Newtownhamilton Primary School

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was significantly limited by industrial action, as teaching staff did not cooperate with the process. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was unable to evaluate classroom teaching or assure stakeholders of the quality of education provided. The school is designated as a "high priority for future inspection with no further notice."

Strengths

• Year 6 pupils report that they "enjoy their learning experiences," particularly those enhanced by educational trips and extra-curricular activities.
• Children value the school’s motto, ‘Hand-in-hand, we learn together,’ noting that the focus on working collectively encourages them to "respect others and value their own work."
• Pupils report that they "feel safe in the school" and are knowledgeable about how to stay safe online, reflecting the school’s high importance on e-safety.
• The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements "reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education."

Areas to improve

• The employing authority, governors, and staff must plan for and manage issues related to the "sustainability of the school provision and school budget" to address current and future needs.
• The ETI was unable to evaluate the quality of learning and teaching or the school’s capacity to effect improvement through self-evaluation due to non-cooperation.

Safeguarding

The report states that while arrangements reflect Department guidance and children feel safe, the ETI was "unable to evaluate the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school" owing to the industrial action.