Having been inspected by both Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in England, I found the recent inspection of my school in Scotland fascinating.
You see, the structure and processes adopted by the inspectorates on both sides of the border are quite different. Of course, everyone wants the same outcome: inspectors to judge the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and heads to be able to demonstrate the best practice being delivered by teaching and support staff.
The criteria are clear in both England and Scotland. The process of self-evaluation is also similar, as is the opportunity to read the school’s performance and rate its value.
ISI judgement is on a four-value statements scale, whereas, in Scotland, school inspectors judge on a scale of one to six, with “outstanding” rarely achieved.
Unlike Ofsted, Education Scotland inspects both state and private schools, and judges all of them against the same criteria.
One thing that steadfastly remains the same, however, is the trepidation. Upon hearing the words from the head, “If you’ve done what you should have done, it will all be fine”, there’s a rush among staff to get everything shipshape.
Having taught in all areas of education, it’s gratifying to realise that inspection is consistent throughout the sectors, and on both sides of the border.
The major difference is that, in Scotland, each school has a “link inspector”, who visits once a year to discuss progress. In 2015, my first year in Scotland, when I was told an inspector was in reception, I went into high-adrenaline overdrive, assuming that we were having a full, spot inspection - before realising that they had just popped in to see how things were going.
Over the past few years, our assigned inspector has developed a real understanding of what we’ve been trying to achieve, which, when it came to the full inspection, really helped us to show our school at its best.
Even 12 inspectors over five days might miss some of your school’s best features. Two weeks’ notice helped us to prepare and, as full inspections in Scotland should only occur every eight to 10 years, there was, indeed, a great deal to show.
Perhaps, then, there is something to be learned from the English system: should inspections be more regular?
Incidentally, our school inspection went very well - a message conveyed to our much-relieved staff by the lead inspector on the Friday afternoon.
Dorothy MacGinty is head of Kilgraston School in Perthshire
