Written answers

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Department of Education and Skills

School Inspections

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 341 of 13 May 2021, the number of incidental inspections that have been undertaken in schools since 16 April 2021. [27442/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Inspectorate has carried out 50 incidental inspections between 16 April 2021 and 18 May 2021.

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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278. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 341 of 13 May 2021, the consultation and communication that took place with stakeholders in education prior to 16 April 2021; the updated guidance which has been provided to schools to facilitate the inspectorate entering classrooms; her views on whether it is appropriate that an inspector may visit a number of schools in a single week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27443/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In January and March the Inspectorate held briefing and consultation meetings with the Education Partners. The meetings provided partner organisations with information on the range of ways in which inspectors are engaging with schools and provided opportunity for questions and clarifications.

The details of these meetings have been published on the Department website at

The Inspectorate is committed to ensuring that in the current context, all of its evaluation, support and advisory activities, including where necessary visits to classrooms and meetings in schools, are being carried out in accordance with current public health advice and with due regard for the wellbeing of teachers, principals, pupils and inspectors. All inspections, other than in very exceptional circumstances, are notified in advance to the principals of the schools concerned. This prior notice allows for discussion with the principals on the arrangements to be put in place to carry out the visits safely, including where necessary, visits to classrooms. Inspectors have also been issued with guidance on the safe conduct of inspections in the current context.

During the current period, the Inspectorate is prioritising Supporting the Safe Provision of Schooling visits, Child Protection and Safeguarding Inspections and notified Incidental Inspections in line with the evaluation, support and advisory commitments outlined in Circulars 0040/2020, 0041/2020, 0001/2021 and 0002/2021, all of which are available on the Department’s website. This first hand engagement will help to ensure that schools continue to operate in a safe and sustainable manner and also provide the best teaching and learning experiences possible in the current context. The visits to schools and classrooms are providing important information on the impact of school closures on student learning and on how teachers and schools are responding to pupils’ needs in the pandemic context, and helping to inform planning for summer programmes that will be used to help address students' needs. Where the inspection activity prioritised at this time necessitates more than weekly visits by individual inspectors to schools, all necessary precautions in accordance with public health advice are taken.

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