St. Catherine Of Sienna
St. Catherine Of Sienna is a primary school in Kildare. 151 pupils, Catholic ethos, 1 special class, DEIS Urban Band 1.
The facts
| Type | Primary school |
|---|---|
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ethos | Catholic |
| Patron | Joint patronage between the Minister for Defence and the Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin |
| Fees | Free |
| Enrolment | 151 (69 boys, 82 girls) 2025/26 |
| Language of instruction | Irish Unit in English Medium School |
| DEIS | Yes — Urban Band 1 |
| Roll number | 20558Q |
| Eircode | R56Y860 |
| Address | Curragh Camp, Kildare |
What DEIS means here
DEIS Urban Band 1. This is the most intensively supported band. Junior classes are capped at 17:1, vertical schools at 19:1 and senior schools at 21:1 — smaller than almost any non-DEIS school in the country.
17:1 junior class size cap. Urban Band 1 primary schools have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in Ireland: 17:1 in junior classes (infants to 2nd), 19:1 in vertical schools, and 21:1 in senior schools. That is smaller than almost any fee-paying school in the State.
Worth knowing: several things people associate with DEIS are now available in every school. Schoolbooks are free at primary and post-primary regardless of DEIS status, and since 2025 all primary schools are eligible for the hot school meals programme. What remains specific to DEIS is the staffing — reduced class sizes in Urban Band 1, the Home School Community Liaison coordinator, School Completion Programme access and enhanced capitation.
Band as published in the Department's DEIS list, last revised 2022-10-12.
Special classes
1 special class sanctioned for 26/27:
- 1 × Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Source: National Council for Special Education. Children in a special class travel under a separate transport scheme with its own rules.
The area around this school
School planning area: Curragh. This is how the Department plans where to build capacity. It is not a catchment.
Local house prices: the median residential sale price in Eircode district R56 (Curragh) was €428,505 in 2025. That is up 58.7% since 2020. CSO figures for the whole district, not the streets beside the school.
Area profile: the Pobal HP Deprivation Index rates Ballysax East at -5.06 (Marginally Below Average), where 0 is the national average. 28% of adults there hold a third-level qualification.
Contact
| Principal | Jonathan Healy |
|---|---|
| Phone | 045441458 |
| curraghprimary@gmail.com | |
| Local authority | Kildare County Council |
Other schools in Curragh
- Curragh Community College Secondary school, Kildare
- S N Bride Primary school, Kildare
- Scoil Bride Primary school, Kildare
- St Annes Special School Special school, Co. Kildare
- St Brigids N S Primary school, Kildare
How we know
DoE Schools GIS 2026 (CC BY 4.0) — checked 2026-08-27.