The ICT Excellence Awards celebrate the innovative use of technology in transforming teaching and learning, while improving educational outcomes in Northern Ireland.
With the technology foundations laid by Capita and C2K over the last decade, Northern Ireland continues to push boundaries for innovation in Education. Capita is proud to sponsor these awards once again, recognising and rewarding the innovation within schools in Northern Ireland.
Over the years we have seen some remarkable examples of how teachers and school leaders are enhancing education through technology and the impact that has on young people's lives in Northern Ireland.
Please watch the video to find out about the 2021 Award winners and the Judges’ Report for 2021.
2022 award theme
We are delighted to announce this year’s awards theme – digital technologies, collaboration and teacher professional learning.
The theme is broad to allow you to choose one or more examples to showcase how your school:
- uses digital (including online) technologies to promote teacher professional learning, in ways which reflect an aspect, or aspects, of your school or staff development plan; and
- how the digital capacity of teachers is being improved in ways which is leading to evident benefit for learners.
Who can enter
There is one award per schools category, of which there are three - primary, post-primary, and special school/EOTAS centres (combined).
There will also be highly commended and shortlisted prizes for a number of schools in each category.
Entry criteria
Applications should provide clear evidence to address four criteria of how the school/centre is using digital technologies as a part of their teacher professional learning plan:
The Need:
The evidence-based reason(s) for identifying a specific aspect or aspects of their school staff development plan for development through the use of digital/online technologies.
The Plan:
The action(s) designed, and being taken, to advance teacher professional learning through the use of digital/online technologies.
The Impact:
Ways in which aspects of the digital capabilities of teachers are evidently improved as a result.
The Outcome:
Evaluative evidence of how, as a result, teaching/learning is being enhanced and improved for the benefit of a specific group or groups of learners.
Please note that the judging criteria below draw from documents, which are linked for information:
- The Learning Leaders Strategy, extracted pages 4-5, 22 and 24;
- The EA Digital Strategy for Learning; and
- Work in progress on teacher competences arising from the Learning Leaders Strategy.
How it works
Applications should provide clear evidence to address four criteria of how the school/centre is using digital technologies as a part of their teacher professional learning plan:
Stage 1: 
Complete our online application form: applications live now until 2nd December.
Remember this must be completed in one session as saving is not possible.
There is a limit of 2,000 words for the entire submission – any words over this will not be seen by the judges.
Stage 2: 
Shortlisting which commences early January 2023.
Stage 3: 
Judging visits with shortlisted schools will take place between Wednesday 25th and Friday 27th of January and Tuesday 31st January until Thursday 2nd February.
Stage 4: 
All short-listed schools will be invited the awards evening at The Merchant Hotel Belfast, Thursday 23rd March 2023 where the winners will be announced.
