Integrated Education Framework How does the Framework for Integrated Education align with the new ETI inspection process?

At the heart of Empowering Improvement 2024 lies ETI’s endorsement of ongoing self-evaluation as a process which schools use to support positive change and self-improvement. Promoting processes of self- evaluation ‘which will endure beyond the period of the inspection’

is seen as an important element in achieving the core purpose of inspection itself, which is to build schools’ capacity to ‘provide high quality education and outcomes for learners.’ (ETI Empowering Improvement, May 2024).

The Framework for Integrated Education is designed to be used as a mechanism for Integrated schools to engage with self-evaluation,

specifically around Integrated ethos and practice. It has currency inside and outside of any inspection activity and, used as a developmental tool, it will help Integrated schools to grow and deliver consistent levels of high-quality integrated provision.

The enhanced ETI focus on the ethos and culture of a school and its vision and values are also reflected in the Framework for Integrated Education, which has been developed to guide Integrated schools in shaping and realising their own distinctive Integrated vision and

ethos. It will therefore assist schools in formulating their responses to questions one and two of the new five core questions:

  • Question 1  What is the school’s vision and what informs it?
  •  
  • Question 2 How is the school setting about achieving the vision within its own context?

Integrated schools exist as places where children and young people, regardless of ability, socio-economic status, or community/religious background are intentionally brought together. One of the central contributory areas highlighted within the inspection process, ‘Equity, Diversity & Inclusion’, forms a natural basis from which the other contributory areas are developed in an Integrated school. All three elements are interwoven throughout the Framework for Integrated Education, providing an opportunity for schools to identify and gather evidence as to the influence of this area on the experiences and outcomes for all learners and its impact on the entire school and local community.