Report of a Primary Inspection - St Oliver Plunkett Primary School and Nursery Unit, Toomebridge
DE Ref No 303-3303
September 2025
1. Introduction
A. Background information
St Oliver Plunkett Primary School and Nursery Unit is situated in the village of Toomebridge, County Antrim. The children attending the school come from the village and the surrounding rural area. The enrolment has grown steadily over the past four years and is now 213, including 26 children who attend the nursery unit. A very small number of newcomer children attend the school. Twenty percent (42) of the children are in receipt of free school meals and 16% (34) require support with aspects of their learning.
The school collaborates with Kells and Connor Primary School as part of a Shared Education partnership, undertaking a range of joint initiatives. The school operates a supervised breakfast club and various after-school clubs and events each day for the children. The school has developed strong and effective links with the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) clubs around the parish. Furthermore, the school holds an Eco flag* Award and is designated as a level 3 ‘Take 5’ School* for its promotion and embedding of healthy lifestyles in the school’s culture, policy and practice.
B. Views of pupils, 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 a representative of the board of governors.
C. The process of inspection
The ETI worked alongside St Oliver Plunkett 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
Within the past three years, the school has harnessed the views of all the relevant stakeholders in its community to update and refocus its vision, mission statement and core values. The school’s vision, “to provide a caring, secure, inclusive and happy learning environment in which all children are treated as special and most precious members of our school community”, provides a shared focus and strategic direction to the work of the school.
There is a nurturing atmosphere for learning throughout the school. The teachers have high expectations for the success of the children in their care and, through frequent encouragement and reward, the children are encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability.
The school development plan (SDP) sets out clearly the priorities and intended actions, and the impact of these actions is evaluated regularly. The priorities are focused appropriately on improving consistency in classroom teaching and on raising the standards attained by the children. Through the effective self-evaluation processes, the senior leaders have provided the staff with opportunities for professional learning to develop staff confidence and build further their skills in specific areas of identified need. Where appropriate, the expertise of external agencies, such as the Education Authority and Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, has also been used to support staff in, for example, the development of the role of the co-ordinator and in action-planning for improvement. Consequently, action plans for specific areas of learning are effective and are used well by the co‑ordinators to guide them in their work.
The governors are highly committed to the school. They know the school and its community well, are highly skilled and well-informed, and use this information well to provide strategic oversight to whole school development work. In leading the various school subgroups, they harness appropriately their various professional qualifications and experiences and use their understanding and skills well to support the senior leaders and to provide challenge when needed.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
The staff's ambitious curriculum planning is well-structured, guides effectively the work of the teachers and helps the children make connections in their learning and apply their knowledge and skills. For example, the teachers use well the local environment to enhance the children’s learning experiences, providing them with opportunities to develop their oracy and creative skills and their understanding of their local surroundings. This approach allows the children to make connections in their learning and apply their knowledge and skills in a more meaningful way.
In the more effective lessons observed, the teachers use strategies which foster the children’s curiosity, independence, and critical thinking from an early age. There are notable examples of child-led exploration using natural materials in the nursery unit, where a good range of resources are used flexibly and promote confidence, investigation and independence. To build on this, work is underway to review and strengthen planning for play-based learning to support better progression across the key stages.
The quality of the teaching is of a high standard, with an agreed approach to planning which focuses on implementing learning strategies for engagement. The teachers reflect regularly on each child’s progress and use appropriately praise and verbal feedback to affirm the children’s successes in learning. In the nursery and foundation stage, the children are given time to reflect on their learning. The school is focusing on developing this practice across the school, including to improve the consistency of the quality of written feedback.
The senior leaders have provided staff with professional learning opportunities to develop their understanding of what constitutes effective planning and the skills required to carry out effectively the role of the co-ordinator. Consequently, the co‑ordinators set targets, monitor progress and evaluate appropriately the children’s learning. The school is developing the use of a broader range of first-hand evidence to provide a more holistic oversight for co-ordinators of the areas they lead.
Effective opportunities for the children to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to keep safe, and strategies to support their well-being are provided through a well-considered and holistic preventative curriculum. This work is enhanced further through initiatives such as whole-school circle time and an ongoing attention to implementing healthy lifestyles and physical activity. A range of relevant safeguarding policies have been developed in consultation with all stakeholders, including the children, which align well to the school’s core values. These policies are underpinned by the school motto, ‘Love More, Learn More’ and are reflected in the supportive, respectful and positive relationships at all levels and the welcoming, nurturing learning environment.
C. Building equity
The staff provide an inclusive environment where the children have equitable access to learning opportunities. The staff know the children well, which empowers them to make appropriately informed strategic decisions.
Across the key stages, the children’s personal learning plans are informed well by a range of pastoral and assessment data, ensuring the views of the child, parent/carer and other stakeholders is used well to evaluate progress and inform next steps. The staff identify children who require support in a timely manner. The staff engage with and maintain strong links with parents/carers and a range of external partners to provide carefully targeted, purposeful support programmes which are monitored and evaluated well. Information held by the school shows that the various intervention programmes impact positively on the children’s learning outcomes and their confidence and social skills are developed progressively.
The children embrace diversity; they value and accept each other and are happy and engaged in their learning. They respond well to the structures and routines for learning. They set high standards for themselves by adopting various leadership responsibilities and volunteering roles as, for example, Safeguarding Superheroes, Eco club members and representing their school in sport. The children value the opportunities for developing their personal interests and capabilities in the afterschool and shared education provision.
Information held by the school shows that, by the end of year 7, most of the children, including those requiring support in learning make appropriate progress relative to their starting points.
D. Defining, celebrating and embedding success
In the nursery unit, the children are well settled and are developing their independence and self-management skills as they follow the classroom routines. They respond very well to the skilful interactions with the adults. As the children progress through the key stages, they continue to build on these solid foundations and, as a result, are developing well their communication, social and problem-solving skills. Robust and comprehensive transition arrangements are in place which enable the teachers to know the needs and dispositions of the children at the start of each year. Achievements are celebrated regularly through the various class rewards, during whole-school assemblies, and through regular communications to home via newsletters, the school website and a number of digital and social media platforms. The children enjoy celebrating their achievements and the achievements of others, and report that this has a positive impact on their engagement in their work and on their self-esteem.
The recent whole-school priorities of guided and shared reading, and connected and active approaches to learning and teaching, are impacting positively on the children’s achievements and standards in literacy. During lessons the children enjoy reading, express themselves confidently and produce good quality writing across a range of genres.
The senior leaders have planned appropriately to re-establish a wider range of whole-school strategies to monitor and evaluate the impact of their work.
Questionnaire returns from parents indicate that almost all feel that their child is happy and safe in school and is making progress in their learning. In discussions with focus groups of children and their questionnaire feedback indicate that almost all are happy in school; whole-school attendance figures are above the average for primary schools in Northern Ireland.
E. Growing a community of learning
A highly effective community of learning exists across the whole school. The school engages well with all members of the school community, including the active participation of the children in the life and work of the school. The staff empower the children to craft their class charter which develops well the children’s sense of feeling valued and belonging. Whole-school circle time is a cornerstone of pupil voice and engagement. Each child contributes to the initiative which has been instrumental in forging positive relationships and developing effectively the children’s social skills.
Through the confidential questionnaires and during meetings, almost all of the parents/carers and children gave favourable feedback on how they value the frequent opportunities for their children to play and compete in school sports events including, soccer, judo, and various gaelic games. The children from across the year groups compete regularly in various school sports development initiatives, including regional inter-school tournaments. Recently a group of children represented the school in the Peace Proms*.
The parent-teacher association plays a key role in organising social and fundraising events and contributing to their community of learning. Representatives of the association who met inspectors spoke positively of how staff support the children’s learning, particularly those with additional needs.
The school engages in various charitable and fundraising activities which foster wholesome values such as empathy and social responsibility. Environmental awareness is also prioritised, and the school holds a Sustrans* Silver Award. Moreover, initiatives such as ‘Business in the Community’ are providing the children with real-life learning experiences which develop their financial capabilities, understanding and skills. These connections are providing rich curricular learning experiences and are strengthening further the school’s position as a focus point in the community.
The school has developed strong links with a range of organisations to support its improvement journey. For example, a local post-primary school is sharing its effective practice to improve further the children’s learning experiences. The staff report that the suitably varied professional learning opportunities are empowering and are developing further their capacity to lead their areas of responsibility. The staff also report that they benefit from the opportunities to visit local primary schools and clusters where they share effective practice through joint professional dialogue. Furthermore, the school has engaged to beneficial effect in university-based professional learning and in shared education initiatives, which promote cross‑community collaboration and broaden further the children’s learning experiences.
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
St Oliver Plunkett Primary School and Nursery Unit is successful in living out its core values and achieving its vision for education: providing an inclusive child-centred education; embracing change to achieve excellence; and powerful collaboration with parents and the wider community. These elements are evident across all aspects of the life and work of the school.
As identified in the school development plan, the area for action is:
- to re-introduce the practice of gathering first-hand evidence to inform further the school’s process of self-evaluation.
The district inspector will monitor the school 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
Appendix 2: Notes
Page 1
Eco flag*
An Eco flag is an internationally recognised accreditation that celebrates a schools' environmental actions and education.
‘Take 5’ School*
A Take 5 School is a recognition for schools that have demonstrated a commitment to improving the mental and emotional well-being of their pupils and staff by implementing the "Take 5 Steps to Well-being".
Page 5
Peace Proms*
Peace Proms is a music and choral education program for selected primary schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Sustrans*
A Sustrans Award is an accreditation for schools that excel at promoting active and sustainable travel, such as walking, cycling, and scooting to school.