Knockavoe School & Resource Centre

Overview

Knockavoe School and Resource Centre is described as having an "inclusive, welcoming and family ethos" with staff who are "dedicated" and "hardworking." The report concludes that the school "demonstrates the capacity to identify and bring about improvement in the interest of all the learners," noting that parents and staff hold the school in high regard.

Strengths

• Pupils are "motivated," "polite, courteous, and confident," and demonstrate "very good social skills" in various contexts.
• The quality of pastoral care is "outstanding," with "exemplary" nurture provision and strong relationships throughout the school.
• Most teaching was effective, with "seventy-nine percent of the lessons observed being very good or better," featuring high-quality differentiation.
• Assessment for emotional and behavioural difficulties is a "particular strength," and there are "very effective arrangements for careers education."
• The board of governors maintains a "very effective working partnership" with the principal and staff.

Areas to improve

• The senior leadership team requires a "more strategic focus" to monitor learning, teaching, and outcomes more effectively.
• Middle management teams need to develop "focused, time-bound" action plans linked to the school development plan.
• The school must develop a more robust system for monitoring learning to evaluate the success of interventions and meet complex pupil needs.

Safeguarding

The report states that the school has "comprehensive arrangements in place for safeguarding pupils" which reflect Department of Education guidance, and pupils confirmed they feel "safe and cared for."