Inspectorate report highlights high-quality practice and strong outcomes across Ireland’s education system
- Published on: 17 November 2025
- Last updated on: 21 November 2025
The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Youth today published the Inspectorate Report (2024) and Thematic Review which shows strong performance and high-quality teaching and learning across Ireland’s early learning and school systems. The report provides an analysis of the quality of educational provision in primary schools, special schools, post-primary schools, and early learning and care settings between January 2024 and December 2024. The report also provides a thematic review of several aspects of educational provision drawing on the research, inspections and advisory engagements carried out by inspectors during 2024 and the first half of 2025.
The overall findings from the 2024 inspection programme are positive showing a system performing at a high standard. These standards reflect national and international assessments which indicate that, from an educational attainment perspective, Ireland is faring well. These include:
Early Learning and care:
- 98.1% of early learning settings had good or better quality in the learning environment and relationships
- 97.3% of settings provided good or better learning experiences and achievements for children
- children displayed curiosity, persistence, creativity and deep engagement in play-based learning
- leadership and management were good or better in almost 95% of settings, reflecting professionalism and strong teamwork
- inspectors noted warm, nurturing interactions, strong use of the key person approach, high-quality play opportunities, and close partnerships with families
Primary and Special Schools:
- teaching quality was good or better in 93.9% of lessons
- children’s learning was good or better in 94.8% of lessons
- assessment was good or better in 90% of lessons
- inspectors saw high levels of student participation, positive learning environments and strong classroom routines
- provision in Physical Education showed strong modelling of movement, good use of equipment and enjoyable, well-structured lessons
- in Music, schools provided rich performance opportunities, with musical activity often a celebrated part of school life
Post-Primary Schools:
- teaching was good or better in 88%-91% of lessons across announced and unannounced inspections
- learning quality was good or better in 87%-91% of lessons across announced and unannounced inspections
- assessment practice was good or better in 83%-86% of lessons across announced and unannounced inspections
- students demonstrated high engagement, respectful interactions and positive attitudes to learning
- in Computer Science, the report notes positive findings, with high-quality teaching, strong digital skills development and supportive learning environments
- in Physical Education, many schools showed strong leadership of PE, broad curricula and enthusiastic student participation
The report also identifies aspects of provision that require development and improvement. These include:
Inclusive practices:
- the need for clear consensus on what inclusion means and on the purpose of special classes within an inclusive system
- greater promotion of student agency and meaningful parent involvement in decisions about learning
- stronger supports for school leaders to implement effective whole-school inclusive practices suited to their contexts
- a review of teacher allocation and deployment processes to ensure resources are used effectively and meet policy goals
Enactment of the Primary Language Curriculum (PLC) to support the teaching of Irish: The PLC (2019) is not yet fully implemented in primary classrooms:
- there is an urgent need to support leaders and teachers in improving Irish-language proficiency, which varies significantly and affects the enactment of the PLC
- evidence shows inconsistent interpretation and application of PLC principles for Irish, particularly in English-medium schools
- the report recommends measures at school and system levels to strengthen children’s Irish-language learning
Mathematics: Recommendations aim to improve Maths teaching and learning during the transition from primary to post-primary, emphasising continuity, progression and shared understanding of curriculum and pedagogy:
- the report identifies a need for better sharing of assessment information between primary and post-primary schools
- it also calls for cross-sectoral professional learning focused on mathematical proficiency, a key goal of the primary and junior cycle curricula
Publishing the report, Chief Inspector, Yvonne Keating said:
"Our inspection findings highlight many strengths and successes in the Irish education system. These successes are driven by the professionalism, expertise and dedication of educators, teachers, school and setting leaders and those supporting learning and wellbeing from early childhood education through primary and post-primary levels. This supports sustained progress in our pursuit of high-quality, inclusive education for all children and young people.
"Our inspection findings also point to some important areas where improvement and development are required. These include aspects of curriculum enactment such as Irish and Mathematics, actions to prevent and address bullying behaviour and aspects of inclusive practices.
"As an Inspectorate, our aspiration is for an education system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. It is hoped that the Inspectorate Report (2024) and Thematic Review will stimulate reflection, debate and actions that contribute to a high-quality, inclusive education system."
Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee, acknowledged the publication of the report, saying:
"I welcome this report, which draws on a wealth of inspection evidence and research from across all sectors of our education system. This report shows the many strengths of our system and the dedication of those who work within it. The exceptionally high standards highlighted reflect the commitment of teachers, school leaders, early years educators and families.
“The key areas identified—Inclusion, Irish and Mathematics—align fully with the Education Plan 2025, which aims to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child and young person can achieve their full potential.”
Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Minister Michael Moynihan, also welcomed the report. He said:
“Ireland has promised to make sure that settings and schools are welcoming, inclusive environments free from discrimination. This is part of our commitment under Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This report outlines aspects of effective inclusive practices currently in place across our schools and educational settings. Looking ahead, the challenge is to build on this foundation by fostering a shared understanding among all stakeholders—educators, families, communities, and policymakers—of what defines an inclusive, high-quality education system, and by empowering those involved to actively shape and support it."
Department of Education and Youth Inspectorate Report (2024) and Thematic Review.
For further information, please email Inspectorate@education.gov.ie.
Notes
Further information
This is the Inspectorate’s first annual report. Previously, the Inspectorate published reports that covered longer periods, the most recent being the Inspectorate Report (2021-2023) and Thematic Review which was published in December 2024. The Inspectorate intends to publish an annual report from now on
The publication has two sections: a report on the inspection programme and inspection findings (Chapters 1-4), which provides insights from almost 3000 inspections and advisory visits in early learning and care settings, schools centres for education and other educational settings and a thematic review of specific educational themes. The thematic review (Chapters 5-13) includes a focus on Irish, continuity and progression in the learning of Mathematics, perspectives on bullying behaviour, inclusion, aspects of special educational provision, student participation in inspections, and further development of school self-evaluation.
The Inspectorate and inspections 2024
2,995 inspections/advisory visits were made to early learning and care settings, schools, centres for education and other educational settings, including:
- 546 inspections of early learning and care in state-funded settings
- 907 inspections in primary and special schools
- 728 inspections in post-primary schools and centres for education
- 246 SSE visits and 568 other inspections, advisory visits and evaluation activities
The Inspectorate also collates and analyses the findings of inspections with reference to particular themes and publishes these in the form of thematic reports. During 2024, eleven thematic reports were published.