St Columb's Primary School (Cullion)

Overview

The inspection was significantly limited by industrial action, as teachers refused to cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was unable to evaluate most aspects of the school’s performance and states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.”

Strengths

• The report notes that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education.”
• The acting principal cooperated with the inspection team regarding her safeguarding responsibilities.
• The school has begun planning a shared education programme for outdoor learning with a local controlled primary school.

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 school is designated a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice” due to the inability to assure quality.

Safeguarding

The report states that while arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance,” the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school” owing to the industrial action.