St Joseph's Secondary School
School Details
About
St Joseph’s Secondary School, Foxford is a co‑educational Catholic secondary school serving the town of Foxford and the surrounding rural community in County Mayo. The school describes itself as a Christian community that fosters a caring atmosphere built on honesty, sincerity, justice, mutual respect and tolerance. Working in partnership with the Board of Management, parents and the wider community, it aims to develop each pupil’s unique talents through a broad curriculum that includes the Junior Cycle, Transition Year, Senior Cycle, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and provision for special educational needs. Well‑being is a core priority, with dedicated supports, a mentoring programme and a range of extra‑curricular activities that encourage personal growth and social development. The campus has evolved from its original 1961 building of four classrooms, science and domestic science rooms, an assembly hall and playground into a modern secondary school accommodating nearly 480 students and staffed by around 50 professionals. Facilities now support a variety of academic and practical subjects, and the school’s ethos promotes partnership between staff, students and families to create a supportive learning environment where every learner can thrive.
History
St Joseph’s Secondary School opened on 25 October 1961 after the Sisters of Charity commissioned a new co‑educational secondary school on Providence Road. Designed by architect Brendan Jeffers and built by John Jones Ltd for £45,000, the original premises featured four classrooms, fully equipped science and domestic science rooms, an assembly hall, a principal’s office, staff room, store rooms and a playground, accommodating 120 pupils. The school was blessed by Bishop James Fergus and was the first mixed secondary school in the West of Ireland. Sr Mary Alphonsus served as the first principal. Following the introduction of free education in the late 1960s, the school expanded twice and, over fifty years, educated approximately 3,500 pupils. Today the school serves around 480 students under the leadership of the current principal and is under the trusteeship of Bishop Kevin Doran.