Curriculum and assessment

Assessment Arrangements to support the Revised Curriculum

Following consultation, the broad principles of the future new statutory assessment arrangements to support the revised Curriculum (including the levels of progression for the cross-curricular skills) have now been agreed.

InCAS (Interactive Computerised Assessment System) Working Group Report and Action Plan

Following the correction of errors which occurred in InCAS assessment outcomes in autumn 2009 the Education Minister initiated a programme of action to ensure the accuracy of InCAS outcomes and rebuild confidence. This included the establishment of an independent working group to produce a report on the impact of the errors on school confidence and to recommend a series of proposed actions that would be capable of re-building confidence in InCAS among schools, teachers and parents.

The group was chaired by Professor John Gardner of the School of Education, Queen’s University, Belfast, and included school principals, teacher union representatives, a school governor, and a representative from the Educational Research Centre, Dublin.

The group’s report included 19 recommendations which were accepted by the Education Minister, and an action plan was approved to address them.

As part of the process of preparing for InCAS assessments in autumn 2010, action was taken on a number of the recommendations. This action, and other extensive quality assurance work informed the arrangements for InCAS assessments in autumn 2010 and associated reporting of outcomes to parents. These arrangements were set out in Circular 2010/20.

Curriculum and Assessment

A revised curriculum was introduced in the 2007/08 school year and now applies to all 12 years of compulsory education.

You can access the orders, which set out the revised curriculum and assessment arrangements, the other skills and the transitional reporting arrangements by clicking on the links below:

Computer Based Assessment

InCAS Circular 2011/15

Assessment Arrangements to support the Revised Curriculum

InCAS (Interactive Computerised Assessment System) Working Group Report and Action Plan

A Review of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) and Its Implications for Northern Ireland

Delivery of the Revised Curriculum and Handling of Complaints from Parents and Other Parties

Primary Schools' Duties with regard to the Provision of Educational Information on their Pupils to other parties

Annual Reporting and Levels of Progression - Update. Letter to Schools.

Changes to Statutory Assessment