Cara Community Special School
Meath · Roll number 20578W
- Special school
- Community special school
- Multi Denominational ethos
- Not DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 28
- +10 on 2024/25
- Opened
- 2024/25
- With 18 pupils. Too new for a 10-year change.
- Girls and boys
- 6 / 22
- 21% 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 2024
Total enrolment each school year
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 Cara Community Special School, 2024/25 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
7teaching posts
The NCSE's allocation: about 4 pupils per teaching post.
- Teaching postsTeachers for the school's classes, allocated by the NCSE 7
15 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils.
The NCSE has allocated 8 teaching posts and 1 exceptional post, a principal and a deputy principal who don't teach a class, and 21 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2024/25
Teaching posts each school year. Point at a bar for its SNAs.
Source: NCSE special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby
The special schools closest to Cara Community 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cara Community Special SchoolThis school | – | 28 | – | |
| 1 | Stepping Stones Special School15.8 km · Maynooth, Co. Kildare · Autism | 15.8 km | 42 |
+40.0%
|
| 2 | St Raphaels Special SCH20.6 km · Celbridge, Co. Kildare · Moderate general learning disability | 20.6 km | 96 |
+50.0%
|
| 3 | Saplings Special School24.3 km · Kill, Co. Kildare · Autism | 24.3 km | 30 |
+30.4%
|
| 4 | St Marks Special School25.3 km · Newbridge, Co. Kildare · Mild general learning disability | 25.3 km | 109 |
+29.8%
|
| 5 | Craddockstown School25.9 km · Kildare · Community special school | 25.9 km | 40 | – |
Special classes within 10 km8 classes in 4 mainstream schools in 2025/26, from the NCSE
| Number on map | School | Distance | Classes | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | St. Mary's Primary School0.2 km · 3 autism classes | 0.2 km | 3 | 3 |
| 7 | S N Naomh Padraig3.7 km · An autism classFirst special class opens in 2026/27 | 3.7 km | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Newtown NS5.2 km · 2 autism classes | 5.2 km | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | St. Nicholas Primary School7.4 km · 2 autism classesA new class in 2026/27 | 7.4 km | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | S N Mhichil Naofa7.9 km · An autism class | 7.9 km | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | S N Tir Mochain7.9 km · 2 autism classesFirst special classes open in 2026/27 | 7.9 km | 0 | 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
- Katie Callaghan
- Phone
- 0862033403
- [email protected]
- Address
- Enfield, Meath
School
- Ethos
- Multi Denominational
- NCSE designation
- Community special school
- Patron
- Louth & Meath ETB
- 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
- Meath County Council
- Planning area
- Kilcock
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
2 school years from 2024/25 to 2025/26.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 28 | 6 | 22 |
| 2024/25 | 18 | 3 | 15 |