Northern Ireland Funded Research-Informed Conferences Across More Than 300 Schools (United Kingdom, June 2026)
Northern Ireland announced funding for over 300 schools across 53 clusters to host Research-Informed Conferences during the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
Northern Ireland announced funding for over 300 schools across 53 clusters to host Research-Informed Conferences during the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
What Changed?
Schools will receive funding of up to £5,000 per cluster to host conferences that promote evidence-based teaching and learning through the Making Best Practice, Common Practice Programme.
Old System vs New System
Professional learning and research engagement existed but were not organised through this newly announced cluster-based conference funding model.
More than 300 schools will participate in funded local clusters designed to help teachers access and apply high-quality evidence in classroom practice.
Who Is Affected?
Student Impact
Students may benefit from teaching approaches informed by stronger evidence and shared practice across schools.
Parent / Family Impact
Families may see indirect benefits through improved classroom practice and collaboration between schools.
School / Institution Impact
Participating schools will organise or attend funded conferences and build local professional learning networks.
Teacher / Staff Impact
Teachers will have additional opportunities to engage with research-informed practice and share effective approaches.
Key Dates
- Announced: 2026-06-24
- delivery: 2026 to 2027 academic year
- funding: up to £5
- 000 for each of 53 clusters.
What To Do
- Participating schools should plan conference themes
- identify evidence-based priorities and ensure staff can apply learning after events.
What To Watch Next
Watch for conference delivery outcomes and how the TransformED programme measures impact on teaching practice.
Global Context
The initiative reflects the international move toward evidence-informed teaching and school-led professional learning networks.
Source Record
Source type: Official announcement
Source name: Department of Education Northern Ireland