Press Release
Date: Monday 31 October 2005 (NR/28/05)
CCEA first recognition of skills development in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland curriculum body CCEA, ( Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment) has celebrated the achievements of local teachers and learners involved in CCEA’s Key Skills and Essential Skills qualifications at a special award ceremony ‘CelebratingAchievement’.
This is the first time CCEA has held such an event and the first time recognition has been given to outstanding achievement in skills development in our education centres.
Speaking at the event, CCEA Chief Executive , Gavin Boyd , commented:
“Today we are in the company of some very special people who have reached the highest levels of performance in CCEA Key Skills and Essential Skills qualifications. We are delighted to celebrate their achievement and proud to be associated with the learning excellence represented by these awards. Being here is testament to their dedication and commitment. My congratulations go to one and all.
Key Skills and Essential Skills are vital in education, training, work and life. The revised Northern Ireland Curriculum places greater emphasis on the development of a range of skills, creativity and enterprise. Skills based qualifications equip young people and adults for life and work and are designed to meet the needs of the individual, society and the economy.”
Five award categories; Key Skills Learner of the Year Award; Essential Skills Learner of the Year Award; Key Skills Exceptional Achievement for Teachers & Lecturers; Key Skills Centre of Excellence Award and Pursuit of Excellence Award were presented to 27 learners and teachers and 5 education centres.
CCEA’s Celebrating Achievement awards ceremony took place on Friday 28 th October 2005 in the CCEA building at 29 Clarendon Road , Belfast . This event was a first of its kind hosted by CCEA to recognise outstanding achievement in skills in Northern Ireland .
Award Winners
Key Skills Learner of the Year Award
This award is recognition of achievement by individual CCEA Key Skills learners out of all those nominated by schools and colleges throughout Northern Ireland .
| Gemma Conway | St Patrick’s College, Maghera |
| William Tweed | Ballymena Academy |
Essential Skills Learner of the Year Award
This award is recognition of achievement by individual CCEA Essential Skills adult learners, including those from colleges, training organisations and community groups out of all those nominated throughout Northern Ireland .
| Caroline Leer Teresa Nugent Roisin O’Neill Jennifer O’Reilly |
Armagh College of Further Education |
| Maura Murray | Castlereagh College |
| Sean Fox Gabriel McKee Martin Prendergast |
Learning for Independent Living |
| Pauline McConville Jacqueline McNamee |
Newry & Kilkeel Institute |
| Roberta McKergan | Taughmonagh Community Forum |
| Maria Deeds Siobhan McCormick |
Upper Andersonstown Community Forum |
Key Skills Exceptional Achievement for Teachers & Lecturers
This award is recognition of staff in schools and colleges involved in teaching and assessing CCEA Key Skills.
| Noel Dornan Linda Hunter |
Ballymena Academy |
| Sarah Coyle | Loreto Grammar School , Omagh |
| Alison Acheson James Doyle Anthony Murray Pauline Rainey Nicola Tierney Leanne Toland |
Our Lady & St Patrick’s College |
| Ruth Foster Gillian McGarry James Napier |
The Wallace High School |
Key Skills Centre of Excellence Award
This award is recognition for schools and colleges who demonstrated exceptional professionalism, quality and effectiveness in teaching and assessing CCEA Key Skills.
Ballymena Academy
Loreto Grammar School , Omagh
Our Lady & St Patrick’s College
The Wallace High School
Occupational Studies
A Pursuit of Excellence Award is being made to the Mrs Marian Getty, Principal of Fort Hill Integrated College, Lisburn for making a unique contribution to CCEA’s Occupational Studies Pilot.
Key Skills
Key Skills are mainly taken by learners in schools and colleges. Key Skills qualifications are offered at Levels 1 – 4 in: Application of Number; Communication; Information in Communication Technology; Working with Others; Problem Solving; Improving own Learning and Performance.
Essential Skills
Essential Skills are taken by adult learners from all walks of life who want to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Essential Skills qualifications are offered in Literacy Entry Level; Numeracy Entry Level; Application of Number Levels 1 & 2; Communication Levels 1 & 2.
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.
