St Colman's High School & Sixth Form College

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted during industrial action, meaning the ETI could not fully evaluate classroom teaching or safeguarding practices. Despite these limitations, the report highlights steady improvements in GCSE results, which remain well above the Northern Ireland average for similar schools. The school demonstrates effective use of data to support pupil achievement and has successfully integrated personal tablets to enhance learning.

Strengths

• The proportion of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C has "increased steadily" and remains "well above the Northern Ireland average".
• The school "uses effectively a range of performance data" to identify under-achievement and implements interventions that contribute to improved outcomes.
• Pupils report that personal tablets "support their learning, team-working and organisational skills," with positive feedback from surveys.
• The school council spoke "very positively" about the "learning and pastoral support provided by the staff" and opportunities for pupil voice.
• An ICT development team is actively working on staff development and an "e-learning platform across all subjects".

Areas to improve

• The employing authority, governors, and staff must continue to plan for the "sustainability of the school provision and school budget" to address current and future needs.
• The ETI was unable to fully evaluate the impact of actions regarding literacy, numeracy, and ICT due to the industrial action.

Safeguarding

The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements "reflect broadly the guidance issued by the Department of Education," and pupils reported feeling safe, though the ETI could not fully evaluate the outworking of these arrangements due to the strike.