Education Minister Paul Givan has unveiled an online professional learning offer designed to enhance classroom practice for primary educators.

Developed and delivered in partnership with Evidence Based Education, the initiative combines research insights with practical resources for use in schools.

Participation has opened to primary schools across Northern Ireland, with the initiative aligning to cross-cutting work under RAISE and delivering on commitments set out in the TransformED education strategy.

Paul Givan said: "Since publishing TransformED, I have been determined to provide our teaching workforce with the very best professional learning opportunities, and today's announcement is another significant step forward.

"The Classroom Excellence Programme has been specifically designed to meet the needs of primary school teachers and their pupils. It will help teachers develop a deeper, research-based understanding of how children learn and how they acquire, retain and apply knowledge. "When teachers have access to evidence-informed strategies, they can create classrooms where every child, particularly those facing disadvantage, has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential."

The programme was developed by Evidence Based Education.

The Minister continued: "The programme offers teachers personalised learning, with tailored pathways based on their prior knowledge, development needs and the specific needs of their pupils.

"Teachers will also have access to a wealth of resources, including self-study courses linking research to practical classroom approaches, webinars on key teaching topics, expert insights from education specialists, video demonstrations of effective teaching techniques in primary settings and a comprehensive resource library.

"The Programme translates the latest educational research into practical strategies that teachers can implement immediately in their classrooms."

Evidence Based Education will contact participating primary schools in early January 2026 to begin registration.

The Department said prioritising teacher professional learning and improving access to research are core commitments in TransformED NI. Evidence Based Education was appointed following a competitive procurement as part of the RAISE programme, after an expression of interest was issued to all primary schools.