Largymore Primary School

Overview

This report details a Sustaining Improvement Inspection conducted in June 2017, which was significantly limited by industrial action involving "action short of strike." The school informed the ETI that staff and governors would not cooperate, preventing the evaluation of teaching quality or self-evaluation. Consequently, the ETI stated it was "unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education and safeguarding being provided for the children."

Strengths

• The report notes that a previous inspection in November 2013 evaluated the school’s overall effectiveness as "very good."
• During a follow-up visit in September 2017, the school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements "reflect broadly the guidance issued by the Department of Education."

Areas to improve

• The school must address the lack of cooperation with inspectors, which prevented the evaluation of "the quality of learning and teaching within the classrooms."
• The ETI was unable to evaluate "the extent to which the school is capable of demonstrating its capacity to effect improvement through self-evaluation and effective school planning."
• The school is designated as a "high priority for future inspection with no further notice" due to the inability to assure stakeholders of educational quality.

Safeguarding

The initial inspection found no evidence of satisfactory safeguarding arrangements, but a subsequent visit confirmed that arrangements "reflect broadly the guidance issued by the Department of Education," although full evaluation remained impossible due to ongoing industrial action.