By Royal invitation to Buckingham Palace

By Royal invitation to Buckingham Palace

3 May 2017

A KILLYLEAGH principal, who helped turn around a local primary school, has been invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party to celebrate her outstanding improvements to the school.

Dolores Miller has been invited to the palace party after being nominated for the event by the Department of Education for the significant contribution she has made to improving St Mary’s Primary School.

Department officials also recommended her for the positive impact she has made to the lives of children in Killyleagh.

The invitation comes just six months after Education inspectors credited Mrs Miller for helping transform the school, which had been put into formal intervention two-and-a-half years ago because of concerns about low standards of achievement.

Concern was first raised in November 2014 when inspectors said significant improvements were needed at the school to raise low standards in literacy and numeracy and to review the roles and responsibilities of staff.

After two further inspections, the school has now been praised for its very good standards of achievement with outstanding leadership and management highlighted as key to significant improvements made.

In their follow-up visit last October, inspectors gave the school top marks, noting a significant reduction in underachievement in the last two years with almost all of the children now achieving well.

“Lessons are now creative, stimulating and well-differentiated to meet the wide range of need within composite classes. The determined, strategic leadership, supported by highly effective governance, has transformed learning and teaching within the school,” they said.

“This has resulted in a significant improvement of the children’s achievements and standards in literacy, numeracy and information and communications technology.”

Looking forward to her trip later this month, Mrs Miller credited everyone associated with the school for the huge improvements made.

“I believe the underlying catalyst for the unprecedented pace of improvement was the unwavering dedication, commitment and positive relations between pupils, parents, staff and Governors,” she said.

“The school community fully embraced their role within the process for the betterment of all children within the school.”