BASIC INFORMATION SHEET (BIS) - PRIMARY SCHOOLS

A. i. School: St Mary’s Primary iii. Date of Inspection: W/B 23/10/06

Claudy (Altinure)

ii.School Reference Number: 203-2294 iv. Nature of Inspection: Short

B.

School Year / 2002/03 / 2003/04 / 2004/05 / 2005/06 / 2006/07
Year 1 Intake / 24 / 25 / 34 / 29 / 30
Enrolments
Primary / 160 / 167 / 179 / 190 / 198
Reception / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Nursery Class/Classes / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Special Unit / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0

The enrolment for the current year is the figure on the day of notification of inspection.
For previous years it is the figure in the annual return to the Department of Education.

The calculations at C and D should be based on the total of the primary and reception enrolments only.

C.Average Attendance for the Previous School Year
(expressed as a percentage):97.4%

Primary &NurserySpecial Reception Unit Unit

D. i.Number of Teachers
(including the principal and part-time teachers):800
(Full-time equivalent = 25 teaching hours)

ii.PTR (Pupil/Teacher Ratio):24.75 NI PTR: 20.5

iii.Average Class Size:28

iv.Class Size (Range):25 to 30

v.Ancillary Support:
Number of Hours Per Week: i.Clerical support:30

ii. Official Making A Good Start Support 30

iii. Making A Good Start funding

additional hours and other

classroom assistant support:75

  1. Percentage of children with statements of special educational needs:1%
  1. Total percentage of children on the Special Needs Register:30.3%
  1. Number of children who are not of statutory school age:0

ix.Percentage of children entitled to free school meals:5%

ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, CLAUDY (ALTINURE), CO LONDONDERRY, BT474DP (203-2294)

St Mary’s Primary School is situated in the townland of Altinure, on the outskirts of the village of Park, County Londonderry. The majority of the children come from the surrounding district. Enrolment numbers have increased steadily in recent years. Approximately 5% of the children are entitled to free school meals.

The arrangements for the inspection of pastoral care and child protection included the completion of questionnaires by the parents as well as a meeting with a group of the children in year 6. Prior to the inspection, questionnaires were issued to the parents; 56% of these were returned to the Department of Education (DE). The responses to the questionnaire and the many supportive comments that were included, indicate the high esteem in which the school is held by the parents. They praised, in particular, the dedication of the staff and the wide range of activities provided for the children.

The high quality of pastoral care is a significant strength of the school. A secure and happy environment is provided for the children in which they are valued and feel at ease. The school has procedures in place which implement fully the guidance outlined in the relevant DE Circulars and has identified further areas for development within its pastoral programme.

The school’s programme for the promotion of health and well-being has many sound features. There is a developing commitment to promoting healthy eating, and opportunities are provided for all the children to participate in a range of physical activities.

The strengths of the school include:

  • the excellent ethos and the good working relationships that exist at all levels;
  • the hard-working and committed teachers who are dedicated to the education and pastoral care of the children;
  • the quality of the teaching seen which was consistently good and often excellent;
  • the quality of the children’s responses, their application to the work and cooperation with one another on shared tasks and their very good behaviour;
  • the good standards achieved by most of the children;
  • the provision made for the children with special educational needs;
  • the enthusiastic and highly effective leadership of the Principal whose vision sets the tone for the work of the school;
  • the effective contribution made by the non-teaching staff to the work of the school;
  • the school’s exemplary history of self-evaluation, development and improvement culminating in the winning of numerous and prestigious awards; and
  • the high quality of the accommodation, maintenance and cleaning.

In the areas inspected, the quality of education provided in this school is excellent. The educational and pastoral needs of the learners are being very well met. The parents and local community can have confidence in the school’s capacity for sustained self-improvement.

No follow-up inspection is required.

A number of quantitative terms are used in the report. In percentages, the terms correspond as follows:-

More than 90%-almost/nearly all

75%-90%-most

50%-74%-a majority

30%-49%-a significant minority

10%-29%-a minority

Less than 10%-very few/a small number.

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