Gaelscoil na mBeann & Naíscoil na mBeann

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted during industrial action, with staff declaring non-cooperation with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.” The report notes that the school is now a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• The report states that “children reported that they feel safe in school.”
• Pupils indicated they are “aware of what to do if they have any concerns about their safety or well-being.”
• Evidence provided showed that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education.”

Areas to improve

• The school must “review aspects of the school’s child protection and associated policies to ensure that they reflect more fully the most recent guidance.”
• There is a need to “increase the pace of the work to implement the relationships and sexuality education policy.”
• The school needs to “ensure that all governors receive the necessary safeguarding training” and “review the security arrangements of the shared access to the school grounds.”

Safeguarding

The report states that while arrangements broadly reflect Department of Education guidance, there is a need to update child protection policies, accelerate the implementation of relationships and sexuality education, and ensure all governors receive necessary training, though full evaluation was prevented by industrial action.