Primary Inspection - Mossgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit, Glengormley
DE Ref No 301-3323
March 2026
1. Introduction
A. Background information
Mossgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit is a controlled, co-educational primary school located in Glengormley. The school has a nursery unit which is part of the Pre‑school Standardised Programme* and provides pre-school education for 52 children. The total school enrolment, including the children attending the nursey unit currently stands at 195 children with one class for each year group apart from one composite year 1/2 class. The school is set to resume a single class per year group structure from September 2026. Fourteen percent of the children have been identified as having special educational needs (SEN), and just under one-quarter of the children (23%) have free school meal entitlement. The school intake reflects a rich and diverse range of cultural backgrounds, religions and ethnicities with just over one-tenth of the children (10.7%) having English as an additional language (EAL). There are currently 12 teaching staff, eight of whom are employed on shared, part-time working contracts and a principal.
A well-established Shared Education partnership is in place with Glengormley Integrated Primary School, and the school currently holds a bronze Eco Schools Green Flag* award.
B. Views of children, parents and staff
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) issued online confidential questionnaires to the children in year 7, parents and staff in advance of the inspection. The responses to the questionnaires are referenced, where relevant, within the main body of the report. A high-level summary of the questionnaire responses, including any concerns raised, was shared with the principal and representatives of the board of governors.
C. The process of inspection
The ETI worked alongside Mossgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit to consider how well the school:
- has identified and articulates its vision;
- prioritises actions to achieve the vision;
- overcomes the main challenges it faces;
- monitors and reviews progression to define, celebrate and embed success; and
- grows and develops an inclusive community of learning.
2. Main report
A. Setting the vision
The school articulates a clear and inclusive vision, rooted in Christian values and encapsulated in the motto Learning, Caring, Achieving, which supports effectively the children’s holistic development. The school’s values and well-embedded vision is reflected clearly in the warm, child-centred and positive relationships for learning and shaping implementation of improvement work across the school. Core values of respect, kindness, perseverance, independence and teamwork are firmly established in the day-to-day practice of teachers and adults and in the children’s interactions with one another. Over the past year, the staff have revisited the vision to raise awareness and deepen understanding of the core values and their profile across the school community.
The school’s self-evaluation processes, including meaningful feedback from the whole school community, inform well the key priorities for development across the school. The main areas identified for further improvement are appropriate, as is the planned development of a more clearly connected structure for sharing effective practice through staff professional learning in literacy, numeracy and SEN to support improvement across the school. The staff have identified also the need to re-establish the whole-school approach to gathering first-hand evidence, including collegial book discussions, to align more strategically with the whole-staff professional development priorities. The school is appropriately working towards implementing a more distributed leadership structure with clearly defined roles and responsibilities and building further middle leadership capacity to drive further whole-school improvements.
The governors who met with inspectors have a clear understanding of the needs of the school and, drawing on their collective experience and skills, they offer appropriate levels of support and challenge. Furthermore, they articulate a well-considered, strategic overview for the educational provision and the school within its changing community.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
Planning, teaching and assessment for successful learning is well structured and purposeful and enables the children to make progress in their learning. In most curricular areas, detailed planning underpins clear progression and co-ordinators implement well-structured schemes of work with appropriate focus on skills development and opportunities for the children to connect their learning across topics. The planning is comprehensive and progressive and supports well the teaching and learning.
The staff know the children well and plan effectively using observations and planning boards to inform the next steps in learning. The children’s learning is differentiated well with meaningful use of resources and staff know when to step in to move learning on. During lessons, the children confidently discuss and share ideas with one another. The lessons are well paced with clear learning intentions, and the children understand what is expected of them. The children work well with one another learning in pairs and in groups and staff use appropriate probing questioning to extend their thinking and learning. In discussions, the children spoke positively about their learning, detailing how teachers make lessons interactive and fun, which is evident in the positive climate for learning. There is limited opportunity for the children to use self- or peer‑assessment to enable them to reflect on their progress and identify for themselves their next steps in learning.
In the nursery unit, the children are happy and develop well their confidence and independence. The well-planned learning opportunities contribute effectively to their early language development and mathematical understanding. The learning environment supports well the children’s confidence and self-management skills. The staff support well and extend their language and vocabulary through storytelling, role play and other creative activities. In the recently developed outdoor area there are regular opportunities for the children to explore, investigate and problem solve using natural materials. Early writing skills are progressed well through carefully planned opportunities to develop their fine-motor skills. It will be important to build on the children’s skills and experiences in the nursery unit and extend further the progression in play-based learning more fully into the foundation stage to ensure greater coherence in children’s learning experiences.
The school has developed a clear and strategic vision for the development of digital skills. A reflective and well-considered baseline evaluation has informed action planning for digital skills development, ensuring that the school’s priorities are focused and responsive to the needs of the children and staff.
Digital technology is used effectively across the curriculum to enhance learning and develop the children’s digital skills. They apply their knowledge and skills confidently in a range of contexts and their digital learning is supported well by a coherent framework for skills development and planning for progression as they move through the key stages. The children know how to stay safe online.
The school has a well-embedded culture of safeguarding and wellbeing. The children state that they are happy, are treated with care in school and are making progress in their learning. They report that they know what to do and who to speak to if they have any concerns or worries and described how they could use well‑established systems such as the worry boxes to alert adults to concerns they may have. The school provides a coherent and relevant preventative curriculum, with pertinent themes in Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (PDMU), World Around Us (WAU) and wider topics that develop effectively the children’s emotional awareness and understanding of themselves, their personal safety and healthy lifestyles.
The staff use their experience and individual pupil knowledge well to develop the children’s emotional understanding through various learning programmes; they are committed to the children’s wellbeing and safeguarding which aligns with, and reflects well the school vision, values and ethos. The children told us that they feel supported and well cared for, they engage actively during personal development lessons.
C. Building equity
There is an inclusive and welcoming ethos evident across the school resulting in positive relationships and warm and supportive classrooms. The children learn in a calm, enabling and well-resourced environment. Across the curriculum, they enjoy opportunities to develop understanding and empathy for others. They engage thoughtfully with one another and respond well to the learning tasks and curriculum content explored within the classroom.
The children show respectful attitudes towards the views and perspectives of others and display consistently positive dispositions for learning; they are motivated, considerate, and engage enthusiastically and confidently in lessons. Across the key stages, the classroom environments are conducive to learning and create a safe emotional space to allow the children to learn, make mistakes and feel supported by their peers and the adults in the room. The parent, staff and children’s responses to the ETI questionnaires reflect a learning environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued and included.
The staff have accessed professional learning from a wide range of external agencies and the positive impact of this is evident in classroom practice. The teachers and classroom assistants use effectively a wide range of strategies and approaches, including assistive technologies, to engage the children and to tailor support to meet individual needs. The children identified as requiring additional assistance with aspects of literacy are supported very effectively through the provision of small group withdrawal sessions. The pitch and pace of learning and teaching is matched well to meet their needs and abilities. A wide range of muti-sensory resources and appropriate strategies are used well to develop further the children’s phonological skills and improve their reading and spelling. As a result, the children, including those identified as having special educational needs, feel supported in learning and develop well socially.
The school, appropriately, is making the transition from individual education plans incorporating the graduated response framework to personal learning plans for children identified with SEN. The change is in response to appropriate recognition of the need for more consistently applied, clearly defined and measurable pupil learning targets. The revised methods for planning, monitoring and reviewing the support for children with SEN is building on the existing effective practices by incorporating each child’s voice more fully and by incorporating more meaningful parental engagement in progress review and target setting.
Ongoing professional learning in understanding, identifying, and addressing SEN remains a whole-school priority in order to continue to build capacity, and consistency of approach, as the staff team continues to develop. A recent audit of staff professional learning has taken place to inform further training needs, aligned with the development of SEN provision mapping. The inspection endorses the school’s approach to building upon the solid foundation of the SEN provision through further professional learning; regular reviews of the quality of the provision for SEN; identification of effective practice and sharing good practice between staff.
D. Defining, celebrating and embedding success
There is a positive culture in which success is recognised, celebrated and embedded across many aspects of school life. The children are confident, motivated, and enthusiastic learners, who engage positively in their work and speak very articulately about their learning. They show care and kindness towards one another and interact confidently with staff, visitors and their peers. Across the school, in classrooms and corridors, colourful and creative displays celebrate children’s achievements and reflect the children’s care and pride in their learning and school. A celebration of the children’s work, including their artwork, is displayed attractively throughout the school and demonstrates the children’s creative and expressive skills which are developing well. Within the classroom, the children take great pride in presenting their work in their books. Teachers use rewards and recognition systems, such as the WOW walls or achievement tickets to acknowledge the children’s efforts and mark their progress, motivating them to raise the standard of their work.
From an early age, most children use basic punctuation accurately and are encouraged to correct their own work. Samples of the children’s books from across the school show clear progression in writing, from early emergent attempts such as phonics-based encoding of sounds to increasingly well-structured pieces across a range of genres as they move through the key stages. As they move through the school, the children’s handwriting develops well, with well-formed cursive writing evident in books by year 6 and year 7.
In numeracy, well-planned progression supports the development of a broad range of mental-maths strategies. As they advance through the school, the children demonstrate growing confidence in problem solving, applying mathematical skills effectively and showing strong understanding appropriate to their age and stage.
The WAU curriculum is delivered effectively across the school. In the most effective practice, investigative and research-based activities help connect learning, spark curiosity and develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding across the WAU areas. The school’s internal assessment data shows that the children are making good progress in their learning.
Performances for special occasions such as Mother’s Day and Christmas are used well to showcase the children’s talents and build further their confidence. The school promotes and celebrates the children’s achievements effectively, with recent notable success at provincial and national levels in activities such as athletics, archery and dancing. There are regular, planned opportunities for parents to engage in updates about their child’s learning and celebrate successes. Mid‑year sharing of literacy and numeracy books enables parents to review and comment on their child’s learning. The school uses well a range of communication methods, including social media, learning platforms and a monthly newsletter, to share achievements and strengthen further the home-school partnerships.
Key transition phases are well planned and maintain continuity in the children’s learning. The children’s transitions into nursery and year 1, and from year 7 to post‑primary are enhanced by well-managed and co-ordinated induction programmes. Internally, the transfer of class pastoral information, assessment information and samples of work supports well teacher understanding of the children’s progression in learning.
During discussions, the children spoke positively about their learning experiences including school trips, Shared Education activities and the extra-curricular opportunities available to them. They told us that they are proud of their school and suggested how they would welcome even more opportunities to take part, for example, in inter-school sports and team competitions.
E. Growing a community of learning
The school fosters a supportive and inclusive culture in which children are well mannered and contribute to a vibrant learning community. All of the children who completed the ETI questionnaire believe their teachers treat them with care and respect and report that they know that there are adults they can talk to, if needed. The responses indicated that they are happy in school and feel the adults care about their health and wellbeing. In discussions, the children highlighted the highly effective relationships and engaging classroom practices that make learning enjoyable so “it doesn’t even feel like we are learning”. The children told us that they have opportunities to become active members of the School Council, Information Technology (IT) Monitor group or the Eco club. Through effective self‑evaluation, staff have identified appropriately the need to develop these roles further to include the children’s views on school improvement priorities and provide more opportunities for meaningful leadership roles such as reading buddies.
Almost all of the staff (90.9%) report that they have benefitted from recent professional learning. Professional development is impacting positively the quality of both small‑group and individual experiences and support. This is reflected further in the implementation and embedding of recent staff professional learning strategies, which are having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in ICT, spelling and mental mathematics.
All (46) of the parental responses to the ETI questionnaire agree that their child is happy and making good progress. The active parent teacher association plays an important role in organising whole-school events, providing hospitality and securing additional resources that markedly enhance the children’s learning environment and school life. Breakfast and after-school clubs are well attended and appreciated by working parents in support of their child-care arrangements during the working week.
The school engages effectively with local businesses and stakeholders across a range of community-based events. Through the extensive business, community, stakeholder and church links the children are provided with rich opportunities that enhance their learning experiences. For example, in year 7, the school participates in the Young Enterprise* Business Beginnings project which develops well the children’s understanding of entrepreneurial skills through practical and engaging activities.
Engagement with mums and toddlers in the Roots of Empathy* programme is used well to promote the children’s emotional understanding and self‑awareness, while supporting self-regulation, resilience and empathy.
The school is an active member of the Newtownabbey Primary Principal Association (NPPA)* and the Newtownabbey Empowering Schools Together (NEST)* providing opportunities for staff and learners to engage with the wider learning community. A long-standing Shared Education partnership exists with Glengormley Integrated Primary School which facilitates collaborative learning opportunities and positive relationship‑building across both schools.
F. Child protection
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.
3. Next steps
Mossgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit provides a welcoming and inclusive environment guided by a clear vision of a school that is Learning, Caring, Achieving. The vision is well embedded and is clearly shaping implementation of improvement work across the school. The children are proud of their school, enjoy their experiences, and are making progress in learning.
The inspection has identified an area for action to enable Mossgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit to achieve its vision more fully and which reflects the school’s ongoing improvement work: to re-establish the collaborative approach to school improvement, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities within a more distributed leadership structure.
The District Inspector will monitor the school’s progress in addressing the area for action as part of ETI’s routine monitoring processes.
4. Appendices
Appendix 1: Quantitative Terms
In this report, proportions may be described as percentages, common fractions and in more general quantitative terms. Where more general terms are used, they should be interpreted as follows:
Almost/nearly all - more than 90%
Most - 75% - 90%
A majority - 50% - 74%
A significant minority - 30% - 49%
A minority - 10% - 29%
Very few/a small number - less than 10
Appendix 2: Notes
Page 1
Pre‑school Standardised Programme*
A Standardisation Programme initiated to improve developmental outcomes for children, reduce regional and socio-economic disparities, and provide support to accessible and affordable childcare.
Eco Schools Green Flag*
The Eco Schools Green Flag is an internationally recognised award for excellence in environmental action and learning.
Page 6
Young Enterprise*
A registered charity that works with schools to deliver enterprise, financial, and business skills programmes across Northern Ireland.
Roots of Empathy*
An organisation that works with schools to implement programmes that develops children’s understanding of emotions and feelings and develops further their empathy for others.
Page 7
Newtownabbey Primary Principal Association (NPPA)*
A cluster group representing primary schools in the Newtownabbey area who collaborate and share expertise.
Newtownabbey Empowering Schools Together (NEST)*
A reconciliation initiative that works to build understanding, collaboration, and trust between school communities in the Newtownabbey area.