Inspectors concerned over school staffing

AN INSPECTION report on Bleary Primary has raised serious concerns over the 'extreme staffing issues' the school has experienced during the last five years.

Inspectors found the management of the school 'unsatisfactory' - the lowest grade a school can be given.

The report, carried out by the Department of Education, said the SELB and the school's board of governors should work together to address the problems as a 'matter of urgency'.

The inspection found that the principal had been on extended sick leave for five years and the vice-principal for four.

A senior teacher who had been acting as principal had been on leave for over a year.

And the only permanent teacher left was managing the school as acting principal and still teaching.

In the inspection the staff were praised for the 'excellent' set of results achieved with the pupils, despite the staffing problems.

Staff said important curricular developments had to be postponed because of the temporary nature of the staffing and the long-term absences of the three senior members of staff, but they were wholly supportive of the remaining teacher's performance as the acting principal.

The report said: "The acting-principal has worked hard to maintain the smooth day-to-day running of the school and to sustain the school’s programme of extra-curricular activities; she has been willingly and effectively supported in this work by the other teachers and the support staff.