Benincasa Special School
Blackrock · Roll number 18863J
- Special school
- Emotional and behavioural difficulties
- Catholic ethos
- Not DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 35
- −7 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −15%
- Down 6 from 41 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 3 / 32
- 9% girls
The Department of Education publishes only the number of pupils, girls and boys in each special school, not pupils by class, so this page has no class or class size figures. Pupils in special schools can be aged 4 to 18. All special schools
Pupils since 1993
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26. Until 2010/11 the Department listed special schools with mainstream schools; from 2011/12 they have their own list. Pupils on 30 September each year. Known data issues
Teachers
Teaching posts and special needs assistants (SNAs) at Benincasa Special School, 2018/19 to 2025/26.
Where these figures come from
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates each special school its teaching posts and SNAs, and these are its figures as published each year. They're posts, not people: part of a post can be a teacher shared with another school. The NCSE published no figures for special schools for 2020/21 and 2021/22. From 2026/27 it lists a principal and deputy who don't teach a class separately; earlier files don't say how they're counted. Known data issues
In 2025/26
8teaching posts
The NCSE's allocation: about 4.4 pupils per teaching post.
- Teaching postsTeachers for the school's classes, allocated by the NCSE 8
20 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils.
The NCSE has allocated 8 teaching posts, a principal and a deputy principal who don't teach a class, and 17 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2018/19
Teaching posts each school year. Point at a bar for its SNAs.
Dashed boxes: the NCSE published no figures for special schools for those years. Known data issues
Source: NCSE special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby
The special schools closest to Benincasa Special School, and the mainstream schools within 10 km that have special classes, measured in a straight line.
Nearest special schools
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benincasa Special SchoolThis school | – | 35 |
−14.6%
|
|
| 1 | St Augustines School1.5 km · Blackrock, Co. Dublin · Mild general learning disability | 1.5 km | 157 |
−9.8%
|
| 2 | Setanta Special School2.3 km · Stillorgan, Co. Dublin · Autism | 2.3 km | 68 |
+17.2%
|
| 3 | St Oliver Plunkett SP SC2.3 km · Blackrock, Co. Dublin · Specific learning disability | 2.3 km | 63 |
0.0%
|
| 4 | Red Door Special School2.6 km · Monkstown, Co. Dublin · Autism | 2.6 km | 29 |
+141.7%
|
| 5 | Our Lady of Lourdes School3.6 km · Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin | 3.6 km | 6 |
+20.0%
|
Special classes within 10 km181 classes in 103 mainstream schools in 2025/26, from the NCSE
| Number on map | School | Distance | Classes | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Carysfort NS0.6 km · An autism classFirst special class opens in 2026/27 | 0.6 km | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Our Lady of Mercy Convent School1.1 km · An autism classFirst special class opens in 2026/27 | 1.1 km | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Booterstown Boys1.2 km · An autism classA new class in 2026/27 | 1.2 km | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Oatlands Primary School, An Edmund Rice School1.9 km · An autism classFirst special class opens in 2026/27 | 1.9 km | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | S N San Treasa1.9 km · An autism classFirst special class opens in 2026/27 | 1.9 km | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | S N Naomh Lorcan2.2 km · An autism classFirst special class opens in 2026/27 | 2.2 km | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Scoil Padraig Naofa B2.5 km · An autism class2 new classes in 2026/27 | 2.5 km | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Holy Family School2.7 km · 2 autism classes | 2.7 km | 2 | 2 |
About this school
Inspection reports open on gov.ie, under the name the school had when it was inspected. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- DIARMUID DELANEY
- Phone
- 012887066
- [email protected]
- Address
- 1 Mount Merrion Ave, Blackrock, Co Dublin, A94 X864
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- NCSE designation
- Emotional and behavioural difficulties
- Patron
- Archbishop of Dublin
- School type
- Special school
- DEIS
- Not DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
- Planning area
- Booterstown–Blackrock
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. The designation is the need the NCSE lists the school as set up for; many special schools now take pupils with a wider range of needs. Known data issues
Data by year
33 school years from 1993/94 to 2025/26.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 35 | 3 | 32 |
| 2024/25 | 42 | 4 | 38 |
| 2023/24 | 38 | 3 | 35 |
| 2022/23 | 37 | 2 | 35 |
| 2021/22 | 42 | 3 | 39 |
| 2020/21 | 47 | 2 | 45 |
| 2019/20 | 45 | 3 | 42 |
| 2018/19 | 40 | 2 | 38 |
| 2017/18 | 41 | 1 | 40 |
| 2016/17 | 38 | 2 | 36 |
| 2015/16 | 41 | 2 | 39 |
| 2014/15 | 44 | 1 | 43 |
| 2013/14 | 48 | 2 | 46 |
| 2012/13 | 47 | 2 | 45 |
| 2011/12 | 48 | 2 | 46 |
| 2010/11 | 46 | 1 | 45 |
| 2009/10 | 44 | 1 | 43 |
| 2008/09 | 48 | 2 | 46 |
| 2007/08 | 43 | 3 | 40 |
| 2006/07 | 44 | 4 | 40 |
| 2005/06 | 47 | 4 | 43 |
| 2004/05 | 46 | 3 | 43 |
| 2003/04 | 48 | 3 | 45 |
| 2002/03 | 53 | 4 | 49 |
| 2001/02 | 52 | 3 | 49 |
| 2000/01 | 51 | 4 | 47 |
| 1999/00 | 52 | 5 | 47 |
| 1998/99 | 54 | 5 | 49 |
| 1997/98 | 51 | 5 | 46 |
| 1996/97 | 54 | 5 | 49 |
| 1995/96 | 56 | 7 | 49 |
| 1994/95 | 52 | 7 | 45 |
| 1993/94 | 52 | 10 | 42 |