Report of a Post-primary Inspection - Omagh Academy
DE Ref No 241-0066
November 2025
1. Introduction
A. Background information
Omagh Academy is a controlled, co-educational, non-denominational grammar school which is situated in the centre of Omagh in County Tyrone. The school attracts pupils from a wide catchment area from over 25 feeder primary schools; the current enrolment stands at 671 pupils. Around eight per cent of the pupils have free school meals entitlement. A small proportion (4%) of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs (SEN);45% of whom have a statement of SEN. A small number of newcomer pupils attend the school.
The school is an active member of the Omagh Learning Community (OLC). In 2024, 36 pupils from years 13 and 14 accessed a range of post-16 courses through collaboration with schools and the South West College across the OLC. Similarly, 19 pupils from other local post-primary schools accessed post-16 courses in the school.
The school is part of the long-standing Strule shared education partnership with Arvalee School and Resource Centre, Christian Brothers Grammar School, Loreto Grammar School, Omagh High School and Sacred Heart College. Building has commenced to enable the school to relocate to Strule in 2028.
B. Views of pupils, parents/carers and staff
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) issued online confidential questionnaires to the pupils, parents/carers 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 seven representatives of the board of governors.
C. The process of inspection
ETI worked alongside Omagh 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
The school’s vision, ‘Inspire, Empower, Achieve’, underpinned by a non‑denominational Christian ethos, fosters a strong sense of purpose and identity across the school community. The pupils are inspired and empowered to achieve well in their learning and holistic development through high expectations and positive working relationships. The caring and supportive staff encourage their pupils to strive for excellence, enabling them to live out with pride their school’s motto ‘Veritas Vincet’ (truth will prevail) in being their best selves and overcoming barriers to learning. Importantly, the pupils recognise the importance of verifying truth claims and perspectives through critical evaluation.
Harnessing the views of pupils, staff, parents/carers and stakeholders is central to the school’s development planning (SDP) process. Most (83%) of the pupils who responded to the ETI questionnaire report a strong sense of pride and belonging to the school. All staff who responded to the questionnaire are clear about the vision and feel they contribute meaningfully to it; almost all (91%) parent/carer questionnaire responses highlighted their understanding of the vision. The strategic priorities for improvement, to Inspire, Empower, Achieve, Strengthen, Connect are appropriate and drive improvement across the school. The action plans that identify time-bound actions to address the strategic priorities would benefit from more precise targets. As an area for action greater robust evaluation of first-hand evidence of the pupils’ learning should inform precision in the whole-school target setting processes going forward.
The governors provide a wide range of expertise, support, community links and challenge to the life and work of the school. Governance sub-groups ensure oversight, scrutiny and regulation, including importantly, the arrangements for safeguarding and child protection. The governors’ expertise will be key in supporting the school in the strategic planning for the move to Strule.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
In most lessons observed, the teachers’ planning, teaching and assessment enabled successful learning. Using an agreed planning framework, teachers build appropriately on prior learning, with clear learning intentions and success criteria, enquiry questions, adaptive strategies and retrieval practice. The pupils respond well to their teachers’ in-depth subject expertise and enthusiasm, stimulating learning environments, high-quality resources, real-life engaging connections and ongoing feedback. They apply their learning through visual modelling, digital resources, practical demonstrations and a range of active learning strategies. They evaluate critically questions posed, using key terms precisely, extending the depth of their explanations and using differing sources of information.
When aspects of the pupils’ learning were less successful, the pupils were over‑directed in their learning with insufficient adaptive strategies to meet their differing needs. They completed tasks to occupy them rather than being given opportunities to extend their learning.
The health and well-being of pupils is a key priority for the school; the pupils understand the importance of following a healthy lifestyle through high levels of participation in an extensive range of sports and activities; almost all (99.3%) pupil questionnaire responses agreed that they have regular opportunities for physical activity. The comprehensive review of the preventative curriculum is well informed by the pupils’ needs and views and focuses on developing the pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding to make positive choices and cope with challenges. The personal development programme incorporates impactful strategies that encourage reflective journalling to promote well-being, engaging in scenarios and debates in making informed choices. The school is flexible and responsive in addressing relevant and contemporary issues responsive to, for example, a session in relation to cyber safety in the area was delivered to pupils by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (NI). The progressive Relationships and Sexuality Education provision across years 8 to 14 is mapped well across the curriculum and equips the pupils through a range of informed perspectives to understand healthy relationships and manage risk.
The broad and balanced curriculum key stage (KS) 3 meets the statutory requirements, including pupils learning two languages and discrete science subjects by year 10. The curriculum offer at KS 4 meets the Entitlement Framework requirements and in response to the abilities, interests and aspirations of the pupils, the school has introduced a small number of GCSE (or equivalent) level 2 qualifications, for example, in agriculture and land use and business and communications systems. Almost all (91%) pupils in year 12 stay on to study a range of A level (or equivalent) qualifications in the school. The curriculum offer at post-16 meets the requirements of the Entitlement Framework and is delivered through collaboration across the OLC. Focused on ensuring a ‘rich, broad future ready curriculum’ through the SDP process, staff review continuously the curriculum for pupils in post-16, including to develop further the pupils’ understanding of the qualifications and progression pathways available for transition from year 12 to post-16.
Following a recent audit of the careers education, information, advice and guidance provision, staff are beginning to evaluate the effectiveness of the current programme and identify any gaps in the provision across the curriculum. The perspectives of past pupils, businesses and employers help inform the pupils’ career choices. At post-16 the pupils benefit from a structured enrichment programme which provides them with opportunities to improve their personal, social and digital skills through for example: taking part in a mock interview day supported by local employers; hearing from a range of guest speakers to help them prepare for leaving school; and the opportunity to achieve an online accredited digital skills certificate. At KS 3 and 4 the pupils would benefit from further development of their employability skills, personal career planning and in work-related learning opportunities to understand more fully their appropriate progression pathways in relation to their skills, aptitudes and aspirations.
Pupils and staff benefit from the high priority given to the development of their digital skills through a well-planned programme of training workshops and whole-school initiatives to learn and thrive in an increasingly digital age. The year 11 and 14 digital leaders discussed with maturity and confidence their leadership roles and the targets they have set to take their work forward, including: raising awareness of internet safety; supporting pupils and staff with digital skills; and becoming Microsoft digital experts. They created a website for their peers which includes relevant information on gaming addiction, cyberbullying, online grooming and sextortion, and trolling.
C. Building equity
In building equity, diversity and inclusion, staff have open and honest communication with their feeder primary schools in order to understand their new pupils’ strengths, abilities and specific needs. This information, alongside a well-planned induction programme, facilitates the pupils’ smooth transition into year 8.
The pastoral teams work collectively and collegially to ensure that pupils have consistently high levels of attendance, which is above the NI average for similar schools, and very few suspensions and no expulsions. Staff support pupils sensitively through significant life challenges, including illness and bereavement; the school has affordable and sustainable approaches to uniform. The high priority given to the designated timetabling of literacy and numeracy support for pupils in KS 3 is pivotal to enhancing the provision and this is having a positive impact on the pupils’ confidence and progress in their learning.
All pupils with SEN achieve in line with, or above, expectation in public examinations. Staff understand well their pupils’ learning needs through the insightful data-informed targeted seating of pupils. Experienced and well-trained classroom assistants are deployed flexibly and empowered to support their designated pupils and others at specific times matched well to their expertise. First-hand observations by staff inform well ongoing and annual reviews of the pupils’ holistic progress. Individual education plans (IEPs) for pupils with SEN provide valuable individualised information about the pupils’ learning, behavioural, emotional and medical needs, complemented by practical strategies to help them engage fully in their learning and make progress. As staff transition from using IEPs to personal learning plans, it is timely to review the targets for each pupil to ensure that they are more specific and measurable.
Across the statutory and co-curricular curriculum, pupils apply their learning to develop empathy, resilience, forgiveness and respect for expressions of religious, cultural and personal diversity through effective enquiry-led investigations and analysis of scenarios from current affairs. The multiple pupil-led charity initiatives reflect the importance of the school’s ethos in being ‘kind to others as to themselves’. The pupils told us how the ‘Odd Socks or Ties Day’ highlighted to them the importance of appreciating each other’s uniqueness and that no one should be “pushed into a mould” in not being themselves.
D. Embedding success
Success for the pupils is defined through the fulfilment of the school’s vision to Inspire, Empower, Achieve; this is evident in the pupils’ academic and holistic development. The pupils are highly motivated, polite, respectful and confident; their behaviour is exemplary. They volunteer readily, ask questions and make observations, showing high levels of interest in their learning. The pupils told us that they love coming to school to see their friends and to participate in the extensive opportunities beyond the classroom to learn new skills, be creative, make new friends across year groups and broaden their horizons.
The pupils attain high standards in public examinations. Almost all (97.9%) year 12 pupils attained seven or more GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C in 2025 in line with the school’s targets. The staff have identified appropriately the need to close the gap between the girls’ and the boys’ attainment at KS 4 at seven GCSE at grades A* to B (or equivalent) qualifications, including English and mathematics. In 2025, a majority (70.6%) of year 14 pupils achieved three or more GCE A level (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C. Almost all (95%) of the pupils in year 14 progress appropriately to employment, training or level 4 courses in further and higher education. The ongoing curriculum review is key to addressing the identified gap in attainment including gender and between those achieving two A level (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C (91.8%) compared to those attaining three A level (or equivalent) qualifications at the same level (70.6%).
Pupils achieve success through their high levels of participation in an extensive range of musical, sporting, charitable and spiritual co-curricular activities. Pupil-led clubs include the Grass Roots agricultural club, Byte-This ICT club and Eco club. Pupil successes across and beyond school, provincially, nationally and internationally, are celebrated widely in meaningful, inclusive, inspiring ways through assemblies, school magazines, digital screens, noticeboards and on social media. The pupils told us how their extensive competitions are motivational and help them develop their communication, confidence, debating and problem-solving skills. This includes the mathematics 1% club challenges and fun week, and being highly successful Young Enterprise Northern Ireland winners through the ‘Minted Minds’; a pupil-led initiative promoting financial education through the creation of a children’s book, Save with Dave. We were thrilled to hear the high-quality performance from the after-school choir practice and to experience the shared education Education Authority (EA) orchestra enabling primary and post-primary pupils to perform together.
E. Growing a community of learning
In achieving the school’s vision, ‘Inspire, Empower, Achieve’ through a community of learning, the staff professional learning (SPL) inspires staff in their passion for learning with, and from each other, through connected team working in sharing best practice, ‘show and tell’ or ‘share and do’ seminars, teacher trios, ‘Teachmeets’ and with the OLC inter-departmental sharing days. Staff who ‘power up their pedagogy’ in retrieval practice, digital skills and the impact of effective feedback collate their research and evaluations as case studies for a SPL library for staff to access. The impact of this SPL is evident in the quality of successful learning for most pupils in the lessons observed.
Staff health and well-being is a key strategic priority to strengthen staff in meeting their own as well as the pupils’ health and well-being needs. Staff benefit from the EA Being Well Doing Well programme and most (87%) staff questionnaire responses indicated that their well-being is promoted effectively. A proactive staff team organises activities to celebrate staff camaraderie through quizzes, bake-off challenges, gym usage and social events.
Empowering pupil leadership and participation enriches the school’s community of learning. The pupils exercise their leadership skills as Young Entrepreneurs, learning mentors, school councillors, digital leaders, language ambassadors, volunteering and as committee members for the sports and psychology clubs. Pupils are increasingly exercising their voice through the formal school council channels and reflecting on their learning in lessons and giving constructive feedback to their teachers on the learning strategies that excite and motivate them. Almost all (92%) pupil questionnaire responses highlighted that their school council works well to improve aspects of school life. School councillors lead assemblies, campaign to address bullying and contribute to policies, for example, on the acceptable use of mobile phones and when to wear sporting uniforms. The eco-club pupils who met with inspectors explained how they are raising environmental awareness through planting trees and flowers, litter picking, participating in the RSPB Big Schools’ Bird Watch and working with the Climate Education Officer from the local district council.
For the small number of pupils who experience shared education, they benefit from learning together with pupils from differing backgrounds to celebrate their differing expressions of identity, cultural heritage through music, poetry, art, drama and to reflect on experiences from the past to inspire a better future, including the ‘Roots to Routes’ programme, Strule Careers West event and the ‘Rightful Presence’ programme with pupils from Arvalee School and Resource Centre.
We were inspired by the members of the Strule Student Council who following their visit to the Omagh Council Chambers emphasised the importance of always speaking out truth and how much they valued learning together with the other schools’ councillors about democratic processes. They reflected on the many benefits for them in the exciting move to Strule including learning with peers from the other five schools, making new friends, developing confidence in bigger groups, accessing ‘state of the art’ facilities and wider learning opportunities.
The pupils benefit from how important the school values being at the heart of its community through links with alumni, feeder primary schools, Strule and wider OLC partners, local churches, youth events, support from businesses and employers and external support services. Equipping pupils to be part of a wider local and global community is enhanced through local and international trips, NI sporting events, workshops at Stormont and conferences across NI.
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. In discussions with the pupils, they told us that they feel safe in school and online and know who to talk to should they have any worries or concerns.
3. Next steps
Omagh Academy’s vision, Inspire, Empower, Achieve, underpinned by a non‑denominational Christian ethos, fosters a strong sense of purpose and identity across the school community. The pupils are inspired and empowered to achieve well in their learning and holistic development through high expectations and positive working relationships. The caring and supportive staff encourage the pupils to strive for excellence enabling them to live out well their school’s motto ‘Veritas Vincet’ (truth will prevail) in being their best selves and overcoming barriers to learning.
The inspection has highlighted an area for action which is: to ensure greater precision in whole-school target setting processes, including through robust evaluation of first-hand evidence of the pupils’ learning. The District Inspector will monitor the school’s progress in addressing the area for action, as part of ETI’s normal 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%