To ask the Minister of Education to detail any appointment process that was followed for the roles associated with the group of experienced school principals who have been seconded for one year to support the TransformEd programme.

The approved business case for the Leaders of Education Programme estimates a requirement of c£920k for all costs associated with delivering the programme across the full 2026/27 academic year.

The secondment opportunities were advertised through the Department of Finance’s Interchange Northern Ireland platform. Such opportunities are purposefully designed for individuals employed in the public sector to provide benefits for both the organisation providing the secondment and the organisation releasing the secondee.

The two-phase selection process currently underway involves a sift of applications against specified criteria followed by a conversation with a purpose. It is intended that successful candidates will be in post from 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.