Clare Devlin

Early Education Associate

Clare has been working within the field of early years care and education since 1988. She began her career as a Foundation Stage teacher, moved to become an early years adviser with the education and library board and, in 2007, took on the role as Director of Programmes with Early Years – the Organisation for Young Children. Clare has had a lead role in the development of “The Developmental Programme for Two Year Olds in Northern Ireland” (Department of Education NI). In 2009 Clare became an independent trainer and consultant and has been focusing on the design and delivery of bespoke quality training programmes across the island of Ireland. Clare works with a range of organisations and providers across the statutory, voluntary and private sector in addition to providing support to individual practitioners, teachers, parents, professionals and advisers working within the early years sector. A wide range of programmes draw on lessons learned from research and from local and international best practice. Clare’s programmes are shaped largely from her close working with children and practitioners in settings. Clare also works as an Associate Assessor with the Education and Training Inspectorate in Northern Ireland (eti). Clare’s particular interest is in the observation and documentation of children’s thinking and learning. She is committed to the belief that observation is the key to learning.