St Macartan's Primary School

Overview

The inspection was severely limited by staff industrial action, meaning the ETI was “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided.” Consequently, no performance levels were assigned for outcomes, provision, or leadership, as the inspectorate could not evaluate these areas due to a lack of cooperation. The school was designated a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• The report identifies no strengths, as the ETI was “unable to evaluate” learning outcomes, the quality of the curriculum, or leadership effectiveness.
• No positive judgements on teaching, learning, or assessment were possible due to the “action short of strike.”
• The report contains no praise for the school’s provision or management during the inspection period.

Areas to improve

• The school must address the inability to demonstrate “satisfactory arrangements... for safeguarding learners,” which was initially missing.
• The school needs to resolve the industrial action to allow for a full evaluation of educational quality and safeguarding practices.
• The ETI requires the school to provide evidence that safeguarding arrangements reflect Department of Education guidance.

Safeguarding

A follow-up visit in September 2017 found that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance issued by the Department of Education” and that children “feel safe in school,” though the ETI remained “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements” due to ongoing industrial action.