Glastry College

Overview

The inspection was conducted during industrial action, meaning the ETI was “unable to assure the quality of education” and could not fully evaluate provision, leadership, or safeguarding. Despite these limitations, the report highlights significant improvements in examination outcomes and positive feedback from pupils and parents regarding care and support.

Strengths

• Examination results have improved significantly, with GCSE and A-level attainment now “above the Northern Ireland average for similar schools.”
• Pupils are described as “polite, confident and articulate,” praising the “wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities.”
• Parents expressed satisfaction with the “high quality of the pastoral leadership” and the care their children receive.
• The school development plan is “informed well by appropriate self-evaluation” with “cogent, coherent” action plans.
• The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is “broad and balanced,” and the school is “attentive to meeting the needs, interests and abilities of the pupils.”

Areas to improve

• The post-16 curriculum offer is limited, and the “entitlement framework is not being met fully.”
• For a minority of pupils, courses taken “do not always match their needs and abilities,” requiring further data analysis.
• Health and safety risks need addressing, including slip hazards in corridors and the home economics room.

Safeguarding

The report states that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” though full evaluation was prevented by the industrial action.