The WEA is regulated by the Education and Training Inspectorate who carry out inspections of its courses.
Some key points that were highlighted were that Relationships between staff and students are excellent and that tutors are knowledgeable in their subject areas, and create an ethos in which the opinions of all are valued.
For more information follow the links below.
2004 Follow-Up Inspection Report
 The most recent Inspection Report conducted by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) was a follow-up report from 2002 and was conducted in January 2004. The original inspection in January 2002 highlighted a number of strengths in the WEA’s provision.
These included:
That inspection also identified the need for improvement in the following key areas:
- the imbalance in the creative learning programme area, with an over-emphasis on the provision of recreational courses; and
- the range of resources, and number of qualified staff, to support the teaching of asic skills.
In the interval since the inspection, the Essential Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland has been developed, and new requirements for the training of tutors have been implemented by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).
In addition, the following changes which affect the work of the organisation have taken place:
- systematic programme of staff development and training has been implemented for staff who act as tutors on essential skills courses;
- a range of learning materials, linked to the new curricula, has been developed to support the teaching on essential skills courses;
- accredited essential skills courses, which are based on the new essential skills curricula, have been introduced to the organisation; and
- a review of provision in the creative learning programme has been undertaken.
The Education and Training Inspectorate carried out a follow-up inspection in January 2004.
The following are the most important improvements, which have been implemented since the original inspection:
- the increased number of appropriately qualified essential skills tutors;
- a significant improvement in the planning for the teaching of essential skills, and improved procedures for the initial assessment, monitoring, review and accreditation of achievement, of learners on essential skills courses;
- the good range and quality of the teaching resources available to tutors working on essential skills courses; and
- improved links with employers from the creative industries, and the development of a broad range of non-recreational courses in creative learning, which link creativity with enterprise and employment, and provide good opportunities for those wishing to develop new or existing skills or expertise to enhance their employment opportunities.
The WEA has made good progress in addressing the key areas for action. The learners and broader community can have confidence in the organisation’s commitment to improvement, and in the effectiveness of its action in response to the findings of the inspection.
The full report in PDF format can be downloaded here
All the documents and forms on our site are in the Adobe Acrobat format, please download the reader by clicking this link . This will take you to the Adobe site where you can download and install the reader for FREE!
Back to top
Main Inspection Report 2002
 The original Inspection Report by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) was carried out in January 2002 and the report can be downloaded here in PDF format.
All the documents and forms on our site are in the Adobe Acrobat format, please download the reader by clicking this link . This will take you to the Adobe site where you can download and install the reader for FREE!
Back to top
|
