St Peters Primary
School Details
Location
About
St Peter’s Primary School is a co‑educational Catholic primary school situated on Hawthorn Road in Bray, County Wicklow. Under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin, the school delivers a comprehensive religious education programme that prepares pupils for the sacraments of First Confession, First Holy Communion and Confirmation, while welcoming children of all faiths. The ethos is centred on fostering the full and harmonious development of each child – intellectually, physically, culturally, morally, emotionally and spiritually – within a safe, happy and inclusive environment. A strong partnership between the Board of Management, parents and the wider parish community underpins a collaborative approach to learning, encouraging mutual respect and appreciation of diverse backgrounds. The school benefits from a modern, purpose‑built campus opened in September 2016, which provides spacious, well‑equipped classrooms, an assembly hall, kitchen, staff facilities and a large playground with a shelter. Recent vertical integration (both boys and girls in every class from Junior Infants to Sixth Class) allows seamless progression through the primary years. Extra‑curricular life is vibrant, with regular sports, arts projects such as the celebrated 6th‑class graduation murals, and a regularly updated blog that showcases school events and achievements.
History
The original St Peter’s National School was constructed in 1844 and opened in 1849 in Little Bray, later rebuilt in 1874 after a collapse. Initially teaching boys and girls on separate floors, the school expanded under the Sisters of Charity, who added facilities at Ravenswell in 1901 for the girls. In 1961 the boys moved to a new building on Hawthorn Road, featuring five classrooms and a playground. Overcrowding led to prefabricated extensions and three further additions in the 1970s, creating a modern complex with six classrooms, an assembly hall, kitchen and staff rooms. In August 2014 the school became a fully vertical, co‑educational institution, and in September 2016 it relocated to a newly constructed campus that continues to serve the community today.