St Patrick's Primary School

Overview

The inspection was conducted during industrial action, with teachers refusing to co-operate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was unable to evaluate most aspects of the school’s provision and states it is “unable to assure... of the quality of education being provided.” The report notes that the school is a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Strengths

• The board of governors, in co-operation with the principal and staff, has been “integral to the development of key whole school policies, in particular with regards to safeguarding.”
• A group of older children spoke “positively about their experiences of school life” and reported that they “feel safe.”
• Children were aware “of what to do if they have any concerns about their well-being.”
• The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education.”

Areas to improve

• The employing authority, governors, and staff must “plan for, and manage, issues related to the sustainability of the school provision and school budget” to address current and future needs.
• The ETI was unable to fully evaluate strategic leadership, middle leadership, or actions to sustain improvement due to the lack of co-operation.

Safeguarding

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