Fraoch Mor National School
The Heath, Laois
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 212 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 103 girls, 109 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 18150S the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Scoil an Fhraoich Mhóir, also known as The Heath National School, is a Catholic co-educational school on the Great Heath of Maryborough on the eastern side of Portlaoise, County Laois. The school operates under the patronage of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. It is an eight-classroom school with 212 pupils. The school states its five core beliefs as being loved and cared for, learning together, kindness as a gift to be shared, being special and talented and thankful, and the goodness of God in all people. Its five core values are nurture, persistence, consideration, rejoice and respect. The school participates in activities including swimming, chess, debating, cross country, volleyball, music, soccer and rounders.
History
The school was originally built in 1834 as a one-classroom school and served the community of The Heath for over one hundred years. Before this, a number of Pay Schools operated in the area during the Penal Laws, disappearing once free education became available. The 1834 building was replaced in 1958 by a new two-classroom school built a short distance away in the Boyd Barrett design, a common design for National Schools at the time. A third classroom was added in 1963, followed by a fourth classroom, general purpose room and staff-room in 1981. Continued population growth led to the school becoming an eight-classroom school, with two extensions of four classrooms each added in 2013 and 2015. The Heath area itself has ancient associations, with ring barrows dated to up to 4000 B.C., one located beside the school, and motorway work in 1995 uncovering ring ditches, furnaces and pits associated with iron smelting.
Applying to Fraoch Mor National School
For a September 2027 place, a school's formal admissions process cannot begin before 1 October 2026. The school sets its own opening and closing dates in its annual admission notice.
National term dates 2026/27
View Fraoch Mor National School's own calendar (2026/2027 school year)
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to Fraoch Mor National School. The school publishes its own calendar, linked above, and that is the authoritative source for its reopening date and discretionary closure days.
- October Mid-Term Break: Mon 26 Oct – Fri 30 Oct 2026
- Christmas Holidays: Wed 23 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027
- February Mid-Term Break: Thu 18 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (post-primary schools: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027)
- Easter Holidays: Mon 22 Mar – Sun 4 Apr 2027
Primary schools close for the last two days of the February mid-term week and may use discretionary days to take the full week, so their break can be shorter than post-primary schools'.
Frequently asked questions about Fraoch Mor National School
How many pupils attend Fraoch Mor National School?
Fraoch Mor National School has 212 pupils enrolled, 103 girls and 109 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Fraoch Mor National School a DEIS school?
No. Fraoch Mor National School is not part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme of additional supports for schools serving communities at risk of educational disadvantage. Not holding DEIS status says nothing about how good a school is, only about the profile of the community it serves.
What is the ethos of Fraoch Mor National School?
Fraoch Mor National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.