Date: Monday, 3 March, 2014
Launch of international integrated education week 2014
(Photo credit: Declan Roughan)
Excellence in Integrated Education Award
Congratulations to Oakgrove Integrated Primary School, who were awarded the Excellence in Integrated Education Award (EIEA) by the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) at a ceremony at Enniskillen Integrated Primary School, Drumcoo, Enniskillen, on Friday 28th February, 2014.
The award was given to Oakgrove IPS in recognition of the school’s hard work and dedication to the integrated ethos.
The EIEA Awards ceremony was part of the launch of International Integrated Education Week 2014 (IIEW2014), which is running from Monday 3rd March to Friday 7th March. The theme is ‘Building Bridges’
Enniskillen IPS were awarded the EIEA in November, 2012.
Noreen Campbell, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, said:
“I am delighted that Oakgrove IPS has been awarded the Excellence in Integrated Education Award. The award is a well-deserved recognition of the hard work and commitment of Oakgrove’s staff, parents, Board of Governors and most importantly, their pupils.
“It is also particularly fitting that Enniskillen IPS is hosting the awards at the launch of International Integrated Education Week 2014. Enniskillen were the previous recipients of the EIEA award in 2012.
“Furthermore, the Minister for Education, John O’Dowd, has recently announced the approval of a development proposal to increase capacity at Enniskillen IPS. NICIE is committed to ensuring that all parents seeking an integrated place are assured one. This increase in places will support this aim in these areas.”
The Excellence in Integrated Education Award provides a self-evaluation tool for schools which wish to explore, in a more meaningful fashion, how integration informs ethos, management, governance and learning and teaching within the school. It is based on the four core principles of integration, namely: equality, faith and values, parental involvement and social responsibility, and provides schools with a structure through which a comprehensive school-wide review can take place.
NICIE believes that the Excellence in Integrated Education Award scheme contributes to school improvement through strengthening ethos and that furthermore it complements the current Department of Education initiative of ‘Every school a good school – a policy for school improvement’.
This is the fourth year of the Awards, which have been going from strength to strength.
International Integrated Education Week takes place from Monday 3rd to Friday 7th March, 2014. Other events will include:
Wednesday 5th March (7.00 for 7.30pm start): Professor John D Brewer will be guest speaker at the All Children Together/QUB Dunleath Lecture, giving the lecture, entitled “The Limits of Politics: Reflections on a Damaged Peace” (Canada Room at Queen’s University, Belfast).
This is a public event and for further information, please contact NICIE at 028 9097 2910.
Friday 7th March (10.30–12.30): Celebration event in the Long Gallery at Stormont, showcasing the talents of integrated schools through song and drama. Trevor Lunn, MLA, will be hosting this event. The Guest of Honour will be the Irish Secretariat, Barbara Jones.
Schools are already exploring the ‘Building Bridges’ theme by making paper links, linking each student in each class around the school.
If you require further information, please contact NICIE on 028 9097 2910.
For further information or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson please contact Noreen Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at (028) 9097 2910, mobile 0787 8721327 or via e-mail to ncampbell@nicie.org.uk or via email to lmcivor@nicie.org.uk
