School inspections are changing

Closes 26 Nov 2025

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Section 2: Inspection frequency and selection

 

 

 

There are around 2,500 schools in Scotland. Currently, there is no fixed cycle for inspections. HM Inspectors carry out around 250 inspections each year, using a national sampling approach. Schools can also be selected for inspection as a result of risk. This means that, on average, a primary, secondary or special school may be inspected once every 10 years, although some schools may wait longer. Some people feel that not being inspected for a long time can lead to uncertainty or create anticipation and a sense of pressure when inspection does occur.

Under the Education (Scotland) Act 2025, Scottish Ministers will be required to set a minimum frequency for school inspections by regulation. The Chief Inspector of Education will then be responsible for determining how often inspections happen in practice, provided the minimum is met.

We would like your views on how often school inspection should take place and whether all schools should be visited within a defined period.

2.1. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the current sampling model, where around 10% of schools in Scotland are inspected each year, should continue?
2.2. In your view, how should schools be selected for inspection?
2.3. In future, how often do you think each school should be inspected?

Do you have a different view on how often inspections should take place?