Report of a Primary Inspection - St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Keady
DE Ref No 542-0076
October 2025
1. Introduction
A. Background information
St Francis of Assisi Primary School is a co-educational, maintained primary school situated in the town of Keady, County Armagh. The children attending come from the town and the surrounding rural areas. The total school enrolment is 213 and comprises of an English medium stream with 148 children enrolled, and an Irish medium stream for 65 children in Rang 1 to Rang 6. Over one-quarter of the children (28%) have free school meal entitlement, almost one-fifth (19%) have been identified as having special educational needs (SEN) and just over one-fifth (21%) of the children are newcomers. The number of children within the Irish Medium unit has grown and there are three composite classes within the unit in this academic year. Naíscoil an Cheide and Keady Community Playgroup, a Voluntary and Private organisation, are also located within the school building.
A wide range of after school activities, which are well attended, are offered to the children through the schools Extended Schools funding, and the school also operates a breakfast club. There is a long-standing shared education partnership with Lisnadill Primary School, and the school recently received the Scoil Spreagtha* accreditation.
B. Views of pupils, parents and staff
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) issued online confidential questionnaires to the children in year 7, all 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 a representative of the board of governors.
C. The process of inspection
The ETI worked alongside St Francis of Assisi Primary 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 define, celebrate and embed success; and
- grows and develops an inclusive community of learning.
2. Main report
A. Setting the vision
This year, the school has initiated an inclusive review of its vision in response to notable demographic and contextual changes. Through workshops and focus groups involving staff, children and parents, a refreshed vision is emerging centred on the school’s longstanding motto “Learning for life”. It is underpinned by the shared values of kindness, respect, honesty, excellence and love, and reflects a strong sense of community and shared purpose across both the English-medium and Irish-medium unit. The articulation of these values through both English and Irish promotes further a cohesive whole-school identity.
The school development plan focuses appropriately on embedding the recent school improvement work in literacy; active mathematics; and outdoor learning. The school leadership team are reinstating procedures for monitoring and evaluating standards. A strategic, well-planned and collaborative approach to this work is needed to ensure that the strategies identified as being most effective in promoting successful learning are embedded consistently in practice. In response to significant staffing changes, the leadership team is restructuring the curricular roles and responsibilities of staff to align with the evolving needs of the children and the school. This is providing valuable opportunities for all of the staff to build their leadership skills and take a lead role in key areas of school improvement work. The staff who are new to curriculum co-ordinator roles should be supported by strategically planned professional learning opportunities in relation to their new roles, particularly in the use of first-hand evidence of learning and teaching to inform ongoing improvement work.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
The school provides a welcoming and inclusive learning environment where the children engage enthusiastically in their learning. The staff work collaboratively to develop very detailed medium- and long-term planning across the literacy and numeracy curriculum. As a result, there is clear progression in skills, knowledge and understanding across both English-medium and Irish-medium provision. The planning, professional development and consistent whole-school approach underpinning guided reading and writing are a strength of the school’s provision. The impact of this is evident in the good levels of confidence and competence almost all of the children display in using their reading, writing and talking and listening skills across all curricular areas.
Where the planning and teaching are most successful, high expectations and well‑established routines support active listening and full participation in learning. Learning intentions are clearly communicated and revisited throughout lessons, supporting the children’s understanding of their learning and enabling them to reflect meaningfully throughout the lesson and within plenary sessions. Lessons progress at a good pace, the children engage well and collaborate effectively, particularly through the use of talking partners strategy* which supports the children well to work together and share ideas. Where in-class assessment has the greatest impact, the children respond positively to assessment for learning strategies including good quality oral and written feedback. They understand clearly how to improve their work and progress their learning and have opportunities to respond to feedback and make improvements. In-class assessment processes and feedback to the children needs to be developed further and embedded fully and consistently across all key stages.
The Irish medium classes in the school provide a high-quality immersion learning environment. The children’s receptive and oral language is of a good standard. The children are acquiring fluency in Irish, attain well in both English and Irish and engage readily in their learning.
The focus on improving the quality of the planning, provision and assessment of outdoor play-based learning, has resulted in high-quality play experiences for the foundation stage children which impact positively on the development of their language and investigative skills. The detailed observations made by the staff team are supporting evaluations of the children’s holistic development and progression in learning through play.
Digital technology is used appropriately to support the children’s learning. The planned opportunities through digital art, storytelling and digital presentations enable the children to showcase their learning of which they are very proud. The children who spoke with inspectors had a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe online. The next step for information and communication technology (ICT), identified appropriately in the school’s development plan, is to map and track progression in digital skills to ensure consistency and purposeful integration through connected learning.
A well-planned preventative curriculum is in place which includes effective engagement with a wide range of external partnerships, including collaborations with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, REIM*, and RISE NI*. These contribute positively to the children’s understanding of how to stay safe, healthy, and emotionally well.
C. Building equity
An inclusive ethos permeates the school in which diversity is visible, valued, embraced and celebrated. The newcomer children and their families are valued members of the school community and are well-integrated across the school. The children who have been identified as having SEN are wholly involved in all aspects of the life and work of the school, are supported well and make good progress in their learning and development from their individual starting points. Barriers to learning are identified early and effective interventions are in place to: support individual children to overcome the challenges they face; make progress in their learning; and experience success.
The well-considered professional learning opportunities for all of the classroom assistants is impacting very positively on the learning experiences and outcomes of the children. As a result of their professional learning, they have a good understanding of guided reading strategies which is enabling them to provide high‑quality targeted small group support to selected children. In addition, the sensory motor group sessions, delivered skilfully by the classroom assistants on a daily basis, are supporting very well the children who have been identified as having difficulties with their co-ordination, concentration and attention. The teachers report that following the sessions, the children are more ready to learn and engage more purposefully in their learning in class.
The whole-school SEN provision map, which has been informed through meaningful staff collaboration, is thorough and detailed and, in the best practice, is used by the teachers to inform the planning and evaluation of the provision for the children with SEN in individual classes. Recent strategic development work on improving the personal educational plans (PLP) has resulted in PLPs which: contain clear, specific and measurable targets and a range of appropriate approaches, resources and strategies; include meaningful contributions from the children and parents/carers; are monitored, annotated and reviewed regularly; and in the most effective practice, guide the teachers and the classroom assistants well in providing appropriately challenging and accessible learning activities.
D. Defining, celebrating and embedding success
Where the literacy lessons in English and in Irish are most successful, high-quality modelled, shared, and guided reading and writing experiences are implemented consistently and effectively. As a result, the children read with fluency and understanding, use an extended vocabulary, and apply their phonics knowledge confidently in their independent writing. The outcomes of this work are evident in the good quality of the children’s written pieces, which demonstrate creativity and increasing accuracy. The school’s internal assessment information confirms that almost all of the children achieve in line with or above their expected levels in literacy.
In numeracy, the children’s learning is supported by the effective use of concrete materials, practical activities, and mathematical investigations. The children are encouraged to apply their knowledge to real-life contexts, articulate their mathematical thinking, and use appropriate mathematical language. This emphasis on reasoning and problem-solving contributes positively to the children’s confidence and attainment, with most children achieving in line with their ability.
Curriculum success is also evident across The World Around Us and The Arts. In the most successful learning, the children engage enthusiastically in active, inquiry‑based learning experiences that promote curiosity, independence, and the development of thinking skills. The integration of ICT enhances these experiences and enables children to extend and present their learning creatively. The children’s achievements in art, music, and sport are notable and are celebrated through displays, performances, and participation in community events.
Classroom displays, pupil portfolios, and digital platforms showcase high standards of work. Whole-school reward systems, including the Pupil of the Week initiative, reinforce positive attitudes to learning and reflect the shared school values. The wider achievements of the children, including notable success in county-level sporting events and the development of musical and artistic talents, are acknowledged regularly through assemblies, newsletters, and the school’s active social media presence. These practices effectively strengthen home-school partnerships and promote a strong community identity.
At a strategic level, the establishment and ongoing growth of the Irish Medium unit represents significant organisational success for the school community. This development reflects the strategic vision and commitment of the governors and the staff in responding to the evolving needs and aspirations of the community.
E. Growing a community of learning
The school engages positively in a range of collaborative initiatives, including Shared Education and use effectively funding from Extended Schools, which enhance professional learning and broaden the opportunities given to the children. Teacher Professional Learning in partnership with a cluster of schools has had a positive impact, particularly when all staff have the opportunity to participate. For example, in play-based learning, guided reading, and sensory circuits.
The support for the children moving between stages and schools is well planned and a wide range of transition workshops, taster sessions, and familiarisation visits help build confidence and emotional readiness. Well-developed early years links through the on-site Naíscoil and playgroup, support smooth transitions for the children and develop strong family partnerships.
The school has made a positive start in promoting pupil participation. Leadership roles such as prefects, eco-committee members, and school council representatives provide valuable opportunities for pupil responsibility and the school plans to further embed the pupil voice across all aspects of school life. As a designated AmmA* school, the children benefit from diverse enrichment opportunities in sport, music, drama, and digital learning and in conversations with inspectors the children expressed how much they enjoy these.
The strong commitment to community outreach is visible through the school’s support for the Society of St Vincent de Paul and fundraising for organisations such as the Lourdes Society. The children also perform at local fundraising events and at a local nursing home. The growing Irish language community is nurtured through initiatives organised by the school like the ‘Ciorcal Comhrá’*, an Irish language gathering held in a local coffee shop and celebrates further cultural identity and community connection. The Parent Teacher Association have been proactive in helping develop the outdoor play area, providing the school with additional resources and organising seasonal events that enhance the environment and learning experiences for the children.
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
The children in St Francis of Assisi Primary are learning in an inclusive and welcoming school environment where diversity is visible, valued, embraced and celebrated. The school is central to the local community, and the children are immersed in their cultural traditions. The inspection has highlighted an area for action as the next steps for the school to enable it to achieve its vision more fully. That is:
- to develop the consistency in the quality of learning and teaching, including assessment for learning strategies.
The district inspector will monitor the schools’ progress in addressing the areas 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
Appendix 2: Notes
Page 1 Scoil Spreagtha*
Scoil Spreagtha is an accredited scheme to recognise and celebrate efforts made by English-medium schools to encourage the use of Irish throughout the school.
Page 2
talking partners strategy*
A collaborative learning method where children work in pairs to discuss a topic, question or task.
Page 3
REIM*
An external facilitator who provides tailored digital training workshops focusing on online safety, coding, digital literacy, and well-being
RISE NI*
RISE NI is a regional early intervention service which supports children in pre-school educational and mainstream primary school settings by working closely with parents and education staff to help children develop the foundation skills for learning, ie, speech, language, communication, sensory-motor, visual perception, social, emotional and behaviour skills.
Page 5
AmmA*
AmmA is a creative learning centre within the Education Authority where technology alongside traditional media can be used creatively by schools.
‘Ciorcal Comhrá’*
A ciorcal comhrá is an Irish-language conversation group that meets up regularly to chat socially in Irish.