St Joseph's Primary School

Overview

This report details a Sustaining Improvement Inspection conducted in January 2018, during which staff participated in industrial action involving "action short of strike" and refused to cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was unable to evaluate the quality of learning, teaching, or the school’s capacity for improvement. The report concludes that the ETI is "unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children."

Strengths

• The previous inspection in January 2015 evaluated the school’s overall effectiveness as "very good."
• The school’s enrolment has "continued to increase" since the last inspection.
• The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements "reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education."

Areas to improve

• The ETI was unable to evaluate the quality of learning and teaching or the school’s self-evaluation processes due to non-cooperation.
• The school is designated as a "high priority for future inspection with no further notice."
• The principal and governors continue to liaise with authorities regarding "difficulties in accessing the school from the main road."

Safeguarding

The report states that while provided evidence suggests arrangements reflect Departmental guidance, the ETI was "unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school" due to the industrial action.