Millquarter Primary School

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted during industrial action involving ‘action short of strike’, meaning teachers did not cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the ETI was ‘unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children’. The report notes that the inspection could not fully evaluate the school’s capacity to sustain improvement or the quality of learning and teaching.

Strengths

• Year 6 pupils expressed appreciation for ‘positive working relationships’ and ‘extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities’.
• Children reported that they ‘feel safe and happy in school’ and know whom to talk to if concerned about their safety.
• The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements ‘reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education’.

Areas to improve

• The report states the ETI was ‘unable to evaluate fully’ progress on previous recommendations, specifically regarding teachers’ planning and self-evaluation.
• Staff are advised to ‘review and update the pastoral policies to reflect and guide practice within the school’.
• The school must address the limitations caused by the industrial action, which prevented a full assessment of development plan priorities.

Safeguarding

The report states that while arrangements broadly reflect Departmental guidance and pupils feel safe, the ETI was ‘unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school’ due to the industrial action.