Report of a Post-primary Inspection - Cambridge House Grammar School
DE Ref No 341-0297
February 2026
1. Introduction
A. Background information
Cambridge House Grammar School is a co-educational school located in the town of Ballymena. The school attracts pupils from the town of Ballymena and a wide rural catchment area.
Following a development proposal in 2016 to reduce pupil numbers from 1030 to 900, enrolment has remained stable at just over 900 pupils, with 140 in each year group and around 200 pupils in post-16. Each year around 110 pupils (78%) on average progress from year 12 to year 13.
While the proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs (SEN) remains small, the number of pupils who have statements of SEN has more than doubled over the last four years from seven to 17. Almost 12% of the pupils have free school meals entitlement (FSME). There are a small number of newcomer pupils.
The school is an active member of the local area learning community (ALC), Ballymena Learning Together, and is not yet involved in a shared education partnership. Currently, ten post-16 pupils access four subjects at two local post-primary schools and at Northern Regional College. In turn, seven pupils from four schools within the ALC access five subjects at Cambridge House Grammar School. There are collaborative approaches to staff professional learning (SPL) through the ALC.
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 Cambridge House Grammar School 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
The school’s vision is articulated concisely as ‘Together we create futures’ and supported by four core values: integrity, resilience, empathy and respect which underpin working relationships across the school. The vision reflects the importance of pupils, staff and parents working as one; it is shared and understood well across the wider school community. In their responses to the online questionnaire, almost all of the staff and parents said that they are clear about the school’s vision. While there is value in the ethos remaining unchanged for over 25 years, it is timely to review and refresh the vision and values in consultation with all in the school community and in the light of wider changes in society.
The school development plan (SDP) is evaluative and complemented by three one‑year action plans which identify appropriate priorities for school improvement, including raising the standards the pupils achieve in public examinations and embedding consistently high-quality learning and teaching across the curriculum. The school has been proactive in accessing external support for its improvement work. Across the school, there is variation in the quality of action-planning. In a majority of action plans, the arrangements for monitoring and evaluation lack rigour. The baseline statements are too narrow, and the associated actions are not strategic enough. Where action planning is more effective, the baseline statements are comprehensive and informed by qualitative and quantitative performance and pastoral information. In a small number of departments where self-evaluation is having a positive impact, the processes for monitoring progress include a wide range of first-hand evidence. The sharing of this effective practice across departments should help maximise the impact of action-planning at all levels.
The governors are supportive of the school, informed about the priorities for whole‑school improvement and understand clearly the need to improve the standards the pupils achieve. The governors are keen to engage directly with a wider range of middle leaders to provide the support and challenge needed to enhance the pupils’ learning experiences and the outcomes they attain. To enhance their role further, the governors should be involved more closely in the timely review and ratification of key pastoral and safeguarding policies.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
The pupils are kind, courteous and friendly in their engagement with their peers, the staff and visitors. The lessons where learning is most impactful are characterised by: respectful and positive relationships between pupils and staff; clear intended learning, stimulating resources and appropriate pace; independent, active learning with high levels of pupil engagement; and purposeful retrieval activities that consolidate the pupils’ learning. In these lessons, the teachers’ realistically high expectations are matched by the progress made in the pupils’ understanding of key concepts and development of subject-specific skills. When effective questioning strategies are used by the staff, the pupils’ thinking and oral skills are developed well.
When the learning is less successful, there is over-direction by the teachers; a lack of challenge; and, importantly, planning does not include adaptive teaching strategies to meet the needs and abilities of all the pupils within the class. The quality of the teachers’ marking for improvement in the books and booklets is variable. The pupils will benefit from regular teacher marking for improvement which gives them clear guidance on how they can improve their work, and sufficient time to act on the feedback and make progress.
Appropriately, learning and teaching is a high priority for SPL and school improvement, endorsed by the evidence of the inspection, and allied closely with the whole-school aim of raising standards in public examinations. In their responses to the online questionnaire, almost all of the teachers (98%) agree that they have benefited from recent professional learning, which is delivered by school staff, Education Authority (EA) representatives, other educational support agencies and through the ALC. The school’s bespoke learning and teaching strategy, the CHGS Charter for Excellence: the EEAP Model (Excellence in delivery, Edifying feedback, Assured assessment, Purposeful planning) is well designed, informed by research and by meaningful consultation with pupils, staff and parents. This model is a timely initiative, but is still at an early stage of implementation and continues to be embedded. It now needs to become an integral part of the developmental action-planning process.
Across key stage (KS) 3, the pupils access a suitably broad and balanced curriculum which is well-planned and coherent. The digital skills of the pupils are developed progressively in discrete information and communication technology (ICT) classes throughout KS 3. At KS 4 and post-16, the curriculum meets the requirements of the Entitlement Framework. It provides a balanced suite of applied and general GCSE and A level qualifications which meet the needs, interests and aspirations of the pupils. As part of the ongoing monitoring of the KS 4 curriculum provision, the school continues to consider the introduction of well-chosen applied and vocational qualifications in order to help improve the pupils’ outcomes at KS4.
The pupils benefit from a high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) programme which is aligned well to the school’s vision of ‘Together we create futures’. The provision for CEIAG emphasises the importance of partnership with parents and maintains a clear future-focused approach to supporting pupils’ progression. The consistent involvement of a core team of staff in guidance interviews and transition processes ensures that all pupils receive well‑informed and personalised advice and there is effective collaboration with parents/carers at key transition points.
Enterprise education is a particular strength of the careers provision. The breadth of engagement with Young Enterprise NI across every year group, including recent participation and success in entrepreneurial competitions, contributes well to developing the pupils’ employability skills. The pupils’ learning is further enriched through relevant employer links, departmental subject initiatives and a well‑organised careers week for pupils in year 13. The school is developing further a more flexible approach to work-related learning opportunities, through one-day insights; this is a positive and progressive step towards more relevant and wider engagement with the world of work. Most (85%) of the pupils who responded to the ETI questionnaire reported that they receive useful careers advice and employability lessons.
The school provides a calm and respectful environment where there are high expectations for positive behaviour and pupils are polite, ready to learn and considerate towards others. The use of the library at lunchtime for board games or personal reading is an important resource for some pupils at KS 3. Morning routines, including registration, help set a positive tone for the day ahead. There is variation in how well registration is used; a review of this time will help staff to identify the most suitable approaches to support the pupils pastorally and academically.
A high value is placed on the physical health and well-being of all members of the school community. The work of the school in this area has been recognised in gold awards for staff and pupil well-being from an external agency. A notable example is the regular participation of staff and pupil relay teams in the Belfast City Marathon, aiming to raise funds for charities with which the school has a close connection. An important recent initiative is the school’s mobile phone policy and practice, updated following appropriate consultation with the pupils, which is having a positive impact on the pupils’ well-being. In the absence of mobile phones, the pupils benefit from increased social interaction and conversation at break and lunchtime in the communal areas.
The school has carried out recently an audit of the Learning for Life and Work (LLW) curriculum provision at KS 3 and KS 4; it has been mapped across a range of subject areas and to the statutory requirements of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. It is age and stage appropriate, shows progression and includes resources that encourage discussion and reflection. The views of the pupils have been sought on the content of the LLW curriculum, and some adjustments have been made as a result of this consultation. Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) at KS 3 and KS 4 is primarily embedded within LLW and includes input from a small number of external organisations. Currently, an enrichment programme including RSE is not available to all post-16 pupils due to timetable constraints; all pupils would benefit from such a structured, timetabled enrichment programme which includes RSE. It is important that the school reviews and updates the RSE policy as it does not reflect the Department of Education’s (DE) current guidance, Circular 2024/1. The school also needs to review and update the wider health, well-being and safeguarding policies to reflect the current guidance, ensuring there is consultation with all stakeholders as part of this review process.
C. Building equity
The staff support the pupils in overcoming barriers to their learning through identifying their needs at an early stage, facilitated by effective liaison with primary schools and internal assessments. Although broadly in line with the corresponding NI average, the school has prioritised appropriately the need to improve the pupils’ attendance from 93%. The school’s internally designed dashboard provides an effective way to monitor the pupils’ attendance, behaviour and progress. Importantly, the staff report that the attendance clinics provided by the EA Education Welfare Service are helping to improve pupils’ attendance. The pupils benefit from access to the well-being room, individual, peer and group counselling and support from the school’s pupil welfare officer: these resources help the pupils to manage challenges in their own lives and stay engaged in education.
The pupils identified with SEN benefit from the insightful planning and effective deployment of classroom assistance to provide them with support in their lessons and, as far as possible, promote their independence. The parents who provided written comments in the questionnaire highlighted their appreciation of the school’s effective communication, support and advice. The school has prioritised SPL in how teachers and classroom assistants can work together, using coaching and modelling approaches, to help the pupils to overcome the barriers to their learning. There remains a need for greater consistency in how well the pupils’ needs are met by the teachers across all classes. While the personal learning plans (PLPs) capture well the views of pupils, parents and carers, the targets are too general and the strategies for teachers are not specific enough: as a result, it is difficult to measure and celebrate the pupils’ progress. At all key stages and across the curriculum, the pupils’ written and oral literacy skills are underdeveloped, and they require more specific support to improve their literacy skills.
Just under one-half (48%) of the pupil questionnaire responses highlighted that they have opportunities to meet and learn with pupils from other schools. The pupils would benefit from more opportunities to deepen their understanding of diversity, inclusion, social justice and equality through engaging in learning with pupils from other schools to broaden their perspectives.
D. Embedding success
The successes and wider achievements for past and present pupils of Cambridge House Grammar School are celebrated extensively in meaningful ways through assemblies, displays around the school and on social media. A culture of continual learning is building the pupils’ confidence and self-esteem; they achieve awards for academic attainment, attendance and good effort, and through a wide range of sporting, musical, charitable and spiritual activities. Pupil-led clubs include the charity committee and the junior and senior Scripture Union, ‘Grounded’.
The parents and the wider community are invited into school to celebrate and share the pupils’ successes through, for example, the annual awards event, sporting awards ceremony, spring concert and the art exhibition. Most (87%) of the pupils who responded to the online questionnaire agreed that the achievements and talents of pupils are recognised and celebrated. In addition, the house system, honours programme and pupil leadership opportunities provide further opportunities to celebrate pupil success. In discussions with the pupils, they told us they enjoy going on school trips and the range of extra-curricular activities available to them.
There is a well-established and structured approach to assessing the pupils’ learning, underpinned by a range of quantitative and qualitative information, including regular assessment points to monitor the progress of the pupils from entry into year 8 to year 14. Almost all (91%) of the pupils who responded to the online questionnaire agreed that they are encouraged to set their own learning goals. While this information informs departmental target-setting, supports the identification of underachievement and guides intervention, some departmental targets are currently set too low and need to reflect higher expectations, being informed by a wider range of first-hand evidence of pupils’ learning. A key action for the school going forward is to address the undue variation in pupil attainment across subjects at both GCSE an A level. In discussions with the pupils, they stated that they appreciate the friendly, helpful teachers who support them with their learning, and that they would welcome more individualised feedback on their work from their teachers to help them improve further.
In 2025, most (87%) of the year 12 pupils attained seven or more GCSE qualifications, including English and mathematics, at grades A* to C; this is below the school’s target of 92%. GCSE performance at grades A* to B in a majority of subjects is below the corresponding grammar school averages. At A level, the school is focusing appropriately on closing the gap between the proportion of pupils attaining two A level (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C (89%) and those attaining three or more A level (or equivalent) qualifications (61%) which is well below the school’s target (88%). The school's review of the post-16 subject entry criteria is undertaken annually: it now needs to focus more sharply on guiding the pupils towards the most suitable progression pathways and improving the outcomes they attain in public examinations at KS 4 and post-16. In 2025, almost all (94%) year 13 pupils progressed into year 14 and most pupils (86%) in year 14 progressed appropriately to higher education and higher-level apprenticeships.
E. Growing a community of learning
The school's links with local businesses, charities and cultural organisation are well established and enhance the pupils' real-life learning experiences. The pupils and staff enjoy positive and productive relationships with the wider community, underpinned by a range of partnerships that enrich curricular and extra-curricular learning. Pupils in year 14 are invited to mock interviews in another post-primary school within the ALC, with pupils from this partner school also attending mock interviews at Cambridge House Grammar School. Engagement in fundraising for charities which are closely connected to the school reflects that pupils' sense of social justice and active community engagement. Most parents (90%) and almost all staff (91%) agree that the school has good links with the local community.
The school provides a broad extra-curricular programme, which is valued highly by pupils and parents. A particular highlight is the bi-annual school show which enables pupils from all key stages to work together, develop presentational and technical skills, and forge friendships across the year groups. Those pupils who participate in the extra-curricular programme have opportunities to develop well their confidence, problem-solving and collaborative skills through competitions and external events: for example, arts showcases, the Rotary Challenge, Lego Robotics and Mid- and East Antrim Council events.
The school has effective and well-established relationships with feeder primary schools which support transition and continuity in the pupils' learning. Activities such as: taster days; an induction programme; the sharing of pastoral and academic data; and sports coaching by staff and pupils help the children in year 7 make a smooth and successful transition to year 8 at the school. The staff place a notable emphasis in year 8 lessons on encouragement, positive feedback and praise which helps build the confidence of the pupils in year 8.
Parents/carers value the quality and regularity of communication between school and home. They engage actively in school life through parent-led groups, sports coaching and sharing their experiences of work with pupils which contribute significantly to the pupils' learning experiences. A small group of parents who met with us reported that 'the teachers know our children really well'. In their written responses to the online questionnaire, a significant proportion of parents made similar positive comments.
The pupil leaders across the year groups who met with us talked enthusiastically about how their responsibilities as sports captains, peer mentors, leaders of student‑led committees and junior and senior school councillors are developing their leadership, interpersonal and wider social skills which are helping to prepare them for life beyond school. In our questionnaire, one-half of pupils who responded agreed that their ideas are listened to and responded to when the school is making policies and decisions, and a majority of pupils (72%) agreed that the school council works well to improve aspects of school life. In discussions with the pupils, they said they would welcome more opportunities for their opinions and views to be sought to inform the work of the school; the inspection endorses this area for development.
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. ETI will monitor the progress in addressing the following area for action: to update the child and adult protection policy.
3. Next steps
Cambridge House Grammar School’s vision of the school and local community working together to ‘create futures’ is shared and well understood by pupils, parents and staff. The pupils benefit from the school’s educational, sporting, cultural, business and charitable connections across the wider community. The inspection has highlighted two areas for action which will enable Cambridge House Grammar School to achieve its vision more fully, which are to:
- improve the quality and consistency of the planning, teaching and assessment for successful learning; and
- improve the pupils’ literacy skills and the overall outcomes they attain in public examinations at KS 4 and post-16.
ETI will monitor the progress of Cambridge House Grammar School in addressing the areas for action. There will be a progress inspection. Sustained external support will be provided to Cambridge House Grammar School to help it address the areas for action in a timely way.
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%