Trim primary schools to amalgamate

St Mary's Primary School and St Michael's Boys Primary School in Trim are to amalgamate from next September after the Department of Education approved a proposal put forward by the patron of the schools following consultation with both school communities.

The new mixed school will be called Scoil Naomh Pádraig.

Both schools are under the patronage of the Bishop of Meath, Tom Deenihan, and are located on adjoining sites on Patrick Street in the town.

At present St Mary's Primary school is mixed up to first class and is girls only from second class to sixth class. Boys from St Mary's Primary School move across to St Michael's NS in second class, which is a boys only school. This meant siblings from the same family could start off together in St Mary's but end up separate schools after first class.

There has been a desire among many parents for the schools to be restructured to become co-educational for many years and while informal discussions have been taken place for some time, the formal process began in January of this year. Following department approval for the move, a steering committee has been set up to oversee the amalgamation process.

Trim Parish Priest Fr Paul Crosbie, who is a member of the board of management in both St Mary's and St Michael's outlined that the Department of Education last week confirmed the decision, approved by the Patron Bishop Deenihan, that St Mary’s Primary School, Trim and St Michael’s Boys' Primary School will be amalgamated into one single school.

He said this decision comes at the end of a lengthy consultation process involving the boards of management, staff, parents and pupils.

"The Department and Patron have agreed that the new co-educational school will be known as Scoil Naomh Pádraig and the amalgamation will take effect next August/September 2026 at the start of the next school year.

"The new name reminds students and families of their rootedness in a faith tradition that has deep historical ties to the parish in which they live and learn. This name also encourages liturgical, pedagogical and spiritual education in celebrating St Patrick, his mission, his virtues, and his connection to our local community. St Patrick’s story embodies the values central to Catholic education.

"This development marks an exciting new chapter in Catholic education in Trim. The amalgamation will bring together the proud traditions, values and strengths of both St Mary’s and St Michael’s into one modern, vibrant school community that continues to serve the educational and spiritual needs of local children and families. These values and strengths were emphasised in the feedback received during the consultation process, particularly the recurring priority of boys and girls being educated together.

"A steering committee will now be established to guide the process in accordance with guidance from the Department of Education and Youth. This committee will work closely with the staff, the Department of Education, the Diocesan Education Office and the patron to oversee key stages of the amalgamation, including practical arrangements for staffing, enrolment, and facilities.

"Further updates will be shared with staff, parents and the wider community as the process progresses."

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "The decision-making authority for any change of status including amalgamation is the Patron/Trustees of the schools, and this is subject to the approval of the Department of Education and Youth. Any proposed change involves extensive consultation at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and contributes to an inclusive education system.

"A proposal for amalgamation for the schools referred was received by the Department from the Patron. The Department supports the proposed amalgamation and is awaiting further information from the patron before finalising the full details of the process.

"Any surplus teacher arising from the amalgamation will be redeployed to vacancies in other schools."

Details around how the new school will be structured, and practical considerations such as the uniform, will be communicated with parents in due course when these decisions are finalised.

Local councillor Noel French welcomed the amalgamation saying it makes sense for children of both sexes to be educated together and will keep families together. "There will also be a certain amount of duplication with two schools side by side in terms of office and administration so it will make it a more efficient system," he added.

However, he also pointed out that the two schools are on very small sites and that this may need to be looked at in the long term and with Trim's population increasing, there will be a need for more school spaces.

There has been an appetite for the schools to become mixed and move away from single sex education for quite some time. As far back as 2012, when the then Education Minister Ruairi Quinn established the Forum on Pluralism and Patronage in the Primary Sector and chose Trim as one of five pilot areas where parents were asked their views on whether they would like to see a wider choice of patron in the area, one of the findings of the survey was that a sizable number of parents wanted to see St Mary's and St Michael's schools restructured to be coeducational rather than single sex.

- Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme