The Pearson Teaching Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding work of exceptional teachers across the UK. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges for a Silver Teaching Award, which are announced on ‘Thank a Teacher’ day each year.  All Silver Award winners are then considered for a Gold Award. These are announced at the glittering Pearson Teaching Awards UK Ceremony, which will take place in London in October 2018 and will be filmed and broadcast on BBC2. Entries can be submitted by schools or colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (more…)

The Parkhall Integrated College community has been moving into brand new premises this week with the school at last united on a single site in modern facilities.

Parkhall IC has waited years for a new building to accommodate both the junior and senior pupils, having operated on a split site in Antrim for a decade.  The old junior school site will be used to develop improved sports facilities which will be available for community use. (more…)

Statement from Tina Merron, CEO Integrated Education Fund, 4 January 2018:

We welcome the news that the OECD PISA rankings will in the future include measurements of social skills and attitudes.

The integrated education movement has long argued that educating children and young people together, in an environment of inclusion and diversity, helps to develop important skills and attitudes alongside academic study. (more…)

The Department of Finance (DoF) have published a budget briefing document which sets out a number of scenarios relating to the Northern Ireland Budgetary Outlook 2018-20.

This budget briefing document sets out the broad strategic issues that will inform an incoming Executive’s decisions on a Budget for 2018-19 and 2019-20 (and 2020-21 for Capital). (more…)

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioners say more must be done to increase integrated education.

The NIHRC’s annual statement, published this month (December 2017), includes a section devoted to integrated education. It notes that, although several schools have successfully transformed to integrated status, “there have been no new integrated schools established since 2008”.  The Commission welcomes the publication of the Independent Review of Integrated Education in May this year, and calls on the Department of Education to set out its plans to implement the review’s recommendations. (more…)

Pupils, staff governors and PTA representatives at Ballymoney Model Controlled Integrated Primary School were delighted to welcome a VIP on Monday (18 December) when Dan Lawton, US Consul General, visited the school.

The whole school community gathered for a special assembly to greet Mr Lawton, and sang two songs.  The P7 children gave a presentation on “The Ballymoney Model CIPS Alphabet”, relating all the different aspects of school life from study and sport, through friendships and clubs, to environmental protection. (more…)