Inspection Summary Report - Aughnacloy College

Aughnacloy College

DE Ref No 521-0153

Inspection Summary Report - March 2026

The school's vision "To equip our young people with the skills, ethical values and qualities to help them build fulfilling futures" was developed collaboratively with staff, parents and pupils. The vision is complemented well by the motto “Building the future, together”; this sense of togetherness is reflected in the consistently positive relationships observed across the school.
The new three-year school development plan (SDP) is informed by consultation with pupils, parents and staff. Current priorities include provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), strengthening learner participation and the development of the curriculum. The inspection has identified also the need to prioritise learning and teaching on the SDP and include target‑setting to effect improvement.
The school needs to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team in order to monitor and evaluate more effectively the outworkings of the school’s priorities.
The pupils have a clear sense of belonging to the school and take pride in being part of its community; they are friendly and welcoming and engage respectfully with adults and visitors. They readily ask for help and express their thanks and appreciation to their teachers and classroom assistants for their support and encouragement.
Where learning is most successful: the lessons are well-planned; the pupils are encouraged to take risks in their learning; they challenge diverse views and perspectives; and, think critically to find solutions and experiment with different ways of working.
The whole school focus on literacy, supported by the investment in the school library and the creation of an attractive reading space, is impacting positively on the pupils’ attitudes to and aptitudes for reading.
The health and wellbeing of the pupils is a key focus of the work of the school. The well-planned preventative curriculum is responsive to the pupils’ evolving needs and interests and is enhanced effectively by input from external agencies.
The curriculum is flexible, broad and balanced. It is informed appropriately by the pupils’ interests, aspirations and abilities, parental preference and the local context.
Pupils with SEN are identified early and supported well with their learning in class by the staff. The targets within the personal learning plans should be more individualised.
Over the past three years, outcomes at key stage 4 have remained strong overall. In 2023 and 2024, 92% of the pupils achieved five or more GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, with little variation by gender. The proportion of pupils attaining at this level in 2025 dropped to 67%, which is in line with the school’s expectation.
The well-established external collaborative networks enhance the pupils’ learning. To grow further the community of learning, there needs to be targeted staff professional learning linked to whole-school priorities and more opportunities for the pupils to be involved in decisions about their learning experiences.
At the time of the inspection, the evidence provided by the school demonstrates that the arrangements for child protection align to the current statutory guidance.

Next steps

Aughnacloy College’s new vision is pupil-centred and reflects the context and ethos of the school and the commitment to preparing the pupils to be active, responsible citizens, contributing to the local economy and community, and beyond.

The inspection has highlighted two areas for action which will enable Aughnacloy College to realise its vision more fully, which are to:

review the school development plan to prioritise learning and teaching and include whole-school target setting to effect improvement; and
clarify the roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team in order to monitor and evaluate more effectively the outworkings of the school’s priorities.

ETI will monitor the progress of Aughnacloy College in addressing the areas for action. There will be a progress inspection.