St Patrick's College

Overview

The inspection occurred during industrial action, meaning only senior leaders co-operated. Consequently, the ETI states it is “unable to assure” the quality of education and could not fully evaluate teaching, learning, or leadership. The report notes that overall effectiveness, outcomes, and provision are listed as “Unable to assure” or “No performance level available.”

Strengths

• Pupils are described as “friendly and welcoming,” developing leadership skills through mentoring and extra-curricular activities.
• Parents and staff who responded indicated “satisfaction with the work and life of the school.”
• Governors “offer both support and challenge” and are proactive in addressing under-performance and financial deficits.
• The senior leadership team works “collegially” and articulates a “shared vision for school improvement.”
• Pupils report they “feel safe” and know what to do if they have safety concerns.

Areas to improve

• The range of subjects at Key Stage 4 and post-16 remains “too narrow and inflexible,” contributing to low staying-on rates.
• There is “not a sufficiently clear delineation of roles and responsibilities” across the wider senior leadership team.
• The staff development programme is “not sufficiently aligned” to school priorities, particularly regarding an inclusive ethos.

Safeguarding

The report states that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education,” but the ETI was unable to fully evaluate their outworking due to the industrial action.