Castledawson Primary School

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted in May 2019, following a 2016 evaluation that found the school had a “high level of capacity for sustained improvement.” However, the inspection was severely limited because teaching staff engaged in industrial action and refused to co-operate with inspectors. Consequently, the ETI was unable to fully evaluate the quality of education or assure stakeholders of the standards provided.

Strengths

• Year 6 pupils reported “very good opportunities to develop their leadership capabilities” through schemes such as ‘digital leaders’ and ‘playground pals’.
• Children stated they enjoy participating in a “wide range of extra- and co-curricular activities.”
• Pupils reported that they “feel safe in school” and know who to approach with concerns about their safety or well-being.
• Children indicated they know “how to stay safe online in school and at home.”

Areas to improve

• The report states the school is a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice” due to the inability to assure quality.
• The ETI was unable to evaluate the “quality of learning and teaching within the classrooms” or the school’s capacity for improvement through self-evaluation.

Safeguarding

The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” although the ETI was unable to fully evaluate the outworking of these arrangements due to the industrial action.