St Mary's Primary School

Overview

The inspection was conducted during industrial action, with staff 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 children.” The report notes that the school is a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education.”
• Year 6 and 7 children “spoke enthusiastically about their learning experiences and the support they receive from their teachers.”
• Children report that they “feel safe in the school and know what to do if they have any concerns about their well-being.”
• The school maintains an “on-going risk assessment in relation to a fault in the security system” and has raised this with relevant authorities.

Areas to improve

• The employing authority, governors, and staff must “plan for, and manage, issues related to the sustainability of the school in relation to the school’s provision and budget.”
• The ETI was unable to evaluate outcomes, provision, or leadership, meaning no specific educational improvements could be identified or 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” due to the industrial action.