The Kolbe Special School
Portlaoise · Roll number 20100P
- Special school
- Severe or profound general learning disability
- Catholic ethos
- Not DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 49
- +5 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- +58%
- Up 18 from 31 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 14 / 35
- 29% 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 2000
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 The Kolbe 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 6.1 pupils per teaching post.
- Teaching postsTeachers for the school's classes, allocated by the NCSE 8
32 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils.
The NCSE has allocated 9 teaching posts, a principal and a deputy principal who don't teach a class, and 33 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 The Kolbe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Kolbe Special SchoolThis school | – | 49 |
+58.1%
|
|
| 1 | St Francis S S1.3 km · Portlaoise, Co. Laois · Mild general learning disability | 1.3 km | 121 |
+28.7%
|
| 2 | Saplings Carlow Special School27.8 km · Carlow · Autism | 27.8 km | 30 |
+150.0%
|
| 3 | Offaly School of Special Education30.2 km · Tullamore, Co. Offaly · Severe or profound general learning disability | 30.2 km | 42 |
+121.1%
|
| 4 | St Laserians Special SC31.6 km · Carlow · Mild general learning disability | 31.6 km | 146 |
−2.0%
|
| 5 | St Annes Special School33.5 km · The Curragh, Co. Kildare · Moderate general learning disability | 33.5 km | 74 |
−7.5%
|
Special classes within 10 km25 classes in 15 mainstream schools in 2025/26, from the NCSE
| Number on map | School | Distance | Classes | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Holy Family Junior School0.5 km · An autism class and a speech and language classA new class in 2026/27 | 0.5 km | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Holy Family Senior School0.5 km · 2 autism classesA new class in 2026/27 | 0.5 km | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Gaelscoil Phort Laoise0.8 km · An autism classA new class in 2026/27 | 0.8 km | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Portlaoise Educate Together NS0.8 km · 2 autism classes | 0.8 km | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Scoil Bhride NS2.7 km · 2 autism classes | 2.7 km | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | Raithin an Uisce N S4.9 km · An autism class | 4.9 km | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Barr na Sruthan N S8.4 km · 2 autism classes | 8.4 km | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Emo Mixed N S8.6 km · 2 autism classes | 8.6 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
- Orlagh Mahon
- Phone
- 0578620329
- [email protected]
- Address
- Block Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, R32 XD63
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- NCSE designation
- Severe or profound general learning disability
- Patron
- Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, Moore Abbey
- 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
- Laois County Council
- Planning area
- Portlaoise
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
26 school years from 2000/01 to 2025/26.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 49 | 14 | 35 |
| 2024/25 | 44 | 12 | 32 |
| 2023/24 | 43 | 12 | 31 |
| 2022/23 | 40 | 10 | 30 |
| 2021/22 | 41 | 10 | 31 |
| 2020/21 | 41 | 11 | 30 |
| 2019/20 | 39 | 13 | 26 |
| 2018/19 | 39 | 13 | 26 |
| 2017/18 | 39 | 13 | 26 |
| 2016/17 | 34 | 10 | 24 |
| 2015/16 | 31 | 8 | 23 |
| 2014/15 | 30 | 7 | 23 |
| 2013/14 | 21 | 5 | 16 |
| 2012/13 | 20 | 4 | 16 |
| 2011/12 | 18 | 3 | 15 |
| 2010/11 | 18 | 4 | 14 |
| 2009/10 | 18 | 5 | 13 |
| 2008/09 | 14 | 5 | 9 |
| 2007/08 | 16 | 6 | 10 |
| 2006/07 | 14 | 4 | 10 |
| 2005/06 | 13 | 4 | 9 |
| 2004/05 | 15 | 3 | 12 |
| 2003/04 | 13 | 3 | 10 |
| 2002/03 | 14 | 3 | 11 |
| 2001/02 | 14 | 4 | 10 |
| 2000/01 | 15 | 4 | 11 |