Annual programme of inspection (2025 to 2026)

Published
29/06/2025
Last updated
08/12/2025

Each year the HM Chief Inspector sets out the scale and priorities of our inspection programme in agreement with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.

Early learning and childcare (ELC) settings

We'll carry out at least 150 inspections in this sector. We'll do these inspections using quality improvement framework for Early Learning and Childcare sectors in HMIE only and shared inspections with the Care Inspectorate.

Schools

This includes:

  • local authority
  • grant aided
  • independent
  • day Special Educational Needs
  • residential Special Educational Needs
  • secure accommodation services

We'll carry out at least 250 inspections across the school sector. This will include a sample of 120 inspections which will provide evidence for the National Improvement Framework and focus on the following quality indicators:

  1. leadership of change
  2. learning, teaching and assessment
  3. ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion
  4. raising attainment and achievement

Further inspections

There are 62 schools and settings and Community Learning and Development (CLD) services which will require either a further inspection or a progress report from the local authority. This number may increase further once we conclude the  2024 to 2025 inspection programme.

We'll complete further inspections in the timescales set out in the original inspection report. The majority of these will be during this academic year.

Community learning and development (CLD) services

We'll carry out inspections of CLD provision aligned to the work of the CLD Strategic Leadership Group.

Private colleges and English language schools

We'll carry out educational oversight inspections of providers who either:

  • hold a Home Office Student Sponsor licence and recruit inbound international learners on student visas
  • are designated providers who get funding from the Student Awards Agency Scotland

Modern Apprenticeship training

We'll carry out inspections of Modern Apprenticeship provision.

Prison education

We'll join 4 inspections of prisons at the request of HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Joint inspections with the Care Inspectorate

We'll work with other inspection partners on 4 joint inspections of services for children and young people. These will be led by the Care Inspectorate.

National thematic inspections

The programme of national thematic inspections will support the Curriculum Improvement Cycle.

Other national thematic inspections will include a focus on:

  • attendance
  • behaviour and relationships
  • additional support for learning
  • play pedagogy

School estates

We'll evaluate the educational benefits and implications of changes to school estates in all local authorities. This is in compliance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. This includes:

  • proposed closure of schools
  • opening of new schools
  • changes to admissions policies

Additional activity

In addition to our planned programme of inspection activity, we'll carry out inspection activity in response to identified risk, or at the request of Scottish Ministers.