Gaelscoil na Speiríní

Overview

The inspection was conducted during industrial action, with teachers refusing to cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.” The report notes that the school is a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• Inspectors met older pupils who “spoke fluently and confidently in Irish” and were “well-mannered and respectful.”
• Children reported “enjoyment of school” and positive engagement in the “shared education partnership.”
• Pupils spoke with pride about their “bilingualism” and opportunities to develop “leadership roles within the School- and Eco-Councils.”
• The school achieved “Eco-School status” and was awarded its “Green Flag” in 2018.

Areas to improve

• The employing authority, governors, and staff must “plan for, and manage, issues related to the sustainability of the school provision and school budget.”
• The school must address the “current and future needs of the children and the staff” to ensure sustainable provision.

Safeguarding

The report states that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education” and that pupils “feel safe in school,” though the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements” due to the industrial action.