Photo: David Hawgood · CC BY-SA 2.0In and around Grange, 32 schools: 20 primary schools, 10 secondary schools and 2 special schools
In or within 3 km of Grange, they have 12,776 pupils in all. All-Irish schools make up 9% of those around Grange, above both Co. Waterford’s towns (6%) and Irish towns (8%). Nothing here grades or ranks these schools: Ireland publishes no results school by school, and the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them.
Counted from the Department of Education’s 2025/26 lists: every school in the town or within 3 km of it, against every school in Ireland.
What stands out about Grange’s schools
A wide choice at twelve
11 post-primary schools lie within 10 km, so families here have a real choice at twelve; each admits on its own policy. The nearest: Newtown School (1.3 km), St Angela's Secondary School (1.4 km) and De La Salle College (1.6 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Drawn from the Department of Education’s lists; none of it judges how well a school teaches.
Where the 32 schools in and around Grange are
Each school where the official list places it, shaded by who runs it and sized by pupils; squares are secondary schools, triangles special schools. The dashed shape is Grange’s outline; schools within 3 km of it count.
Places from the Department of Education’s school lists (its own coordinates for all but a handful); map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Teaching through Irish in and around Grange
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
3 of Grange’s 32 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, Gaelscoil Phort Lairge and Gaelscoil na nDeise.
Who Grange’s schools serve
How the area’s pupils divide, against Co. Waterford’s and Ireland’s, 2025/26
Each bar is the area’s share; the tick marks Ireland’s.
DEIS by stage: pupils at DEIS schools
| Share of pupils | Around Grange | Co. Waterford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 43% | 30% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 49% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 53% | 35% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 0% | 6% |
Around Grange, 43% of pupils attend a school in DEIS; across Ireland it is 27%, and 30% in Co. Waterford. Furthest from Ireland’s mix is the share of post-primary pupils at single-sex schools: 53% here against 29%. The biggest school in DEIS is St Paul's Community College (792 pupils).
Each of the 32 schools
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary): enrolments by sex and the DEIS list. Shares are of pupils, not of schools; a county’s are the schools listed with its towns.
Who runs Grange’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
26 of Grange’s 32 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Waterford & Lismore (17), Le Chéile Schools Trust (2) and Friends Patron Company clg (2). 13 of the 32 are in DEIS, the extra support for schools in disadvantaged areas (30% across Ireland).
Department of Education school lists: ethos 2025/26, patron 2024/25 (the 2025/26 lists don’t give it). DEIS list 2025/26.
The 11 patrons of Grange’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
The schools around Grange answer to 11 patrons, and Bishop of Waterford & Lismore leads with 17 of the 32 schools and 42% of their pupils. 2 are ETB schools. Educate Together runs one.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Waterford & LismoreS.N. Naomh Mhuire, S.N. Ursula Naofa, Presentation Primary School, S.N. Deaglan, St Stephens, Mount Sion CBS, Scoil Lorcain BNS, St Saviours, Our Lady of Mercy Senior P.s., St Pauls B, Scoil Naomh Eoin le Dia, Waterpark, An Teaghlaigh Naofa Girls Junior, Gaelscoil na nDeise, Gaelscoil Phort Lairge, St Martins Special Sch, St Josephs Special Sch | Catholic | 17 | 5,396 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustDe La Salle College, St Angela's | Catholic | 2 | 1,960 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustWaterpark College, C.B.S. Mount Sion, Waterford | Catholic | 2 | 1,115 |
| CEISTOur Lady of Mercy, Presentation | Catholic | 2 | 937 |
| Friends Patron Company clgNewtown School, Newtown Junior School | Quaker | 2 | 527 |
| Bishop of OssoryS.N. Muire an Port Mor, Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS | Catholic | 2 | 399 |
| Kilkenny & Carlow ETBAbbey | Inter-denominational | 1 | 1,004 |
| To be decided ETBSt Paul's | Inter-denominational | 1 | 792 |
| Educate TogetherWaterford Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 1 | 386 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelcholáiste Phort Láirge | Catholic | 1 | 146 |
| Bishop of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory COIChrist Church | Church of Ireland | 1 | 114 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Grange
Starting primary school
Children can start primary school once they are four, and must be in school by six. Families apply to each school directly. Every school publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice; a school with more applicants than places admits on the criteria in its policy. Since the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, a Catholic or other majority-faith primary school can’t put baptised children first; a school of a minority faith still can, to keep its ethos.
Moving to secondary school
Children move to post-primary school at about twelve, after sixth class. Again, families apply to each school, usually a year or more ahead, and an oversubscribed school admits on its published criteria, often brothers and sisters and its feeder primary schools.
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; each school’s admission policy and notice are on its own website.
Which schools are growing
Between 2019/20 and now, 10 of the 30 grew by 5% or more and 11 shrank as much, while Ireland’s pupil numbers moved +5%.
All 30 schools
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September, 2019/20 and 2025/26 (preliminary). No capacity is published, so how full a school is can’t be shown.
The 32 schools in and around Grange
Here are the schools in Grange or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. No school here carries a letter or a result: Ireland publishes neither for individual schools.
Inspection reports for Grange’s schools
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate: every school’s reports linked, none rated
Reports come from whole-school evaluations (teaching, learning, leadership and management), subject inspections and follow-through visits that check earlier advice; gov.ie publishes each one with the school’s response.
Reports say what inspectors found and what should improve, without an overall grade, so none appears here; each of the 32 schools below links its own.
Department of Education Inspectorate reports on gov.ie, found by each school’s roll number.
Post-primary schools within reach of Grange
Post-primary schools within 10 km of the town; children move at about twelve, and families apply to each school
Within 10 km of Grange there are 11 post-primary schools: 9 voluntary secondary schools and 2 ETB schools. Of these, 5 are single-sex: 3 for girls and 2 for boys. Just one teaches every subject through Irish.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newtown SchoolVoluntary secondary · Quaker | Girls and boys | Boarding | 415 | 1.3 km |
| St Angela's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 937 | 1.4 km |
| De La Salle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 1,023 | 1.6 km |
| Waterpark CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 621 | 1.8 km |
| C.B.S. Mount Sion, WaterfordVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 494 | 2.3 km |
| Presentation Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 458 | 2.6 km |
| Abbey Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,004 | 2.7 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Phort LáirgeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 146 | 2.8 km |
| Our Lady of Mercy Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 479 | 3 km |
| St Paul's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 792 | 3.2 km |
| Ardscoil na MaraVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 1,227 | 9.8 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Grange
2 special schools serve the area: St Martins Special Sch and St Josephs Special Sch, 196 pupils between them. 8 of the 20 primary schools have special classes for children who need more support. Their cards ↑
Special schools and primary schools with special classes as the Department lists them; the National Council for Special Education places pupils in special classes.
Grange beside the 91 other Irish towns of 2,900 to 5,500 people
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km, listed by population: Ireland publishes no results, so none is ranked
| Town | People | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardee | 5,478 | 5 | 2,252 | 0 | 60% | 0.8 km |
| … | ||||||
| Mervue | 4,126 | 30 | 9,041 | 4 | 37% | 0.9 km |
| Prospect and Newtown Pery | 4,122 | 46 | 15,489 | 5 | 48% | 0.7 km |
| Montenotte | 4,113 | 70 | 20,121 | 8 | 49% | 0.5 km |
| Rathbane | 4,111 | 52 | 19,628 | 7 | 33% | 1.5 km |
| Grange | 4,109 | 32 | 12,776 | 3 | 41% | 1.3 km |
| Macroom | 4,096 | 6 | 1,897 | 0 | 17% | 0.1 km |
| Newcastle | 4,032 | 31 | 11,321 | 5 | 29% | 0.9 km |
| Charleville | 3,970 | 6 | 1,334 | 0 | 50% | 0.3 km |
| Castleblayney | 3,926 | 9 | 2,076 | 1 | 44% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| Skibbereen | 2,903 | 5 | 1,562 | 1 | 0% | 0.8 km |
Among the 91 other towns, 28 have more pupils at their schools than Grange does. Within 3 km, 60 of these 92 towns have a school teaching through Irish.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Grange
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around Grange had 11,886 pupils in 2015/16 and 12,776 in 2025/26. C.B.S. Mount Sion, Waterford grew most: +54% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Grange
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year, 2015/16 to 2025/26 (preliminary), for every school placed in the area today; schools that have since closed or merged count where they stood.
Schools in the towns around Grange
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grange | 32 | 12,776 | 3 | 41% | 1.3 km |
| Grange Upper 0.7 km | 29 | 11,835 | 2 | 41% | 0.8 km |
| Ballytruckle 1.3 km | 32 | 12,776 | 3 | 41% | 1 km |
| Grantstown and Ballinakill 1.6 km | 31 | 11,459 | 2 | 36% | 2.1 km |
| Poleberry 2.1 km | 29 | 11,782 | 1 | 45% | 0.4 km |
| Waterford City Centre 2.4 km | 33 | 12,411 | 2 | 39% | 0.5 km |
| Kilbarry 3 km | 30 | 12,024 | 1 | 43% | 1.9 km |
Of Grange’s neighbours, Poleberry saw the most growth in pupils since 2019/20 (+4%) and Grantstown and Ballinakill the least (+1%); Grange itself: +4%.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Grange or within 3 km of its outline, as the Department places it: families here use them. Schools further out are on the map of each school’s own page.
- The kinds of school. Primary schools take children from junior infants to sixth class, about ages 4 to 12. Post-primary schools teach the Junior and Leaving Certificate, about ages 12 to 18: voluntary secondary schools (mostly with a religious patron), ETB schools and community colleges run by an Education and Training Board, and community and comprehensive schools. Special schools teach children with particular needs.
- Teaching through Irish. All-Irish: every subject taught through Irish, in the Gaeltacht or, outside it, a Gaelscoil or Gaelcholáiste. Partly in Irish: an Irish stream (some classes entirely through Irish) or some subjects through Irish. Every other school teaches Irish as a subject.
- DEIS. DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) gives schools serving disadvantaged areas more teachers, money and support; the Department decides which schools are in it.
- Ethos and patron. Most Irish schools are owned by a patron, mostly a church; the patron sets the school’s ethos. Multi-denominational schools (Educate Together, many ETB schools) teach children of every faith and none together.
- No grade. Section 53 of the Education Act 1998 lets the Minister refuse to release information that would allow schools’ exam results to be compared, and no results are published school by school. So Ireland’s schools have no letters and its towns no School Grade; nothing on this page ranks them.
- What isn’t here. What the UK and French pages show from results, these can’t: results charts, results against pupils’ backgrounds and towns ranked by their schools (no published results), and how full each school is (no capacity is published). Every post-primary school teaches to the Leaving Certificate, so there is no sixth-form split to show.
- Inspections. The Inspectorate’s reports are linked from each school’s page. They give no overall grade, so none is shown.
- The year. The 2025/26 lists are the Department’s preliminary release; numbers can change a little in the final lists.
Questions about schools in Grange
How many schools are there in Grange?
In Grange or within 3 km of it: 20 primary schools, 10 secondary schools and 2 special schools, with 12,776 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Grange that teach through Irish?
Yes, 3: Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, Gaelscoil Phort Lairge and Gaelscoil na nDeise teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Grange?
No: all 10 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Grange?
We don’t say. Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them; a ranking would rest on guesses. Each school’s page has its own facts and a link to its inspection reports, and visiting the schools you are weighing is still the best guide.
How do I get a place at a school in Grange?
Apply to each school directly: every school publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice with its dates. If it has more applicants than places, it admits on the criteria in its policy.
Sources: Department of Education, school lists 2025/26 (preliminary) and enrolments since 2015/16, CC BY 4.0 · one school placed with OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).