Glowing report for St Mary’s

The school’s principal, staff and pupils all came in for praise, with the report emphasizing the “excellent relationships” that exist at all levels throughout the school.

St Mary’s pupils were described by the inspectorate as friendly, welcoming, and well behaved both inside and outside of the class room.

Pupils with English as an additional language were well integrated in school and making good progress.

The report also highlighted the very positive comments from parents and the high regard for St Mary’s in the local community.

Principal Deirdre McNally said the report, which was carried out by the Department of Education, was an “affirmation” of the school’s success.

“This is a reflection of the excellent work and high standards at St Mary’s,” said Mrs McNally.

“It’s a tribute to all those in the school community, from the dedicated staff to the hard working pupils.

“Recognition must also go to the parents and governors, whose understanding support is key to the ongoing success of the school.

“The report is an affirmation of our success, and we will move forward confident that we are meeting the needs of our pupils and preparing them for their role in society.”

Mrs McNally added: “It’s an endorsement of our motto, which is ‘together towards success’.”

In its summary the inspectorate concluded that St Mary’s was “very effectively meeting the educational and pastoral needs of all the pupils”.

The inspectors report found that the main strengths of the school were the “caring, supportive and pupil-centred ethos”, the “self-confident, friendly pupils” and the quality of teaching.

It further said that the school had “excellent working relationships at all levels” and described the teaching as “outstanding”.

The pupils are said to value the friendly atmosphere and the support they receive from their teachers to ensure that they achieve their potential.

It was found that the teachers work very hard, prepare thoroughly for lessons and have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve.

The report also said there was a “strong sense of community” throughout the school.

Although the report was complimentary of St Mary’s overall, it did make a number of recommendations.

It pointed out that the canteen facilities were “not sufficient for the number of pupils” and said the school requires more disabled access from the staff car park.