St Oliver Plunkett Primary School

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted during industrial action, with most teachers refusing to cooperate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) could not evaluate classroom teaching or fully assess safeguarding arrangements, meaning it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided.”

Strengths

• The school has developed a “wide range of approaches and interventions” supporting children at risk of under-achievement, with internal data showing “almost all of the children are attaining as expected” in literacy and numeracy.
• Year 7 pupils spoke positively of opportunities to write for varied audiences and develop confidence in “speaking in public forums,” while demonstrating “clarity of expression, intonation and fluency” in reading.
• Children are “enthusiastic about their learning in mathematics” and possess an “excellent knowledge, understanding and application” of the curriculum.
• Leadership has fostered a “culture of robust self-evaluation” through clear vision articulation, enhanced curriculum leader roles, and peer lesson observations.
• Year 6 pupils praised the “caring and welcoming ethos” and the “wide range of learning opportunities” available across the curriculum and through the Extended Schools programme.

Areas to improve

• The ETI was “unable to evaluate the quality of learning and teaching within the classrooms” due to non-cooperation.
• The inspectorate was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding” owing to the industrial action.

Safeguarding

The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” and pupils reported feeling safe, though the ETI could not fully evaluate their implementation.