THE shared practice and strategic planning that goes on behind the scenes in local schools has been recognised as Angie Mervyn, the West Belfast Partnership Board’s Education Programme Manager, and the former Principal of Corpus Christi College, Frank Maskey, have been appointed to the Education Authority (EA) Board .
The EA was set up in 2015 to replace the five former Education and Library Boards.
Frank Maskey said his main priorities are a focus on working to achieve the best possible educational provision and outcomes for all children to ensure that individual needs are met.
“Fundamental to success is the welfare of pupils and staff,” he said. “In my experience, a strategic approach ensuring good communication and effective co-operation and partnerships across and between the sectors has been key to the development of sound educational practices.”
Adding to this, Angie Mervyn said: “It is really keeping kids and young people at the heart of everything we do. Frank and I have a track record of working in partnership with people across the education sector to improve the educational attainment and the life chances for all of our children and young people.”
She added: “I think that people working together in partnership to share expertise, resources and best practice is something that needs to be looked at across the North, particularly at Primary and Nursery level as it isn’t a statutory requirement.
“At post primary BALC (Belfast Area Learning Community) exists because of the entitlement framework and schools have to work together to offer the subjects out to kids but I think anything where people are working in partnership to have the best positive impact for kids and young people can only be a good thing.”
