December 2024
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This conference focused on next steps for school inspections in Scotland.
It was a timely opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss priorities following the publication of the Education (Scotland) Bill in June 2024, including plans to establish a new independent school inspectorate body, the office of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland, which is expected to start operating in autumn 2025.
We are pleased to have been able to include a keynote session with Professor Ken Muir, Independent Advisor to The Scottish Government, whose 2022 report Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education informed the Education (Scotland) Bill.
Areas for discussion included the role and remit of the new inspectorate body, ensuring accountability and adequate oversight, governance structures, the separation of assessment and inspection powers, feedback mechanisms, and enhancing parental engagement in inspections.
Sessions also considered how to drive improvement and capacity building in the education sector, including the role of an additional £3.4bn for public services in Scotland announced in the Budget, and what could be learned from inspection reform in other jurisdictions.
Delegates assessed what a new inspection model could look like and how it could be implemented in practice. We expect discussion on guidelines to allow for adequate school preparation, understanding and addressing workforce concerns regarding delivery and workloads, and providing support for school staff to build on inspection reports and drive improvement across the education landscape.
The conference also looked at raising standards by building on best practice within Scotland’s schools, with discussion on student progression, data gathering and analysis in inspection and assessment, and priorities for updating digital records. Delegates discussed developing digital skills within the teaching workforce, streamlining inspection processes, training and support for inspectors to apply the new criteria, and tools for building both public and sectoral engagement and trust in the new inspection processes.
We are pleased to have been able to include further keynote sessions with: Sir Michael Wilshaw, former HM Chief Inspector of Schools in England; Greg Dempster, General Secretary, Association of Heads and Deputes Scotland; Susan Quinn, Education Convenor, Educational Institute of Scotland; Carole Ford, Member, Commission on School Reform, Reform Scotland; and Henry Hepburn, Scotland Editor, Tes.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- strengthening school inspection:
- assessing proposals outlined in the Education (Scotland) Bill - transitioning to a new inspection body and timeline for implementation
- potential role, remit and governance structures - ensuring adequate accountability and oversight
- feedback mechanisms for schools undergoing inspection - enhancing parental and learner engagement in inspection processes
- implementation:
- assessing the separation of assessment and curriculum functions - opportunities for streamlining inspection processes
- incorporating adequate training for inspectors to ensure fair application of new inspection processes - quality assurance and accountability
- educational standards:
- learning from best practice - strategies for improving student progression and achievement - taking forward feedback from inspection reports and incorporating into daily practice
- supporting effective implementation of overall findings across schools - professional development and resources to build capacity within the workforce
- data use in inspection and assessment:
- updating and streamlining digital records and inspection tools - best practice for data management and interpretation - utilisation of up-to-date data to inform inspection and assessment
- ensuring an emphasis on co-production with teachers, learners and local authorities - considering tools for fostering collaboration and transparency
- the teaching workforce:
- preparing for a new inspection framework and independent inspectorate - training provision - support for practitioners in improving education practice and building on inspection reports
- understanding and addressing concerns and challenges for delivery - tackling workload concerns for teachers following changes to the inspections process
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those that attended include officials from The Scottish Government; Education Scotland; DfE; DfE, NI; and the Welsh Government.
