Edmund Rice College

Overview

The inspection occurred during industrial action, meaning the ETI was “unable to assure the quality of education” or fully evaluate provision, leadership, and outcomes. Despite this limitation, the report notes high satisfaction among respondents and highlights strong pupil pride, positive relationships, and robust examination results in many subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils display a “strong sense of belonging to, and pride in, their school” and engage in leadership roles with “maturity and sensitivity”.
• Examination outcomes for five or more GCSEs at grades A*–C are “in line with or well above the Northern Ireland average” for similar schools, with a “notable increase” in A-level attainment.
• The curriculum is described as “broad and balanced”, with a review process that has positively impacted subject choices and standards.
• Parents and staff reported “high levels of satisfaction” with school life, citing “positive relationships” and effective support from leadership.
• Pupils value the careers education and benefit from “extensive links” with local industry for work experience.

Areas to improve

• The proportion of pupils attaining five GCSEs including English and mathematics declined to 33%, identified as an “appropriate priority for improvement”.
• Attainment for pupils entitled to free school meals remains “well below that of their peers”.
• Action planning “lacks a consistent focus on setting specific, time-bound targets” to measure progress.

Safeguarding

The report states that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education” and that pupils “feel safe and happy in school”, though the ETI could not fully evaluate their outworking due to the industrial action.