A Charter for Inspection

October 2025

About Us

The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) is a unitary inspectorate which provides an independent inspection service for education and training in Northern Ireland. Its vision is to be the voice for equity and excellence for all learners. Its mission is Empowering Improvement. ETI monitors, evaluates and reports on the quality of education and training provision in: early years; primary, post-primary and special schools; education other than at school (EOTAS); further education (FE); work-based learning (WBL); youth; and initial teacher education, as well as contributing to policy, planning and improvement work. ETI undertakes individual organisation inspections as well as cross-cutting thematic evaluations and broader inspection work. While ETI is formally a part of the Department of Education (DE), it also provides inspection services for the Department for the Economy (DfE) and other commissioning Departments. Through agreed frameworks, ETI co-operates and undertakes joint working with the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

ETI exercises its functions under Article 102 of The Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, which sets out the duties of inspectors to monitor, inspect and report on the standard of education being provided in organisations and advise the commissioning Departments as appropriate.

The Chief Inspector, Faustina Graham, is the head of the organisation and reports to the Permanent Secretary of DE. Three Assistant Chief Inspectors (ACI) and one Director, under the direction of the Chief Inspector, lead the formulation and implementation of ETI’s policies, strategies, and the business and corporate plans. Each Assistant Chief Inspector/Director leads a specific area of work within ETI. Currently eight Managing Inspectors (MI) manage a team of specialist inspectors. The Inspection Services Team provides a range of corporate planning and administrative services to manage and support the inspection process.

What We Do

The purpose of all inspection activity is to build capacity within the organisations inspected to provide high-quality education and outcomes for learners, achieved by:

promoting processes of self-evaluation which will endure beyond the period of the inspection;
evaluating and reporting objectively and fairly on the quality of provision in the best interests of the learners;
helping to inform and establish improved ways of working through professional dialogue; and
identifying, affirming, reporting, and disseminating examples of highly effective practice to celebrate educational successes from which others may learn.

Guiding Principles of Inspection

Learners are at the heart of everything we do.
Inspections/Evaluations are impartial, reliable and based on first-hand evidence.
Inspections/Evaluations are transparent and involve schools/organisations as fully as possible.
An important focus is the quality and impact of learning and teaching.
All inspection findings are reported constructively, balanced fairly and focused on empowering improvement in the interests of the learners.
Effective practice is recognised, affirmed and shared.
Inspections are proportionate to need.
The context of each school/organisation is taken into account to inform the inspection activity, which will be adapted accordingly.
Engagement in inspection/evaluations will empower organisations in their improvement journey and build capacity.
As a reflective organisation we will continue to encourage and act upon feedback on how the inspection process can be improved.

Engagement

In undertaking any inspection activity, the key priority for inspectors must be the interests and well-being of all learners, the quality of education and training they experience, and the outcomes they achieve.

ETI will always:

be sensitive to the context and circumstances of each organisation;
ensure all information is managed in line with relevant guidance;
evaluate objectively and consistently, be professional, open and honest in communicating findings to ensure that they reflect the organisation’s achievements;
show concern for accuracy and reliance on evidence-based evaluation;
show fairness in dealing with individuals and groups;
respect customer privacy and treat confidential issues concerning customers in an appropriate way;
comply with our statutory duties;
ensure customers receive a high-quality service;
take responsibility and be accountable for the quality of our work;
be committed to ensuring that customer queries are answered promptly, and concerns addressed at the point of contact or within a defined timescale;
be sensitive to the impact on others of evaluations and reports, without compromising the principles, values and standards of ETI;
take prompt and appropriate action on any safeguarding or health and safety issues;
treat everyone they engage with during inspection fairly and with respect, demonstrating professional courtesy; and
act objectively with integrity, honesty and impartiality at all times.

ETI Vision, Mission and Values

In carrying out inspection activity, inspectors work to achieve ETI’s vision to be the voice for equity and excellence for all learners and its mission to empower improvement, all underpinned by the key values of Integrity, Objectivity, Honesty and Impartiality. ETI has revised its processes, vision, mission and values to ensure our role has a positive and sustained impact on school/organisation improvement.

Our Vision

To be the voice for equity and excellence for all learners.

Our Mission

To empower improvement for all learners.

Theme 1 – Organisation Inspection, Evaluation and Policy Advice

Through inspection and thematic evaluation, empower improvement in the interest of all learners.
Inspire and inform effective and innovative practice and enhance professional dialogue.
Provide professional advice to support policy development and review.

Theme 2 – Capacity Building, Learning and Growth

Support high quality professional learning and development of all ETI staff.
Build the capacity of practitioners through involvement in inspection and evaluation work.
Promote self-evaluation and action planning to advance professional practice.

Theme 3 – Collaboration and Engagement

Collaborate with others to support policy and practice development.
Working in partnership with national, regional and international inspection and regulatory bodies.
Engage with stakeholders to inform and improve our customer service.

Theme 4 – Corporate Processes and Development

Development inspection Strategies which reflect our vision, mission, purpose and values.
Recruit talented people who share our values and principles.
Manage resources effectively, utilising digital technology and communication systems to support and enhance our work.

ETI values - aligned to the Northern Ireland Civil Service values

Integrity: Putting the interests of the learners above all other considerations.

Objectivity: Basing our evaluations and advice on rigorous analysis of the first-hand evidence.

Honesty: Always being truthful and open.

Impartiality: Serving all of our stakeholders equally well.

Continuous Improvement

The new inspection framework, implemented since 2024, was informed by, and co-designed with, schools and organisations and is directed towards both supporting and empowering improvement. In this process, constructive feedback from key stakeholders was invaluable. ETI will keep the process under review, to allow for any additional improvements we can make on the basis of feedback.

We will strive to continually improve our service by:

assessing regularly the quality of our work and the systems we use to make sure that we meet the highest standards of professionalism and honesty;
consulting regularly with our customers and stakeholders when we are designing processes of inspection or new developments and procedures;
collecting and analysing feedback from the organisations we inspect and the people who read the inspection reports;
reviewing the policies and procedures we use in the light of the feedback we get from customers and self-evaluation of our work;
monitoring and reporting how well we are meeting our standards;
assessing and evaluating how we live out our values and implement them as operating principles in our everyday business in line with Customer Service Excellence standards; and
measurement of how well we do compared to similar public service providers.

Enquiries, Concerns, Complaints and Compliments

We aim to provide an efficient and effective service guided by key principles, values and standards, building strengths and addressing any concerns in a timely and professional manner. We are committed to openness in the inspection process and to continuously improving our work. We welcome enquiries about our service.

Any person or organisation can raise a complaint about an aspect of the work of ETI if they, or the person they represent, are unhappy about our work. The ETI procedure is set out in Enquiries, concerns, complaints and compliments .

How to contact ETI:

Inspection Services Team

Rathgael House

43 Balloo Road

Rathgill

BANGOR, Co Down

BT19 7PR

Phone: 028 9127 9726

Email: eti@education-ni.gov.uk

Staff within the Inspection Services Team will aim to respond to phone enquiries immediately. If the query needs a written response, they will acknowledge your query and respond within the timescales set out in the ETI guidance and policy.

Customer Service Standards

ETI provides inspection services for the Department of Education, the Department for the Economy, and other commissioning departments.

ETI defines its customers as the young people, teachers, lecturers, practitioners, leaders and organisations with whom inspectors come into contact, in order to deliver ETI’s mission and vision in line with the statutory framework for inspection.

1. Communication

Effective communication with our customers is essential.

Telephone Communication

The ETI’s Inspection Services Team (IST) will:

answer all calls to the branch between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday;
answer calls within 10 seconds and identify themselves by name;
provide callers with a voicemail messaging service outside office hours and respond to such calls within one working day;
answer telephone queries immediately where possible, or advise the customer as to why a delay is necessary; and a reply or holding response will be made within one working day;
advise the caller of the appropriate course of action IST will take in relation to queries about specific education and inspection matters; and
transfer a query not related to the work of ETI to another Department or body where it could be handled more effectively, and advise you of the transfer.

For all telephone queries:

if a customer wishes to communicate in a language other than English (for example Irish or Ulster-Scots), and the person answering does not speak the language in question, our customers will be offered the option to continue the call in English or to write to the Department in the preferred language; and
if the caller wishes to communicate using the Irish language, they will be offered the option to transfer to a central voicemail service where customers can leave a message in Irish on: 028 9051 5252. If the customer wishes to communicate in Ulster-Scots they will be given the option to transfer to the Ulster-Scots language voicemail service by calling: 028 9051 5251.

Inspectors will:

answer telephone queries within one day, if received by them directly when they are working at their headquarters, and where this is not possible the customer will be advised as to why a delay is necessary; and
when away from headquarters, ensure that the customer receives a response from IST within three working days, to advise them when the inspector will be able to return their call.

Written Communication (email or postal communication)

The ETI/IST will:

acknowledge emails to the general enquiry email account by automated response, and, for all written communication received by IST, within three working days;
provide a written reply to a general enquiry/communication as soon as possible and within 10 working days*. However, if ETI/IST cannot provide a definitive response within this timeframe, an interim reply will issue, explaining why, and how the matter will be progressed;
ensure that written correspondence from ETI/IST is on official paper and include the name, date of reply, and contact details of the person dealing with each particular enquiry;
produce materials in English (the exception to this is publications issued to Irish medium schools and units);
if necessary, where your query cannot be dealt with by ETI or IST, transfer your enquiry to another Department or body where it can be addressed more effectively, and advise of the transfer; and
provide customers with the information they need in formats that meet their preferences as far as is practicable.

Inspectors will:

when away from headquarters, or unavailable, ensure that an individual receives, as a minimum, an ‘Out of Office’ message in response to an email. This message will indicate when the inspector will be available and the contact details for IST who may be able to help with the enquiry.

* Please note that: complaints received about an aspect of ETI’s work will be responded to dependent on the nature of the correspondence and within the timeframes set out in the guidance Enquiries, concerns, complaints and compliments.

2. Consultation

The ETI will:

consult regularly with customers and stakeholders to monitor the quality and standard of the services we provide, through for example, the use of questionnaires, focus groups, and individual meetings; and
engage customers and stakeholders in the design, operation and review of our processes.

3. Complaints

The ETI/IST will:

provide information in print and electronic formats about how to register complaints; and
provide a written response to a formal complaint received in written or email form, according to the timescales specified within the published ETI guidance.

4. Service and Performance Levels

The ETI and IST will:

adhere to the procedures, protocols and timescales for the inspection of organisations;
notify organisations of key dates pertaining to their inspection;
advise the organisation by telephone of the reason for any delay if the ETI is not able to meet the specified dates, and of any changes to the agreed timeline;
endeavour to publish all inspection reports on the ETI website within 30 working days of the report back at the end of the inspection; and
place all published ETI inspection reports and other support material on the Education and Training Inspectorate website.

The ETI will:

complete inspection activity in line with its business plan, published workplans and in the context of inspection resources and agreed timescales; and
commission the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) to collect and collate customers’ views following inspection and publish a summary of customer satisfaction (pending availability of statistically valid data).