Findings from a comparative EU-study on inspections in polycentric education systems

Seminar details

Across Europe, Inspectorates of Education are developing new inspection methods and modalities that fit a more decentralized education system. In such systems schools and other service providers operate in networks to provide inclusive education or develop and implement more localized school-to-school improvement models. This seminar presents examples of some of these newer inspection models from Northern Ireland, England, the Netherlands and Bulgaria.

You will hear about the key elements of effective inspections and how they contribute to the improvement of educational networks, such as Multi-Academy Trusts, networks for inclusive education and area-based learning communities.

The seminar will begin with a welcome and keynote from Dr Melanie Ehren: Accountability of educational networks: what, why and how?

Four case studies of inspections of educational networks: conditions and mechanisms of effects on network functioning and outcomes will be discussed:

• Inspections of networks for inclusive education in the Netherlands: Dr. Jorgen Svensson, University of Twente
• Batched inspections and reviews of Multi-Academy Trusts in England, Dr. Melanie Ehren and Dr. David Godfrey, UCL Institute of Education
• Inspections of area-based learning communities in Northern Ireland: Martin Brown, Joe O’Hara, Gerry McNamara, Dublin City University
• Thematic inspection of a peer review network in Bulgaria, Rossi Simeonova and Yonka Parvanova, Sofia University

Followed by a Q&A and forum discussion.