Inspection publications
Aspect review of the education authority and university ITE partnership arrangements
A report on the pilot inspection of services to protect children and young people (East Dunbartonshire)
A report on the pilot inspection of services to protect children and young people (Highlands)
A Review of Youth Awards in Scotland
A Review of Youth Awards in Scotland (PDF, 838KB)
Analysis of HMIE reviews of quality standards in further education 2004-2006
Analysis of HMIE reviews of quality and standards in further education 2004-2006 (PDF, 351KB)
Annual report and accounts 2009-2010
Annual report and accounts 2009-10 (PDF, 1.8 MB)
Annual report to SFC on the findings of Education Scotland's evaluative activity in Scotland's colleges
Aspect report on the provision in Scotland's colleges for young people requiring more choices
Aspect report: Renewables (energy)
Aspect report: Renewables (energy) (PDF, 494 KB)
Business, management and administration (aspect report)
Business, management and administration (aspect report) (PDF, 404KB)
Colleges and community planning
Colleges and community planning (PDF, 221KB)
Computing and digital media (aspect report)
Computing and digital media (aspect report) (PDF, 497KB)
Community Learning and Development in Curriculum for Excellence
Community Learning and Development in Curriculum for Excellence: 1. Senior Phase (PDF, 189KB)
Community Learning and Development (CLD) Planning - An aspect review of progress made in implementing the CLD Regulations
An aspect review of progress made in implementing the CLD Regulations (PDF, 413KB)
Computing in Scotland's colleges
Computing in Scotland's colleges (PDF, 153KB)
Count us in: Success for all
Count us in: success for all (PDF, 869KB)
Creative digital industries in Scotland's colleges
Creative digital industries in Scotland's colleges (PDF, 826KB)
Curriculum planning and alignment in Scotland's colleges (aspect report)
Curriculum planning and alignment in Scotland's colleges (aspect report) (PDF, 683KB)
Educational psychology in Scotland: Making a difference
Educational psychology in Scotland: Making a difference (PDF, 568 KB)
Engineering aspect report
Engineering aspect report (PDF, 530KB)
English for speakers of other languages in Scotland's colleges
English for speakers of other languages in Scotland's colleges (PDF, 1.3MB)
Evaluation of integrated and inspection methodology - final research report
Evaluation of integrated inspection methodology - final research report (PDF, 264KB)
External quality arrangements for Scotland's colleges
External quality arrangements for Scotland's colleges (updated August 2013) (PDF, 458 KB)
Gaelic Education
Inspection Advice on Gaelic Education
Advice on Gaelic Education - English version - Updated March 2022 (PDF, 960KB)
Building on the successes, addressing the barriers
Gaelic Education: Building on the successes, addressing the barriers (PDF, 343KB)
HMIE guide: Hungry for success - benchmarks for self-evaluation
HMIE Guide: Hungry for Success - Benchmarks for self-evaluation (PDF, 413 KB)
How well are the Scottish Attainment Challenge authorities improving learning, raising attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap? - Summary report June 2019
Improving Life Chances and Empowering Communities
Improving Life Chances and Empowering Communities (PDF, 2MB)
International comparisons of college staffing
International comparisons of college staffing (PDF, 958KB)
Learners with profound and complex needs in Scotland's colleges
Learners with profound and complex needs in Scotland's colleges (PDF 265KB)
Learning together: Improving teaching, improving learning
Learning together: Improving teaching, improving learning (PDF, 1.3MB)
Learning together: Lessons about school improvement
Learning together: Lessons about school improvement (PDF, 2.7MB)
Learning together: Opening up learning in all-through schools
Learning together: Opening up learning in all-through schools (PDF, 1.1MB)
Making effective use of extensive data sets which underpin evaluation in Scotland's colleges
Maximising learner success in Scotland's colleges (aspect report)
Maximising learner success in Scotland's colleges (aspect report) (PDF, 666KB)
Meeting the needs of learners and employers in Scotland's colleges
Multiplying skills, adding value - Numeracy and mathematics for Scotland's learners: A thematic inspection
Multiplying skills, adding value - Executive summary (PDF, 865KB)
Multiplying skills, adding value - Full report (PDF, 1MB)
Multiplying skills, adding value - Comments and cameos (PDF, 736KB)
Out of site, out of mind?
Out of site, out of mind? (PDF, 196KB)
Positive start, positive outcomes
Positive start, positive outcomes (PDF, 873KB)
Preparing young people for the future (aspect report)
Quality and improvement in Scottish education 2012-2016
This is the latest report on Quality and improvement in Scottish education (QuISE) from 2012-2016. The report of HM Inspectors’ findings highlights many strengths, including the commitment of staff, the continual improvement of learning experiences for pupils, and the creation of an education system which is highly inclusive. It includes key aspects of education provision and practice which should be prioritised for improvement across many or all of Scotland’s education sectors.
Quality and improvement in Scottish education 2012-2016 (PDF, 1.1MB)
Quality and improvement in Scottish education 2012-2016 (Gaelic) (PDF, 3.5MB)
You can also access the Quality and Improvement in Scottish Education 2012-2016 report by sector:
Early learning and childcare settings (PDF, 188KB)
Secondary schools (PDF, 199KB)
Special and residential special schools (PDF, 199KB)
Gaelic Medium Education (PDF, 126KB)
Gaelic Medium Education (Gaelic) (PDF, 361KB)
Independent schools (PDF, 140KB)
Community learning and development (PDF, 231KB)
Career information, advice and guidance services (PDF, 206KB)
Educational psychology services (PDF, 162KB)
Quality and improvement in Scottish education 2008-2011
This report provides the overview of the evaluations gathered during inspections and reviews over 2008-11 for each of the sectors included.
Quality and improvement in Scottish education, trends in inspection findings 2008-2011 (PDF, 408KB)
Statistical information can be accessed separately for pre-schools, schools and learning communities.
Statistical Appendix (PDF, 326KB)
Bibliography
A bibliography of relevant reports published by HM Inspectors during the period 2008 to 2011 is also available.
Bibliography of reports published by HM Inspectors 2008-11 (PDF, 22KB)
Quality framework for the external review of Scotland's colleges
Quality framework for the external review of Scotland’s colleges (updated August 2012) (PDF, 22KB)
Quality framework for the external review of Scotland's colleges (interrogative version)
Quality management in local authority psychology services (1)
Quality management in local authority psychology services (1) (PDF, 785KB)
Quality management in local authority psychology services (2)
Quality management in local authority psychology services (2) (PDF, 1MB)
Quality management in local authority psychology services - Word version
Quality Management in Local Authority Psychology Services (Word, 559KB)
Report on the aspect review of initial teacher education
Report on the aspect review of initial teacher education (PDF, 144KB)
Report on the integrated inspection of early education and childcare services
Report on the integrated inspection of early education and childcare services (PDF, 655KB)
Residential care and education
Residential care and education (700 KB)
Review of teacher education in Scotland
Review of teacher education in Scotland - HMIE analysis (PDF, 72KB)
Review of the contribution of the Scottish science centres
Review of the contribution of the Scottish science centres (PDF, 71KB)
Safeguarding arrangements and practices in Scotland's colleges
Safeguarding arrangements and practice in Scotland's colleges (PDF, 346KB)
Supporting learners to succeed (aspect report)
Supporting learners to succeed (aspect report) (PDF, 169KB)
Sustainability and Scotland's colleges
Sustainability and Scotland's colleges (PDF, 1MB)
The development of learner employability in Scotland's colleges (aspect report)
The development of learner employability in Scotland's colleges (aspect report) (PDF, 768KB)
The involvement of external experts in school education
The involvement of external experts in school education (PDF, 74KB)
The use of My World of Work web service to support effective career planning (September 2015)
Understanding learners achieving with partial success: A thematic aspect report on provision in Scotland's Colleges on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council (September 2015)
Summary of quality indicator results
The Education Scotland publication 'Summary of reference quality indicator evaluations' provides the statistical account of inspection findings for two of the National Performance indicators.
The quality and improvement in Scottish education report offers a qualitative summary of some of the key findings which have been emerging from pre-school settings and schools.
Summary of indicative quality indicator results (2009)
Summary of indicative quality indicator results from HMIE inspections, 2009 (PDF, 203KB)