- Consultation
- Documents Published by the Inspectorate
- Inspection
- Inspection Reports
- Survey Theme Reports
- Colleges and Training Organisations
Providing Inspection Services for Department of Education, Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure and Department for Employment & Learning.
What are the origins of the Inspectorate?
The present Inspectorate is in direct unbroken descent from the Inspectorate established in 1832 by The Commissioners of National Education in Ireland. In January 1989 the Inspectorate’s work was extended to include the training service in Northern Ireland and it became known as the Education and Training Inspectorate (Inspectorate).
Since the establishment of the devolved government in 2001, the Inspectorate provides inspection services and information about the quality of education, youth provision and training to:
- The Department of Education (DE);
- The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL);
- The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).
Notwithstanding the many changes that have occurred in the education service, including the extensive changes of the 1990’s, the duty of the Inspectorate, to report on the quality of education and training in Northern Ireland, remains fundamentally unchanged.
Within the Inspectorate, particular inspectors carry out specific roles. The role of the District Inspector (DI) has been part of the role of an inspector in Northern Ireland (NI) since the beginnings in 1832.
A District Inspector has responsibility for a group of organisations within sectors and phases, the pre-school sector, primary schools, post-primary schools, colleges of further education, training organisations and youth organisations. In the main, the DI engages with individual organisations within his/her district through three types of inspection activity:
- centrally-programmed inspections and surveys, including district inspections, in which, if feasible, the DI is also the Reporting Inspector (RI);
- follow-up inspections, and post-inspection contacts, in which the DI’s function is that of monitoring and reporting on the progress of the organisation in addressing the issues identified, with particular reference to improvements in learning and teaching, standards achieved, quality of leadership, and the effectiveness of external support;
- a programme of visits (district visits) planned and implemented by the DI.
There are circumstances in which a DI may decide to visit an organisation, primarily for pastoral reasons. The DI aims to visit the organisations in his/her district as often as possible during the year. The DI needs to develop productive and purposeful working relationships with the leaders and other staff of the organisations in the district, with staff of support agencies, with the representatives of the employing authorities, with managing/governing bodies and with staff of relevant statutory bodies/agencies, as appropriate.
