St Macartan's Primary School

Overview

This Sustaining Improvement Inspection was conducted in May 2018, following a previous evaluation of the school as “very good”. However, because all teachers participated in industrial action and refused to cooperate with inspectors, the ETI was unable to fully assess the school’s performance. Consequently, the report concludes that the inspectorate is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.”

Strengths

• The previous inspection in April 2015 evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school as “very good”.
• The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education”.
• A small group of year 6 children reported that they “feel happy and safe in school” and know who to talk to if concerned.

Areas to improve

• The ETI was unable to evaluate the “quality of learning and teaching within the classrooms” due to non-cooperation.
• The inspection could not assess the school’s capacity to effect improvement through “self-evaluation and effective school planning”.
• The school is designated as a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice” to ensure quality is assured.

Safeguarding

The report states that while arrangements broadly reflect Department of Education guidance and children feel safe, the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school” owing to the industrial action.