St Josephs Girls National School
Mountmellick, Laois
Key facts
- DEIS
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 230 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 07183W the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St. Joseph’s Girls National School is a Roman Catholic primary school in Mountmellick, County Laois, catering exclusively to girls from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. As a DEIS‑designated school it provides a supportive, inclusive environment for its 240 pupils, with a strong emphasis on Christian and moral values. The curriculum is complemented by a wide range of extracurricular activities, including Gaelic football, camogie, athletics, cycling, swimming, harp, choir and debating, fostering creativity, curiosity and teamwork. The school operates a healthy lunches policy under the national School Meals Scheme and follows a structured day that begins at 8:45 am, with two scheduled breaks and a finish time of 1:30 pm for Infants and 2:30 pm for older classes. The campus includes modern classrooms, a dedicated resource room and additional specialist spaces added during the 2013 extension, which introduced two new classrooms and enhanced learning facilities. St. Joseph’s is a proud Green School, having earned twelve Green Flags for its environmental initiatives. Its mission is to nurture each child’s dignity and potential, encouraging responsibility for self, society and the wider world while celebrating wonder and achievement in a caring, secure setting.
History
The school’s origins date back to 1854 when the first Presentation School opened in an old parochial house in Mountmellick. In 1856 it moved to a thatched cottage accommodating 250 children, and in 1886 a two‑roomed, two‑storey building was erected for 300 pupils per room. Two additional rooms were added in 1930. The current school, Scoil Iosaif Naofa, was constructed in 1971, and a significant extension in 2013 provided two extra classrooms and a resource room. The school continues to serve the community today.
Applying to St Josephs Girls 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 St Josephs Girls 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 St Josephs Girls 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 St Josephs Girls National School
How many pupils attend St Josephs Girls National School?
St Josephs Girls National School has 230 pupils enrolled. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Josephs Girls National School a DEIS school?
Yes. St Josephs Girls National School is part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme called Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools. DEIS schools serve communities at risk of educational disadvantage and receive additional supports, which can include smaller classes, extra teaching posts and funding for books and meals.
What is the ethos of St Josephs Girls National School?
St Josephs Girls National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' primary school.