The Inspectorate and inspection 2024

Chapter 1 - The Inspectorate and inspection 2024

The Inspectorate is a division of the Department of Education and Youth. Its duties are outlined in the Education Act 1998, which sets out evaluative, advisory, research and capacity-building functions.[1]

The Inspectorate operates with statutory independence in inspecting schools and other education settings. Its overarching mission is to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the Irish education system experienced by children and young people. One of its central functions is to provide advice to the Minister on any matter relating to education policy and provision, including curriculum, assessment and teaching methods. It has statutory responsibility to evaluate the teaching, development, promotion and use of Irish in schools and centres for education and to report to the Minister on those matters. The inclusion, wellbeing and safeguarding of children and young people are core purposes in the Inspectorate’s work.

The Inspectorate inspects in a range of educational settings. These include state-funded early learning and care (ELC) settings, recognised primary and post-primary schools, special schools, centres delivering the Youthreach Programme, agricultural colleges, Irish-language colleges, prisons, and other educational settings. Through the evidence gathered during inspection visits, the Inspectorate evaluates and reports on the quality of education provision to promote improved learning outcomes and experiences for all children and young people.

[1] Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1998/act/51/section/13

The Inspectorate uses a range of inspection types to evaluate the quality of education provision and how wellbeing, equity and inclusion are promoted. At the end of each evaluation, inspectors provide feedback to the school or setting inspected. The purpose of this feedback is to affirm positive aspects of practice and to advise on any improvements needed. Written inspection reports, setting out the inspection findings and recommendations, are provided to the individual school or setting and are published on the Department’s website.

In addition, the Inspectorate collates and analyses the findings of inspections with reference to particular themes and publishes these in the form of thematic reports. The purpose of thematic reports is to provide the Minister and stakeholders across the education system, including initial teacher education providers, with up-to-date information on, and insights into, education quality and performance. During 2024, eleven thematic reports were published by the Inspectorate.

The data presented in this section covers the period 01 January to 31 December 2024. During 2024, inspections took place in a context in which there continued to be significant growth in provision for children and young people with special educational needs. In 2024, 408 new special classes were sanctioned and four new special schools were opened.

Curriculum redevelopment also continued. The updated Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and Guidance for Good Practice[2] was launched on 5 December 2024. The redevelopment of the primary curriculum continued with the rollout of the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum in 2024, following its publication in September 2023.

Senior Cycle redevelopment continued in 2024, with ongoing work on new and revised subjects, professional learning for teachers and the development of Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes. A new Transition Year Programme Statement[3] was introduced. Nine leaving certificate subject specifications, including two new subjects, were published in 2024.

In June 2024, the department published the Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.[4]

[2] Available at: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/early-childhood/aistear-2024/

[3] Available at: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/senior-cycle/transition-year/

[4] Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/policy-information/b%C3%AD-cine%C3%A1lta-procedures-to-prevent-and-address-bullying-behaviour-for-primary-and-post-primary-schools/

During 2024, inspections continued to focus on teaching, learning, leadership and management across a broad sample of schools and settings. In addition, new inspection approaches were developed with a particular focus on inclusion and access to education. The programme of full day-care evaluations in early learning and care settings was extended. A review of inspection approaches also began and is continuing during 2025. The aim of this review is to bolster the agility and effectiveness of inspection approaches in supporting improvement in education provision for all.

Counts of inspections

Table 1: Summary of Inspectorate activities

Table 2: Inspections of early learning and care in state-funded settings

Table 3: Inspections of primary and special schools

[5] This is a follow-up inspection conducted to verify compliance in areas identified as non-compliant in a final published CPSI report.

Table 4: Inspections of post-primary schools

Table 5: School self-evaluation advisory visits

Table 6: Inspection of centres for education

Table 7: Other inspections and advisory visits

Table 8: Publication of inspection reports

[6] This table includes details of reports published in the period from January 2024 – December 2024.