Scottish Government

Increase the proportion of schools receiving positive inspection reports

DESCRIPTION:

This indicator measures the percentage of schools receiving a positive inspection report. This is defined as receiving a positive evaluation in all three Reference Quality Indicators used by Education Scotland (formerly HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE)).

SOURCE:

The data for this indicator are based on the evaluation reports of the inspections carried out by Education Scotland (formerly HM Inspectors of Education).

The latest publication is available from the link:

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/s/genericresource_tcm4831249.asp?strReferringChannel=inspectionandreview&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-682710-64&class=l1+d147706

Those receiving a positive inspection report are evaluated as satisfactory or better in all three of the Reference Quality Indicators. They evaluate the schools on improvements in performance in terms of the outcomes for children across the full range of achievement.

The current figures refer to the first completed post-baseline sample results. The sample provides a representative sample of the schools in Scotland inspected between March 2011 and March 2014 for the selected sample schools only.

DEFINITIONS:

Schools include all publicly funded schools. Independent schools are not included.

A positive inspection report is achieved when an evaluation of satisfactory or better is achieved in all three of the Reference Quality Indicators.  If a school receives an evaluation of weak or unsatisfactory in any one of the three Reference Quality Indicators, it is categorised as positive criteria not met.

The three Reference Quality Indicators are defined in Appendix One of How Good is Our School.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/Images/hgiosjte3_tcm4-712732.pdf

The Reference Quality Indicators (QI)s are:

• 1.1 Improvements in performance
• 2.1 Learners’ experiences
• 5.3 Meeting learning needs

More information on these can be found on pages 24-25 of the above report.

BASELINE AND PAST TRENDS:

Education Scotland evaluate schools in relation to three Reference Quality Indicators which inform the indicators in the National Performance Framework.  To provide a nationally representative measure of performance for schools Education Scotland defined a sample beginning in April 2008.  The evaluations for the baseline sample were published in 2012. The evaluation of schools in the first post-baseline sample is now complete. The samples do not cover discrete time periods.

The first post-baseline sample of schools inspected accounted for 16% of all publicly funded schools open at September 2013. Of those inspected 90% were evaluated as satisfactory or better in all of the three Reference Quality Indicators, 69% were evaluated as good or better and 24% as very good or better in all three Reference Quality Indicators.  Positive criterion was not met in 10% of schools inspected.

CRITERIA FOR RECENT CHANGE ARROW:

The direction of travel arrow remains as “Performance maintaining” as the proportion of schools receiving satisfactory or better evaluations has remained unchanged since the baseline.

Two tailed significance tests (Barnard’s exact test) are used to assess the statistical significance of comparisons made. In line with statistical convention significance has been assessed at a ninety-five  per cent level of confidence.

For information on general methodoligical approach, please click here.

FUTURE ISSUES OR REVIEWS:

The next update will take place when the next full sample of schools has been completed.

ASSOCIATED TARGET:

No associated target.