TOP OF THE CLASS! NORTHERN IRELAND EDUCATION BODY WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
The annual Northern Ireland Quality Award has been won by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). This is the first time any public sector education authority in the United Kingdom has been recognised in this way.
The award was presented at a gala dinner in Belfast's Ramada Hotel run by the Northern Ireland Centre for Competitiveness. It was presented in recognition of CCEA's commitment to and achievement of excellence in all spheres of its work.
On receiving the award CCEA Chief Executive Gavin Boyd said:
'I am absolutely delighted to accept this award on behalf of my staff. It marks the latest step in our journey in pursuit of continuous improvement and business excellence. The award is the result of considerable hard work put in by all of the people who work at CCEA. I feel very proud to work with such committed staff who focus on providing a top class service to our customers.
While the award itself is very pleasing, it's what it represents that is most important. To win this award has meant getting better at what we do and how we do it. It has meant finding better ways to meet the needs and expectations of pupils, teachers and parents. This award is tangible recognition of our achievements in this area.
We intend to maintain our momentum and will not be satisfied until we are the best public sector organisation in Europe and recognised as such'
CCEA'S IMPROVEMENT JOURNEY 1999 – THE PRESENT
1999: ISO 9001 Quality Standard achieved
2001: Gold Award achieved in EFQM Business Excellence Northern Ireland Public Sector Steps to Excellence scheme
2002: Investors in People (IiP) Accreditation achieved
2002: Migration to ISO 9001 (2000) achieved
2002: Winner of Shell LiveWIRE special award achieved for recognition of enterprise in mainstream curriculum in Northern Ireland schools
2003: Regional Award Winner for European Week for Safety and Health
2004: CCEA achieves Northern Ireland Quality Award
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
