School inspection statistics: FOI release

Information requested

How many schools have not been inspected for 5 years, how many have not been inspected for 7 years, how many have not been inspected for 10 years, how many have not been inspected for 20 years and how many have not been inspected for 30 years, broken down by each local authority area?

Could you please provide the names of the schools relating to question 1 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray and the Highlands.

Response

The information you have requested in relation to the number of schools not inspected for 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, 20 years and 30 years broken down by local authority is attached at Annex A.

The information you have requested in relation to the names of schools in question 1 for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray and The Highland Councils is attached at Annex B.

Notes on the data provided:

1. Education Scotland’s annual programme of inspection operates on an academic year (AY) basis. All figures and calculations within this response are based on academic years.

2. The list of local authority and grant-aided schools is taken from the Scottish Government’s School Contact Details as at April 2024 published on the Scottish Government website.

3. This list details all primary, secondary, all-through and special schools in Scotland with a unique SEED code.

4. The list of independent schools is taken from the Independent Schools in Scotland Register as at June 2024 published on the Sottish Government website.

5. The number of schools not inspected is calculated from the number of schools that are currently open which have not been inspected in the defined periods.

6. The number of schools not inspected excludes those schools that have been open for less than a defined period and have never been inspected.

7. The 5 year, 7 year, 10 year, 20 year and 30 year periods are calculated in academic years (AY) as follows:

Time period	From	To
5 years	Last inspected prior to AY 2019/20 or open prior to AY 2019/20 and never inspected	AY 2023/24
7 years	Last inspected prior to AY 2017/18 or open prior to AY 2017/18 and never inspected	AY 2023/24
10 years	Last inspected prior to AY 2014/15 or open prior to AY 2014/15 and never inspected	AY 2023/24
20 years	Last inspected prior to AY 2004/05 or open prior to AY 2004/05 and never inspected	AY 2023/24
30 years	Last inspected prior to AY 1994/95 or open prior to AY 1994/95 and never inspected	AY 2023/24

8. There are no schools currently open which have not been inspected in the last 20 years.

9. The date of inspection refers to the date of the visit to a school as part of the inspection process and not the date the report was published.

10. The date of inspection is the date of the original inspection and does not include any subsequent further inspections which took place as a result of the outcome of the original inspection.

11. The data calculations include schools that have been inspected, but for which the inspection report is not yet published.

12. This data includes Gaelic Units and additional support units which were inspected as part of a school. The date of the inspection is therefore the same as the inspection date of the school they are located within.

13. When a new independent school is opened it is subject to a post-registration inspection. These inspections are included in the data provided for independent schools.

14. Independent schools may be subject to special inspections requested by Scottish Ministers under Section 66 (1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. These inspections are included in the data provided for independent schools.

15. On 13 March 2020, Education Scotland paused all routine inspections of early learning and childcare settings and schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Routine inspections resumed in September 2022.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400418242 - Information released - Annex A and B

File type

18 page PDF

File size

399.3 kB