St Dominic's High School

Overview

The inspection found that outcomes for learners and leadership and management are “outstanding”. However, because a significant minority of teachers did not cooperate with the inspection due to industrial action, the ETI was “unable to assure fully the quality of education” and could not evaluate the quality of provision wholly.

Strengths

• Pupils are “articulate and confident”, displaying “strong self-belief” and a “positive disposition to learning”.
• Examination results are “outstanding”, with attainment consistently well above the Northern Ireland average for similar schools.
• The senior leadership team provides “outstanding, transformational strategic leadership” driven by a “shared, visionary mission”.
• Governance is “exceptional”, with the quality of self-evaluation described as “sector-leading”.
• Careers education is “highly effective”, equipping pupils with the skills to make “well-informed decisions” about higher education and work.

Areas to improve

• The report states that the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully” the overall quality of provision, including planning, teaching, learning, and assessment across the whole school.
• The ETI could not fully evaluate the quality of provision in English, mathematics, and science across the school due to limited evidence.

Safeguarding

The report states that arrangements for safeguarding “reflect the guidance issued by the Department of Education” and that pupils “feel safe and secure in school”.