St Patrick's College, Maghera

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was significantly limited by industrial action, meaning inspectors could not evaluate teaching quality or school planning. The report concludes that the ETI is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided” and designates the school as a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• Pupils report they “enjoy their lessons” and value the “wide range of extra-curricular opportunities.”
• Students feel supported by staff and report that initiatives promoting being “ready, respectful and safe” are “working well.”
• Key Stage 3 pupil leadership team members feel “empowered and more confident” through their responsibilities.
• Safeguarding arrangements were found to “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education.”

Areas to improve

• The report states the ETI was “unable to evaluate... the quality of learning and teaching within the classrooms.”
• The ETI could not assess the school’s capacity for improvement through self-evaluation or effective planning.
• The Appendix notes that “access points to and within both school sites require immediate attention” regarding health and safety.

Safeguarding

The report states that while pupils “feel safe and happy in school,” the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully, the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding” due to the industrial action.