St Attractas Senior National School
Dundrum, Dublin
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 371 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 152 girls, 219 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 19716B the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St. Attractas Senior National School is a parish‑run primary school situated in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, serving the Meadowbrook community in Dublin 16. The school provides a child‑centred education for boys and girls from 3rd to 6th class, underpinned by a Catholic ethos of mutual respect and cooperation. Its motto, *Ar aghaidh le chéile*, reflects a collaborative spirit that involves pupils, parents, management and the wider community in the life of the school. The campus has been extensively modernised. Facilities include a well‑equipped library, a contemporary computer suite with 45 networked computers, interactive whiteboards in every classroom, and a 100 m² curriculum room for cookery, music, science, drama and other specialist subjects. Recent upgrades comprise new marmoleum flooring, roof lights, upgraded security and fire alarms, landscaped gardens and a new hall carpet. The school also offers robust support for additional educational needs, with a team of special‑education teachers and Special Needs Assistants, and has been recognised as a Digital School of Distinction by the Department of Education & Skills.
History
St. Attractas Senior National School was built in 1980, initially sharing accommodation with the junior school. Although eight new classrooms were added, the school operated with 12 of the originally planned 16 classrooms for 25 years. From 1998 onward, a programme of physical improvements was undertaken, including new flooring, furniture, modernised computer facilities, upgraded ceilings, doors, windows, external fascias, tarmac, lighting, security cameras and film, as well as roof lights, landscaped gardens and a new hall carpet. An extension application submitted in 1998 was approved and completed ten years later, adding three classrooms, learning‑support/resource rooms, a bright reception area, additional storage, a new library and a 100 m² curriculum room. Over the past quarter‑century the school has expanded its special‑needs provision from none to seven teachers and eleven assistants, and its technology provision has grown from a single Commodore 64 in 1984 to a fully networked computer suite and interactive whiteboards, earning the status of a Digital School of Distinction.
Applying to St Attractas Senior 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
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to St Attractas Senior National School. Individual schools set their own discretionary closure days, confirm exact dates with the school.
- 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 St Attractas Senior National School
How many pupils attend St Attractas Senior National School?
St Attractas Senior National School has 371 pupils enrolled, 152 girls and 219 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Attractas Senior National School a DEIS school?
No. St Attractas Senior 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 St Attractas Senior National School?
St Attractas Senior National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.