Providing Inspection Services for Department of Education, Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure and Department for Employment & Learning.

Introduction

The launch of the Chief Inspector's report on 24 April 2007 was but the beginning of a process of engagement with those involved in education and training across Northern Ireland.

The Report and the Executive Summary are now available on the website and have been distributed to all organisations concerned with education and training. For individual phases, the strengths, areas for improvement and the progress made since the last report for 2002-2004 are issued on a CD which is available from Inspection Services Branch.

The Inspectorate has long realised that inspection and inspection reports, of themselves, will not bring about improvement and in recent years has invested much time and effort in disseminating the key findings from report to those who need to know.

Practitioners and leaders within organisations make the real difference in terms of the improvement agenda and those who support their work have an important role to play as organisations strive for greater improvement.

Rationale and Purpose of the Conference

The key aims of the conference are:

to raise awareness of the main recurring themes and challenges identified in the Chief Inspector's report; and
to identify how the work of all the support agencies can contribute towards improvement in these areas.

The recurring themes identified in the Chief Inspector's report are:

Diversity and Mutual Understanding;
Special Educational Needs;
Closing the Gap;
Improving Teaching - Improving Learning;
Improving Leadership and Management; and
Information and Communication Technology.

The report also identifies a number of areas which provide a challenge to all of those attempting to bring about improvement. These challenges are:

Pastoral Care and Child Protection;
Improving Education and Training;
Governance;
Demographics and Sustainability;
14-19 Provision; and
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance.

Arising out of these recurring themes and challenges, the Chief Inspector identifies three key issues for all supporting organisations:

Helping young people to reach their full potential.
Connecting Better for Learners.
Leading at a Time of Change.

These key issues will provide the background for the conference.

By the end of the conference, participants will have a knowledge and understanding of how addressing of the key recurring themes and challenges will promote organisational improvement and contribute to:

the alignment, when appropriate, of educational services aims and objectives to take cognisance of the Chief Inspector's Report;
the highlighting of the key recurring themes and challenges as a part of the support to organisations;
the matching of requests for additional resources/funding, where appropriate, to address the key recurring themes and challenges identified in the Chief Inspector's Report; and
the inclusion of the key findings and recommendations in the organisational development planning process.

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