School inspection follow-up actions

Request what a council did after a school inspection.

When His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (which took over school inspections from Education Scotland in March 2026) inspects a school and identifies areas for improvement, the council is expected to take action. Inspection reports are published, but the follow-up is often not.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Following the inspection of [SCHOOL NAME] published on [INSPECTION REPORT DATE], please provide: 1. The action plan produced in response to the inspection findings. 2. Any progress reports on that action plan. 3. Any correspondence between the council's education department and the school about the inspection findings. I would prefer to receive this by email. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

The local council responsible for the school. Find your council on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • Reference the specific inspection report by school name and publication date. You can find published inspection reports on His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education’s website.
  • Asking for the action plan and progress reports is more focused than asking for “all documents relating to the inspection”.
  • If the council says the action plan is still in draft, that does not automatically mean it can be withheld. Draft documents can still be released.