Achievement for All: A Vision for Northern Ireland

Educational attainment in Northern Ireland shows marked contrasts. Our schools compete extremely well in the top performing cohorts, however, recent studies have drawn increasing attention to the high proportion of poor performance at the other end of the academic spectrum. The low level of qualifications attained by young people in some areas of Northern Ireland continues to cause concern amongst education professionals and politicians alike.

Our speaker, Professor Sonia Blandford, is Founder and CEO of the national charity - Achievement for All 3As. Sonia is one of the UK's leading practitioners of education within the voluntary, community, charity and public sectors and is passionate about raising the aspirations, access, and achievement for all children and young people.

This briefing is being organised in co-operation with our strategic partner, PwC. It will:

• explore how Achievement for All works in partnership with leaders, teachers, parents and carers and wider professionals to improve outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people.
  
• inform the current debate about how public sector leaders and society generally can raise standards and aspirations amongst those for whom conventional education appears to hold little attraction.

Biography
A former Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of Education, Sonia Blandford is currently Professor of Education and Social Enterprise at the Institute of Education, London, and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University and has published over 200 articles, columns and books on educational leadership, special educational needs, teaching and learning, professional development and music education. Sonia is an advisor to the UK government, European Commission and international governments, representing the Department for Education as expert adviser on a pan-European "Raising Achievement for All " project.

Sonia began her career as a music teacher and has held senior leadership posts in primary and secondary schools in Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Bath, London and Bristol. Sonia has also led national and international teacher and leadership development programmes as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean (Canterbury Christ Church University) and Assistant Dean (Oxford Brookes University).

There is no fee payable for this event and lunch will be provided.

To reserve a place please click on the 'Register' button above and complete an online booking for or contact Kim McKnight, (E) mail@ceforum.org (T) 02890 347400 or 7406.