Fort Hill Integrated Primary School

Overview

This report details a Sustaining Improvement Inspection conducted in March 2017, noting that the previous inspection in 2014 evaluated the school as “very good”. However, because all staff, including the principal, declared non-cooperation with inspectors due to industrial action, the ETI was unable to fully evaluate the school’s performance. Consequently, the inspectorate states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children”.

Strengths

• The report notes that “satisfactory arrangements for safeguarding reflect broadly the guidance issued by the Department of Education”.
• Children reported that they “feel safe in school” and know “what to do and who to talk to if they are concerned about their safety or well-being”.
• The school was previously evaluated as “very good” in February 2014, indicating a prior high standard of effectiveness.

Areas to improve

• The ETI was “unable to evaluate” the quality of learning and teaching within classrooms due to staff non-cooperation.
• The inspection could not assess the school’s capacity to “demonstrate its capacity to effect improvement through self-evaluation and effective school planning”.
• The school is designated as a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice” to ensure quality assurance.

Safeguarding

The report states that while safeguarding arrangements appear satisfactory and children feel safe, the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school” owing to the industrial action.