St Joseph's College

Overview

This Sustaining Improvement Inspection was significantly limited by industrial action, with most teachers refusing to cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the pupils.” The report notes that evaluations are based only on evidence made available during this constrained context.

Strengths

• The school has “streamlined and developed further its systems for assessing and tracking” pupil progress using internal and external data.
• Younger pupils report “very favourably on their varied experiences of reading programmes, literacy clubs and library sessions.”
• Older pupils “value the formative and collegial support promoted through the use of digital technology.”
• Pupils spoke positively about “caring and friendly relationships” with staff and peers, reporting they feel safe.

Areas to improve

• Actions to promote literacy improvement need to be “more focused on classroom practice and teaching strategies to address the individual literacy needs of the pupils.”
• The ETI was unable to see the impact of strategies for pupils with additional learning needs, indicating a gap in demonstrated provision.
• The employing authority and governors must plan for the “sustainability of the school’s provision and the school budget” to address current and future needs.

Safeguarding

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