Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland
2005 No. 303
EDUCATION
The Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
Made
17th June 2005
Coming into operation
1st September 2005
The Department of Education, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 13(3) and 90(3) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998(1) and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:
Citation and commencement
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation on 1st September 2005.
Application
2. These Regulations apply to the preparation and revision of a school development plan by the Board of Governors of a grant-aided school in pursuance of the requirements of the scheme of management for the school under Article 13(1) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
Matters to be dealt with by a school development plan
3. The matters to be dealt with by a school development plan are the matters set out in the Schedule.
The period for which a school development plan is to have effect
4. Subject to regulation 6, a school development plan prepared or revised in accordance with these Regulations shall have effect for a period of 3 years from the date on which the preparation or, as the case may be, the last revision of the plan was completed by the Board of Governors.
Publication of a school development plan
5. A school development plan shall be published by –
(a)a copy of the plan being provided for each member of the Board of Governors of the school, the principal of the school and each of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school;
(b)a copy of the plan being provided for the board for the area in which the school is situated and (in the case of Catholic maintained schools) the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools; and
(c)a copy of the plan being made available on request at all reasonable times, free of charge, by any person.
Revision of school development plan
6. The Board of Governors of a grant-aided school shall revise the school’s development plan –
(a)no later than 3 years from the date on which the preparation or last revision of the plan was completed by it; and
(b)following an inspection of a school under Article 102 of the 1986 Order(2), no later than 6 months from the date on which the report of such an inspection is published by the Department.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Education on 17th June 2005.
L.S.
C. Jendoubi
A senior officer of the
Department of Education
Regulation 3
SCHEDULEMATTERS WHICH MUST BE INCLUDED IN A SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
1. A statement of the ethos of the school.
2. A summary of the strategies in place for –
(a)learning, teaching and assessment; and
(b)the promotion of pupils' attendance, good behaviour and discipline.
3. An assessment of –
(a)the nature and quality of –
(i)the general progress of pupils including in the case of schools other than nursery schools, the pupils' work and the standards of their attainment;
(ii)the management structures and responsibilities within the school;
(iii)the teaching provided by the school;
(iv)the arrangements for the professional development of staff;
(v)the curricular and extra curricular provision made for pupils;
(vi)the provision made for pupils with special educational needs;
(vii)the provision made for the pastoral care of pupils;
(viii)the strategies for promoting pupils' attendance, good behaviour and discipline;
(ix)the arrangements for managing attendance and promotion of health and well-being of staff and pupils;
(x)the school’s links with the parents of pupils at the school and the wider community, including the business community and other schools; and
(xi)the school’s accommodation.
(b)The school’s current financial position and projected resources during the period covered by the plan.
(c)The extent to which the school has met its key targets or progress has been made towards these key targets in any school development plan which a school development plan supersedes or revises.
4. A summary of the challenges and opportunities facing the school.
5. A list of the school’s key targets for the period of the plan in order of priority, the planned outcomes and the actions to achieve these outcomes along with steps towards implementation and final dates for completion. In the case of all schools planned outcomes in learning and teaching and pupils' attainment must be included and in the case of schools other than nursery schools, targets in pupil attainment must be included. The financial and other resources available to the school must be taken into account in the setting of the key targets.
6. The extent to which the Board of Governors has consulted with pupils, parents, staff and other organisations in the preparation of the plan.
7. The arrangements for the Board of Governors, in consultation with the principal, to monitor, review and evaluate progress against the school development plan.
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations, which are made under Article 13(3) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, relate to the preparation and revision of school development plans in grant-aided schools.
Regulation 3 and the Schedule set out the matters to be dealt with in a school development plan.
Regulation 4 requires that, subject to regulation 6, the school development plan should cover a period of three years.
Regulation 5 sets out the arrangements for the publication of a school development plan.
Regulation 6 requires a school development plan to be revised after three years or no later than 6 months following the date of publication of a report of an inspection of a school carried out under Article 102 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.
S.I. 1998/1759 (N.I. 13) to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations
S.I. 1986/594 (N.I. 3); Article 102 was substituted by S.I. 1996/274 (N.I. 1) and amended by S.I. 1997/1772 (N.I. 15)