St Francis Xavier Senior National School
School Details
Location
About
St Francis Xavier Senior National School is a Catholic primary school situated in Roselawn, Castleknock, Dublin 15. It provides education for children in the senior infant, junior, and senior classes, fostering a supportive environment built on mutual respect and a commitment to holistic development. The school’s vision emphasises the moral, spiritual, physical, academic, aesthetic and cultural growth of each pupil, encouraging confidence, ambition and a strong sense of cultural identity. The campus has benefitted from extensive recent renovation, offering modern classrooms equipped with interactive whiteboards and new percussion instruments for music. Dedicated facilities include a purpose‑built computer room, a library garden and outdoor classroom, an astro‑turf pitch, and Ireland’s first dedicated autism class “SONAS”. Environmental stewardship is promoted through the Green School Committee and hands‑on gardening projects that produce vegetables and sunflowers for the school community. A vibrant extracurricular programme features a show choir, debating, football, tennis, cycling, and an EPIC Museum class, reflecting the school’s commitment to a well‑rounded education.
History
The school originated as Coolmine Primary School, opening on 2 July 1973 in prefabricated buildings with 62 pupils. In mid‑1976 the school moved to newly completed premises in Roselawn, later named St Francis Xavier Schools. The senior section was established on 1 July 1977 with 170 pupils and expanded rapidly, reaching a peak enrolment of 680 pupils and 21 teachers in 1989. Since then the roll has settled at around 383 pupils, now representing 37 nationalities. Key developments include a computer room (1998), a library garden and outdoor classroom (2013), the opening of the autism class SONAS (2014), a redesigned library (2016) and a joint astro‑turf pitch (2017). The school is governed by an active Board of Management and Parents’ Association, both of which have contributed to the continual improvement of facilities and programmes.