Information for those working in other educational settings

• Guide to Inspections in Special Care Units and Children Detention Centres
• Guide to evaluation in Youthreach Provision in Centres for Education and Community Training Centres
• Looking at our Centre
• Guide to Evaluations of Settings funded by the Department of Education other than Recognised Schools
• Inspections in Prisons
• Coláistí Gaeilge

Guide to Inspections in Special Care Units and Children Detention Centres

A Guide to Inspections in Special Care Units and Children Detention Centres —Revised October 2024

This guide replaces the previous version of the guide (2013) which has been reviewed in the light of experience and in consultation with the education partners. It sets out the practices and procedures involved in the inspection of schools at SCUs and CDCs which are effective from September 2016.

View the file View

Guide to evaluation in Youthreach Provision in Centres for Education and Community Training Centres

Guide to Evaluations of Youthreach Provision in Centres for Education and Community Training Centres

This guide provides a general overview of the approach to whole-centre inspection — April 2024

View the file View

Looking at our Centre

Looking at Our Centre 2023: A Quality Framework for Centres for Education and Community Training Centres

Looking at Our Centre 2023: A Quality Framework for Centres for Education and Community Training Centres provides a unified and coherent set of standards to guide and support the work of Centres for Education and Community Training centres.

View the file View

Guide to Evaluations of Settings funded by the Department of Education other than Recognised Schools

Guide to Evaluations of Settings funded by the Department of Education other than Recognised Schools — January 2024

This guide was developed following consultation with the education partners and sets out the approach to evaluations in settings funded by the Department of Education other than recognised schools.

View the file View

Inspections in Prisons

Inspection of Prison schools - Information note for Teachers

The purpose of this document is to outline the role of the Inspectorate of the Department of Education (DE) in supporting the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) on inspections of education, training and progression in prison settings. It has been developed following consultation with the OIP. The first Thematic Inspection Report on Education and Work Training in prisons conducted by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP), in partnership with the Department of Education Inspectorate (DE Inspectorate) is available here - https://www.oip.ie/thematic-inspection-on-education-work-training-april-june-2022/

View the file View

Coláistí Gaeilge

Main findings from inspections of courses in Irish colleges 2022-2024

This composite report describes the main findings of the inspections carried out on a sample of courses organised in Irish colleges between 2022 and 2024.

View the file View

Guide to Inspections of Courses in Irish-Language Colleges (Coláistí Gaeilge) — Updated 2025

This Guide provides information on the model of inspection used by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education (DE) to evaluate educational provision in courses provided by Irish-language colleges.

View the file View

Composite Report on Irish-Language Colleges 2014

This composite report presents the findings of inspections carried out by the Inspectorate, Department of Education and Skills, on Irish-language colleges in 2014.

View the file View