St Kevin's Primary School

Overview

This Sustaining Improvement Inspection evaluated St Kevin’s Primary School’s capacity for self-evaluation and development planning. Due to industrial action involving non-cooperation from almost all teachers, the Education and Training Inspectorate was unable to evaluate classroom teaching or fully assess safeguarding arrangements. Consequently, the report states the ETI is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.”

Strengths

• Improved numeracy planning supports “continuity and steady progression” and high-quality professional learning.
• Children demonstrate “flexibility in their mathematical thinking and reasoning” and understand the importance of mathematics.
• Middle leaders show “enhanced, meaningful engagement” in monitoring the school development plan and analysing performance data.
• Pupils report a “friendly ethos” and appreciate the “wide range of after-school activities.”

Areas to improve

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement regarding the specific lines of inquiry, as the inspection was constrained by industrial action.

Safeguarding

The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” and children reported feeling safe, though the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements” due to the strike action.