School Leadership, Policy and Practice, North and South

Conference Year: 2008
Conference Location: Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast

The sixth annual conference in Belfast in October 2008 demonstrated the effective role being played by SCoTENS in stimulating discussion among a wide range of participants on one of the most challenging issues facing education systems internationally.

Based on the theme ‘School Leadership, Policy and Practice, North and South’, the conference addressed the importance and impact of leadership in schools from varying perspectives, with reference to the inherent challenges facing both jurisdictions. In her opening comments the Northern Ireland Minister for Education Ms Caitríona Ruane MLA recognised the significance of the conference theme as she underlined the central role that principals and school leaders play in improving the efficiency and equity of schooling.

Date / Time Event Details Watch/Listen
09/10/2008
3.00pm

Official Opening by Minister for Education, Ms Caitriona Ruane MLA

09/10/2008
3.20pm

Ms Deborah Nusche, Policy Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education, Education and Training Policy Division, on the 2008 OECD report Improving School Leadership

09/10/2008
4.40pm

School system responses from Dr Tom Hesketh, Director, Regional Training Unit (NI) and Mr Paddy Flood, Director, Leadership Development in Schools (RoI)

09/10/2008
5.50pm

Closing remarks by Mr Will Haire, Permanent Secretary, Department of Education N Ireland

09/10/2008
7.00pm

Reception to launch two SCoTENS reports:
1. Teaching in the Knowledge Society: SCoTENS 2007 Conference and Annual Report
2. A Review of Science Outreach Strategies, North and South, by Kevin Davison, Veronica McCauley, Christine Donegan and William McClune

10/10/2008
9.00am

Dr Ciaran Sugrue, University of Cambridge, and Dr Tim London, Queen’s University Belfast – academic responses to the OECD report Improving School Leadership

10/10/2008
10.00am

Dr David Armstrong, Education Division, PricewaterhouseCoopers UK, on the PriceWaterhouseCoopers study on the Attractiveness of Headship: Ireland North and South

10/10/2008
11.00am

A view from the principals: Mrs Catherine Wegwermer, Principal, St Joseph’s Primary School, Crumlin, Co. Antrim and Mr Martin Wallace, Principal, Castletroy College, Limerick

10/10/2008
11.30am

Panel discussion, led by education trade unionists and teacher professional organisation representatives:
Mr Frank Bunting, Irish National Teachers Organisation (NI);
Mr Clive Byrne, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (RoI);
Mr Seán Cottrell, Irish Primary Principals Network (RoI);
Ms Moira Leydon, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (RoI);
Mr Seamus Searson, NASUWT (NI);
Ms Fern Turner, National Association of Head Teachers (NI).