Dominican College

Overview

The inspection occurred during industrial action, meaning the ETI was “unable to assure... of the quality of education being provided” and could not fully evaluate teaching, leadership, or safeguarding. Despite this limitation, the report notes that parents and staff expressed high satisfaction with the school’s “inclusive, welcoming and pastoral ethos.”

Strengths

• Pupils entitled to free school meals achieve GCSE results “consistently well above the NI average” for similar schools.
• A-level outcomes are “above the NI average,” with some subjects performing “well above the average.”
• Parents report “effective communication between home and school” and their children’s “enjoyment of school.”
• Pupils appreciate the “friendly and inclusive school environment” and the “range of leadership opportunities.”
• Governors are evaluated positively, using their expertise to support the school’s improvement targets.

Areas to improve

• The school must review its “curriculum offer and entry policy to post-16 study” due to a high proportion of pupils repeating Year 13.
• Improvement planning lacks “challenging analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data available.”
• Middle leadership action plans do not sufficiently inform strategic work; leaders must agree on “clear, specific actions, with measurable and time-bound targets.”

Safeguarding

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