School inspections over the last ten years: FOI release

Information requested

The following information:

• In the academic year 2021-2022, how many schools (primary, secondary and special) were there in Scotland?
• By the end of the academic year 2021-2022, how many schools (primary, secondary, special) were not inspected in the last two years?
• By the end of the academic year 2021-2022, how many schools (primary, secondary, special) were not inspected in the last five years?
• By the end of the academic year 2021-2022, how many schools (primary, secondary, special) were not inspected in the last ten years?

Response

The information you have requested on how many schools were there in Scotland in academic year 2021-22 is available from School contact details - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for local authority and grant aided schools dated April 2022 and from Independent schools in Scotland: register -gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for independent schools dated August 2022. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

The following table provides the number of schools extracted from this data. It excludes individual units, such as Gaelic units and special units within schools which are listed separately on the Scottish Government contact details.

Primary	1965
Secondary	357
Special	125
Independent	89

By the end of the academic year 2021-2022, the following table provides the information on the number of schools (primary, secondary, special) that were not inspected in the last two, five and ten years.

	Not inspected in last 2 years	Not inspected in last 5 years	Not inspected in last 10 years
Primary	1965	1504	961
Secondary	357	278	157
Special	125	88	40
Independent	86	63	42

Notes
1. The Scottish Schools Contact details for local authority schools includes schools and units that have been opened, merged, renamed or provide additional support needs services.

2. The following years have been included in providing the information requested:

• Last two years includes academic years 2020/2021 and 2021/22.
• Last five years includes academic years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20; 2020/21; and 2021/22.
• Last ten years includes academic years 2012/13; 2013/14; 2014/15; 2015/16; 2016/17; 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20; 2020/21; and 2021/22.

3. Independent schools on the register of independent schools are most frequently defined by age category rather than primary, secondary or special education, therefore a category of independent schools has been provided.

4. An inspection is considered to have taken place where it is an original inspection not a further inspection which took place as a result of the outcome of an original inspection.

5. On 13 March 2020, Education Scotland paused all routine inspections of early learning and childcare settings and schools activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Routine inspections are resuming from September 2022.

6. Inspections that have taken place since then were either post registration inspections of newly opened independent schools or requests from Scottish Ministers to conduct an inspection in accordance with section 66 (1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.