Corpus Christi NS Drumcondra
School Details
Location
About
Corpus Christi National School is a Catholic‑ethos primary school situated on Home Farm Road in Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The school aims to provide a happy, safe and inclusive environment where every pupil is valued, respected and encouraged to achieve their best. Its educational approach blends a strong sense of community with a commitment to the development of the whole child – academically, socially, spiritually and physically – and is underpinned by a clear mission statement and a set of core values that guide daily practice. The campus has been expanded several times to meet growing demand. An extension added in 1964 introduced new toilets, a cookery room, a classroom and cloakrooms, while a 2012 prefab addition provided an extra classroom. Further works in 2016‑2017 created additional classrooms, modernised toilets, expanded storage, and upgraded the entrance and office facilities. These developments support a broad curriculum that includes basic cookery, sewing, knitting and contemporary subjects, and are complemented by a comprehensive set of policies covering attendance, behaviour, digital usage, health, and religious education. From its origins as a mixed‑gender school, Corpus Christi operated as a girls‑only primary until 1995, before re‑introducing co‑education in 2023 with boys joining Junior Infants from September 2024. The school serves families who often have several generations of attendance, reflecting deep roots in the local community while preparing pupils for the challenges of the 21st century.
History
Corpus Christi National School opened in 1931 to meet the rapid housing expansion in Drumcondra, costing £18,000 and being highlighted in an Irish architectural journal as a modern school. The Holy Faith Sisters from Glasnevin staffed the school from its inception, travelling daily to teach. Early classrooms were large, linked by folding doors, and pupils sat the Primary Certificate examinations in Irish, English, History, Geography and Arithmetic. In 1964 a rear extension added toilets, a cookery room, a classroom and cloakrooms, and during the 1960s‑70s senior pupils learned basic cookery, sewing and knitting. A prefab classroom was added in 2012, followed by further extensions in 2016‑2017 providing more classrooms, facilities and office space. The school educated both boys and girls up to first class until 1995, when it became girls‑only; in 2023 the decision was made to return to co‑education, welcoming boys and girls in Junior Infants from September 2024. Many pupils today are third or fourth generation attendees, linking the school’s rich heritage with contemporary education.