Like the Framework for Integrated Education, the NICIE Excellence in Integrated Education Award (EIEA) is a voluntary self-evaluation and development process for schools. However, whereas the Framework is purely a tool for internal school use, the Award is achieved through external assessment involving an evidence portfolio and assessor visits to the school. Schools are supported through the EIEA process by the NICIE Development Team and NICIE is the awarding body.

The EIEA builds from the ‘Embedding’ stage of the Framework for Integrated Education. It supports schools to affirm and evidence their existing effective Integrated practice and then work on identified areas of additional focus. External assessment adds a level of rigour and confirmation to this process, with the presentation of the Award enabling a school to celebrate and promote its Integration excellence within the school and wider community.

All of the indicators within the Framework for Integrated Education are aligned with the four Principles of Integrated Education (Equality, Faith & Values, Parental Involvement and Social Responsibility), around which the audit tool associated with EIEA has been created. Where these are printed in green in the body of the document, they represent statements that are common to both the Framework and the EIEA. Those printed in amber indicate where the Framework Indicators contribute significantly to meeting a requirement contained within EIEA.

An Integrated school which is already self-evaluating within the stages of the Framework will be in a strong position to map this across to the EIEA audit tool, in preparation for further development work and external assessment.