Information on the performance of Highland Council in relation to schools and education: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
Information regarding internal communications regarding Highland Council schools:
1. Copies of any internal communications concerning performance of Highland Council in relation to matters of the performance of the Highland Council’s schools and in understanding the adequacy of support and encouragement to schools to improve performance.
2. The number and minutes or meeting notes of any internal discussions concerning the performance of Highland Council Schools and the education authority in supporting its schools held between the beginning of 2022 and the end 2025.
3. What meetings were held with Highland Council regarding the performance of the Council’s schools and plans for performance improvement of Highland schools by Highland Council, between the beginning of 2022 and the end of 2025 and any correspondence with the Highland Council relating thereto.
4. What plans there are to undertake any inspection of Highland Council’s education function which would consider the adequacy of the Council’s plans to support and drive school performance improvement.
5. Whether Education Scotland is fully satisfied with the performance of Highland Council’s education function in achieving improvement in school performance.
Response
1. Education Scotland does not hold any internal communication regarding the performance of The Highland Council’s schools or the education authority’s support for improving school performance. Therefore, in accordance with section 17(1) of FOISA (‘Notice that information is not held’), we are unable to supply the information requested as it is not held by Education Scotland.
2. Education Scotland does not hold meeting notes or minutes regarding the performance of The Highland Council’s schools or the education authority. Therefore, in accordance with section 17(1) of FOISA (‘Notice that information is not held’), we are unable to supply the information requested as it is not held by Education Scotland.
3. Education Scotland staff, generally a Senior Regional Advisor, hold termly meetings with senior staff across all local authorities however these meetings are informal and are not formally recorded. Additionally, every local authority in Scotland has a link Head of Inspection (HM Inspector) who routinely meets with the local authority to discuss recent inspection findings and any matters of relevance in relation to education provision by the council. The link Head of Inspection has met with The Highland Council. Meetings are held with the local authority and a school’s senior leadership team as part of the inspection process. A list of school inspections carried out in The Highland Council since the beginning of 2022, is attached at Appendix A. In June 2024, HM Chief Inspector of Education announced a national thematic inspection of local authorities in Scotland. The focus of this thematic inspection was how local authorities support schools to improve. Between September and November 2024, HM Inspectors visited and met with senior officers and central teams in all local authorities, including The Highland Council, to understand the local priorities and approaches to quality assurance and school improvement. The report of this thematic inspection can be found here.
4. In 2024, HM Inspector’s carried out a thematic inspection of local authority approaches to supporting school improvement. The report of this thematic inspection can be found here. Alongside the announcement of this thematic inspection a commitment was given to develop a new framework and inspection methodologies for local authorities. Inspections using this new framework will be introduced in due course.
5. Education Scotland does not provide judgements on the educational performance of local authorities. HM Inspectors provide a professional view of the quality of education provision based on the outcomes of inspection activity and all inspection reports are published on HMIE’s website once an inspection is completed.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG