The Irish post-primary education sector has seen significant change in recent years, particularly between 2020 and 2023. During this period, post-primary schools responded with agility to the impact of the pandemic and increasing school enrolments. By September 2023, post-primary enrolments had reached 416,631, an increase of over 24,000 students since 2021. This growth reflected both demographic shifts and the arrival of students from other countries. Schools welcomed students displaced by global crises, including 6,846 Ukrainian students. The establishment of Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) supported the integration of these students into school life, promoting inclusivity and providing additional language and other supports.
At the same time, educational reform, in terms of curriculum redevelopment and implementation, continued. Implementation of the Junior Cycle Framework progressed, alongside the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027. Work on the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle curriculum was significantly advanced. These developments were underpinned by the goal of ensuring that students in post-primary schools were equipped with the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary to navigate the complexities of modern society, while also fostering a more inclusive, flexible and student-centred approach to education that better prepares them for further education, employment and active citizenship. In parallel with these developments, schools also grappled with teacher-supply issues.
This chapter presents data on inspections conducted during the period September 2022 to December 2023. It includes main inspection findings in relation to teaching, learning and assessment, as well as some themes emerging from an analysis of the reports on whole-school evaluations conducted during the same period. It gives some insights into how the post-primary school system is meeting current demands and preparing for future challenges.
Post-primary schools closed on 13 March 2020 and reopened in August 2020 under health guidelines that limited classroom activities and teaching methods. Schools faced closures again in January 2021 owing to increasing COVID-19 cases. The reopening process in 2021 was phased, with different year groups returning on different dates. During closures, schools worked creatively and with great commitment and resilience to adapt to remote teaching and learning. This required teacher, student and leader upskilling. Inspectors evaluated and supported the work of schools during this time through 741 online advisory engagements with schools and pilot evaluations of remote teaching and learning in fifteen schools.
Starting in August 2020, following the initial reopening, the Inspectorate began a phased approach to resuming inspections. The focus was initially on providing advice and support to schools, in line with public health advice. Early inspection activities included incidental visits to support teaching and learning, as well as inspections focused on the Safe Provision of Schooling (SSPS), urgent follow-through inspections, and evaluations of special educational provision. Inspectors also supported schools through online advisory visits and pilot evaluations of remote teaching and learning in fifteen post-primary schools.
As 2021 progressed, inspection activities gradually expanded. From September 2022, there was an incremental return to the more typical programme of evaluations in schools while inspectors’ advisory work in schools continued. In September 2023, the Inspectorate fully resumed its standard programme of school inspections.
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The Inspectorate uses a range of inspection types to assess the quality of education provision in post-primary schools. Almost all inspection models have a short notice period. This is designed to facilitate aspects of information gathering such as administration of surveys, meetings with members of the school community; for example, children and young people, parents, teachers, school leaders and the board of management. Announced inspections, i.e. inspections with a notice period, include the following types:
| Inspection Type | Detail | Notice Given | Outcome | |
| Subject inspection / Programme evaluation | Focuses on evaluating specific subjects and programmes | Normally, five working days in advance of the evaluation | Publication of final report | |
| Whole school evaluation and Whole school evaluation management leadership and learning (WSE-MLL) | Evaluates key aspects of the work of the school - teaching, students’ learning, support for students’ learning and wellbeing, leadership, management, and school self-evaluation | Normally, ten working days in advance of the evaluation | Publication of final report | |
| Evaluation of actionplanning for improvement in DEIS schools | Evaluate how schools devise, implement and monitor action plans for improvement of DEIS themes | Normally, ten working days in advance of the evaluation | Publication of final report | |
| Evaluation of inclusive practices and provision for children with special and additional educational need | Evaluates the provision for students with additional and special educational needs in mainstream classes and support settings | Normally, ten working days in advance of the evaluation | Publication of final report | |
| Child protection and safeguarding inspection | Examines a school's compliance with key aspects of child protection procedures for primary and post-primary schools | Between twenty-four and forty-eight hours' notice is typically provided. These inspections may also be unannounced | Publication of initial and final reports | |
| Follow-through inspections | Assess the extent to which a school has implemented recommendations from earlier inspections | Two working days' notice is given, but these inspections may also be unannounced | Publication of final report |
All announced inspections result in oral feedback to the school about strengths in education provision in the school and, as relevant, aspects of provision that need to be improved. In addition, a written inspection report containing the inspection findings from the announced inspection is published on gov.ie
The Inspectorate also conducts one-day unannounced inspections known as incidental inspections. These inspections allow inspectors to observe and evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment practices in everyday school situations. Unannounced inspections also result in oral feedback to school leaders and staff about strengths in education provision in the school and, as relevant, aspects of provision that need to be improved.
Both announced and unannounced inspections in post-primary schools involve inspectors visiting classrooms and other learning settings in the school, and engaging with young people, teachers and school leaders. Certain types of announced inspections, such as whole-school evaluations, also include meetings between inspectors and the school’s board of management and meetings between parents and inspectors. Both announced and unannounced inspections are designed to enhance professional reflection, support self-evaluation and, ultimately, to contribute to improving educational outcomes for children and young people.
Between September 2022 and December 2023, inspectors conducted 697 evaluations in post-primary schools, with 486 announced and 211 unannounced inspections.
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The overall quality of teaching was found to be good or better in 90.7% of schools. 9.3% attained a satisfactory rating. The quality of learning was also found to be good or very good in a high proportion of schools evaluated. Findings in relation to assessment practices in post-primary schools were not as positive as those for overall teaching and learning. Assessment was found to be good or better in 71.8% of the schools inspected.
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In the unannounced incidental inspections, the findings in respect of the overall quality of teaching and learning, and the quality of assessment were slightly less positive than the findings emerging from the announced inspections.
During the reporting period, the Inspectorate conducted 211 unannounced incidental inspections across post-primary schools. These inspections took place in 63 DEIS and 148 non-DEIS schools.
The overall quality of teaching was found to be good or better in 85.8% of the schools inspected during unannounced inspections. Learning was found to be good or better in 82.9% of the unannounced incidental inspections carried out in post-primary schools.
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Whole School Evaluation - Management, Leadership and Learning (WSE-MLL) is an evaluation model used to evaluate the quality of education provision, focusing on key areas such as teaching and learning, management and leadership, and support for young people’s wellbeing. The process involves inspectors conducting various activities including meetings, document reviews, classroom observations and surveying young people, parents and staff about their perspectives. Each WSE-MLL results in a published report that highlights strengths, identifies areas for improvement, and offers specific recommendations to enhance educational provision.
Whole-school evaluations were reintroduced gradually to post-primary schools from September 2022 following the Covid-19 pandemic. Between September 2022 and December 2023, thirty-eight WSE-MLLs were conducted in post-primary schools. An analysis of the findings from these inspections gives some insights into a number of important aspects of education provision in post-primary schools during the period September 2022-December 2023. These include insights into the work in promoting student wellbeing and a sense of belonging, embedding digital technologies, the quality of provision for aspects of teaching and learning, including assessment practices, and approaches to school leadership and management.
The Covid-19 pandemic underscored the importance of student wellbeing, prompting schools to adapt quickly to support young people’s mental health and to sustain community connections during periods of remote learning and social distancing. Between 2020 and 2023, there was a particular emphasis on promoting wellbeing in schools,2 and a recognition of the link between wellbeing and its impact on how young people flourish more broadly, including in their learning in school. PISA 2022 Results (Volume I) The State of Learning and Equity in Education further validated this approach by demonstrating a strong link between emotional wellbeing and academic performance ( 3 )
Schools with effective or highly effective support for student wellbeing provided well-structured programmes in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), and Physical Education (PE). They also provided a range of co-curricular activities that addressed young people’s identified needs. These initiatives, particularly evident in an integrated way at junior cycle in many of the schools inspected, fostered a positive school environment and supported students’ physical and mental health. Strong relationships between staff and young people, alongside robust pastoral care systems, helped create a sense of belonging and support. These practices, also highlighted in Embracing diversity in all its forms’: The voluntary secondary sector in Irish education ( 4 ), showed that young people who felt connected and supported reported higher life satisfaction and academic achievement.
Inspectors noted that in many of the thirty-eight schools, mechanisms had been established such as student councils, focus groups and surveys, to facilitate the gathering of young people’s feedback and involvement in decision-making. Several inspection reports highlighted the positive impact of involving young people in leadership roles and in the planning of school activities and policies which supported their personal and social development.
Guidance and counselling services can play a critical role in supporting emotional wellbeing and academic success, especially during periods of key transition. Inspectors found evidence of effective practices in the schools inspected such as individual counselling, group guidance, and lessons delivered by qualified professionals, ensuring young people received tailored support for academic, social and career challenges. Issues such as limited availability of qualified guidance counsellors, reliance on unqualified staff and uneven accessibility to services were noted occasionally. Inspectors recommended schools proactively raise awareness of available services, ensure all young people can access support, and reach out to those who may hesitate to seek help.
While there were many positive aspects to the implementation of wellbeing programmes in the schools, about one-third of the schools needed to enhance targeted support for specific groups such as children and young people from areas of socio-economic disadvantage or those at risk of disengagement. In such cases, inspectors recommended adopting specialised interventions, including mentoring programmes and peer support groups, aligned with the Department’s Wellbeing Policy ( 5 ) three-tiered framework: whole-school support for all, targeted support for some, and intensive support for a few.
In some schools, provision for wellbeing needed to be improved by, for example, enhancing SPHE and RSE programmes to ensure equitable access to activities, especially RSE, and by integrating a focus on wellbeing more consistently into daily school life. Inspectors also highlighted the importance of ongoing professional development for teachers to better meet young people’s diverse needs.
In some of the schools inspected, student voice, agency and participation in decision making needed to be strengthened. In such cases, inspection recommendations included, for example, providing increased leadership opportunities for young people, formalising student council roles and ensuring regular, meaningful dialogue between young people and school management. Schools were encouraged to use young people’s feedback consistently to shape policies and practices, further embedding participatory approaches in school life.
Whole-school evaluation findings during this period also showed that there was strong adherence by schools to the implementation of key administrative requirements under the Department of Education anti-bullying procedures ( 6 ). However, this finding must be tempered by the findings from the Inspectorate report, Perspectives on Bullying Behaviour (2023) ( 7 ), which highlights important areas for improvement across a considerable number of schools in relation to addressing and preventing bullying. Of particular note in this regard is the need for schools to empower young people to recognise and report bullying confidently. Enhancing young people’s confidence in reporting bullying, and fostering partnerships between schools, families and communities, are central to addressing bullying effectively.
The adoption of digital technologies in Irish post-primary schools accelerated between 2020 and 2023, supported by the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and a €200 million investment by the Department. Effective integration of digital technologies can improve teaching, learning and assessment, with tools like interactive whiteboards and formative assessment platforms supporting student engagement and differentiation.
While some of the schools excelled in innovative uses of technology, a significant minority relied on basic functions. In such schools there was a need for the use of broader and more creative applications, such as interactive simulations and collaborative online projects, to maximise young people’s engagement and learning outcomes.
In Irish post-primary schools, the integration of some aspects of digital technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is an evolving landscape that has yet to be fully captured or reflected in inspection reports. However, this is expected to change significantly in the coming years as AI becomes more prevalent in everyday teaching, learning and assessment. The potential for AI to enhance project work and foster self-directed learning is substantial, offering young people new ways to engage with complex topics and develop critical thinking skills.
High-quality teaching and learning are fundamental goals for all schools, with a growing emphasis on developing 21st-century skills and competencies. The OECD's Future of Education and Skills 2030 project highlights the importance of equipping young people with competencies needed to thrive in an interconnected world. This includes developing critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity - often referred to as the "4Cs" of 21st-century learning ( 8 ).
These skills align with the high-quality teaching practices observed by inspectors during many whole-school evaluations in post-primary schools.
The quality of teaching and the quality of learning in the thirty-eight post-primary schools where a WSE-MLL was conducted was found to be good or better in the vast majority of the schools (94% and 89%, respectively.)
In many schools, there was evidence of well-prepared lessons, effective classroom management and the use of a variety of appropriate teaching methodologies. Where the quality of teaching and learning was high, teachers exhibited high degrees of subject knowledge, enthusiasm and the ability to engage students in the learning process.
Findings in relation to teaching and learning in many schools were positive, particularly in areas like teacher preparedness, student engagement and the use of digital technology. In a number of schools, inspectors identified a need for more careful attention to the pacing and structure of lessons to ensure that they moved at an appropriate speed for young people to grasp the material.
In almost one third of the schools there was scope for improvement in practices relating to assessment and the provision of appropriately differentiated learning experiences in order to ensure more student-centred learning approaches. The theme of assessment in post-primary schools is discussed further in Chapter 7, What inspections tell us about assessment practices in post-primary schools.
The quality of leadership and management in the thirty-eight post-primary schools where a WSE-MLL was conducted was found to be good or better in 82% of the schools.
Schools with effective practices demonstrated proactive leadership in setting strategic goals, monitoring progress, fostering collaboration among staff and adapting strategies to ensure continuous improvement in learning, making good use of school self-evaluation in so doing. Strong strategic planning enabled those schools to implement curriculum change effectively and to respond effectively to unforeseen circumstances, such as the inclusion of young people from Ukraine and other countries in the life of the school. Through distributed leadership, such schools empowered their staff, encouraged innovation in teaching and learning, and created a positive school environment with a focus on collective responsibility.
In schools where leadership and management were less effective, inspection recommendations related to issues such as a need to enhance middle-management roles, improve the implementation of policies in a more consistent way across the school and to ensure that resources, especially resources for young people with special educational needs, were used appropriately. The latter issue is discussed further in Chapter 11, Reflections on inclusion in the Irish education system.
A fundamental issue raised in the Chief Inspector’s Report (2016-2020) is the role of the board of management. Boards, comprised of dedicated volunteers, play a vital role in school governance, but the voluntary nature of these positions may no longer be sustainable. The Education Act 1998 envisioned boards as repositories of expertise, but it must now be considered whether our current governance structures adequately support and affirm their enormous commitment. The evolving landscape of education management presents significant challenges: changes in employment law, financial management, health and safety regulations and child protection procedures all demand a level of expertise and time commitment that may stretch beyond the capacity of many voluntary members.
This analysis highlights the positive aspects of many constituents of the post-primary sector, with many of the schools demonstrating commitment to promoting young people’s wellbeing, providing high-quality teaching and learning experiences, and demonstrating effective
leadership and management. These strengths collectively reflect a generally well-rounded and stable post-primary sector in terms of the quality of education provision.
Notwithstanding these strengths, post-primary education stands at a critical juncture, facing challenges and opportunities that will shape its future path. Looking forward, a strategic approach is essential: one that integrates the essential elements of strong leadership, innovative curriculum development, student wellbeing and belonging, and the creative and ethical use of digital technologies. By focusing on these key areas, the post-primary system can create an educational environment that addresses young people’s current needs while also preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
