St Raphaela's Secondary School
Stillorgan, Dublin
Key facts
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 637 about the same size as the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 60361V the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St Raphaela's Secondary School is a voluntary secondary school for girls in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, under the trusteeship of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Enrolment is approximately 637 students, with around 50 members of staff. The campus includes a hockey pitch and running track. At Junior Cycle, core subjects include Irish, English, Maths, Religious Education, Physical Education and Science. Optional subjects are Spanish or French, Geography, History, Art, Business, Home Economics and Music. Wellbeing subjects cover C.S.P.E. and S.P.H.E., with short course style subjects in Artistic Performance, Coding, Choir and Sustainability. Students complete classroom-based assessments and state examinations, receiving a Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. The school also runs Transition Year and Senior Cycle programmes. Named facilities on site include the Maher Library, the O'Donnell Lab and the Fulham Hall. An annual prizegiving ceremony recognises achievement across academic performance, sport, leadership, creativity and service to the school community.
Applying to St Raphaela'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 Raphaela'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 Raphaela's Secondary School
How many pupils attend St Raphaela's Secondary School?
St Raphaela's Secondary School has 637 pupils enrolled. That makes it about the same size as the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St Raphaela's Secondary School a DEIS school?
No. St Raphaela's Secondary 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 Raphaela's Secondary School?
St Raphaela's Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' post-primary school.