Leading Together for Excellence: A TransformED NI Strategy for Teacher Professional Learning
The Department’s Strategy for Teacher Professional Learning – “Leading Together for Excellence” - published August 2026, sets out a comprehensive programme of reform to strengthen teacher development, drive educational improvement and support excellence across the system.
The strategy delivers a key commitment within the TransformED Strategy and Delivery Plan and replaces the Department's 2016 Learning Leaders strategy. It establishes a coherent, career-long approach to professional learning, supporting teachers from Initial Teacher Education through induction, early professional development, leadership development and system leadership.
The new strategy outlines a series of major reforms and multi-year investment including:
- Establishing a clear professional learning continuum from Initial Teacher Education to system leadership.
- Modernising the Teacher Competences Framework to reflect current educational priorities and professional expectations.
- Introducing dedicated Leadership Standards for Northern Ireland.
- Establishing a new Centre for Educational Excellence and Improvement within the Department of Education to lead both professional learning and leadership development across the education system.
- Providing dedicated funding for schools to invest in professional learning.
- Investing in a wide range of teacher development, including subject-specific and curriculum-aligned professional learning.
- Enhancing Initial Teacher Education through a common curriculum framework.
- Guaranteeing high-quality induction arrangements for newly qualified teachers.
- Strengthening Early Professional Development as a distinct phase of the teaching career.
- Expanding structured leadership development pathways for aspiring, middle and senior leaders, as well as principals.
- Creating a unified digital professional learning platform.
- Investing in and improving collaboration and coordination across the education system.
- Bespoke professional learning investment and programmes for the Irish-medium sector.
During Autumn 2026, the Department will publish a detailed Delivery Plan to support implementation of this Strategy and will also establish a new Leading Together for Excellence Programme Board, as well as a practitioner working group, to provide clear leadership, focus and coherence for this work.