Report of a Post-primary Inspection - Belfast Royal Academy
DE Ref No 142-0028
October 2025
1. Introduction
A. Background information
Belfast Royal Academy is a co-educational, non-denominational, voluntary grammar school serving the pupils from the local community in North Belfast and the wider catchment area. It attracts pupils from upwards of 66 feeder primary schools. The school is celebrating its 240th anniversary this year.
The enrolment is steady and stands currently at 1454 pupils. The proportion of pupils who have free school meal entitlement is consistently around 12% (167 pupils). The number of pupils identified as having special educational needs (SEN) has reduced very slightly over the last three years and is currently just over 3% (48 pupils) with 2.5% (37 pupils) having a statement of special educational need. The number of newcomer pupils attending the school has increased to 2% (34 pupils) this year.
Two members of the senior leadership team have been appointed recently to their roles on a temporary, two-year basis. There are seven middle leaders elected to positions of responsibility on a temporary basis.
The school is an active member of the North Belfast Area Learning Community (ALC) and has a long-standing shared education partnership with St Malachy’s College, Belfast.
B. Views of pupils, parents and staff
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) issued online confidential questionnaires to the pupils, 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 five representatives of the board of governors.
C. The process of inspection
The ETI worked alongside Belfast Royal Academy 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 identify, celebrate and embed success; and
- grows and develops an inclusive community of learning.
2. Main report
A. Setting the vision
Belfast Royal Academy’s vision ‘To ensure that all our pupils are given every opportunity and the support they need to fulfil their potential in school and life’ is well understood by pupils, parents and staff, as reflected in the questionnaire responses. Underpinning this vision is a commitment to holistic pupil development which is realised through the nurturing in pupils of the values of Culture, Currency and Character. The pupils who spoke to the inspectors discussed how character helped them develop respect, to become more altruistic through a heightened awareness of the needs of others and having a shared sense of belonging. Most pupils (88%) who responded to the ETI questionnaire agreed they are proud to belong to this school community.
The school development plan (SDP) is informed well by the careful analysis of a wide range of qualitative and quantitative data and sets out clearly key priorities which align appropriately to the school’s vision. The staff are now re-engaging with the sharing of good practice, reflecting on the impact of their work and researching current educational pedagogy.
The governors are making a significant contribution to the life and work of the school and have recently produced a strategic education outcomes plan with a governors’ guidance paper to guide their work over the next five years. They are well informed about, and support, the school’s improvement work by linking directly with senior leaders, middle leaders and other postholders responsible for pupil progress.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
Effective learning and teaching is a strategic priority for the school and is a driver for school improvement in the school development plan. Of the 330 pupils that responded to the ETI questionnaire, most (81%) said that their lessons are interesting and challenging all or most of the time. The recently established Teaching and Learning group, comprised of reflective practitioners with an interest in developing effective pedagogy, provides impetus for improving further the consistency of the quality of lessons. The group members work in a collaborative climate of trust and openness and have re-introduced a system of peer observation.
Planning, teaching and assessment for successful learning are mostly effective. The pupils benefit from the subject specialist knowledge of the teachers and their skilful use of engaging resources, purposeful activities and probing questions to extend the pupils’ creativity and critical thinking. The lessons are well-structured and across the school there is consistent use of retrieval practice, which is strengthening the pupils’ memory and improving metacognition. Where lessons are most effective, the teachers: blend skilfully a range of learning activities for the pupils, including independent and paired or group work; pose high levels of challenge; provide stimulating resources; and probe for more extended oral responses from the pupils.
In just less than one-fifth of the lessons which are not as effective: the pace is often too slow with no clear intended learning outcomes; there is a lack of differentiation or adaptation; and there are not enough opportunities for the pupils to discuss, test hypotheses or justify their opinions.
The curriculum is rooted in the school values of respect for knowledge and high standards underpinned by its currency for future education, employment and life opportunities, where high expectations drive high achievement. The well-designed, responsive and dynamic curriculum is monitored closely and reviewed in line with the needs, interests and aspirations of the pupils. The curriculum is extended through ongoing collaboration at post-16 with schools in the North Belfast ALC and through, for example, the shared education programme for a three-week robotics programme for all year 8 pupils.
Almost all parents (95%) told us through the ETI online questionnaire that they are happy with their child’s subject choices and when we met with the pupils, they told us that they appreciate the wide range of subject options available to them. The pupils are encouraged, nurtured to thrive and are progressing and achieving well, with almost all of the pupils (94%) moving on to study at higher education level. The post-16 curriculum is further enhanced through an extensive range of enrichment opportunities which include pupil-led societies, after-school clubs and volunteering at local primary schools and care homes.
The school has prioritised appropriately a strategic review of digital skills, which includes a recently updated Key Stage (KS) 3 ICT curriculum and the need to develop further the pupils’ digital skills across the curriculum. The effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a growing development for staff, with the school having recently led professional development workshops throughout the North Belfast ALC on AI tools for planning and assessment.
The well-planned provision for careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) is delivered across all year groups through discrete careers lessons or the employability strand of learning for life and work. The school has developed links with a wide range of representatives from industry and local employers to support effectively the pupils at key transition points. An extensive variety of work-related learning opportunities utilises strong links with past pupils; the year 13 pupils benefit from a work-related assessment day and a work experience placement. Almost all of the sixth-form pupils (92%) told us through the online questionnaire that they are being prepared well for moving on to the next stage of education, training, or employment. Most departments monitor and share pupil destination data with the current pupils to inspire and motivate them.
The health and well-being of pupils is a key strategic focus for the school; pupils feel safe, valued and supported and engage confidently in the life of the school. A caring, nurturing, pastoral ethos is underpinned by mutually respectful relationships between staff and pupils. Healthy lifestyles are encouraged by and practised by pupils who participate in a wide range of sports. In the ETI questionnaire, almost all of the pupils (95%) and they are provided with regular opportunities to exercise. Notably, there is a high level of participation in a broad range of extra-curricular activities, with over 60 clubs and societies available for pupils. Just over four-fifths (82%) of pupils who responded to the ETI questionnaire stated they participate in extra-curricular activities.
The health and well-being of staff is also an important priority for the school. An inclusive Staff Wellbeing Committee provides an effective forum for raising well‑being concerns to the senior leadership team. In the ETI questionnaire for staff, almost all of the staff (97%) said well-being is promoted effectively in their school.
Following consultation with the parents and pupils, the school has reviewed effectively the preventative curriculum to ensure pupils are provided with progressive, engaging, and well-facilitated learning. The preventative curriculum is responsive in addressing contemporary issues, preparing them well to stay safe in and outside school, including online. The well-planned pastoral calendar identifies weekly themes used at assemblies to provide a consistent approach to building a sense of community, developing character, and to identity and reinforce the school’s ethos and values across all year groups. In the ETI questionnaire, most of the pupils agree that the school provides relationships and sexuality education which they find useful. All the staff who responded to the questionnaire agree that they have sufficient training and support to deliver the preventative curriculum well.
C. Building equity
The school’s value to champion diversity is lived out successfully in the inclusive ethos that promotes equity and respect for all, is responsive to pupils’ needs and is underpinned by high expectations for all. The pupils demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to their richly diverse school community. They are supported to understand, accept and value others through, for example, assemblies highlighting perspectives, cultures and beliefs different to their own.
The school’s approaches to helping pupils overcome barriers to learning and minimise disadvantage are flexible, innovative and pupil centred. The ETI joined pupils engaging enthusiastically in a range of creative and bespoke learning activities and interventions to develop their confidence, self-esteem and social skills. Importantly, in our discussions, the pupils articulated maturely to us how these interventions help them understand and manage their feelings, develop their wider skills and support them in their learning. The school’s evidence of the positive impact of these well-targeted support programmes includes higher levels of pupil motivation, engagement and attendance, and outcomes in public examinations that enable the pupils to progress successfully to the next stage of education.
Very effective use is made of the accommodation; the learning support suite provides a calm, welcoming environment for the pupils and the learning support staff. The pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are given regular opportunities to discuss their needs and to reflect on what strategies help them learn. As a result, the pupils make a meaningful and valuable contribution to their individual education plans.
The flexible deployment of the classroom assistants takes account of their skills and knowledge in order to best meet the needs of individual pupils. The strategic approach to building further the capacity of all staff to help pupils overcome barriers to their learning includes the introduction of the role of ‘learning mentor’ to assist with the development and enhancement of the provision.
Pupil attendance, monitored by the school as a key indicator of engagement and well-being, is high compared to the NI average with a rate of 95.5% in 2024 to 2025. The school’s attendance policy, reviewed and ratified annually, underpins a robust system of early intervention, with pupil absence addressed swiftly and sensitively.
D. Embedding success
The pupils are highly motivated, polite, respectful and confident; their behaviour is exemplary. The pupils work well independently and, when given the opportunity, they collaborate with each other with creativity in pairs and groups. The successes of past and present pupils are celebrated in assemblies and on social media. The pupils achieve merits and rewards through, for example, the house system and the pastoral merits system, for example, to recognise good attendance, good effort, academic creative and sporting successes and the honours programme. In discussions with the pupils, they told us they enjoy the level of competition that the house system brings.
The library is a vibrant, well-resourced hub of pupil-led learning and reading. The staff are passionate and knowledgeable about texts that excite the pupils; they support effectively the whole-school priority of developing a culture of reading, which is having a positive impact on the pupils’ enjoyment of reading and the reading standards they attain. The pupils across 12 of the post-primary schools in the North Belfast ALC have their poetry work celebrated through An Anthology of Poetry publication covering the topics of Words for Wellbeing, Identity and Future Voices, and most recently ten pupils displayed their artwork as part of the North Belfast Art Exhibition 2025 in the University of Ulster. Furthermore, two pupils recently represented Ireland and the United Kingdom at the NextGen AI Summit in Naples.
In 2025, almost all of the year 12 pupils (95%) who attained seven GCSE qualifications, including English and mathematics, at grades A* to C achieved in line with the school targets. In 2025, most pupils progressed from year 12 to year 13, and almost all year 13 pupils progressed to year 14. In 2025, most of the year 14 pupils (84%) attained three A Level (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C and almost all pupils progressed to higher education (94%), including higher level apprenticeships, with the remaining small number of pupils taking a gap year. The school is monitoring closely, and has been successful in closing, the gender gap between girls and boys, at grades A* to B, at both post-16 and KS 4, in particular the number that achieve seven GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications, including English and mathematics.
The pupils’ high academic successes are celebrated through, for example, annual prize-giving ceremonies. Sports teams have received recently noteworthy success in Cup competitions and significant numbers of individuals experience success in regional competitions and in representing Ulster and Ireland in their respective sports. Their involvement in the school show, choirs and various musical ensembles enables pupils to act, sing and play before their peers, parents and staff. These opportunities bolter their confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging to a broader musical community.
The staff monitor closely the pupils’ progress across all year groups; in KS 4 and post-16 the staff set appropriate targets for the pupils. Throughout the year there are three assessment phases, called ‘tracks’, where staff monitor closely the pupils’ progress using a well-embedded assessment system and a wide range of highly effective approaches. The pupils at risk of not achieving in line with their targets receive bespoke programmes of support in KS 4 and post-16, including closing the gap, coaching and mentoring; the staff’s internal monitoring indicates that a majority of these pupils (65%) improved from their baseline position. The staff have identified appropriately in the school development plan, that the well-embedded assessment processes in KS 4 and post-16 need to be developed across KS 3 to enable the staff to monitor the pupils progress more robustly; the inspection endorses this work going forward to support the school in addressing the area for action.
E. Growing a community of learning
There is a long-standing community of learning within the school which is strengthened by the collaborative networks which extend beyond the school site. In responses to the confidential online questionnaire, almost all of the staff and parents agreed that the school has extensive community links which have a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. A significant strength is the involvement of local groups and young people in using the sports facilities in the evenings and during the school holidays. Post-16 pupils contribute to the local community through a structured programme of volunteering in schools, nursing homes, and support for refugees in a homework club.
The Teaching and Learning group’s work complements the well-planned whole‑school staff professional learning. It is fully supported by the senior leaders and governors who funded a research visit for nine members to a group of schools in England. Importantly, the findings from this visit, allied with wider educational research, have informed whole-staff training and the establishment of a ‘buddy’ system for peer-to-peer lesson observations. As this initiative is embedded, it will be important for members of this group and senior leaders to measure its impact on classroom practice. All teachers have recently engaged in co-ordinated joint professional learning with three other post-primary schools within the North Belfast ALC, as part of the Department of Education’s Making Best Practice, Common Practice programme.
The pupils’ engagement in, and enjoyment of, sporting, cultural and other extra‑curricular activities is reflected in the high levels of participation. In response to the online questionnaire, most of the pupils (82%) said that they are involved in this aspect of school life. There is an active school council and clear processes for pupils to pass on their views and ideas through the representatives in each class which enable the councillors to discuss and propose improvements to aspects of the provision, including the content and delivery of the relationships and sexual education policy. Most (82%) of the pupils agree that the school council works well to improve aspects of school life. It is now timely to empower the school council and discrete focus groups of pupils to inform staff professional learning by identifying the strategies and approaches which best help them to learn. In responses to the online questionnaire, a lower proportion (59% and 52%) of pupils agreed that teachers ask for their views about the types of activities which help them learn and for their views on school policies.
The post-16 pupils have many opportunities to develop leadership and wider skills, for example, through the sixth form societies which enable them to: organise and lead regular meetings designed to inform their own and their peers’ applications for specific courses in higher education; liaise with guest presenters, including former pupils; promote wider reading and research; present their findings to peers for debate and challenge; and be better prepared for interview.
The pupils’ sense of social justice and concern for others are expressed through their work on behalf of local and international charities. International projects give the pupils valuable experience of different cultures, as well as opportunities for team‑building, fund raising for the project itself and service for others. The school also provides a wide range of enrichment opportunities which promote active citizenship and broaden the pupils’ horizons. Around 100 pupils participate annually in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, developing key personal and leadership skills.
The pupils benefit from an extensive range of educational visits in Northern Ireland, Europe and as far away as America. Many of these trips are led by departmental staff and are linked closely to the pupils’ learning in their subjects, for example, the Spanish exchange trip and the joint BRA/St Malachy’s trip for pupils studying physics to the large hadron collider in Cern.
The house system in school is embraced enthusiastically by the pupils who enjoy the element of competition and fun in traditional sports and also in, for example, photography, spelling and a ‘bake-off’. In discussions with inspectors, the KS 3 pupils said that there is something for everyone in the house competitions. A particular strength of this system is the alignment of the four houses with four discrete charities whose representatives speak directly with pupils in assemblies.
The parents are active in the school community, notably as Friends of The Academy (FOTA). While their main goal is to raise funds which go directly to whole-school and departmental initiatives, they make other valuable social contributions by providing: refreshments on open evenings; a continental breakfast for parents of incoming year 8 pupils; and an ‘appreciation breakfast’ for staff. FOTA members gather good quality pre-loved school uniform items and make them available to families, as required, throughout the school year. Communication with parents is regular, including weekly newsletters, tracking reports, and useful information at transition points about subject choices.
F. Child protection
At the time of the inspection, the evidence provided by the school demonstrates that the arrangements for child and adult protection align to the current statutory guidance. The pupils across all year groups who spoke to the inspectors and who filled in the ETI questionnaire report feeling safe in school; they know who to approach for help if they have any concerns.
3. Next steps
Belfast Royal Academy is realising its vision, ‘To ensure that all our pupils are given every opportunity and the support they need to fulfil their potential in school and life’. The holistic development of the pupils is supported well through extending and enriching the learning experiences provided for them. As set out in the school’s current school development plan, the next step for Belfast Royal Academy to take forward is: to improve further the consistency in the school’s arrangements for planning, teaching and assessment for successful learning, in particular, by monitoring more robustly the progress the pupils make across key stage 3. The District Inspector will monitor the school’s progress in addressing the area for action, as part of ETI’s normal monitoring processes.
The inspection has also identified two areas which warrant wider dissemination and from which other schools can learn. The areas for dissemination are:
- the creative and successful approaches which support pupils to overcome barriers to learning and which impact positively on the pupils’ learning, well‑being and outcomes; and
- the meaningful collaboration with an extensive range of external stakeholders which benefits both the pupils and the staff.
4. Appendix
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%