Policy Forum for Northern Ireland Keynote Seminar: Education in Northern Ireland: raising standards, school accountability and leadership Timing: Morning, Wednesday, 2nd December 2015 Venue: Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3LP Draft agenda subject to change 8.30 ‐ 9.00 Registration and coffee 9.00 ‐ 9.05 Chair’s opening remarks Seán Rogers MLA, Northern Ireland Assembly 9.05 ‐ 9.35 Educational performance in Northern Ireland: the current state of play Sir Robert Salisbury, Chair, Literacy and Numeracy Taskforce (2010–2011) and Chair, Independent Review of the Common Funding Scheme (2012–2013) Questions and comments from the floor 9.35 ‐ 10.15 Raising educational standards ‐ literacy and numeracy, skills for the workforce, and next steps for assessment Dr Damian Murchan, Assistant Professor, School of Education, Trinity College Dublin David Gavaghan, Vice‐Chair, CBI Northern Ireland Dr Michelle Rainey, Principal, Ballyclare High School Questions and comments from the floor 10.15 ‐ 10.50 Full service schools and tackling barriers to learning Gerard McMahon, Project Manager, Full Service Community Network School improvement through sharing services Mary McCloskey, Principal, St Mary’s Limavady Shane Laverty, Principal, Limavady High School Questions and comments from the floor with Gerard McMahon, Project Manager, Full Service Community Network 10.50 ‐ 10.55 Chair’s closing remarks Seán Rogers MLA, Northern Ireland Assembly 10.55 ‐ 11.15 Coffee 11.15 ‐ 11.20 Chair’s opening remarks Trevor Lunn MLA, Northern Ireland Assembly 11.20 ‐ 11.30 Supporting high quality professional development Dr Carmel Gallagher, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland 11.30 ‐ 12.10 School accountability, inspection and intervention Dr Liz Fawcett, Northern Ireland Representative, ParentsOutLoud Justin McCamphill, Northern Ireland National Official, NASUWT Dr Sam McGuinness, Head of School of Education, Ulster University Questions and comments from the floor with Dr Carmel Gallagher, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland 12.10 ‐ 12.55 Providing leadership and promoting the effective management of schools The establishment of the Controlled Schools Support Council Uel McCrea, Chairman, Controlled Schools Sectoral Support Body Ensuring high standards in voluntary maintained schools Jim Clarke, Chief Executive, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools School improvement in integrated schools Nigel Frith, Principal, Drumragh Integrated College and Member, Board of Directors, Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) Questions and comments from the floor 12.55 ‐ 13.00 Chair’s and Policy Forum for Northern Ireland closing remarks Trevor Lunn MLA, Northern Ireland Assembly Sean Cudmore, Deputy Editor, Policy Forum for Northern Ireland .