St Marks Special School
Newbridge · Roll number 19455W
- Special school
- Mild general learning disability
- Multi Denominational ethos
- Not DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 109
- +15 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- +30%
- Up 25 from 84 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 35 / 74
- 32% 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 St Marks 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
15teaching posts
The NCSE's allocation: about 7.3 pupils per teaching post.
- Teaching postsTeachers for the school's classes, allocated by the NCSE 15
23 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils.
The NCSE has allocated 17 teaching posts, a principal and a deputy principal who don't teach a class, and 24 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 St Marks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Marks Special SchoolThis school | – | 109 |
+29.8%
|
|
| 1 | St Annes Special School3.1 km · The Curragh, Co. Kildare · Moderate general learning disability | 3.1 km | 74 |
−7.5%
|
| 2 | Craddockstown School11.2 km · Kildare · Community special school | 11.2 km | 40 | – |
| 3 | Saplings Special School16.6 km · Kill, Co. Kildare · Autism | 16.6 km | 30 |
+30.4%
|
| 4 | St Raphaels Special SCH24.5 km · Celbridge, Co. Kildare · Moderate general learning disability | 24.5 km | 96 |
+50.0%
|
| 5 | Cara Community Special School25.3 km · Meath · Community special school | 25.3 km | 28 | – |
Special classes within 10 km28 classes in 18 mainstream schools in 2025/26, from the NCSE
| Number on map | School | Distance | Classes | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Scoil na Naomh Uilig0.6 km · 3 autism classes and 2 severe or profound general learning disability classes | 0.6 km | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | St Patricks N S1.0 km · An autism class | 1.0 km | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Scoil Mhuire1.5 km · An autism class | 1.5 km | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Scoil Mhuire Junior1.5 km · An autism class | 1.5 km | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | St Conleths and Marys N S1.5 km · 2 autism classesA new class in 2026/27 | 1.5 km | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | S N Connlaodh Naofa N1.6 km · An early intervention class and an autism class | 1.6 km | 2 | 2 |
| 12 | Gaelscoil Chill Dara3.1 km · An autism classA new class in 2026/27 | 3.1 km | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | S N Brighde3.8 km · An autism class | 3.8 km | 1 | 1 |
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
- Ross Dignam
- Phone
- 045432466
- [email protected]
- Address
- Piercetown, Newbridge, Co Kildare, W12 XY09
School
- Ethos
- Multi Denominational
- NCSE designation
- Mild general learning disability
- Patron
- KARE, Promoting Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities
- 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
- Kildare County Council
- Planning area
- Newbridge
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 | 109 | 35 | 74 |
| 2024/25 | 94 | 30 | 64 |
| 2023/24 | 98 | 34 | 64 |
| 2022/23 | 95 | 34 | 61 |
| 2021/22 | 95 | 32 | 63 |
| 2020/21 | 93 | 32 | 61 |
| 2019/20 | 94 | 33 | 61 |
| 2018/19 | 97 | 34 | 63 |
| 2017/18 | 96 | 35 | 61 |
| 2016/17 | 88 | 36 | 52 |
| 2015/16 | 84 | 30 | 54 |
| 2014/15 | 63 | 29 | 34 |
| 2013/14 | 63 | 28 | 35 |
| 2012/13 | 60 | 27 | 33 |
| 2011/12 | 60 | 19 | 41 |
| 2010/11 | 50 | 15 | 35 |
| 2009/10 | 62 | 17 | 45 |
| 2008/09 | 61 | 19 | 42 |
| 2007/08 | 61 | 16 | 45 |
| 2006/07 | 56 | 16 | 40 |
| 2005/06 | 48 | 11 | 37 |
| 2004/05 | 43 | 16 | 27 |
| 2003/04 | 47 | 21 | 26 |
| 2002/03 | 50 | 22 | 28 |
| 2001/02 | 52 | 23 | 29 |
| 2000/01 | 65 | 27 | 38 |
| 1999/00 | 76 | 31 | 45 |
| 1998/99 | 74 | 32 | 42 |
| 1997/98 | 86 | 32 | 54 |
| 1996/97 | 87 | 28 | 59 |
| 1995/96 | 87 | 26 | 61 |
| 1994/95 | 108 | 34 | 74 |
| 1993/94 | 109 | 40 | 69 |