Donard Special School

Overview

Donard School continues to demonstrate a “high level of capacity for sustained improvement” in the interest of all learners. The inspection confirmed that self-evaluation procedures effectively inform whole-school planning, leading to tangible improvements in practice and pupil outcomes.

Strengths

• “Highly effective leadership” has ensured staff share a clear understanding of assessment information needed for pupils’ personal development.
• Teachers “evaluate and share their own practice consistently,” resulting in a “very positive impact on the pupils’ learning outcomes.”
• A thorough action plan for literacy has been agreed upon, with specific focus on the progression of “pupil functional reading skills.”
• The school has invested in reading materials and completed in-house training, allowing it to “quantify the positive progress made by the pupils” in engagement and comprehension.
• Leadership and coordinators provide helpful feedback by analysing planning, assessment, and detailed tracking of individual pupil progress.

Areas to improve

The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

The school provided evidence that arrangements for safeguarding “continue to reflect the guidance issued by the relevant Departments.”