St Columba's Primary School

Overview

The inspection was significantly limited by industrial action, as staff refused to cooperate with the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI). Consequently, the ETI states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.” The report notes that the school is a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• Year 6 children are described as “friendly, confident and engaging conversationalists” who “talk enthusiastically about enjoying their learning.”
• Pupils “value highly the friendships they have in school” and spoke positively about wider experiences, including the school council.
• Children reported feeling safe, understood the importance of staying safe online, and knew what to do if they had safety concerns.
• Safeguarding arrangements were found to “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.”
• The ETI was unable to evaluate outcomes, quality of provision, or leadership effectiveness due to the lack of cooperation.

Safeguarding

The report states that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” though the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements” due to the industrial action.