Knockevin Special School

Overview

The inspection was conducted during industrial action, meaning teachers did not cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the ETI states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the pupils.” The report notes that the school is a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• Parents and staff reported “high levels of satisfaction” with the school, citing “effective working relationships” and a “supportive school learning environment.”
• Pupils spoke with “confidence and pride” about leadership roles in Eco- and school councils, and enjoyed “outdoor play, making friends, and the after-school clubs.”
• The Early Years Centre provides “intensive, individualised sensory programmes” where pupils “settle well to learning and play.”
• The school offers a “well-balanced curriculum” with enhanced opportunities in arts, science, and technology through the Area Learning Community.
• Individual education plans are described as “concise with clear, informative teaching strategies and measurable targets.”

Areas to improve

• The school must implement an “effective system to monitor more robustly the progress and outcomes of all of the pupils.”
• Leadership needs to “enhance their capacity to monitor and evaluate the impact of planned actions on school improvement and pupil progression.”
• The school must review aspects of the “intimate care policy” and ensure governors complete planned training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding “reflects broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” though the ETI was unable to fully evaluate the outworking of these arrangements due to the industrial action.