Inspectors’ road safety fears for kids

Inspectors’ road safety fears for kids

5 March 2014

EDUCATION inspectors have called for an urgent review of children’s safety outside Downpatrick’s biggest primary school because of dangers posed by traffic at the school gates.

The unusual call was made by inspectors as part of a report published about Our Lady and St. Patrick’s Primary School this week.

This is the first inspection carried out at the school since it opened in September 2011 as a result of the merger of the Convent of Mercy Primary School and St. Patrick’s Primary School. The amalgamation, which means a pupil population of 420 children on one site, has led to a significant increase in traffic at Edward Street at peak times.

In their report, inspectors said there was a need for an “urgent review of children’s safety at -off and pickup times due to limited parking at the main entrance and difficulties in accessing the school safely from the main road.”

Their call was yesterday echoed by school principal, Hugh Kelly, who spoke of his hope that a one-way system will now be pushed forward in the best interests of children at the school.

He believes such a system would be safer and said the school was working with various agencies to pursue such a change to the road layout.

“I flagged up the issue of the road to inspectors and hopefully there will now be movement on the one-way system,” he said.

In the meantime, he said staff were on duty every afternoon to ensure children’s safety leaving the school, while the recent introduction of a staggered bus system for children of the school’s Irish-medium unit had helped reduce traffic congestion.

Mr. Kelly said he had also spoken to inspectors about the school’s wait for a new purpose-built building at the site of the former boys’ primary school at St. Dillon’s Avenue.

“As well as the one-way system, we are pushing for work to a new school, which would resolve the traffic issue,” he said.

“The boys’ school has been demolished and the field is ready and waiting and has been designated for educational use.

“We are using every method we have to persuade officials to move ahead with the new building.”

Despite the challenges faced by Our Lady and St. Patrick’s Primary School in terms of access and space, inspectors of the report, which focused on children’s achievements in literacy and numeracy, commended the quality of provision in the school and its Irish medium-unit.

They praised the quality of leadership and management and the overwhelming motivation of the children who they said had “positive dispositions to learn.”

The quality of teaching observed by inspectors ranged from very good to satisfactory with most of the teaching evaluated as good or better, while provision for pastoral care was deemed very good with a welcoming ethos and effective working relationships at all levels.

Governors were also praised for being well informed about the school’s provision for children and ensuring the success of the amalgamation.

“In the areas inspected, the quality of education provided by the school is good,” inspectors noted.

“The school has important strengths in most of its educational and pastoral provision.”