Givan establishes Curriculum Taskforce Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland

Education Minister, Paul Givan, has today announced the membership of the Curriculum Taskforce Advisory Committee (TAC) that will spearhead the ambitious programme of curriculum reform in Northern Ireland. 

The Curriculum Taskforce, announced by the Education Minister in June, will be led by internationally respected educationalist Christine Counsell as Chair, with Lucy Crehan, who recently carried out the Strategic Review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, serving as Deputy Chair.

Dame Amanda Spielman, Tim Oates CBE, Clare Sealy OBE, Professor Daniel Muijs, Alistair Hamill, Nathalie Kellens, Tracey Maloney, Esther Martin, Sharon Mulligan, Mark Roberts, Noeleen Tiffney, and Simon Toyne have been appointed by the Minister to oversee the reform programme. The Taskforce will also have responsibility for preparing a new curriculum framework that is structured to be coherent, cumulative, challenging and ‘knowledge-rich'. 

Making the announcement, Paul Givan said: “I am pleased to announce the establishment of the Curriculum Taskforce Advisory Committee that will oversee, direct and lead the reform of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.

“The Committee includes a wealth of experience of curriculum design, classroom practice, evaluation and implementation. The expertise and vision of this group will be crucial in delivering an ambitious, rigorous and knowledge-rich curriculum that raises standards and supports all learners to thrive.

“Of course, this Committee will not work alone but will work alongside current teachers, local educationalists and subject specialists to prepare a coherent curriculum framework.

“This is an exciting and important step forward in our curriculum reform journey.  I look forward to working with the Committee and seeing their proposals for reform.”

The Taskforce Advisory Committee will be supported by a series of subject working groups made up of local teachers and subject specialists that will develop relevant capabilities and content, linked to specific curricular strands and subjects.   

It is envisaged that the new statutory curriculum framework will be developed by September 2026, with implementation from September 2027.

Notes to editors:

1. In November 2024, the Minister of Education commissioned a Strategic Review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. The final report, “A Foundation for the Future: Developing Capabilities Through a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum in Northern Ireland”, was published on 3 June 2025.

2. The review recommended the need for a new curriculum framework framed around five key principles: purpose-led, knowledge-rich, continuous and coherent, specified and focused and inclusive and flexible. 

3. The Departmental response to the Review can be found at: Response by the Department of Education to the Strategic Review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum

4. The Terms of Reference for the Curriculum Taskforce can be found at: Curriculum Taskforce Terms of Reference

5. The Taskforce will be chaired by Christine Counsell, with Lucy Crehan acting as Deputy Chair.  The members appointed by the Minister are.

• Dame Amanda Spielman: Led Ofsted to an evidence-based inspection framework that centred substance and integrity in education, after chairing Ofqual for six years through the last major programme of qualification reform.
• Tim Oates CBE: A leading expert on curriculum, assessment and reform.  He chaired the Expert Panel leading to the revised national curriculum in England in 2014 and is currently chairing the Review of Statutory Assessment in Northern Ireland.
• Clare Sealy OBE: Head of Education Improvement for the States of Guernsey, working across primary, secondary and tertiary phases.  Before that she was a primary headteacher for over 22 years in Tower Hamlets, East London.
• Professor Daniel Muijs: Head of the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work and Professor of Education at Queen's University Belfast. He is co-editor of the journal ‘School Effectiveness and School Improvement', and executive editor of ‘Education Sciences'.
• Alistair Hamill: Geography educator and curriculum specialist, currently serving as Head of Geography and Senior Leader for Teaching and Learning at Lurgan College, Northern Ireland.
• Nathalie Kellens: Primary Curriculum Specialist with extensive expertise in school leadership and curriculum design, currently serving as Primary Curriculum Coordinator for the Catholic Primary Education trust Oudenaarde, with particular responsibility for the KBO special schools.
• Tracey Maloney: ITE Director at Equalitas, with responsibility for subject specific teacher training and education programmes.  Previously a literacy consultant for the London Grid for Learning.
• Esther Martin: Former teacher and current Business Manager for Curriculum and Assessment at CCEA. Prior to this role, she served as a Programme Manager for Qualifications and Accreditation.
• Sharon Mulligan: Inspector with the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI), specialising in literacy and English since 2015. She leads ETI's Essential Skills work and has held the role of Managing Inspector across various education phases.
• Mark Roberts: English Teacher and Director of Research at Carrickfergus Grammar School.  Author of educational books such as Boys Don't Try? and You Can't Revise for GCSE English!
• Noeleen Tiffney: Principal of Saint Catherine's College, Armagh, leading both an all-ability girls' school and an Irish-medium stream.  Earlier in her career, she helped develop the Northern Ireland Revised Curriculum for English at Key Stage 3.
• Simon Toyne: One of the country's leading figures in music education, he is Executive Director of Music of the David Ross Education Trust (DRET), where he has instigated and developed a music programme for 14,500+ children in 36 East Midlands state primary and secondary schools.