ONE OF the State’s best-known fee-paying schools, Gormanston College in Co Meath, is severely criticised in a report by Department of Education inspectors published yesterday.
The report notes morale is “very low” among a significant number of teachers. There is no evidence, it states, of a shared vision for the school. The school is also criticised for weakness in school development planning; child protection procedures, communication with parents and the erosion of the school year. Pupils, it notes, lose a full two days of instruction time during some long weekends.
Overall, the inspectors say the college’s trustees have not faced the fact that Gormanston is no longer exclusively a boarding school and that a lay principal, whose function is now specified in legislation, is in place. The report notes the leadership function of the principal at the school is underdeveloped. It says the rector, who is a member of the Franciscan community and a former principal, plays a prominent management role. It calls for greater clarity between the two roles.
Gormanston has 477 pupils, with girls comprising 10 per cent of the student population.
The inspectors report evidence of tensions among staff and a high turnover of teachers. “While all staff members presented as very committed . . . morale is clearly very low in the case of a significant number of staff members.”
The inspectors make several other criticisms including:
A number of new staff members have not received any input on the child protection guidelines for post-primary schools;
There is an urgent need to update the health and safety statement in line with legislation;
The current anti-bullying policy is in need of attention while policies on substance abuse and relationships/ sexuality need to be updated;
To date, a “culture of self-evaluation has not been established in the school”.
The department’s evaluation took place last April. Since then, a new school principal has been appointed. In its response, the school says its mission statement is being revised and school strategic priorities have been established.
Communication channels, it says, have improved. A formal process to redefine the role of the principal and rector has begun while child protection guidelines to staff have been formalised.
