The Independent Quality Assurance Agency (IQAA) has been formed to provide quality assurance through evaluation of schools. The following principles and functions are fundamental to its work:

• maintenance and improvement of standards and quality of education offered to pupils in schools;
• encouragement of an attitude and atmosphere of constant internal self-evaluation in schools;
• assuring governing bodies and all other educational authorities concerned, in an unequivocal and accessible way, of the quality of their schools;
• providing information and advice on quality assurance to any schools, associations and educational authorities who seek it; and
• promoting appropriate accountability.