Education Committee

Inquiry into Successful Post - Primary Schools Serving Disadvantaged Communities

Aim and Terms of Reference

AIM

“To consider examples of successful post-primary schools serving economically and socially disadvantaged communities, identify the key characteristics/factors which contribute to their success and consider how they can be reproduced in schools where they are lacking.”

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Effective School Leadership

To identify the key school leadership qualities necessary for the success of schools serving disadvantaged communities.

2. School Engagement with Parents and the Wider Community

To consider how successful schools serving disadvantaged communities have engaged with parents/guardians and the wider community, the extent to which this engagement has contributed to such schools’ success and how this has benefited the wider community.

3. Addressing Underachievement in Disadvantaged Communities

To consider how successful schools serving disadvantaged communities address the causes of underachievement, including higher levels of underachievement of boys (reference DE Report by PWC No.49, 2008), and potential measures to address this.

4. Department of Education School Improvement Policy

To consider the Department’s Policy ‘Every School a Good School – A Policy for School Improvement’ and other relevant Departmental policies in light of the evidence received in the course of the Inquiry and make any relevant recommendations to the Department.

APPROACH

The Inquiry will include evidence based sessions with:

• School Leaders and Governors of selected successful post-primary school serving disadvantaged communities;
• Education & Library Board and CCMS senior officers;
• Department of Education senior officials;
• Other organisations serving disadvantaged communities.

The Inquiry will also seek written submissions from education stakeholders and the community at large and will take into account existing Research Papers/Reports, the preliminary scoping work already undertaken by the Committee. The Inquiry will request an Assembly Research and Library Paper on this subject.