St Malachy's College

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted during industrial action, meaning teachers did not cooperate with the process. Consequently, the ETI could not evaluate classroom teaching or fully assess safeguarding arrangements, stating it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education provided for the pupils.”

Strengths

• Strategic investments in teacher professional learning are “aligned well to the priorities agreed in the current school development plan.”
• Monitoring arrangements effectively integrate quantitative and qualitative evidence to support pupil progress and target setting.
• GCSE attainment remains a strength, with most subjects performing in line with or above Northern Ireland averages.
• Most pupils achieve three or more GCE ‘A’ level grades at A*-C.
• Pupils demonstrate clear understanding of their progress in developing “independent learning skills” and appreciate leadership opportunities.

Areas to improve

• The report does not list specific areas for improvement, as the inspection was unable to fully evaluate the impact of school actions due to non-cooperation.

Safeguarding

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