Holy Family Senior National School
School Details
Location
About
Holy Family Senior National School is a mixed primary school for pupils from 3rd to 6th class, situated in the River Valley area of Swords, Co. Dublin. The school shares a spacious campus with Holy Family Junior National School and benefits from a range of purpose‑built facilities that have been expanded over three building phases, including modern classrooms, a dedicated reading unit and outdoor play areas. With a staff complement of over 40 teachers and additional support personnel, the school provides a well‑resourced learning environment that supports both mainstream and specialised instruction. A distinctive feature of the school is its two Specific Learning Difference (S.L.D.) dyslexia classes, known as the Reading Classes. These small‑group settings aim to boost confidence and literacy skills for pupils with dyslexia while maintaining links to their mainstream classes, and all children in the programme receive free transport. The school’s ethos centres on delivering high‑quality education in a supportive, friendly and equal‑opportunity setting, encouraging personal development, wellbeing and community involvement among its pupils.
History
Holy Family Senior National School opened in 1985 within the premises of the present junior school, initially under the leadership of its first principal. In the 1986/87 academic year the school operated a dual‑day system with the junior school, before moving into its own metal‑clad building in 1987, constructed by Soldek Ltd. The first cohort of six‑class pupils graduated that summer, with a confirmation ceremony conducted by Bishop Dermot O’Mahony. Rapid growth saw enrolments reach 725 pupils by September 1997, prompting Phase Two and Phase Three extensions, including a brick façade matching the junior school. After a period of declining numbers, new housing developments and an influx of international pupils stabilised the roll, which stood at 728 pupils in January 2020.