Hi °C | Lo °C A damning litany right across Northern Ireland as school standards decline
Controlled schools
Bushmills Primary
Inspected May 2009. The quality of maths provision was rated inadequate. Between 2006 and 2008, there was a downward trend in achievements in English and Maths. Praise for pastoral care and commitment.
Knockbreda High, Belfast
Inspected October 2009. Strengths include good pastoral care, courteous pupils and good standards in maths and art and design. But the overall exam standard, and leadership, need improving.
Dundonald High
Follow up inspection March 2009. Satisfactory progress made in some areas, but most subjects are more than 10 percentage points below the Northern Ireland average. There is also a need to improve attendance.
Beechfield Primary, Belfast
Follow up inspection in January. “In almost all of the areas inspected, the quality of education provided by this school remains inadequate.”
Ballee Community High
Inspected in January. Levels of attainment in public exams unsatisfactory. Special educational needs provision inadequate. Good pastoral care, improved behaviour and attendance.
Lisneal College, Londonderry
Inspected March 2010. The levels of attainment in examinations are inadequate. The quality of leadership at most levels is inadequate. Strengths include maths and teaching for pupils requiring additional support.
Ballygolan Primary, Newtownabbey
Report not yet published.
Controlled Integrated schools
Cliftonville Integrated Primary, Belfast
Inspected November 2009. The quality of education provided in the school is inadequate.Pastoral care is very good and the teachers are hard-working and highly committed. The areas for improvement include the need to to address low and under-achievement of children in literacy and numeracy, and for leadership to have higher expectations of the children.
Crumlin Integrated College
Inspected January 2010. It identified poor teaching standards, exam results below average, inadequate special needs provision, serious shortcomings in pastoral care and deficiencies in management. The principal — Dr Annabel Scott — was sent for training.
Catholic Maintained schools
St Bernard’s Primary, Glengormley
Inspected in February. At the time the principal and vice-principal were on leave. High (90%) level of satisfaction with the school among parents, but inspectors said
the quality of the provision for literacy and numeracy and quality of leadership is inadequate.
St Bronagh’s Primary, Rostrevor
Inspected March 2009. Pastoral care inadequate. Poor working relationships between the principal and teachers having a detrimental effect on the quality of education. Provision within reception class inadequate. At the time of inspection, the staff were taking industrial action. Morale was poor.
Irish-medium schools
Bunscoil Mhic Reachtain, Belfast
Inspected May 2008. Concerns about pastoral care and child protection and its approach to planning for learning. Strengths included the exemplary behaviour of the children and hardworking staff. This school is expected to be first to exit the formal intervention process.
Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche, Castlewellan
Inspected February 2008. The areas for improvement include more detailed whole-school planning. Working relationships between the teachers and the children are, in most instances, very good. There is a strong team spirit among the staff. New school is due to open in September.
Gaelscoil Na Daroige, Derry
Inspected November 2009. Teachers and other staff working largely on a voluntary basis. Quality of provision in Irish, English and mathematics is inadequate. Principal is hard-working and dedicated but leadership rated inadequate and quality of education is inadequate.
Gaelscoil Na Mona, Belfast
Inspected November 2009. The overall quality of provision in Irish and English is inadequate and standards in literacy are low. Quality of provision in maths, special educational needs and leadership rated inadequate.
Bunscoil An Traonaigh, Lisnaskea
Follow up inspection in May 2009. Areas for improvement identified in the original inspection in learning, teaching and management remain to be addressed.
Gaelscoil Na Gcrann, Omagh
Inspected March 2009. Situated in temporary accommodation. Standards in Irish and in English at the end of key stage 1 good but inadequate at the end of key stage 2. Strengths include pastoral care, dedication of the staff, and quality of the teaching in years 1—3.
Gaelscoilan Lonnain, Belfast
Inspected March 2008. Prompt action needed to improve pastoral care and child protection. Standards in maths by the end of key stage 2 are not as good as they could be. The principal is fully committed but the school lacks direction. Working relationships between teachers and children are excellent.
