St Joseph's Secondary School
Rush, Dublin
Key facts
- DEIS
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 945 larger than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 432 girls, 513 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 60343T the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
St Joseph's Secondary School is a mixed Catholic post-primary school in Rush, Co. Dublin, with DEIS status. Enrolment is approximately 945 students. The school operates within the Mercy/CEIST ethos and describes itself as welcoming diversity. It holds the status of Europe's first CFES School of Distinction, a designation it reports having achieved for seven consecutive years. The school's practice is built on the pillars of Mentoring, Leadership Through Service, Pathways to College and Technology, and it has close links with Trinity College. Programmes include Junior Cycle, Transition Year, Leaving Certificate and Leaving Cert Applied. Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities such as GAA, soccer, athletics, music, green schools, choir, BT Young Scientist and debating. The school reports a focus on providing a quality education for each student, with an emphasis on both academic achievement and broader personal development. A Home School Community Liaison service is available, and the school participates in the JCSP programme.
Applying to St Joseph's Secondary 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 post-primary school dates apply broadly to St Joseph's Secondary 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: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (primary schools: Thu 18 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 Joseph's Secondary School
How many pupils attend St Joseph's Secondary School?
St Joseph's Secondary School has 945 pupils enrolled, 432 girls and 513 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St Joseph's Secondary School a DEIS school?
Yes. St Joseph's Secondary 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 Joseph's Secondary School?
St Joseph's Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed post-primary school.