Chief Inspector highlights changes in the inspection process

Date published: 14 September 2015

Chief Inspector of the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) Noelle Buick has highlighted changes to the inspection process, in the first of a series of biennial conferences for the education and training sectors.

The conferences will provide principals, leaders and education and training stakeholders with an update on developments in inspection and a briefing on the inspection process.

The conferences will also help principals and leaders understand the benefits of inspection and how it can be used to strengthen self-evaluation and quality improvement planning in their own organisation.

Hosted in the Titanic building with over 600 attendees, the Chief Inspector said:

“I really welcome this opportunity to address the education and training sectors in a proactive and productive way. These conferences will help to further demystify the inspection process and assure everyone across the education and training systems that the ETI sees our relationship with those we inspect as one of a partnership which is productive and purposeful, where my inspectors can have a professional dialogue with principals, leaders, teachers and tutors.

 In many cases that is to validate the work they are doing but where necessary we will identify areas where improvements can be made. The conferences provide an opportunity to update the system on current developments in inspection including for example the new performance levels and conclusions for overall effectiveness that will be used from the start of this term. They will also provide briefing on the inspection process right from the notification letter, pre-inspection visit, the inspection itself and what happens after inspection.

The ETI’s mission is to Promote Improvement in the Interest of All Learners and we can only do that when the organisations we inspect work with us. It is ETI’s role to promote improvement through professional dialogue on inspection and district visits and by identifying areas for improvement as well as areas of good practice that can be shared. It is for the organisation to effect that improvement to enable all learners to make progress. As part of that process I want to make inspection as accessible and transparent as possible.”

Notes to editors: 

Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office Tel: 028 9127 9207. Out of office hours, contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 99 715 440, and your call will be returned.

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