/21
- 306th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +136th Class in 2022/23 (30 to 43)
- −10Junior Infants in 2024/25 (30 to 20)
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 Gilson National School, 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
14.4teaching posts
Our estimate: about 14 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 9 mainstream classes 9
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers85 hours of support teaching a week 3.4
- Special class teachersFor an autism class 1
2.66 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 6 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 3.4 special education teachers, 1 special class teacher and 3.66 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 Gilson National School, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilson National SchoolThis school | – | 222 |
−21.6%
|
|
| 1 | S N Fiach4.8 km · Oldcastle | 4.8 km | 102 |
+7.4%
|
| 2 | Scoil Mhuire NS5.7 km · Oldcastle | 5.7 km | 94 |
+4.4%
|
| 3 | Castlerahan Central NS5.9 km · Ballyjamesduff | 5.9 km | 96 |
−31.9%
|
| 4 | Cnoc an Teampaill6.0 km · Virginia | 6.0 km | 158 |
+0.6%
|
| 5 | Scoil Bhride8.1 km · Mountnugent | 8.1 km | 94 |
−22.3%
|
| 6 | S N Carraig A Bruis9.0 km · Virginia | 9.0 km | 103 |
−34.4%
|
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
- Mark Carey
- Phone
- 0498541327
- [email protected]
- Address
- Church Street, Oldcastle, Co. Meath, A82 E400
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Meath
- School type
- Ordinary
- School level
- All Through
- DEIS
- 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
- Oldcastle
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 | 222 | 106 | 116 | 27 | 21 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 35 |
| 2024/25 | 227 | 106 | 121 | 20 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 36 | 28 |
| 2023/24 | 247 | 117 | 130 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 37 |
| 2022/23 | 255 | 120 | 135 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 35 | 43 |
| 2021/22 | 247 | 120 | 127 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 41 | 30 |
| 2020/21 | 258 | 120 | 138 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 30 | 35 |
| 2019/20 | 267 | 126 | 141 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 269 | 127 | 142 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 277 | 127 | 150 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 284 | 131 | 153 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 283 | 129 | 154 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 267 | 120 | 147 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 250 | 109 | 141 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 284 | 130 | 154 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 286 | 133 | 153 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 297 | 141 | 156 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 285 | 142 | 143 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 279 | 137 | 142 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 281 | 144 | 137 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 282 | 151 | 131 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 276 | 146 | 130 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 229 | 128 | 101 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 209 | 113 | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 210 | 113 | 97 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 195 | 97 | 98 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 212 | 109 | 103 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 215 | 102 | 113 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 234 | 103 | 131 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1997/98 | 239 | 108 | 131 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996/97 | 252 | 111 | 141 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995/96 | 251 | 114 | 137 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1994/95 | 256 | 116 | 140 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1993/94 | 259 | 120 | 139 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1983/84 | 319 | 150 | 169 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982/83 | 325 | 159 | 166 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1981/82 | 335 | 168 | 167 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980/81 | 348 | 178 | 170 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979/80 | 360 | 184 | 176 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978/79 | 374 | – | 184 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1977/78 | 374 | 194 | 180 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1976/77 | 388 | 209 | 179 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1975/76 | 122 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1974/75 | 111 | 0 | 111 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |